The STanford GraduaTe School of BuSineSS

AnnualReport 2010 The STanford GraduaTe School of BuSineSS

01 a B o u T S T a n f o r d

About StanfordThe Stanford Graduate School of Business (“GSB”) lies at the heart of innovation at Stanford university and in Silicon Valley in general. located in Palo alto, califor-nia, the business school campus is surrounded by some of the best technology companies, venture capital firms, and start-ups in the world. Stanford has played an indelible role in the growth and evolution of Silicon Valley and its associated industries, and the GSB benefits from this vibrant atmosphere.

The GSB sits “across the street” from the main quad on Stanford’s 8,000-acre cam-pus. While there is little interaction between MBa students and undergraduate students, there are many opportunities for collaboration between members of Stanford GSB and other graduate students, particularly in engineering and prod-uct design. Many Silicon Valley companies have been started by members of the GSB or the wider Stanford community, including cisco Systems, eBay, e-Trade, Google, ideo, intuit, Silicon Graphics, and Sun Microsystems.

Stanford University Programs

The Stanford GSB is one of many prestigious Stanford programs. The Stanford law School typically ranks in the top three in the US News & World Report annual rank-ings of law schools. The Stanford School of Medicine ranks in the top ten, as do many of the other graduate programs at the university. Stanford’s undergraduate college is ranked #4 in the country. also, as a ncaa division 1-a university and member of the Pac-10 conference, Stanford can boast of the rare athletic program that prizes academics as highly as athleticism.

Stanford Graduate School of Business

The Stanford GSB is the most selective business school in the world, admitting only 8% of applicants in a typical year. With only 370 incoming MBa candidates per year, it is one of the smallest MBa programs in the u.S., and is deeply commit-ted to being one of the most diverse. in the 2008 incoming class, almost 40% of students were from abroad. however, more than ethnic or regional diversity, the GSB looks for creativity and innovation in its students. it is just as important for future students to bring a different perspective to the classroom as it is to be an academic or professional star. The GSB prides itself on its community and uses its smaller class size and selectivity to bring together a group of talented and passion-ate individuals.

The Stanford GSB is consistently ranked as one of the top business schools in the world on a number of measures. The GSB is also a leader when it comes to a “green” education. The aspen institute, as part of its biennial “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” rank-ing, listed the GSB as the #1 business school for incorporating ethics, social respon-sibility and environmental sustainability into its academic curriculum and activities.

New Dean

it is the GSB tradition for the dean to step down after about ten years and in the 2008-2009 academic year, dean robert Joss announced that he would be step-ping down. Professor Garth Saloner was chosen as his successor, a great boon for the students as he is well loved. he has been awarded the student-chosen teach-ing award twice (one of only two professors to win this distinction). also, Profes-sor Saloner was instrumental in the development of the new curriculum so there should be a great deal of continuity when he takes over in September of 2009.

A list of Stanford University’s Schools includes:

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford law School

Stanford School of Medicine

Stanford School of engineering

Stanford university School of education

School of humanities & Sciences

School of earth Sciences


02 a B o u T S T a n f o r d

The Stanford Approach

as evidenced by its motto (“change lives. change organizations. change the world.”) the GSB’s mission is to develop innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who have the ability to make a legitimate difference on a large scale. on the whole, the GSB looks for candidates who are smart, passionate about their in-terests, and willing to step up and take action. To meet these goals, the GSB has developed a flexible and rigorous curriculum that can be customized to fit the needs of each student, yet still remain challenging. Some of the principals that form the basis of a GSB education are:

Customized Learning: The GSB has always featured a strong general management program, and as a result, never of-fered specific majors, preferring to give its students the flexibility to chart their own path. each year, a significant portion of the graduating class goes on to start their own companies, and as a byproduct, the program has always been flexible enough to en-able them to be successful in whatever venture those students chose. With the advent of a new curriculum in fall 2007, the abil-ity to customize the Stanford business education has increased even further. classes are now smaller, boasting a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1. Students work with a faculty advisor to tailor an academic plan that suits their needs and level of experience. The school adheres to a variety of teaching methods, from ex-periential learning to lectures to the case method. furthermore, students can take “accelerated” or “advanced” levels of core cores so that the work always remains challenging, no matter the level of prior experience.

Leadership and Communication. nearly every top business school boasts of leadership opportunities, but few ad-vance training in this area as thoroughly and comprehensively as Stanford. as an indication of its commitment to leadership development, the GSB added Strategic leadership to its core program for first year MBa students. in addition, programs such as the leadership fellows and the center for leadership devel-opment and research build leadership training into the curricu-lum and the lives of GSB students. one of the most important events at the Stanford GSB is the Stanford executive challenge, when over 150 GSB alumni and executives from around the world travel to Stanford to participate in a day-long leadership simulation involving all first-year MBa students.

Global Curriculum. With approximately 40 percent of students coming from overseas, the GSB has always had a glob-al perspective on business education. The GSB took that one step further when it implemented the requirement that every GSB student must have a global experience during their two years at Stanford. Students can participate in an international study trip, a service-learning trip, an immersion internship or an international exchange opportunity.

Intellectual Challenge: according to recent dean rob-ert Joss, “if you are not challenged during your time at the Stan-ford GSB, you have wasted your two years.” The GSB program is designed to be rigorous, regardless of a student’s background or level of proficiency. The grade non-disclosure policy encourages intellectual freedom and minimizes an undue sense of com-petitiveness. Students can take whatever courses interest them without fear for how it will impact their chances during recruit-ing season. Moreover, under the new curriculum, classes like the critical analytical Thinking seminar help students develop their analytical skills by examining broad issues that transcend any single function or discipline of management. Students with strong backgrounds in particular subject areas, such as econom-ics, statistics, or finance, have the option of taking “accelerated” or “advanced application” versions of these courses.

Collaborative Community: everything about the Stan-ford GSB – from its small size, the “work-hard, play-hard” culture, and the fact that almost all first-years live together in a com-mon residence – encourages the development of Stanford’s tight-knit, collaborative culture. Most work at the GSB is done in groups and there is a strong sense of community that pervades everything that goes on around the GSB campus.

