With approximately 40% of a typical class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) having been born outside the United States, the school provides a wide variety of support services for its international students. Before arriving on campus, admitted international students receive information crucial to the logistical and social challenges they may face, including how to obtain a study visa for the United States, how to obtain a U.S. Social Security number, and how to adapt to an American classroom environment. Once on campus, first-year students from outside the United States are strongly encouraged to share their perspective in global business courses and can attend seminars and workshops designed to increase their confidence and improve their skills in written and spoken English via the MBA Communication Program.
Of course, international students also frequently participate in and lead targeted student clubs, including the Africa Business Club, the Europe Club, the Asia Business Student Association, and the Middle East and North Africa Club. To help with their international career search, students can count on a dedicated international career coach. The school’s Bechtel International Center offers additional support for international students, including U.S. employment and tax workshops as well as advisory services on visa and immigration issues. In addition, the center hosts an international playgroup for children. Finally, the center provides modest stipends for the spouses of MBA students to pursue their educational and career goals through the Spouse Education Fund.
For more information on other defining characteristics of the MBA program at Stanford GSB or one of 15 other top business schools, please check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.
