Calling all HBS Applicants - (2015 Intake) Class of 2017

Excited to get this show on the road!

Hi!

I had ruled HBS out, but attended a presentation last week and liked very much what I saw and what people told me, so I might join you guys.

Good luck!

Hey guys.. From the hbs application portal I can see that there is no 're-applicant essay'. Do they expect us to write how our candidacy has improved since last year - in the additional information section?

If you don't mind, can you please tell us your background? I've been researching people that HBS has accepted, but all I can find online are people with rockstar backgrounds. I don't feel like my background is competitive with these people, yet my admissions consultant is still telling me that I have a real shot based on how my history conveys a personality type that HBS is looking for (leadership, independent, contrarian, etc.). I've been trying to figure out what kind of people HBS has accepted that weren't necessarily able to change the world before the age of 25 haha, but all I can find are those types.

I wrote about how my childhood has influenced my personal and professional decisions. I know several people who took a similar approach, connecting personal and professional experiences. An admitted friend of mine wrote a poem, and another one chose not to write anything (the one person accepted without writing an essay).

You may also want to look into purchasing the HBS Harbus guide. Matriculating students were asked to submit their essays for publication. The guide also includes questions that were asked during the interview.

However, I honestly don't think this is the right approach. When you hear about or see things that other people have written, you'll start to feel swayed. What worked for one person won't work for another.

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Yeah, I agree with the one-page limit.
Maybe you can go through it one more time and ask yourself two questions:
"Does this really creates value to my resume and show the Adcom I'm a top professional?" and
" Can I put this information elsewhere in the application?"

This two questions helpe me cut about 150 words from my resumé!

Hi, Here is a good post from past year's discussion..........

It's fine if you want to use it and adcom isn't going to find it presumptuous or anything. I wouldn't recommend spending hours reformatting an already-good resume just to fit HBS's format though...you'll have plenty of time and coaching on how to do that after you're admitted.

I just wanted to add my 0.02 on resumes:

Do not overlook this piece of your application; in fact, I actually think it may be more important than most people give credit for (and the essay less so). More than half of my HBS interview was spent on two hobbies listed on the very bottom line of my resume. It blew me away how detail-oriented the admissions team was (and I wrote about that in my 24 hour follow-up). Every single line on your resume should be 100% solid; do NOT embellish and do NOT flippantly put things on there. HBS will read it and hold you to it. Know it inside and out like a job interview. And put serious pursuits on there (even hobbies) and be prepared to talk about them with real passion.

If your resume is longer than a page, I would assume you just reduced your chances. HBS applications are about the art of brevity. 1 page max, and don't cheat with itty-bitty margins. Just cut out the air!

Also, while I applied in Fall 2012 (am currently HBS Class of 2015), there were 2 required essay prompts - describe something you did well, and something you didn't do so well at. I think I wrote a much more introspective and better essay for the latter. I'd encourage anyone trying to think of what to write to honestly own up to a failure or weakness in the workplace (or in another context), and how you turned it around.

DO NOT OVERWRITE! Every prior essay was 400 words each. I would shoot for your personal essay to be this length or shorter.

Hmmm I appreciate your thoughts. I have heard some people recommend keeping the essay to 800 words, but not 400. Mine is currently 867 words and I am basically ready to hit submit. You've made me question it!

Most of the essays in the Harbus Essay Book are about 800 words each, so I wouldn't worry about your essay length. What matters the most is the content, as TheNightmanCometh pointed out

There's a ton of things in life - and business school - that are voluntary and have no bearing on your evaluation but that make life a better place for you/your family/your company/your school/your community. So HBS will likely well of it! If anything, the fact that you did it entirely to help out and because you thought it's fun counts for more and is more representative of you than most ECs you could put.

I'd try to stay under 1000 words if possible, but anything less than that is fine as long as you've made the points you want to make. 700, 800, 850, 900...
those are all fine.

400 would be pretty brief if you ask me.

A resume (for business school or employment) is not supposed to cover everything you've done in your career. It's supposed to give the reader a general idea of your major accomplishments such that he/she wants to interview you to find out more. Going with the "more is better" approach on a resume is akin to going 200 words over the limit for a 500 word essay...to me, it just leaves the impression of "I'm more important than other people, therefore I need more space to list all the awesome things I've done."

Submitting a two-page resume likely means that the reader won't even look at the second page, so 50% of the important stuff will probably go unread. Wouldn't you rather have a one-page resume which ensures that 100% of the most important stuff is all on that single page?

I've done resume editing jobs for several clients who have 10+ years of work experience in addition to their undergrad accomplishments, and they've had no problem getting the vital bullets all onto one page. It is possible.

Hey guys,
With the round 1 deadline rapidly approaching, I'll try to check this forum regularly in case you have any last minute quick questions you want to ask a current student. I know this is a stressful time, but it'll be worth it in the end.

In response to the earlier question, I typically leave all essays left aligned without indenting the paragraphs. But honestly, that will not affect your admissions odds.

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This is from an email I got from HBS auto-mailer:

""Moving forward" means being invited to interview. We expect that interview invitations will be issued in early October. Interviews will be conducted from mid-October through November. All of the necessary details will be in the invitation."

Thanks for the input. The long wait has begun.