Diversity of Perspective: The GSB is one of the most diverse MBa programs, with a large concentration of interna-tional students, as well as students from a variety of ethnic back-grounds. however, more than simple geographic or ethnic diver-sity, the GSB prides itself for its diversity of perspective. as is the case with other elite MBa programs, Stanford seeks candidates who can bring a unique perspective to the classroom. While ev-ery class includes its fair share of investment bankers and consul-tants, the GSB welcomes a large number of students from non-traditional backgrounds or with non-traditional interests.

“in fall 2007, the core curriculum for first-year MBas at Stanford was completely revamped to allow for increased customization, smaller classes, and more interaction with faculty.”


03 a d m i S S i o n S a T S T a n f o r d

Admissions at Stanford

Application Essay Topics

Stanford typically requires two standard essay questions and then allows each can-didate to address two out of four remaining essays, for four essay questions in total. The total word count limit for the four essays is 1,800 words, with word guidelines provided for each question.

for 2009-2010, the essays on the Stanford GSB application will be as follows:

A What matters most to you, and why? (750 words)

B What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them? (450 words)

C Short Essays-Options 1-4answer two of the four questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? how did people respond? only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years. (300 words each)

• Option1: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.

• Option2: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

• Option3: Tell us about a time when you motivated others to support your vision or initiative.

• Option4: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

Veritas Prep clients working on their Stanford GSB applications will receive expert guidance on each of these essay questions. head consultants help clients under-stand how to highlight strengths and weaknesses as well as unique elements within the confines of the question, while also addressing each of the key business school admissions themes. furthermore, Stanford Specialists will ensure that essay respons-es are in keeping with what Stanford is looking for in its applicants and that the program highlights included in this guide are used as appropriate reference points and examples.

Deadlines

Stanford GSB recently moved its round 1 dead-line up to early october and its round 3 dead-line back to early april, creating a gap of six full months between the two deadlines.

Round 1 deadline october 7, 2009

notification december 16, 2009

Round 2 deadline January 6, 2010

notification March 31, 2010

Round 3 deadline april 7, 2010

notification May 19, 2010



Admissions Criteria

a common misconception about the GSB is that applicants must be “rocket scientists” or superstars in order to get in. While the GSB has some of the smartest students around, the admissions committee looks for more than book smarts or empty ac-colades by searching for evidence of intellectual curiosity, passion, and demonstrated leadership ability in its candidates. above all, the GSB is attracted to candidates with the desire and ability to impact their organizations, whether it is on a small or large scale. Moreover, since the admissions committee wants to develop thriving commu-nity of MBa students, it is important for potential candidates to stand out as interest-ing individuals capable of bringing a unique perspective to the classroom.

for these reasons, the Stanford GSB admission essays are often among the most dif-ficult and open-ended of any top MBa program. Their famous question “What Mat-ters Most To You” is designed to be a freewheeling thought exercise that challenges candidates to articulate the values and ideals that have motivated their past decisions and will form a guidepost for how they will develop as leaders and decision-makers. if done well, this can be a personally rewarding exercise – at least, this is the stated hope of the admissions committee. You should learn a little bit about yourself in the Stanford application process. By asking about your “values and aspirations,” rather than your “motives and goals,” the admissions committee hopes to find out who you are and what qualities you could bring to the table as a Stanford MBa.

on its website, the Stanford GSB identifies the following attributes as being the most important for an ideal applicant:

• intellectual vitality

• demonstrated leadership potential

• Personal qualities and contributions

Interviews: The GSB only invites about 25 percent of applicants to be interviewed, so merely receiving an invitation is a great accomplishment. interviews are 45-to-60 minutes long and most applicants are interviewed off-campus by alumni. GSB inter-views are “blind,” as alumni interviewers do not have access to any application mate-rial, aside from the applicant’s resume. nearly all interviews are done by alumni. Very few interviews, if any, are conducted by admissions representatives.

Admissions Statistics

no school is as selective as Stanford GSB, as the program admits just 8% of each applicant pool, made possible by-ever increasing applica-tion numbers (closing in on 7,000) for a modest annual class size of 370 students. clocking the highest average GMaT score of any MBa pro-gram, the GSB also sports a very high average GPa – one that is topped only by hBS. Stanford still isn’t getting a “yes” from candidates at quite the rate of harvard (hBS’s yield for the class of 2011 was 89%), but everything else adds up to arguably the most impressive profile with regard to admissions statistics, making careful work on the application paramount for inter-ested candidates.

applications .......................................... 6,575

acceptance rate ..................................... 8%

Yield ..............................................................77%

average GMaT score ...........................726

20th/80th GMaT Percentile ...670-770

average GPa ............................................3.61

“above all, the GSB is attracted to can-didates with the desire and ability to impact their organizations, whether it is on a small or large scale.”

“The Stanford GSB admission essays are often among the most difficult and open-ended of any top MBa program.”



Visiting Stanford

one of the best ways for candidates to truly understand if the Stanford GSB is a proper fit is to visit the campus and get a feel for the academic environment, student life, and overall campus culture. additionally, visiting the school offers the opportunity for face-to-face contact with current students, professors, and admission representatives.

it is best to plan class visits, on-campus information sessions, and informational inter-views, during the spring before you plan to apply to the Stanford GSB. Since Stanford is on a quarterly academic calendar, MBa classes do not begin until late September and most opportunities to interact with current students don’t get rolling until mid-october when round one applications are due.

Stanford offers a variety of ways for candidates to come and experience the school for themselves:

Lunch With A Student: lunches with current first and second-year MBa stu-dents are available from mid-May to mid-october when classes are in session. lunch-es are scheduled on Mondays and fridays. registration in advance is required. This is a good option for learning more about the new curriculum. as the new curriculum is only two or three years old, most GSB alumni have little experience with the changes to the curriculum so conversations with current students will be extremely helpful in understanding the GSB and in crafting powerful admissions essays.

Class Visits: class visits at the GSB fill quickly and require making a reservation a few weeks in advance. Because of the small class size and space restraints, there is no ability to pick particular classes. each GSB class runs for an hour and forty-five minutes and the school asks that prospective candidates stay for the entirety of the class. note that visit-ing prospective students are not encouraged to participate. class visits occur every day except Wednesdays, when classes are not in session, from mid-october to mid-May.

