Crafting college lists can be tricky business. One size certainly does not fit all. Yet, Harvard Business School is a dream that animates every MBA applicant’s aspirations. Be it the first educational institution to start an MBA program in 1908 or the first program to use the ‘Case Study Method’ as the primary medium of instruction, HBS is a pioneer among the M7 and is esteemed as one of the best business schools in the world. Withstanding annual changes in rankings, brand HBS is a force to reckon with.
This means that the distance between ambition and achievement is more difficult to cover than aspirants can often fathom. The conversion rate of an HBS application (acceptance rate in 2022 was 12.5%, third behind Stanford University Graduate School of Business with 6.2% and MIT Sloan School of Management with 12.1%) vindicates HBS’ credo of excellence. And while everyone wants HBS, whom does HBS want?
A competitive HBS application stands on three pillars: (1) Habits of Leadership, (2) Analytical Aptitude & Appetite, and (3) Community Citizenship.
Habits of Leadership: Regardless of whether you’ve demonstrated leadership with a ‘capital L’ or a ‘small l’, capturing your ability to take initiative, solve problems, and create value in different walks of life through your resume (Work experience, extracurricular activities, etc.), essay (personal story, anecdotes, etc.) and short responses (post-MBA goals) is key to get the AdCom excited about your career trajectory. HBS is traditionally known to be an incubator for CEOs, and this culture is something they continue to foster in subsequent cohorts.
Analytical Aptitude & Appetite: Don’t fight shy of presenting and glorifying your academic credentials and inclinations. Teaching assistantship in college? Co-author of a research paper? Award-winning undergraduate thesis? Let the nerd in you shine. Although little can be done to rectify your college GPA, take advantage of the GMAT and aim for a 730+.
Community Citizenship: Creating meaningful impact that transcends your immediate sphere of influence–this is the spirit that indicates that your style of leadership is embedded in ethical practices and a deep commitment to social responsibility.
The next stage of admissions is the infamous HBS interview–a high-stress interaction conducted by the members of the AdCom (as opposed to alumni, which is often typical with other top MBA programs) where they assess your suitability for the HBS classroom. And thus, it should hardly be surprising that the format of the HBS interview is a case study, where the case under discussion is…you!
Ranging from application-based, background-based, and industry-based questions, with a screwball question or two thrown in to tickle the nerves, the interviewer tries to cover a large breadth of 30-40 questions, expecting the interviewee to touch upon depths that reveal their preparedness to thrive in the HBS sandbox.
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