Deferred Enrollment

Choose direct enrollment if you feel ready to pursue your MBA because of your current academic background, extracurricular experiences, impact through internships and work experiences, and personal aspirations. Note that for most college seniors, deferred enrollment is the better choice.

Choose deferred enrollment if you feel you would benefit from full-time work experience before starting the MBA program. This is a good choice if you are unsure of your long-term professional path and would like to explore an industry before earning your MBA.

Additionally, certain industries — private equity and biotechnology in particular — tend to recruit MBA candidates who have pre-MBA experience in that field or who have specialized knowledge. Management consulting firms also typically prefer MBA candidates with prior work experience. Deferring enrollment for a couple of years may be a wise decision if you wish to pursue one of these industries.

If you choose to defer enrollment, we expect you to be productively engaged (such as in full-time work or full-time study) during the deferral period. Pursue opportunities that enable you to build expertise, enhance your skills and knowledge, expand your perspective, and develop professional judgment and self-confidence. We will ask you in the application what your plans are for the period between graduation and your enrollment at Stanford.

If you meet the criteria for deferred enrollment, you may apply either to attend business school immediately following your university program (direct enrollment) or to work before attending business school (deferred enrollment).

In your Stanford MBA application, you will select the year in which you prefer to enroll. There is no separate application for deferred enrollment. Note that even if you request direct enrollment, we may grant you deferred enrollment if we feel you would better contribute, grow, and learn after gaining full-time work experience. Based on our assessment of your application, we may offer a deferral for a different amount of time than you request.

If you are eligible for deferred enrollment, you will pay a reduced application fee of $100.

If you are applying for deferred admission (for example, if you are a college senior) and would like to apply for a specific fellowship such as Knight-Hennessy Scholars, you must apply for that fellowship the year before your enrollment at Stanford GSB.

If you meet the eligibility for deferred enrollment and hope to begin at Stanford GSB in the following year, you may apply for the fellowship at this time. However, if you do defer your enrollment or we admit you for a different year, your essay and application for any fellowship will not carry over. You will be required to apply again for the fellowship in the year before your enrollment.

If you are applying for deferred admission and wish to pursue a joint or dual degree, some programs recommend applying in the year before your enrollment in the MBA program, while others allow you to apply during your first year at Stanford GSB. Also, some joint/dual degree programs offer flexibility for where you initially enroll. Learn more about joint and dual degree study requirements and timelines.

We offer three application rounds. You should apply in the round that makes the most sense for you. We encourage applicants for direct enrollment to apply in Round 1 or Round 2. If you are applying for deferred enrollment, however, Round 3 may be an excellent choice.

If you are currently a full-time student, we encourage you to select recommenders who have supervised your extracurricular activities or work, such as internships or part-time jobs.

If you currently are a full-time student, use your personal email address, not your university email, for your application. This ensures that if you are admitted and deferred, you will continue to receive important information during your deferral period.