Campus Tours: Tours of the GSB are student-led and offer a great way to gain in-sight into the program and life at Stanford. The school makes an effort to time student tours with the lunch program detailed above – most tours leave directly following lunch and are initiated in an area called “Birds courtyard,” the area where most GSB students congregate between classes. according to the GSB website, sights on the tour include: the GSB Jackson library, MBa computer lab, GSB academic facilities, ar-buckle cafe, Schwab residential center, Stanford’s Green library, and, time permitting, the Stanford Main Quad and Memorial church. While a reservation is not required, it is advised to sign-up in advance to ensure that enough student-guides are available for the tour. Tours are available Mondays and fridays from mid-october to mid-May.

On-Campus Information Sessions: Sessions are held weekly on Mondays and fridays from 10:00 aM to 11:30 aM, except in the summer, when sessions occur on friday only. Sessions are 90 minutes long and feature a member of the admissions office.

Worldwide Information Sessions: The GSB offers alumni-led and admis-sions officer-led information sessions in a host of u.S. cities and over 30 countries worldwide. The bulk of these sessions are held in the fall quarter, at the start of the application cycle. check the GSB website in the summer for a schedule. Some sessions are customized to raise issues among particular interest groups, such as women, u.S. minorities, or the lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (lGBT) community. Such sessions are designated on the schedule published on the admissions website. Pre-registration for all such events is required.

Additional Outreach Events: like nearly all business schools and academic programs, Stanford offers a variety of opportunities to engage with members of the school’s community outside of Palo alto. Many are hosted by the business school, while others are larger events or co-sponsored events at which Stanford participates. The school offers a complete list of its events on its website.

“as the new curriculum is only two or three years old, most GSB alumni have little experience with the changes to the curriculum.”

Sessions and Events for Specific Interest Groups: The GSB plans events for specific interest groups. Some of these events require a special application and/or es-say to attend, but often provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about the school and impress the admissions committee. ex-amples of past events include:

• XX factor: Women changing the World

• Many Voices: Perspectives on diversity

• cheK uS out information Sessions (World-wide info sessions that address lGBT issues)

• lGBT networking Session at annual reaching out conference

Contact Information:

MBa admissions officeStanford Graduate School of Business518 Memorial WayStanford, ca 94305-5015Telephone: 650.723.2766fax: 650.725.7831

frequently asked Questions

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission_events/

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/faq/


06 f i n a n c i a l a S S i S T a n c e a T S T a n f o r d

Financial Assistance at Stanfordfor those who aspire to attend Stanford GSB, the only thing more daunting than gain-ing admissions is figuring out how to foot the bill. like most elite graduate school programs, Stanford offers a variety of programs to help students pay the program’s lofty tuition.

Financial Assistance Options

Stanford presents the following options for exploring financial assistance:

Stanford Merit-Based Scholarships

• TheCharlesP.BoniniPartnershipforDiversityFellowshipProgram-Stu-dents receive a full-tuition grant for the two years at Stanford and are placed in a nine to 12-month internship with a corporate partner prior to enrolling at Stan-ford. during the internship, the Bonini fellows are paid a competitive pre-MBa salary, plus standard benefits.

• TheMohammedbinRashidFellowsProgram-up to five fellowships award-ed to qualified students who demonstrate to leadership capabilities and com-mitment to the arab region’s human and socio-economic progress. available to students from across the arab region, which cover tuition, fees, books, accommo-dation, stipend and travel for the duration of the fellowship. upon completion of studies, fellows must return to the arab region for at least two years.

Need-Based Scholarships and Grants

• TheRelianceDhirubhaiFellowship-indicative of the growing global focus of its curriculum and the strength of its reputation abroad, the GSB has established a fellowship for indian nationals living in india. up to five fellows are awarded each year and receive full tuition and feels. This award is both merit and need based. fellows are expected to return to india to live and work for two years after they complete their studies.

• GSBFellowships-The Stanford GSB offers a number of need-based fellowships to all u.S. and international candidates who complete financial aid applications and can demonstrate financial need. There is no specific application process for these fellowships outside of submitting the regular financial aid application. a list of named fellowship donors is available in the fellowship database.

Tuition and Cost

The following annual costs are based on infor-mation released by Stanford for the 2008-2009 academic year:

Tuition ..................................................$51,321

living allowance ....................... $25,263*

Books and Supplies ....................... $1,941

course reader fees ....................... $1,845

Medical insurance ......................$2,400**

health fee ............................................... $501

additional expenses ..................... $2,651

Total-$85,922peryear*Based on an estimate for a single student, living off campus. Stanford estimates a single student living on campus at $21,111, a married student liv-ing on campus at $29,607, and a married student living off campus at $34,937.

**Medical Insurance can be waived with proof of outside insurance coverage.

https://gsbapps.stanford.edu/fellowships


07 f i n a n c i a l a S S i S T a n c e a T S T a n f o r d

Other

• SiebelScholarsProgram-each year, the top five first-years are chosen to be Siebel Scholars and receive a $25, 000 fellowship. The fellowship is awarded for leadership, contribution to the GSB community, as well as outstanding academ-ic performance.

• GSB InternshipProgram-This fellowship is designed to support MBa stu-dents who are interested in working for a non-profit or in public service and helps cover some of their salary.

• EntrepreneurialSummerProgram(ESP)- This program makes it easier for GSB students to work as interns for early-stage start ups and helps cover some of their salary.

• SocialInnovationFellowship- This program is designed to assist recent GSB graduates in launching a socially responsible venture. it is still in its pilot phase for the classes of 2009-2011. This is most appropriate for students prepared to spend their first year after graduating launching a nonprofit organization.

• Nonprofit/PublicServiceLoanForgivenessProgram-like many loan for-giveness programs for public service, this program pays a part of a GSB gradu-ates loan obligations while they are employed in public service.

• InternationalLoanForgivenessProgram(inpilot-phase)-This program offers loan forgiveness to international GSB graduates who opt to work in de-veloping countries. The program pays part of the loan while the student is em-ployed abroad.

