Harvard 2013 (HBS) - Calling All Applicants

HBS wants people with high GPAs because, despite the limitations of the GPA as a metric for intellectual aptitude / capacity, it is the best proxy we have at this point that allows comparison of intellectual aptitude / capacity between candidates of different schools in different countries.

Intellectual aptitude / capacity is what HBS is looking for at the end of the day. It's one of the 3 pillars (in my opinion) of what HBS looks for as a baseline for applicants (Leadership, Empathy (team work, volunteer, etc), Intellectual Aptitude). Why does HBS want people who have high aptitude - as exhibited by high GPA?

BECAUSE A CASE DISCUSSION AT HBS IS A DAMN!!!!! DIFFICULT THING!!!!! It is a 90 minute long intellectual debate (if directed well by profs) between people who are DAMN SMART!!!!! This is not the average conversation you have with a colleague at work - even if you're at Mck/B/B.

So, even though there are a number of false positives - people who have high GPAs but low intellectual capacity - who get into HBS, the AdCom would much rather be conservative and weed out a disproportionate number of false negatives than let in some false positives. And, BTW, those false positives are weeded out of HBS pretty quickly after the 1st semester and 1st year!

To make up for a low GPA, you have two choices: OVER COMPENSATE by writing about the other 2 pillars (Leadership and Empathy) and knocking those out of the park, or SHOW how you've had extraordinary experiences from which you can draw on to add to the case discussion instead of being handicapped by your intelligence / quick-thinking. If that's what you're trying to do, you need to come up with some damn good examples and your recommendations had better back you up. The lower your GPA, the exponentially more extraordinary your examples need to be.

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It's upsetting to hear things like:

"[HBS faculty] like obedient and responsive audiences...because [HBS faculty] are often lazy or marginally competent themselves."

HBS faculty (90% of them) are RIDICULOUSLY SMART AND PROFOUND. And, they want students who challenge each other AND the faculty. Students who contradict the professor are almost ALWAYS the Baker Scholars.

HBS Grad
www.mbaadcom.com
formerly, www.hbsadmissionsconsulting.com