Thanks for all the detailed information regarding studying in Stanford. Really love the video. I'm preparing for my MBA application now. And I'm wondering for all the trips organized during the first year of MBA, did you go on each trip with your classmates? Just curious that if I don't go to every trip available, will I have fewer chances to network with other classmates? The reason I'm asking the question is the expenses of those trips look insanely high even with sponsorship from schools, and I don't think I have that much money outside of the living costs to spend on trips. Thank you.
That is a great question! Most of the people participate in some of the trips. Some people don’t participate and they still build great relationships at the GSB. It is certainly not necessary to participate in every trips! KR Lukas
@@LukasHafferCan I ask do us universities ask all degree I studied or just one degree? In my first ug degree due to medical issue I just had 3.1gpa(9years ago) but in other ug and masters degree I had 4 gpa(completed 3 years ago).. Which degree they will prefer to compare me against my competitors?
This video was incredible to watch. Not only you shared your own experience with us, you also gave a lot of insights and orientation guides for us, paired with good lightning, soundtracks, audio and script. It was really well made. That acceptance rate is nuts, but, I'll come back in a few years, to tell you guys I've made it.
I love how've broken down the entire experience through talking about small decisions (small group dinner vs completing paper) to larger money decisions. Very well crafted video!
Very good question! Just to clarify - I got a ca. $100k scholarship from the GSB (as I explain in the video) and thus have costs of 150k + missing out on ca. $300-500k of salary during that time. My financial breakeven depends on what I chose to do post-GSB: If I take a CEO job I might earn 300-500k p.a. and the breakeven will be quick. If I chose to go into private equity it would also probably be 2-3 years to pay it back. Since I want to build my own company it depends a bit on how we perform i.e., the value of my equity. But I can surely tell you that I would not have met my co-founder (Stanford CS) and started a firm this quickly, had I stayed in Berlin. In conclusion, I expect a quick breakeven in my case despite missing out on a big job at home (not every case is like this) and I see an additional benefit in the much more exciting life I lead here in Silicon Valley with a chance to build an impactful company of my own. KR Lukas
Hi Lukas, thanks for an amazing video! Great to hear from your experience especially from the European perspective :) I'm slowly starting to lean towards applying to business schools...
Hey Lucas This video was so good for two main reasons One is that it subtly covered all the topics like Life at Stanford, tuition cost, etc Second is that it motivated me to work for my dream of getting into one of the top Business schools. So Thank You for that I have a video idea which many people want to know I guess. Like how does the Pre-MBA work experience makes a difference in getting the admit. For instance, if I am an IT professional, how do I structure my application to catch the eye of the admissions team or what can I do in my current role other than my routine work to get closer to achieving that admit. I know the question is somewhat vague, but I hope you got what I want to convey.. Take Care P.S- I am from India and currently working in Germany (Düsseldorf) :)
Hi Bharat, that is an excellent question! I would advise you to take responsibility for improving the world around you. If possible, find a project at work that you can take ownership for. Do you best every day to make it a success and once the time comes to apply for business school you will have created a track record of impact and leadership. KR Lukas
Hi Lukas, We actually met in Duesseldorf at one of the customer you and I worked for (Different companies). You made a great a impression on me and I just found through Linked In the link to your YT channel. I am very and I mean, very impressed on what you are achieving. Huge congrats, but whats more important is .... that I feel I missed out certain opportunities. Frankly... that makes me sad... as I am already 40+ ;-) so I won't be able to turn arond my life, which isn't bad, its actually pretty good, but ONLY NOW I see that this kind of education and pursuit to meet great people and connect with them around the world make so much sense. I had a WRONG perspective for so many years and now I am even angry ... BUT... the important things is actually to learn from it, so my kids will not make the same mistakes. Thank you for opening my eyes and all the best in your future career.
