Presenta(on

not approved by Stanford University, prepared by students – all mistakes and errors are ours.

Studiuj na Stanford v.01/01/2016

My Story
Graduate school
•  Magister – MA / MS / MSc / MBA / LLM
•  Doktorat – PhD

Undergraduate school
•  Licencjat – BA / BSc

Other
•  Certyfikaty itp. – SCPD,
Ignite, summer programs etc.

Degrees / Programs
SCHOOLS RESEARCH
1.  Business •  5,300 externally sponsored projects
2.  Earth Sciences •  $1.33 bln annual budget
•  17 independent labs, centers &insFtutes
3.  EducaFon
•  Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC)
4.  Engineering
5.  HumaniFes and Sciences
6.  Law
7.  Medicine

Stanford’s culture, campus &

proximity of the schools to one
another support the mul$disciplinary
research and teaching for which
Stanford is well known.

Schools & Research

“See that the wind of freedom
blows”

Honor Code

Academic freedom, standards
and integrity upheld by
students, faculty and staff

Values
•  One of the leading research universiFes in the
world, based in Silicon Valley near San Francisco,
California
•  2,118 faculty members, 21 Nobel laureates
(current)
•  16,000+ students
•  $21.4+ billion endowment fund
h^p://facts.stanford.edu/

Facts
Students
Engineering
Degrees (MA / PhD)
•  ComputaFonal and MathemaFcal Engineering
•  Computer Science
•  Mechanical Engineering (ME)
•  Civil and Environmental Engineering
•  Materials Science and Engineering
•  Bioengineering
•  Management Sciences and Engineering (MS&E)
•  Chemical Engineering
•  Electrical Engineering (EE)
•  Energy Resources Engineering
•  Product Design (dschool)

h^ps://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/programs?Ftle=engineering

Engineering
•  Interdisciplinary research
•  Second largest school at Stanford

•  What ma^ers in admissions:

–  Personal statement
–  RecommendaFon le^ers
–  95-th percenFle quanFtaFve GRE
–  110/120 or higher TOEFL score

h^ps://engineering.stanford.edu/admissions

Engineering
Engineering
Stanford GSB
•  MBA
•  MSx
•  PhD
•  ExecuFve Ed & Summer programs

•  What ma^ers in admissions: you – the whole picture

–  Essays are the most important: be authen(c
–  GPA, GMAT, professional references, experience, achievements –
all of it
–  Cultural fit ma^ers a lot
–  Do your research, only then engage with alumni/students/GSB

Stanford GSB
Economics, Policy
•  Economics (PhD: Economics Department or Stanford GSB)
–  What ma^ers in admissions:
•  Academics #1 + strength in math/stats
•  Excellent le^ers of reference (LORs) from your prof’s
•  Funding: PhD’s are prac(cally fully funded (as baically all PhDs @ Stanford University)

•  Interna(onal Policy Studies (MA)

–  Professional degree in policy: poliFcal econ, rule of law, security
–  What ma^ers in admissions:
•  Proven interest in policy/government – essays significant
•  LORs, grades, GRE etc… (standard)
•  Funding: special funding for interna(onal students (incl. Poland)

•  Public Policy (MA) joint degree: apply upon admission to another program

Studiuj na Stanford
Law School
•  What ma^ers in Admissions:
•  What’s unique about you, your accomplishments (diversity factor)
•  SFck out from your peers
•  Strong recommendaFon le^ers from prof’s/business people
•  High LSAT score

•  Degrees:
•  Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD)
•  The Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
•  Corporate Governance & PracFce (LL.M.)
•  Environmental Law & Policy (LL.M.)
•  Law, Science & Technology (LL.M.)
•  InternaFonal Economic Law, Business & Policy (LL.M.)

