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What to Do With Harvard’s No-Word-Limit Essay, 2015-2016

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What to Do With Harvard’s No-Word-Limit Essay, 2015-2016

Harvard Business School Admissions Essay, 2015-2016:

It's the first day of class at HBS. You are in Aldrich Hall meeting your "section." This is the group of 90 classmates who will become your close companions in the first-year MBA classroom. Our signature case method participant-based learning model ensures that you will get to know each other very well. The bonds you collectively create throughout this shared experience will be lasting.

Introduce yourself. (No word limit)

Harvard Business School created a lot of buzz a few years ago by reducing the number of its MBA application essay questions to one – and one with no word limit! This left many candidates scratching their heads and asking, “What on earth should I do with one no-word-limit admission essay to the top business school in the world?”

Length

What should you do with the no-word-limit essay? Don’t submit a book-of-an-essay that is 4000 words or longer. We are sure you have led an amazing life and have enough accomplishments to fill a 4000 essay, but the admissions committee will not want to read something that long and may be left thinking your ego is a little too healthy in size.

In most cases, you also should not submit a hyper-short essay that is 100 words or less. To do this can be read as arrogant, even if your credentials are outstanding in every way (professional, academic, and in your extracurricular activities). Are there exceptions to this? Of course. If you are an under-represented candidate who graduated Summa Cum Laude from college, have had promotions at a prestigious company like Goldman Sachs, have always received the top performance ratings, scored a 770 GMAT score, were Student Government president during college and are certain you will receive glowing recommendations, perhaps you can afford to submit the 100-word essay. The rest of your application will speak amazingly to your credentials! But, most candidates don’t fit this profile, so you should use the essay as premium space to “make your case” to the admission committee.

As you decide on the ideal length, bear in mind that in the past couple of years, a typical-length MBA admissions essay set allowed for approximately 1400-1600 words, so that can give you a sense of what might be considered appropriate and not excessive in terms of a word limit. You may be able to state your case in 500-1000 words.

HBS Video

As you strive to introduce yourself through the HBS essay, take a solid look at your credentials and experiences, and the blend of these that is most likely to make the admissions committee want to admit you. Think about your passions and your key attributes. Keep the HBS video squarely in mind since you were specifically instructed to view and consider it. (The HBS website instructs, “We suggest you view this video before beginning to write.”) Do you have some of the valued characteristics and practices you saw depicted in the video? Will you fit into this environment and be able to contribute to it? You should include comments about this in your essay. Draw on the above topics as appropriate for your candidacy as you draft your essay response.

Tone

What about the tone of the essay? Is it okay to make the essay tone more casual? Yes. Is it okay to make the essay tone more formal? Yes. There is not necessarily a right or wrong choice; it is a matter of what is the best choice for the needs of your candidacy and application. There are countless ways to compose a compelling essay. But remember, the ultimate purpose of the essay is to persuade the Harvard admissions committee to say “yes” to your candidacy. Adopt a style that can advance you toward that end.

Topics

For some candidates, the ideal information for the HBS essay will be comprised of largely positive information that touches on their professional, academic, and extracurricular achievements. As you draft, bear other matters in mind. Harvard always likes to hear about your proven leadership and potential to make a notable impact in the future. Also think about the type of content that most of the Top-7 MBA programs seek to see in their essays and cover some of that ground. For instance, what has influenced you to be who you are today? What are your long-term goals? Why is Harvard right for you? What can you contribute to HBS and through your future career?

This essay, by its nature, leaves a lot of room for creativity, so take advantage!

Need Assistance with your application? Contact us at https://www.mbaadmit.com
Best wishes,

Dr. Shel (Shelly Watts)
President, MBA Admit.com
https://www.mbaadmit.com
Email: info@mbaadmit.com

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