Thanks for the question, Emma! I chose Stanford because of the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the University and within Silicon Valley. I think there are many great programs, but after deeper research Stanford really stand out in a league of it’s own as the most selective school (highest GMAT, highest GPA, etc) with the most extraordinary outcomes (untraditional career paths of people building great organizations). KR Lukas
super informative!! love that you show the behind-the-scenes for Stanford's MBA when there is little content on Ytb. I'm excited to apply in the near future :)
Hi Lukas, congrats on this achievement and thank you for this insightful video! I was left with only one question - what were your reasons for choosing Stanford over the other three options? Would love to hear your train of thought on this. Greetings from Austria :D
Thanks Wolfgang for the great question and the greetings from one of my favorite places in the world. My brother lives in Austria and Vienna is one of my favorite cities! I chose Stanford mainly because of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The GSB has many classes (e.g., startup garage, lean launchpad, ...) that are geared towards accelerating the startup ideation and prototyping process.... and many successful unicorns came out of these programs. The professors are used to being advisors to very early stage startups and also often make angel investments in their students (usually 1 or 2 professors are the first checks / first money in). The class is more entrepreneurial than at other schools with the highest percentage of founders and specifically unicorn founders (3 out of 1,000 students). It is also by far the most selective program with the lowest acceptance rate and the highest avg. GMAT (740 vs 726 at HBS) and GPA (3.8 vs 3.6 at HBS). In the beginning I was leaning more towards the global brand of Harvard university but once you start analyzing the different programs, you quickly realize that Stanford's MBA really stands in a league of its own. Best career outcomes (see career report), best input into the class (see class of 2023/2024 report) and also the weather in California is much better than on the east coast. Lastly, I really love that the GSB allows students to customize their curriculum right from the start. I already studied business in undergrad and really did not want to do the basics of accounting again - but for an opera singer and ballet dancer (yes, those two wonderful human beings are in my class!) that's what they wanted to learn. So at HBS we would have been all in the same classroom studying the same cases and learning the same theory, whereas at the GSB I got to take super advanced classes in business. I also got to take CS classes right from the start at the engineering school and this is a more rare thing at other b-schools. I hope this answer explains my decision, Wolfgang! KR Lukas
@@LukasHaffer Lukas, I really appreciate it a lot that you took the time for such an in-depth and comprehensible answer. I can definitely make sense of your thought process, especially the possibility to customize one's curriculum seems like an obvious point Business Schools should offer. I bet the cluster effect of Silicon Valley is a huge contributing factor to the stellar career outcomes of GSB graduates on top of that. Vienna is indeed a lovely city to live in, but as much as I enjoy it, I also want to move abroad at some point. Best of luck with your experience at Stanford and keep on making these insightful videos! I stumbled upon your channel by chance but am happy I found it.
Thank you Lukas! This video and your channel as a whole have literally inspired me on aiming for Stanford and as a budding tech founder, I really hope I get in. I sent a message on LinkedIn, please I would love to know if you’re open to having conversations and quick virtual coffee chats ? Thank you
Hey Lucas, i wanna know that why u only chose Stanford sidelining other universities as I am a JEE aspirant in india which is the exam to get into iit's just like Sundar sir was a student of iit Kharagpur btech program and then he moved to us for further studies my passion is the same.
Hi Abhinav, I am happy to do a video on my decision in the future. The short answer is: I want to build companies and Stanford is the best school for entrepreneurship. The ecosystem (classes, VCs, professors, classmates, alumni, incubators, ...) is just geared towards students building startups right during school. There are many other schools that also have a great startup ecosystem and Stanford is not the only school that can enable a great career as an entrepreneur. I like your approach - getting hard skills at an IIT during college and doing well at it, is really helpful for building impactful things later on... and for being a competent leader of a tech company like Sundar :D KR Lukas
Hey Clay, thanks for the question. My INSEAD interviews were very nice. Generally alumni-interviews are more informal and give you a chance to get to know some cool people who came to the school before you. My interviewers were curious to get to know me and as long as you come well prepared you have nothing to worry about. KR Lukas
Hi Lukas. This Video Was Very Very Good And Informative.. I Was Not Having Any Idea About Stanford University. From This Video I Got To Know About Stanford University And I Am Very Curious To Take An Admission In Stanford University For My Masters MBA In Finance..... Love From India.... 👍... And Make Vlogs Of Stanford University Campus Your Dorm Pls...... 🙏
Hello sir, I am from INDIA, most of my life I have been an average student (below average in some instances) but since last few years I have learnt to work hard and thus have become really ambitious, I WANT TO GET INTO STANFORD for MBA. My question is, Am I even eligible? As I mentioned I don't have a very bright academic past.