Law School
Medical School
Undergraduate
•  You determine what your degree will be during your undergraduate
studies
–  “Student-degree fit”

•  What ma^ers in admissions:

–  all-round high academic performance with something extra/unique that sets
you apart from others (exemplify your passion & achievements eg. high rank
in professional tennis)
–  decision process is secreFve but the 3 crucial factors seem to be “the special
something”, le^ers of recommendaFon & grades (transcript, SAT, IB, etc.)
–  everything is almost equally important & approach is very holis(c – slight
weaknesses in one area can be outweighed by advantages in another
–  underlining your energy/passion/drive & diversity is relevant
–  be yourself & be honest

Undergraduate
Entrepreneurship h^ps://vimeo.com/107095603
Stanford’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is rich and diverse, with deep Oes to Silicon Valley and
regions around the world. As such, our university’s entrepreneurial acOvity is completely
decentralized, flourishing through the work of students, faculty, and staff engaged in events
and iniOaOves for the Stanford community.

–  Stanford InnovaFon Report 2012
•  Founded here: Google, HP, Cisco, Instagram, Yahoo, Nike, Gap, NVIDIA etc.
•  Founded by alumni: PayPal, PalanFr, YouTube, Trulia, Charles Schwab etc.
–  Stanford Entrepreneurship Network (SEN)
•  25+ university programs and student groups offering opportuniFes for the
Stanford community to learn and explore various aspects of entrepreneurship.
–  What Stanford GSB Founders Look Like (Pejman Mar)
•  Typically 12 to 18% of Stanford GSB’s MBA class founds a company
•  $2.47 bln raised by 413 founders for 125 startups

Entrepreneurship
 Entrepreneurship – resources
•  STVP
•  Stanford GSB Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies
•  Stanford BioDesign
•  StartX
•  TomKat InnovaFon (Energy)
•  Business AssociaFon of Stanford
Engineering Students

Entrepreneurship
 Entrepreneurship-related degrees
Degrees more focused on entrepreneurship
•  MBA/MSx
•  Management Sciences & Engineering (MS&E)
–  Great for souware / engineering students & grads 1-3 years out of school
•  Symbolic Systems
–  Computer science, philosophy, linguisFcs,
•  Summer programs @ Stanford GSB (eg. Ignite, Summer InsFtute for
Entrepreneurship)

HOWEVER: Stanford is the most interdisciplinary university - you’re exposed to

‘entrepreneurship’ just by being here

Entrepreneurship
 Entrepreneurship – courses
Course examples
–  h^ps://www.gsb.stanford.edu/stanford-gsb-experience/academic/
entrepreneurship/management-courses

–  h^p://biodesign.stanford.edu/bdn/courses/biodesigncourses.jsp

–  h^p://stvp.stanford.edu/courses/

–  h^p://explorecourses.stanford.edu/ - check out all courses here

Entrepreneurship
Design – dschool
 ie. faculty pitch to students
to apply to take their courses..

dschool ‘pitch night’

•  Stanford has a bigger sport infrastructure for
its students than anywhere in Central Europe
•  Scholarships for Athletes
•  “Second to none” combinaFon of academics
and athleFcs with 36 varsity sports
•  London 2012 Olympics Stanford won 16
medals (12 gold), ie. Stanford would rank no. 6
in medal table

AthleFcs
Funding & Admissions
•  ApplicaFon process is the same for all applicants regardless
of ciFzenship/residence
–  UNDERGRADUATES - APPLY VIA UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS
•  SAT exams, grades, le^ers of recommendaFon (LOR), essays
–  GRADUATES - APPLY VIA YOUR DEPARTMENT
•  Grades, moFvaFon, LORs, essays, your experiences – everything
ma^ers, but academic achievements ma^er the most for MS/MA/PhD

•  Admission deadlines: h^p://www.stanford.edu/admission/

–  Business, Law & Medicine & academic departments all have
separate admission procedures
–  Applica(on deadlines vary by program

Admissions (#1 challenge)

Financial aid: h]p://financialaid.stanford.edu/
•  Undergrads: only U.S. undergraduates are admi^ed on a need-blind basis. 70% receive
tuiFon assistance.

c. 85% of graduate students receive financial aid (!), incl. interna(onal students
•  Graduate study aid is based on availability of funds and academic merit

Research & ask the department /school about below op(ons, ask prof’s about TA/RA
posiFons (auer you’re admi^ed) – be proac(ve (!)
•  Scholarships & Fellowships
•  Student Loans
•  Teaching Assistant / Research Assistant (TA/RA) posiFons
•  Grants
•  Donors: research, outreach, network & work hard to find a donor (many great alumni
out in the world & in/from Poland)

Funding (#2 & NOT a challenge)

•  ADVICE: once you get in the Stanford community helps
– a universe of financing op(ons opens up to you, most
of which you cannot research before you get in

HENCE:
#1 challenge: gexng into Stanford
#2 is NOT a challenge: gexng funding

#1 is much harder than #2…

RecommendaFons
•  Be authen(c – be yourself when wriFng your applicaFons.

