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

Decided at the very last moment, to not be intimidated by HBS anymore.
Joining in ..

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.

For reference, my essay is 349 words.

A good friend now attending HBS wrote a sub-200 word essay.

If it clearly states your message to the ad com, don't worry about the length.

Mine is currently 1,100 words, but I have to explain 2 important themes about my candidacy.

Dee Leopold says to answer the question and do not overthink, overcraft, or overwrite. In other words, "say what you need to say", and for every candidate it will be different.

In for Round 1 with a 1,100 word optional essay (used Stanford's length as a benchmark).

I hope the $250 application fee will prove a worthy investment for the future.

Anyone else notice that the additional information section instructions have changed slightly. I remember the earlier instructions were less formal with words similar to "Simply say hello or say something fun about yourself". Just thinking on whether I should be cautious on the information I provide now (if anything at all!)

Second question: Essay - to justify or leave the content left aligned? I honestly find no difference.

I agree. I had to put context around one key turning point in my life, which is reflected on my resume too, and I found that 800 words were sufficient.

Is it really that big of a deal if you have a two page resume? I can't possibly figure out how to cut an entire page on my resume (currently it fills two whole pages).

My essay is around 1000 words but I'll probably go through and cut it down to 850-900.

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.

HBS’s admissions director, Dee Leopold shares a helpful post on how HBS approaches the GMAT versus GRE issue. I’ll preface this with her preface: Please don’t over-crunch!

In short, the HBS view is agnostic. It’s not about which exam or even the overall score, but about the component scores and how they play into the individual applicant’s profile. For example (and this is her example), an engineer with highly quantitative work won’t need to prove her quant score as much as she’ll need to show off her verbal abilities with a high verbal score (either GMAT or GRE). An English major, on the other hand, will need to step up the quant component of his exam (again, either one) to show that he’ll be able to handle the quantitative work he’ll encounter at HBS.

Here’s a little chart from the original post:

----------TOTAL MATRICULATING ADMITS ---- TOTAL APPLICANTS DURING 2013-2014
GMAT -------------- 884 ---------------------------------------- 8,288
GRE ---------------- 81 ---------------------------------------- 1,115
BOTH ------------- 10 ----------------------------------------- 140
TOTAL ------------ 935 --------------------------------------- 9,543


While this data may cause some of you quant jocks to jump to the conclusion that HBS really prefers the GMAT, remember the preface: “Don’t over-crunch.” If you only look at the stats in the table, you may conclude that GMAT takers have a slightly higher acceptance rate and that the GMAT is “preferred.” However that increased rate is probably more reflective of the make-up of GMAT-takers versus GRE-takers. People in the business world who are only pursuing an MBA (and not other degrees) are more likely to take the GMAT. It’s possible that applicants with weaker scores may lean toward the GRE or applicants with liberal arts backgrounds (and weaker quant skills) may have already taken the GRE. Hence the lower acceptance rate may not reflect any preference on Harvard’s part, but more a preference in the applicant pool.

Last point: HBS applicants need to choose to submit either the GRE or GMAT – and not both.

For more info, see the original post.


Applying to Harvard Business School? Check out our HBS 2015 application tips!


Related Resources:

• GMAT, GRE, SAT, and All Things Test Prep
• That GMAT Score: Implications for Your MBA Application, a free webinar.
• Harvard Business School Zone


This information originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.

I've been able to work it down to 1 1/4 pages but getting that last 1/4 page off is proving very difficult. One organization that I started in school takes up a couple lines on my resume currently, but my essay sort of revolves around the creation of this organization and what I accomplished through it; do you think it's acceptable to reduce it down to a single line on the resume because I cover it so extensively in my essay? If I did that I'd just have like 6 lines left before it fits on a page.

Just my two cents, but I would prefer to keep that accomplishment on the resume and delete something less important. I believe your interviewer will be viewing your resume while interviewing you. Having detail around an impressive accomplishment may change the interviewers view of you before you even meet him/her.

For my resume I have deleted all of my college internships. With 5 years of experience I feel as though my full time work experience gets the idea across.

PS "You did it! You're now a Round 1 HBS applicant for the class entering in the fall of 2015."

Now the waiting game.

That's what I was thinking...there's gotta be some fluff elsewhere that you can get rid of so that attention stays focused on the really vital stuff.

I would like to know someone's views on the second question too.

Justified or Left aligned? Also is it better to leave an indent in the beginning of every para?

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.

Posted from my mobile device

I noticed it too. Originally I had a funny little fact about me in there but when I was going back through the app I noticed it changed so I took it out.

My cousin went to HBS and graduated in 2003. However, in the "Other Relationship Information" section where you can add relatives that went, the only options are Aunt/Uncle, Child, Grandparent, Parent, Spouse or Sibling - no cousin. Seems silly to me. Is there a way I can still add her in here or not? What should I do?

The "Relationship" drop down box is mandatory.