As far as admissions questions, Stanford’s two essay prompts are pure poetry. With the possible exception of Harvard’s one “optional” essay—no other admissions essays provoke as much anxiety in business school candidates.
Preparing for Stanford’s mythological “What Matters Most and Why” as well the shorter “Why Stanford?” should be the starting point for every business school applicant, simply because they require introspection and the ability to illustrate a fit with a program. Though Stanford no longer asks candidates to talk about career goals in their essay prompts (now part of the online application), a candidate’s goals play a major role in both Stanford essays, as does the applicant’s ability to write convincingly about how they have, and will continue to pursue—What Matters Most.