•  Don’t bullshit. Don’t lie. It’s very easy to see & it will filter you out.

•  The whole applicaFon pack when applying is similar across schools,

but each degree/department differs & seeks different things

•  Early on find a professor who can be your mentor / guide you &
who cares (ie. has studied/done extensive research in the United
States, understands UK/US higher educaFon, is supporFve)
–  if you’re talented & really can’t find one, reach out to alumni/students/
organizaFons (eg. Kings FoundaFon) to help

RecommendaFons (2)
•  Transcript (Suisse soluFon)
–  Provide info on the mean/median grades in your class in a ‘grade transcript
annex’ to your own transcript
•  Licea: pedagog / wychowawca / administracja powinni sporządzić lub mieć takie dane
•  Uczelnia: administracja uczelni lub twój wydział powinni sporządzić lub mieć takie dane
–  Grades differ school-to-school, this helps inform Admissions about where you
stand relaFve to your peers

•  University / school ranking

–  Provide addi(onal info in your applica(on on the ranking of your university /
school in Poland + any explanatory addi(onal notes about your uni / school
–  This will help Admissions be informed about where you’re applying from

RecommendaFons (3)
•  Google J
•  The King’s FoundaFon
•  Team Poland FoundaFon
•  Fundacja Ivy Poland
•  Program “Studia dla Wybitnych” (program zacznie działać prawdopodobnie od
2017 r)
–  rządowy specjalny program stypendialny financujący studia na najlepszych światowych
uczelniach
•  Fundacja na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej (dla naukowców)
•  Stanford Polish Student AssociaFon
•  Stanford Club of Poland
•  Inne (konkursy, etapy przygotowania na studia/rozwoju osobistego)
–  Droga na Harvard, ADAMED SmartUp, United World Colleges, Edukacyjna Fundacja im. prof.
Romana Czerneckiego, Stow. Szkoła Liderów, Polish-American Freedom FoundaFon, Polsko-
Amerykańska Akademia Liderów, etc..

Resources – applying from Poland

•  PM Ignacy Paderewski - President Herbert Hoover - Gen. Józef Piłsudski close
friendship & work for Poland post-WWI

•  Largest Archives of original documents of Poland’s modern history located
outside of Poland are held at the Hoover InsFtuFon at Stanford

•  Hoover InsFtuFon visitors/residents: prof. Leszek Balcerowicz – VisiFng Fellow,

Jan Paweł II, Lech Wałęsa, Aleksander Kwaśniewski

•  Stanford alumni - (in)famous businessmen, scienFsts, journalists eg. Jan

Lubowski, prof. Stanley Wójcicki, Luis Amaral, Tomasz Domogała

•  Stow. Polskich Studentów @ Stanford: Stanford Polish Student AssociaFon

•  Stow. Absolwentów Stanford w Polsce: Stanford Club of Poland

4fun: Stanford & Poland

 Some contacts

Henryk Błasiński, PhD Electric Engineering Beata Petkowa, BA
h^ps://www.linkedin.com/in/hblasinski h^ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2hHIHaHV7Y
Piotr Dworczak, PhD Economics - GSB Tomek Pyrkowski, LLM Law
h^p://web.stanford.edu/~dworczak/ h^ps://pl.linkedin.com/in/tomasz-pyrkowski-b2a3132
Robert Kowalski, MA IPS (PoliFcal Economy), MBA Maciek Romanowicz, BA Economics
h^ps://www.linkedin.com/in/rkowal h^ps://www.linkedin.com/in/maciekromanowicz
Marcin Magnus, VisiFng Scholar (PhD) - BioinformaFcs Michał Węgrzyński, MS & BSc Mechanical Engineering
h^ps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marcin_Magnus linkedin.com/in/michal-wegrzynski-005a9044

Studiuj na Stanford