As we turn the page on a new business school admissions season, you might be one of the thousands of applicants wondering exactly what you will end up communicating to the admissions committees in your application essays. Those who plan to apply to Harvard Business School (HBS) or the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB)—two of the world’s most prestigious business school programs—might be especially nervous; HBS and the GSB have continuously vexed applicants with open-ended prompts:
“As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?” (Harvard Business School)
“What matters most to you, and why?” and “Why Stanford?” (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
We at mbaMission are proud to offer our “What Matters?” and “What More?”: 50 Successful Essays for the Stanford GSB and HBS (and Why They Worked) guide written by Jeremy Shinewald, Founder/President of mbaMission, and Liza Weale, Founder of Gatehouse Admissions, in partnership with Poets&Quants.
Having helped hundreds of candidates gain acceptance to HBS and the GSB, Jeremy and Liza have pooled their collective experience to analyze a carefully curated collection of 50 successful essays to both schools, breaking down why each essay worked. The result is a truly essential guide to crafting essays confidently and effectively.
“What Matters?” and “What More?”: 50 Successful Essays for the Stanford GSB and HBS (and Why They Worked) offers the following:
- Actual HBS and Stanford GSB essays, submitted by past candidates who were ultimately admitted, along with expert commentary on the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses!) of each one
- Ten “pairs” of essays for HBS and the GSB, showing how the same candidate approached the two schools’ differing essay prompts
- Two essays by reapplicants, highlighting useful tactics for writing these essays the second time around
- Overviews and examples of four different approaches you can take to composing your essays: thematic, inflection points, single anecdote, and mosaic
- Best practices for each essay question, such as how to handle the prompts’ vastly different word counts and what not to include in your essays
The guidance, samples, and critiques in “What Matters?” and “What More?” will help you find the best approach for sharing your strongest stories with these programs—and position yourself for success!
If you plan to apply to HBS or the Stanford GSB, this digital guide is a must-have resource, and it is on sale now for just $24 (from $60). Purchase your copy today—and be sure to contact us if you are interested in speaking one-on-one with an mbaMission expert admissions consultant via a free 30-minute consultation.