Loans:

• Loansfor InternationalStudents -The GSB has worked with the Stanford federal credit union (Sfcu) and citibank to assist international candidates in finding private loans to help pay their academic costs. The Sfcu is a credit union that services most of the Stanford community and offers highly competitive rates and friendly terms, compared to other institutions. it provides a good al-ternative for international candidates as some of the loans do not require a uS co-signer.

Outside Funding Opportunities: Stanford provides a series of outside funding opportunities that may provide further financial assistance to its students.

Federal and Private Loans

as with most graduate programs, Stanford makes available a series of loan programs that comprise the bulk of each student’s financial assistance:

FederalStaffordLoan– available to u.S. citi-zens and permanent residents. The maximum dollar amount is $20,500 and the subsidized amount can be up to $8,500, depending on fi-nancial need.

FederalPerkinsLoan–an interest-free loan while in school, it is a smaller loan program available to qualified students who are u.S. citi-zens and permanent residents.

FederalGraduatePLUSLoans– This loan can cover cost of attendance after other assistance has been calculated, provided the student qual-ifies and is a u.S. citizen or permanent resident.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/finaid/documents/outside_scholarships0910.pdf

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/finaid/documents/outside_scholarships0910.pdf


08 S T a n f o r d S T u d e n T S

Stanford GSB StudentsThe average student at the Stanford GSB can be described as “smart,” “passionate,” and “friendly.” The admissions committee is looking for compelling candidates who stand out from the pack and have the ability to be successful at anything they put their minds to – whether they are the proverbial rocket scientist, a social entrepreneur, or someone coming from a “traditional” background, such as banking or consulting. above all, they are looking for future business leaders with the capacity to make a last-ing impact on their communities.

The majority of GSB students love their classmates and are very passionate about the GSB. Stanford is a small school, with approximately 370 students per class. Most MBa students are on a first-name basis with the other people in their class by the end of the second year. The atmosphere is collegial and community-oriented, as over 60 percent of the first year class lives on campus at the Schwab residential center, a housing facil-ity reserved for MBa students.

GSB students live by the ethos “work hard, play hard.” While their schedules are extremely tight – filled with challenging coursework, a ton of recruiting events, study group meetings, class projects, student organizations, and other activities – they enjoy the california lifestyle, and the relaxed culture at the GSB, with events such as Vegas foaM, challenge 4 charity, and the weekly GSB happy hour at the dutch Goose.

Student Organizations

There are at least eight major student-run conferences every year, as well as a very pop-ular student-run speaker series, “View from the Top,” which brings six-to-10 of the most important ceos to campus over the course of the academic year. The GSB has over 70 clubs and student activities. The school website has description of most clubs and ac-tivities, as well as links to club websites. at such a small school, this offers most students ample opportunity to get involved in a leadership positions.

The most notable clubs, activities, organizations and events include:

• Venture capital club• Private equity club• entrepreneurship club• Women in Management (WiM) • View from the Top Speaker Series (VfTT) • Black Business Students association (BBSa) • Stanford Management internship fund (SMif)• Public Management Program• Global Management Program• Board fellows Program• i have a dream (ihad)• Wine circle• challenge for charity (c4c)• GSB Gives Back / GSB charity auction• GSB Show• out4Biz• Biz Partners & BizKids

“over 60 percent of the first year class lives on campus at the Schwab residential center, a housing facility reserved for MBa students.”

Student Stats

Total full-Time MBa enrollment ...740Male Students .........................................64%female Students ...................................36%Minority Students .................................24%international Students .......................43%

Full-Time Program Breakdown:

Total enrolled............................................898full-Time MBa ..........................................739Phd Program ............................................102MS ......................................................................57

Undergraduate Majors Breakdown:

Business ......................................................19%natural Sciences/ Math/engineering ................................35%humanities/Social Sciences ...........46%

Total Geographic Breakdown:

africa ............................................................... 2% asia ................................................................12% eastern europe and central asia ... 5% latin america and the caribbean 8% Middle east ................................................. 3% north america ........................................60% oceania ........................................................ 2% Western europe .....................................13%Percentage of students with dual citizenship ............................ 9% countries represented .................53average length of pre-MBa work experience ........................3.9 years

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/admissions/services/clubs.html

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/admissions/services/clubs.html


09 S T a n f o r d a c a d e m i c S

Classes reflect a number of different teaching methods including:

• case studies• discussions• face-to-face feedback• learning labs• Problem-solving sessions• role-playing• Simulations• Team projects• Theoretical overviews

“in fall 2007, the core curriculum for first-year MBas at Stanford was com-pletely revamped to allow for increased customization, smaller classes, and more interaction with faculty.”

Stanford Academics

Teaching Philosophy

There is no single teaching method that dominates at Stanford. The teaching philoso-phy is tailored toward the aims of the course and represents the most effective way to maximize the learning and challenge for the student.

Class Organization

in fall 2007, the core curriculum for first-year MBas at Stanford was completely re-vamped to allow for increased customization, smaller classes, and more interaction with faculty. The Stanford GSB coursework is split into three parts: Management Per-spectives and Management foundations, which make up the core of the first year curriculum, and electives, which make up the bulk of second-year classes.

during the first quarter, first-year students are split into approximately six sections of approximately 60 students to take the Management Perspectives courses. Some courses, such as the critical analytical Thinking seminar, have as few as 14 students per section. Students with sufficient ability and background experience can opt to take accelerated versions of some of the Management Perspective courses, such as Managerial finance. Most of the work at the GSB is done in groups. Students spend quite a bit of time working with study groups comprised of students from their sec-tions and from their various core courses.

