Describe a fear you have that affects you professionally now or will possibly affect you in the future.

Answer this question authentically. If you are fearful of a certain aspect of your work or your professional future, do not state that you are fearless. The interviewers at Stanford are likely to note any responses that they feel are untruthful. Instead, describe your fear and let your interviewer know that you have a strategy for managing it. Convince your interviewer that you can set your fears aside and commit fully to the decisions you make professionally.

Also, it is important to note that Stanford specifically looks for candidates that are not driven by the fear of failure. Stanford MBA alumni are risk-takers and innovators. They select opportunities intelligently and consider occasional failure part of the cost of success. Almost anyone fears failure to an extent, but it is best to avoid focusing your answer on this.

"I try not to focus on fear personally or professionally. While I am realistic about things in the future that might threaten the success of a program or a product, I take appropriate measures to define a mitigation strategy and then focus on whatever is within my control. I use any less-than-desirable outcomes and learning opportunities to improve the future.

If anything, I fear missing out on opportunities. Life offers so many different paths and they all hold value. I do my best to review the options, avoid analysis paralysis, and jump fully into whatever path I choose. For example, I may miss a promotion or the opportunity to work on a noteworthy or exciting project while I am enrolled at Stanford, but I have decided that the opportunity to pursue my MBA is one that I am not willing to pass up. It will open doors for me that would be hard to find otherwise. I am prepared to let any fears of missing out go so that I can dedicate myself fully to my chosen path."