What are your career aspirations? How will you education at Stanford help you achieve them?

Sample One

We all need energy; energy is the basis of modern life. For the last 150 years, petroleum products have formed that foundation. These diverse petroleum derivatives, ranging from gasoline to cosmetics, have supported our economy and improved our quality of life. However, I’m a firm believer that there is now a better way.

My father, a petroleum geologist, explored worldwide for oil and gas. We lived overseas for many years, and his career sparked my interest in the energy industry. As a teenager, I realized that traditional petroleum energy was not for me. I learned that oil and gas would eventually run out, and that new technically and economically viable energy sources needed to be found. This belief guided my pursuit of a career in renewable fuels, and I am driven to find cleaner, more efficient fuels.

In college, I studied biological engineering and finance. Learning biology was critical to understanding the building blocks of renewable fuels. Engineering trained me to analyze the issues, assemble key information, and solve complex problems. Accounting and finance built my comprehension of project economics, financial markets, and key drivers for successful energy companies.

After graduation, I joined the United States Biodiesel Board (USBB) and became immediately engrossed in all technical aspects of our biodiesel programs. Given my diverse background, I was also tasked with managing regulatory and development projects. Working for a non-profit trade association at the forefront of renewable fuels exposes me to the breadth of a new industry. This opportunity has helped me understand the direction of the renewable fuels industry and my future role in it, while confirming that an MBA will improve my ability to achieve positive results for the industry and society.

Attending Stanford will immerse me in a collaborative culture geared toward confronting the challenges of the world’s future energy needs. The university’s Global Climate and Energy Project is focused on the development of environmentally friendly global energy systems. Stanford students have created the Energy Crossroads group to consider new energy solutions. Grants by the Gates Foundation and Lawrence Kemp to Stanford’s Program on Food Security and the Environment have enabled faculty and students to evaluate the worldwide impact of biofuels production. Stanford’s reputation attracts leaders searching to merge technological breakthroughs with venture capital funding.

Post-MBA, I will return to the renewable fuels industry by working for a start-up feedstock company or a venture capital firm. Both career paths require a solid understanding of finance, marketing, and economics – skills that a Stanford MBA will strengthen. Both paths will also use the technical, management, and leadership skills I forged at USBB and honed at Stanford. I am confident I will use what I’ve learned so far, add new skills and knowledge through a Stanford MBA, and help bring cleaner energy resources to the world.

Sample Two (Excerpt)

As the high-tech industry is increasingly global, it is important for today’s high-tech manager to understand international business issues. My background and goals align with the Stanford MBA program. As I explained in my first essay, I want an MBA program with a diverse student body. One of the most attractive things to me about the GSB program is that such diversity is emphasized and valued.

It is no secret that Stanford’s Bay Area location is ideal for my goals in the high-tech industry. Studying in the center of Silicon Valley will provide access to many learning opportunities (such as lecturers from that industry, case studies, working on projects for local companies, visits to such companies and more). The location can facilitate finding the right job for my talents and interests when I graduate.

While earning a general management degree will help me achieve my short-term goal of becoming a project manager, the fact that I can build my own personal program at Stanford will help me focus on my long-term goals as well. I am very interested in unique courses such as “Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital,” which relate tomy long-termgoal of becoming the CEO of my own company.

Sample Three

As a child I often traveled with my father to oversee our apartment buildings in Sao Paulo. We owned several small buildings in humble neighborhoods, and my father regularly performed maintenance himself. As the fortunes of the city improved, he was able to finance the development of a larger apartment building when I was in high school. This project was fascinating to me as I observed his meetings with bankers, contractors, and even a marketing consultant. The building was a success, and he has since developed several additional properties.

The interest in my family business led me to apply to the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. My aspiration was to learn about the hospitality business and work with my father to develop high end hotel properties to add to our real estate portfolio. While in school I learned a tremendous amount about US business, and was inspired to learn more afterwards by taking a job in management consulting immediately after graduation. My goal was to apply best practices from my experience with other companies to our family real estate firm.

After two years at BCG covering a variety of industries and focusing on operational efficiency, I moved back to Brasil and joined Mendonca Propriedades as our VP of Business Development. This is a new role and I work with my father, the CEO, and our CFO and COO to identify new areas of expansion for the business. Over the last year I have successfully sourced financing for our first hotel project. We will break ground next month.

Between Cornell and BCG, I have a strong foundation for my future goal to take over the family business and develop not only throughout Brasil but also in other South American countries. However, the last year of working in the family business has shown that I still have much to learn. I have been able to bring my knowledge of best practices in global business to inform my father and the other C-level executives, however, we need to hire a more professional team going forward and I need to develop my leadership and management skills to be an even more effective general manager of a rapidly growing and operationally complex organization. Stanford’s unparalleled leadership development, starting with Touchy Feely and extending into courses like Managing Groups and Teams as well as The Executive Challenge are directly related to my goals. I am excited to study with Professor James Patell, whose work establishing partnerships with Stanford and non-profits in developing countries inspires me. I know my experience at Stanford will position me to have a meaningful impact on both Mendonca Propriedades and Brasil.