Core Classes

The new first-year curriculum is split into two components:

Management Perspectives: during the first quarter, all first-years must take the seven required classes in the Management Perspectives curriculum, including critical analytical Thinking, which is split into smaller sections of 14-to-18 students. an additional Management Perspectives course, ethics, is taught during the second quarter. The Management Perspectives courses consist of:

• The Global context of Management• Managerial finance• critical analytical Thinking• Managing Groups and Teams• organizational Behavior• Strategic leadership• ethics in Management (taught in Winter quarter)



Management Foundations: over the Winter and Spring quarter, first-years must take courses within the Management foundations curriculum. although most students take “base” versions of these courses, first-years with the appropriate back-ground have the option to take “accelerated” or “advanced application” version of these courses. The advanced application courses stress how the material taught in the base-level course can be applied to complex management problems. Manage-ment foundation courses include:

• data and decisions• finance• financial accounting• human resources• information Technology• Managerial accounting• Marketing• Microeconomics• Modeling for optimization and decision Support• non-Market Strategy• operations

Global Experience Requirement: it is now required for all GSB students to have a global experience during some part of their two years at Stanford. This is also a requirement for international students and students who have previously lived or worked abroad. exceptions are made for those students whose visa requirements inhibit travel. Students may participate in a study trip, a global immersion experience, a service-learning trip, or an international exchange program to satisfy this requirement.

Course Enrollment

at the GSB, enrollment in elective courses is determined through a basic algorithm where students are first randomly assigned a number (1-through-370) and then en-rolled in classes based on how they rank their course preferences. Students are as-signed their first place class if the course is still open. if their first round pick is closed, they are assigned their second rank pick. The process is repeated for a different stu-dent, and so on until all classes are filled. high demand-courses often fill in one round.

courses that are consistently in high demand are allocated during the “Super round,” when students can rank up to two high-demand courses regardless of the quarter in which the class meets. Students have the option to trade their two Super round choices for a single “round Zero” (a pick before round one) selection to further im-prove their chances of getting into a high-demand class.

a few popular courses, such as design for extreme affordability and interpersonal dynamics, require an application prior to enrollment.

Academic Calendar

The Stanford GSB follows a quarterly academic calendar, with classes beginning in September and ending in early June. each academic year is di-vided into three quarters: fall, Winter, and Spring. international study trips typically take place dur-ing Winter Break, as students pursue internships during the Spring and Summer.

The calendar for the 2009-2010 academic year is as follows:

September 14 first day of quarter for first year

MBas (MBa1s)

14-18 Second year Seminars 21 first day of quarter – second year

MBas (MBa2s), Sloans, Phds; university classes begin

November 23-27 Thanksgiving Break

December 4 last day of classes for fall Quarter 7-11 fall exam Period

12-Jan3 Winter Vacation Period

January 4 first day of classes

for Winter Quarter

18 Martin luther King Jr. day, no class

February 12,19,26 no classes: available for

recruiting activities

15 Presidents day: GSB classes meet

March 5,12 no classes: available for

recruiting activities 11 last day of classes for Winter

Quarter

15-19 Winter exam Period 20-28 Spring Vacation Period

29 first day of classes for Spring Quarter

31 Memorial day, no classes

June 2 last day of classes for Spring

Quarter; GSB Monday classes meet

4-9 Spring exam Period

12 GSB Graduation ceremony

13 university commencement and conferral of Spring degrees



Stanford Professional Programs, Research Centers, and Joint Degree Programs

Joint Degree Programs

JD-MBA:Stanford GSBstudents have the opportunity to pursue a joint degree with Stanford law School. Students must apply and be accepted independently to both schools, as well as graduate con-currently. a four year program, students must complete 75 semester units at Stanford law and 84 quarter units at the Stanford GSB.

Year1 Stanford law

Year2 GSB

Years3&4 courses split between law School and GSB

MA in Education/MBA:The GSB allows applicants to apply for a joint-degree with the Stanford university School of education (SuSe) by notifying the MBa admissions department in the MBa application and uploading a special Personal Statement. once the MBa is admitted, the personal statement is sent to the School of education. Students are responsible for completing 84 units at the GSB and 35 units at the School of education. Most students take GSB courses for the first year and then take SuSe courses once they have started taking electives during the second year. it is possible to complete the joint-degree in two years, although some students find it necessary to take an additional quarter.

MasterofPublicPolicy/MBA:This joint degree can be complet-ed in approximately three years and allows you to simultaneously pursue an MBa as well as an MPP degree from the Public Policy Program at the School of humanities and Sciences. Students must complete 84 units at the GSB and 61 public policy units.

MS in Environment & Resources/MBA: This is a new option available to MBas interested in careers addressing environmental issues either directly or peripherally. MBas can apply for this degree as part of their GSB application, or apply to the interdisciplinary Graduate Program in environment and resources (iPer) during the spring quarter of their first year. To obtain the degree, students must complete 84 units at the GSB and 45 units at iPer.

MD-MBA: This dual-degree program allows GSB students to pur-sue an MBa as well as an Md at the Stanford School of Medicine in 5 academic years. Students must apply independently to both schools and be accepted at both in order to be eligible for the pro-gram. Students must complete a total of 239 units at the Stanford School of Medicine and 88 units at the GSB.

Year1 School of Medicine (pre-clerkship/scholarly concentration)

Year2 School of Medicine (pre-clerkship/scholarly concentration)

Year3 School of Medicine (core clinical rotations, including surgery and medicine plus selective sub)

Year4 GSB

Year5 Fall Quarter – School of Medicine (clinics, core, and electives)

Year5 Winter & Spring Quarters – GSB (electives)

Certificate Programs. GSB students can earn a certificate in Public Management by taking at least 16 units of courses in the area of public and nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, international development, environmental sustainability, and philan-thropy. each year, over 30 courses at the GSB offer components that involve these issues. Generally, between 20 and 25 percent of stu-dents earn the PMP certificate.

Professional Programs. The Sloan Program is a full-time, 10-month degree program targeting mid-career managers in or-der to prepare them to move on to higher levels of responsibility in their organizations and to take on broader management duties. Sloan fellows (commonly referred to as “Sloans”) receive a Master of Science in Management. Most Sloans are sponsored by their em-ployers, although there are a number of Sloans who are self-funded. Sloans have a minimum of eight years of work experience (10 years on average). additionally, there are a higher percentage of interna-tional students in the Sloan program. for the most part, Sloan fel-lows do not interact a great deal with MBa students, although there are occasionally one or two Sloans taking GSB elective courses.

