I Went From Consulting At Bain To An MBA At Stanford—Here's My Advice On Getting Accepted

Julian saw himself primarily as an “operations business skill-set person" and thus sought advice from mentors and leaders in those public sector positions he considered pursuing in the future. He gave significant consideration to earning either a law degree or a master's in public policy, and also considered a dual degree as a way to fulfil all of his interests.

While Julian recognized that while his growth in the area of government and politics could be pursued through real-world experience, he says the specific types of leadership skills he wanted to develop were best achieved via an MBA.

Julian's undergraduate degree had already trained him in traditional business skills, so he opted to ask himself what kind of leader he wanted to become with the goal of ultimately moving into the public sector.

Julian knew it was a risky career move to leave the private sector—but facing adversity is a skill he has found reciprocated in the MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“The Stanford MBA really focuses on that deep level of introspection and dedication to your passion, despite the risk," Julian says. "The environment where they encourage that is the place I thought would foster my particular aims.”

Julian had successfully navigated the GMAT shortly after completing his undergraduate studies so it wasn’t a concern during his application process. Although he recognizes that the test is a major source of stress for most applicants, he remembers that his biggest challenge in applying to Stanford was the essay.

He says it was tough to narrow down a multitude of life events, while still aiming to provide a cohesive picture of who he is.

“To distil what matters most to you into such a short number of words is very difficult,” Julian recalls.

So what advice can Julian give for prospective MBA applicants approaching their essay?

Julian suggests allowing time to thoughtfully consider your topic and portraying yourself authentically.

“I found that my best writing came when I was reflecting on telling the story of who I am, versus a story of what people might want me to be—doing it less for admissions and more for myself," Julian explains.

"When I started to frame the essays from this perspective—sharing who I am beyond the bullet points of my résumé--it allowed me to write much more freely and to create a more compelling essay.”

For Julian, oral interviews have always come more easily than written presentations because it felt more natural and less restrictive than being confined to a set of words.

His interview experiences during his application process were diverse—“they very much reflected the unique culture of each school," he explains.

While Harvard admissions staff have a reputation for knowing applications “like the back of their hand,” as Julian says, his interviewer at Stanford—an alum—surprised him by opening their meeting with a confession that they had not reviewed Julian’s file.

This resonated strongly with Julian because he was faced with presenting himself to someone who had no preconceived notions of who he was. 

“This gave me the opportunity to truly, authentically represent who I am without the consultant label—or any other labels that might come along with my background and lead people to assume who I am or might be.”

As he enters his second year as an MBA candidate at Stanford, Julian is starting to consider where his MBA might take him in the future.

His most recent work as a summer policy associate with the Office of Detroit mayor has led Julian to discover a passion for working closely with local-level government.

The questions which remain are exactly when and where he will move to make his mark as a future leader. Regardless of where he ends up after earning his MBA from Stanford, Julian is poised to make an impact.