Hi there! One question, if you have a second citizenship alongside a US citizenship, do you need to submit the proof of that second citizenship to HBS and GSB? If so, where/how do you submit that? Thank you!
Hi Sushmita, I do not provide essay coaching services, but I can recommend using applicantlab to help you guide through the process. It is what I used and helped me a lot. Additionally, having a few good friends (not more than 3) give you feedback to finesse the essay will help. KR Lukas
hi Lucas! all of your video is great! I have one question, how your team calculate the inflation rate in US this year when some segment is measured by survey (like household price). thx!
Thank you for sharing not for your experience, but you give me an insight of acceptance rate, and the estimated annual total cost. After seeing your video, it makes me motivated to pursue my dream, even though I need to consider the source of my funding academy if I would like to go to Stanford. I appreciate your content Lukas!
Hey Lukas, I'm interested for MBA in lvy leagues, but I'm just getting started, just wanted to know is it totally worth to apply for the ivy league given the challenging environment, I have a great professional experience and I am still confused
Hi Mia, the MBA application process is surely competitive with admissions rates ranging between 5 and 30% at top schools. Have a look at my video on the MBA application process for more details. KR Lukas
Hello Lukas, My name is Arda Cetinel, I am looking to apply to Stanford’s Deferred MBA program in Spring 2023. First, I wanted to thank you for the videos you have posted especially this one, they have provided so much insight. I was wondering if you had some free time soon to have a brief zoom call or talk through email as I have some more questions regarding the program specifically involving entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship club you are the president of! Sincerely Arda,
Hi Alexander, I'm happy to hear you liked the videos! Sure, did you message me on LinkedIn already? I am trying to get through my inbox 🙈 - we can set up a 20min zoom call. Any specific questions that I can answer upfront? KR Lukas
Hello again Lukas, thank you so much for the reply and yes I did! So one question that you could answer upfront is that I am little confused about the level system you mentioned in the video. Can you take a novice, intermediate, and advance level for just the distribution requirements or for both the core and distribution requirements? I feel for the rest of my questions it may be better to discuss these through zoom. Thank you again for willing to meet with me and keep up the amazing work!
Hello Lukas, happy to see another video by you! Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your life so far at Stanford - felt like a mini orientation of the campus with a whole lot of new information. Great work and I look forward to more content. :)
Super Video, Lukas. Ich habe noch 2 Semester im Bachelor vor mir und bereite mich gerade auf den GMAT vor. Stanford steht bei mir ganz oben auf der Liste.
Make a video on what you are currently doing in and tell me your experience what mistake people does after MBA how your journey has been so far till date.... Please brother I want to know and learn please
Great video Lukas! Thanks for sharing your experience! Hope you keep sharing videos like this :) looking forward to applying to Stanford next year! Greetings from Mexico!
Hi, Mr. Lukas I really enjoyed and got solidified my goal to get an MBA and join the business world. I am a Freshman( 1st year) in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering. I want to get into Business school via the Deferred MBA program. Please share your thought on the Deferred MBA program at GSB. Essay and GRE stuff are similar but except for Job experience, they want my Intern experience. I have already Interned At a Textile company and worked on their new Automated Manufacture projects. It would be fantastic to hear your thought on the Whole deferred MBA program.