Research Centers. The Stanford GSB features six major re-search centers that host lectureships, seminars and workshops, and foster collaboration between the students and the faculty in the form of cutting-edge research. These centers include:

• center for entrepreneurial Studies

• center for Global Business & the economy

• center for leadership development & research

• center for Social innovation

• Global Supply chain Management forum

• alliance for innovative Manufacturing

Other. Stanford GSB has a number of relationships with other leading business schools. it offers several executive education pro-grams jointly with harvard Business School. it also offers one of the three Sloan fellows programs, coordinating with the others at the MiT Sloan School of Management and the london Business School. recently, the school entered into exchange programs with Tsing-hua university and indian institute of Management Bangalore.



Notable Courses and Faculty at Stanford

The Stanford faculty is populated with many prominent business leaders, research-ers, and teachers. among the faculty are three nobel Prize winners, 17 members of the academy of arts and Scientists, and four members of the national academy of Sciences. Per the new curriculum, first-year students are paired with faculty advisors who will assist them in planning their curriculum to match their career interests and level of experience. This faculty member is commonly the professor who teaches the student’s critical analytical Thinking seminar.

Most Popular Courses. among GSB students, there are a handful of profes-sors and/or courses that are considered a “must” in order to have the full GSB experi-ence. not surprisingly, many of the top courses are related to entrepreneurship and venture capital, although there are a few that fall outside of that scope. The following list identifies a few of the top courses and professors at the GSB.

Entrepreneurship and Venture CapitalPeter Wendell, Andrew Rachleff, Eric Schmidt

Peter c. Wendell is the founder and a Managing director of Sierra Ventures and has been recognized by forbes magazine as one of the top 100 technology venture in-vestors in the united States. The class is co-taught by Google ceo eric Schmidt and andy rachleff, founding General Partner of Benchmark capital. This is one of the top classes at the GSB and provides an opportunity for second-year MBas to learn about all aspects of the venture capital business from industry giants. This is a class known for its strong guest speakers and engaging class discussion. also, the all-star faculty of entre-preneurship and Venture capital is often willing to go to lunch with students after class.

Managing Growing EnterprisesProfessor Harold Grousebeck

Professor Grousebeck founded continental cablevision, where he served as chairman until 1985, has served on numbers nonprofit and corporate boards, and is a principal owner of the Boston celtics. his course places MBa students in the role of ceo and challenges them to deal with difficult managerial situations through a process as-sessment, prescription, and execution, including frequent role-playing. he brings a mixture of industry credibility and an engaging teaching style to the class, which sets the tone and brings out the best in his students. Grousebeck is well-known for cold-calling in almost every class. This course is a common “round Zero” pick.

Entrepreneurship and the Formation of New VenturesProfessor Garth Saloner, Professor Jim Phills

Professor Saloner is one of only two faculty members to twice win the distinguished Teaching award at the GSB, first in 1993 and again in 2008. he was recently named as the GSB’s new dean and was instrumental in designing the new curriculum. his focus is e-commerce, entrepreneurship, strategy and strategic management. he teaches the entrepreneurship course with Jim Phills, who is the director of the center for Social in-novation at the GSB. There is another section of this course taught by andrew rachleff (another GSB favorite) which is more “tech heavy,” but Garth Saloner is one of the best teachers at Stanford. Professors Saloner and ellis are known to bring in a formidable line-up of speakers, many of whom are “GSB traditions” who visit year after year.

The Stanford faculty is divided into 7 academic departments:

1. accounting

2. economics

3. finance

4. Marketing

5. operations, information, and Technology

6. organizational Behavior

7. Political economy

“The all-star faculty of entrepreneurship and Venture capital is often willing to go to lunch with students after class.”



“Professors Saloner and ellis are known to bring in a formidable line-up of speakers, many of whom are ‘GSB traditions’ who visit year after year.”

“Stanford MBas have a long tradition of freely sharing study notes and other preparation materials with their section-mates for tough classes, such as corporate finance and economics during midterms and finals.”

Investment Management and Entrepreneurial FinanceProfessor John McDonald

Professor Mcdonald is known internationally for his work on investment in the con-text of global equity markets. he is one of the first professors to serve as vice chairman of naSdaQ, and also represented the public’s interest on the Board of Governors of the national association of Securities dealers in Washington, d.c. his private equity, venture capital and principal investing courses are some of the best at the GSB and provide insight into the grown of Silicon Valley and other venture capital hotbeds. This is not a technical finance course, but an opportunity for students to listen some of the best financial minds in the industry. it has been described by some students as one of the best finance speaker series in the world.

Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme AffordabilityProfessor James Patell, Professor David Beach, Professor David Kelly

This relatively new course, offered in conjunction with the Stanford School of design (d.school), is quickly becoming one of the top course offerings at the GSB. it is difficult to get into and requires an application. however, the professors teaching the course are very enthusiastic and this helps create a great classroom atmosphere. Professor Patell is one of the seven core founding faculty of the d.school. he also served as the GSB’s associate dean for academic affairs from 1985 through 1991, and was director of the MBa program from 1986 through 1988. The class takes place over two quar-ters. While the coursework is exceptionally demanding, it is known to be one of the most rewarding classes at the GSB because the work results in a tangible output and students get the experience of working on a project with a multidisciplinary team. each year, several class projects are taken forward and have real-world impact. in 2006, a team won the draper fisher Jurvetson Venture challenge and $250,000. They launched their company, d.light designs, in June 2007, delivering affordable solar-re-chargeable led lamps to developing countries.

Interpersonal DynamicsWhileits name marks it as one of the “softer” classes at the GSB,interpersonal dynam-ics (aka “Touchy-feely”) is a perennial favorite of GSB students. almost all MBas take this course at some point during their second year, with most taking it during the spring. if you have ever heard a GSB alumnus talking about their “t-group”, then you know it is a not-to-be-missed part of the Stanford GSB experience. interpersonal dy-namics is offered as part of the Stanford GSB’s leadership curriculum and is focused on improving the way managers and individuals communicate.

