STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) is expanding admissions opportunities for students from Venezuela, and Latin America more broadly, through a targeted application fee waiver program and financial aid opportunities.
The Sí Se Puede Latin America Fee Waiver of $275 is accessible to prospective students making less than USD $40,000, which will help a significant percentage of applicants from Latin America. By removing the barrier to the MBA program application, Stanford GSB aims to encourage those who might not otherwise apply.
Under the Sí Se Puede Latin America Fee Waiver, MBA program application fees will automatically be waived in the 2020–2021 application year when students from Latin America — including Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands, Central America, México and South America, including Brasil — submit their MBA application. Applicants do not need to apply separately for the application fee waiver. The salary currency conversion to U.S. dollars will be calculated based on exchange rates on June 1, 2020. Once applicants are admitted to the MBA program, Stanford GSB will match eligible students to need-based financial aid opportunities.
The Sí Se Puede Latin America Fee Waiver and fellowship opportunities were created to attract MBA candidates at Stanford GSB who are from Venezuela and Latin America. The fee waiver and fellowships were made possible by Becky Kleiner and Micky Malka, managing partner at Ribbit Capital, who are both from Venezuela and have lived abroad for many years.
“When the right tools are given to the right people, good and massive changes in society will follow,” said Malka. “During our time living abroad, we have had the opportunity to interact with many Stanford GSB graduates from Latin America. We have seen that many have returned to their home countries and generated great impact on their societies and businesses post-graduation. We believe that the region is home to many more people who are capable of creating that kind of impact, given the chance.
“This is the reason we are working with Stanford GSB. The Sí Se Puede Latin America Program aims to remove barriers to apply to the MBA program and encourages applicants from Venezuela and throughout Latin America to take that next step. By helping students to apply to and attend Stanford GSB, we hope to attract those who want to make a difference in their communities and the world.”
Recent Stanford GSB graduate and Venezuela native Yohanna Maldonado, MBA ’20, spoke about “The Nation Behind the News” in a recent LowKeynote speech, which gives Stanford GSB students the opportunity to develop presentations on ideas and actions that can enhance people’s lives and communities around the globe. She spoke about “hope” and the possibility that Stanford GSB students can return to Venezuela and help their families and communities there. “There is a strong social fabric being built in Venezuela that is worth standing for,” she said.
“When I was considering applying to different MBA programs, Stanford GSB always felt like a dream and that it might not even be worth the application,” said Maldonado. “This fee waiver is yet another example of how the school is thinking about increasing diversity on campus and attracting more people from Latin America. I am excited to welcome many more admits in the following years.”
About Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) is developing the next generation of principled global leaders. Since 1925, Stanford GSB has been delivering rigorous and experiential management education combined with personal development and leadership that has the power to change both careers and lives. Stanford GSB faculty are empowered to design and discover original research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge. The school’s diverse programs include the 2-year MBA program; 1-year Master of Science program for experienced leaders (MSx); PhD program; Executive Education; Stanford LEAD, an online certificate program; and Stanford Seed, a Stanford GSB-led initiative that partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build thriving enterprises that transform lives.