How do the famous guest speakers actually improve your personal career outcomes? Feels like famous guest speakers is the highlight of the experience...
Haha, that is an interesting question, Karim. Meeting top CEOs and founders made me realize that they are just a few steps away from where I am today. This realization of „everything is possible“ can be seen in the untraditional career outcomes of students at the GSB (see career report) and the overall high rate of GSBers striving for high influence positions after graduation. But I disagree that the guest speakers are the highlight of the experience. Both the classmates and professors you meet and learn from are much more influential on your MBA experience. And Stanford is just plainly a good university with great quality teaching and lots of different classes on offer. KR Lukas
Thanks, my friend! That is really motivating. I will keep the videos coming. Any question that you would like answered or anything you'd like to see/understand? KR Lukas
@@ambecksfulful There are some people in their late 30s bordering on 40. Anyone has a shot at getting admitted as long as the MBA is looks like the right next step in your career (i.e., it enables you to do what you want to do next). KR Lukas
Hi Ashutosh, thanks for the great question. I managed a corporate turnaround in Germany before the MBA. That means I worked with the mgmt. team of a 100-employee fintech and helped it grow to 400 employees and profitability. I did a lot of sales, contract negotiation, organizational restructuring (hiring plans etc.) and co-led some tech implementation projects. KR Lukas
Hey Lukas! I'm Analiese :) Your video was organized so well, thank you. I am a senior in high school and am wanting to pursue an MBA in the hopes to further develop my entrepreneurial mind, and to birth new skill sets I can take with me for the rest of my life. I would love to know how getting a degree at Stanford has brought career opportunities forward for you and how those have helped shape your life today. What makes Stanford stand out to you from other great business schools? (u don't have to answer that last one if that's too personal lol) I love your smile btw, it's contagious.
Hey Lukas, Awesome video mate.. Maybe you can touch upon what people do in general post MBA at Stanford and how does the career transition look like - Best case, average case and worst case scenario?
@@LukasHaffer Coming back after an year. I didn't join Stanford but trying to adopt everything that I could - Started a VC club here. I'd love to connect with you and see how can I contribute to your startup - I have been coding for 10+ years, learnt finance by making 1M$ + trades and product management through entrepreneurship under a VC. Happy to talk to you on LinkedIn
Hey LUKAS I Will be applying to few of those b schools for mba,I have a few doubts . Will be greatul if you can clarify some of them (Indian) 1)What was your GMAT score ? 2)Does lower gap in UG (70% ) hinder chance of going to these bschools? 3)What do bschools value ?diversity in work ex(someone with prior work ex in diverse field of sales+it+marketing) or progression in work ex(someone who has worked in a sector for 78yrs & has risen to a position of team lead or senior analyst)
Hi Avidly, those are great questions! My GMAT score was 740 and my undergraduate GPA was 3.3 (ca. top 20%) at a top German university. If your undergraduate GPA is not too strong, then the GMAT becomes especially important. Scoring ABOVE the university average becomes your main mission to prove to the admissions committee that you will be able to handle the academic curriculum. In terms of work experience, a track record of impact is important. Take responsibility for improving the work around you. Once the time comes to apply to business school, you will have proven through your action that you are focused on impact. KR Lukas
Bro just one question. I want to leave civil(Engg) & study MBA in the US. Will I be able to land a job in the US (IN THE NON CIVIL FIELD)? Or is it not a good career move altogether? Will I struggle to find jobs? Will I have to do internships or related before?
Hi Aakash, those are good questions! Generally career pivots are feasible via an MBA program. A few caveats however: 1) You have to have demonstrated high impact in your existing career to get accepted to begin with. 2) The pivot has to be realistic, where you will have the relevant skillset for that job by the time you apply for a summer internship or by the time you graduate. 3) You will have to work harder than others to take relevant courses, network with professors and alumni and go out into the industry to find your first job. That said, if you manage to get into one of the top MBA programs, your odds are pretty good (as seen by the career office reports). KR Lukas