Grading Policies

at Stanford, students receive the following grades for their coursework: (h) honors, (hP) high Pass, (P) Pass, (lP) low Pass, and (u) unsatisfactory. Students are graded on a curve, but it is important to note that most students are not aware of how they are performing against their peers. one of the most important features of the GSB’s grad-ing policy is its non-disclosure policy. Students are not allowed to share their grades and recruiters are not allowed to ask. Grades are never an issue at Stanford and there is little competition between students. in fact, Stanford MBas have a long tradition of freely sharing study notes and other preparation materials with their section-mates for tough classes, such as corporate finance and economics during midterms and finals.

on graduation day, the top 10% of students are designated as “arjay Miller Scholars.” The top ranked student wins the henry ford ii award. at the end of the first year the top five students at the end of the first year become Siebel Scholars and win a $25,000 fellowship.


14 S T a n f o r d c a m p u S

The Stanford Graduate School of Business Campuses

Current Campus

located on the main Stanford campus, “GSB South” – the main building of the GSB campus – feels very self-contained. Since GSB South is an older building, it does not offer the full complement of amenities one would find on a newer campus. how-ever, wireless access is widely available on the GSB campus. The building houses 18 classrooms, as well as Bishop auditorium, where most large functions such as View from the Top or the GSB charity auction are held. at lunch, students congregate at the Birds courtyard or in arbuckle lounge, which hosts two flat screen televisions offering cnn all day. Study groups meet in Jackson library or in the study rooms at the Schwab residential center.

New Campus (Knight Management Center)

Thanks to a generous and unprecedented $100 million gift from Phil Knight, ceo of nike, the Stanford GSB is in the process of constructing a new, state-of-the-art campus. The new campus will be located directly across the street from the Schwab residential center, and is expected to offer more flexible learning spaces and semi-nar rooms, additional study and break-out rooms, a larger 600-person auditorium, a student lounge and library, dining facilities, and an executive education center.

Schwab Residential Center

first-year GSB students are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to live in Schwab, which houses approximately 200 students. This facility is available only to MBa students, executive education participants, and other GSB visitors. it is one of the best living spaces on campus, giving each student a private room as well as bathroom and kitchen to share with a roommate. in addition, Schwab offers ameni-ties such as a computer room, study space, lounge, gym, and front desk. Many GSB events and banquets are held at the Vidalakis dining room at Schwab. The majority of first-year MBa students live at Schwab during the first year, which helps foster the strong sense of community at Stanford. MBa students who have children can elect to live on campus in escondido Village.

Graduate students are guaranteed one year of on-campus housing at Stanford. Most students opt to live off-campus during the second year. There are a number of GSB alumni and affiliates who have a tradition of renting houses and apartments to GSB students, so it is not difficult to find a place to live.

The GSB campus consists of 3 buildings:

1. GSB South, a three-story building that houses all classrooms, audito-riums, arbuckle lounge, Jackson library, the career Management cen-ter, the admissions and financial aid office, as well as offices for various GSB research centers;

2. the littlefield Management center, which houses the faculty offices;

3. the Knight Building, which houses administrative offices.


15 p r o f e S S i o n a l r e c r u i T m e n T a T S T a n f o r d

Professional Recruitment at Stanford

Career Development Resources

recruiting events for first-year students begin in november, after the close of the six-week exclusive academic Period. There a number of on-campus networking and recruiting events, including informational events hosted by student organizations.

The GSB has a network of over 25,000 alumni world-wide. Many alumni stay in Sili-con Valley (45% of the class of 2008 remained in northern california), so there are many opportunities to network with local technology companies, start-ups and venture capital firms. Job networking opportunities also arise from class projects, or from the presence of executives who come to campus for the View from the Top Speakers Series or for in-class presentations.

Career Management Center (CMC): like most top MBa programs, the cMc at Stanford offers a host of services to its students, including:

• Self-assessments• resumé and cover letter preparation• Mock interviews• industry Practice interviews• networking events• current industry information• WorkshopsCMC Insider Database: This is an online searchable database of contacts, useful notes, and advice from conversations and visits with over 5,000 alumni, ex-ecutives, and recruiters.

“Meet the Company” presentations, Coffee Chats, Off-Cam-pus Receptions, & Site Visits: These events provide valuable informa-tion on a firm’s career opportunities, competitive positioning, organizational chal-lenges, successes, and culture.

On-Campus Recruiting: in 2009, the ocr season begins in mid-february. during this period, friday classes are shifted to Wednesdays to accommodate the interview schedule and allow students to fly back for interviews on fridays.

GSB Job Board: The cMc hosts an active online job-board available to both students and alumni.


16 p r o f e S S i o n a l r e c r u i T m e n T a T S T a n f o r d

Employment Statistics

Stanford graduates work in a variety of industries, functions, and locations. of par-ticular interest is the fact that Stanford GSB places 5% of its students in nonprofit industries – not a huge number, but it still stands as one of the highest among elite MBa programs. Stanford is not necessarily known as a “finance” school, yet sends a rather significant percentage of its graduates into that sector.

Industry

Health Care/Biotech 3%

Consumer Products 3%Real Estate 4%

Nonprofit 5%

Technology 12%

Consulting 27%

Media/Entertainment 3%

Other Services 3%

Manufacturing 1%Energy 2%

Finance37%

Function

Marketing/Sales 16%

Consulting 29%

Other 5%

Operations 4%

General Management 4%

Finance42%

Location

Midwest 4%

Europe 5%

Asia 12%

Northeast 14%

Southwest 5%

Mid-Atlantic 2%

South America 2%Canada/Mexico 2%

West54%

Salaries

Base, Overall. Median Salary ............................ $ 120,000

Median Signing Bonus ..............$20,000

Median other Guaranteed compensation ................................$40,000

Major Employers

More than 1,000 organizations recruit Stanford GSB students through on-campus interviews, career fairs, job postings, and online resume books. The following were the 15 most com-mon employers for graduates from the class of 2008, in order of popularity:

• Bain & company

• Booz allen hamilton

• The Boston consulting Group

• credit Suisse

• Goldman Sachs

• McKinsey & company

• Walt disney co.

• Yahoo

• chilton investment company

• deloitte

• eli lilly and company

• KKr

• oliver Wyman

• Salesforce.com

• Warburg Pincus


17 S T a n f o r d a n d V e r i T a S p r e p

Stanford and Veritas PrepVeritas Prep has a distinguished track record helping our clients gain acceptance to one of the world’s truly elite business schools. The secret to our success, as always, is in first ensuring that Stanford GSB is a proper fit for the client, and then assisting the client in expressing that unique fit in the most articulate and impactful way possible.

