Evaluation Criteria

Each Stanford MSx class is composed of visionaries and leaders who want to inspire others to impact the world on a larger scale. We are looking for people like you to form the next class of MSx students.

Your class will be a diverse community of professionals who come together to refine their skills and expand their knowledge.

What We Look For

We want to build a class with diversity of thought and perspective — a class with whom you can grow and succeed. Throughout your application, we will evaluate:

Intellectual Vitality

Your attitude toward learning is as important as your aptitude. How have you enhanced your learning in your career? Do you demonstrate a willingness to share lessons with others? Tell us how you approach problems strategically.

Personal Qualities and Contributions

To better understand how you will contribute to and benefit from the Stanford GSB community, we want to know who you are, not simply what you have done. Your experiences, beliefs, passions, dreams, and ambitions will help create the community.

Leadership Accomplishment

Success not only includes your personal and professional achievements but also your experience supporting and developing others. This means pursuing goals by effectively motivating others, whether in a small or a large organization, or outside your work organization, to achieve a common vision.

Clarity of Purpose

Because the one-year program is fast-paced and you come in with considerable experience, we favor candidates who know what they intend to accomplish while at Stanford, and whose purpose reflects a good fit with what the program has to offer. This is a program that can help ambitious leaders refine their vision and make it a reality.

Essential Characteristics

And while you might be at the top of your respective field with an impressive track record of accomplishments, to fully maximize the Stanford GSB experience, you must possess these underlying characteristics:

Curiosity

The intellectual aptitude and drive to not only understand the complexity of global issues, but also the desire to solve them by leveraging the skills you have and building the skills you need.

Humility

The knowledge that failure is inevitable, setbacks are crucial to success, and that often the best way forward involves learning from failure and reaching out to others who may know more.

Compassion

An intention to lead a life of meaning and impact, with a focus on helping others improve and bettering the community around you.

Courage

An ability to take on challenges, embrace risk, and use feedback to bring about positive change and growth.

The Stanford MSx Community

Sam Hagerbaumer, Brett Wilson, Amir Damerdji, and Jeremy Joseph, all Class of 2019, talk about the impact of the MSx program’s tight-knit community.

How These Characteristics Show Up

The profiles below for the Class of 2020 and Class of 2019 demonstrate how these characteristics translate into a diverse group of accomplished professionals.

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