Our Team

our team of Stanford consultants includes former admission representatives, alumni interviewers, members of influential student groups, and, of course, accomplished professionals in a variety of fields. With multiple Stanford consultants on our admission consulting team, we are able to provide customized service to clients based on background, timing, and logistics. our Stanford consultants have career experience in a variety of industries and functions.

each client who works with Veritas Prep on a Stanford comprehensive package will receive a customized team of consultants: a head consultant and a Stanford Specialist.

Head Consultant. all of our head consultants have experiences as admis-sions representatives that afford each of them a unique perspective on the ap-plicant pool and how candidates must position themselves to express proper fit and to stand out in an increasingly competitive process. The head consultant will guide the client through every step of the process: from the initial diagnostic Ses-sion to submission of the application.

Stanford Specialist. every comprehensive package client who chooses Stanford will also receive a Stanford Specialist who is either a current student or recent graduate of the school. This individual will ensure that essay responses are both topical and aligned thematically with the things that matter to Stanford. in ad-dition to helping clients find specific courses, programs, clubs, and professors that match their interests, the Stanford Specialist will also comb through each question and answer to ensure that the response is properly aligned with the qualities that Stanford seeks in a candidate.

for more on Veritas Prep’s incredible team and the individuals who serve as our Stanford consultants, please visit the consultant Profiles page of our website.

http://www.veritasprep.com/mba/consultant-profiles/


18 S T a n f o r d a n d V e r i T a S p r e p

Our Stanford Services

The Stanford Graduate School of Business is always one of the most popular school selections among our clients due to its reputation as one of the top MBa programs in the world and its selectivity. furthermore, its location in Silicon Valley and its proximity to the center of the venture capital universe makes it an ideal place to get an MBa for someone interested in starting their own company. The Veritas Prep approach is built upon identifying the right fit for each client, regardless of the known qualities of the business school. only once we have verified a proper match do we begin to build the candidate’s personal marketing platform and piece together the perfect Stanford application.

Diagnostic Session. our diagnostic Session – the first step in our comprehensive packages as well as a stand-alone service – assures that each client’s goals and prospects are properly aligned. once we have helped ensure that the client is making sound choices with regard to each business school ap-plication, we start building a timeline and a strategy specifically tailored for a Stanford engagement.

Personalized MBA Game Plan. each client’s head consultant will create a Personalized MBa Game Plan, a strategic approach based on the client’s professional, academic, and per-sonal history. Those elements will become the foundation of the Stanford application story, allowing the client to demonstrate leadership, innovation, maturity, teamwork skills, analytical ability, and potential for academic excellence. a major compo-nent of the Game Plan is the identification of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses – as well as truly unique qualities – relative to the Stanford applicant pool (this applies to nearly all of the elite business schools). This will create an application platform from which to work and will help mold and shape the strategy of how to address application components such as the resumé, essays, and letters of recommendations.

Demonstrated Leadership. leadership potential is a critical quality for a Stanford GSB applicant. The GSB admis-sions office is looking for candidates who are both passionate in their interests and act on that passion. Whether it is mentor-ing an individual, leading a project, or launching an initiative, it is critical that applicants demonstrate their leadership ability through concrete examples that show that their actions line up with their values. Moreover, the essays should show that the candidate has the ability to impact the people and organiza-tions around them.

Personal Insight. rather than asking about your moti-vations and goals, the GSB is interested in learning about your values and aspirations. They want to understand who you are as an individual, the values and ideals that will guides you as a de-cision maker, what you are passionate about and how you think a GSB education will help you achieve your personal and profes-sional goals. it is critical that your personality comes through in your essays. The admissions committee looks for bright, intellec-tually curious, passionate candidates who they think are ready to take advantage of a GSB education. There is no template for a strong GSB essay, but a great candidate will deliver an essay that no one else could pen.

Balance and Perfection. once the themes of leader-ship and Personal insight have been installed as the backbone of the Stanford application, the Veritas Prep head consultant and Stanford Specialist will team up to ensure that all of the ques-tions have been properly answered, that the resumé and essay questions have been crafted with style and efficiency, and that all of the key business school themes have been addressed in a balanced way throughout the application. it’s not easy apply-ing to one of the most popular schools in the country, but our consulting team will ensure that Veritas Prep clients give them-selves the best chance of admissions success through the most accurate, engaging, and persuasive portrayal of their candidacy that they can possibly create. This is true of our approach to all schools, but particularly at Stanford, where two critical themes – leadership and personal insight – must resonate so strongly and consistently throughout the application.

“The Veritas Prep approach is built upon identifying the right fit for each client, regardless of the known qualities of the business school.”

“each client’s head consultant will create a Personalized MBa Game Plan, a strategic approach based on the client’s professional, academic, and personal history.”

http://www.veritasprep.com/mba/enroll/comprehensive


19 a B o u T V e r i T a S p r e p

About Veritas Prepfounded in 2002, Veritas Prep has emerged as a global leader in GMaT® education and MBa admissions consulting. The company’s business school team includes more than 300 graduates of the world’s elite MBa programs, managed from its headquarters in Malibu, california.

The Veritas Prep consulting model is built on adding value to a student’s application process by providing both mentorship and expertise. The business school admissions process has become increasingly competitive and applicants must do everything possible to showcase their value. our consultants assist applicants in presenting their unique stories in the most professional and meaningful way possible. in a sense, our consultants are translators – helping an applicant discover raw materials and informa-tion and then helping that candidate articulate a unique story in a language that ad-missions committees understand. More than anything, Veritas Prep gives candidates a sense of ownership and control over the process. Quality of work, attention to detail, care for the student, and integrity are the lynchpins of a successful consultation.

in addition to elite MBa admissions consulting services, Veritas Prep also offers the finest GMaT preparation available in the industry, as well as admissions consulting for law school, medical school, and graduate school services.

for comprehensive information on all of Veritas Prep’s many services, please visit our website.

“Success favors the Prepared“

http://www.veritasprep.com/admissions_consulting/

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