{"id":45638,"date":"2019-05-18T23:45:49","date_gmt":"2019-05-19T06:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=45638"},"modified":"2019-05-18T23:46:08","modified_gmt":"2019-05-19T06:46:08","slug":"harvard-essay-question-analysis-2019-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/harvard-essay-question-analysis-2019-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Harvard Essay Question Analysis- 2019-20"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


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 Harvard\nBusiness School has kicked off the 2019\u20132020 MBA admissions season by  releasing its application deadlines<\/a> and essay question<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Once\nagain, the essay question remains unchanged from previous years. The admission\ncommittee must have found the prompt effective in getting to know and evaluate\ntheir future students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\napplication will open up again in early June 2019, says the admission director,\nLosee. Meanwhile, he encourages applicants to download the Application Guide<\/a> to\nlearn more about the requirements. So if you are planning to start your MBA\njourney at HBS in Fall 2020, you may want to start brainstorming ideas for this\nopen- ended  Harvard essay prompt NOW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Let\u2019s\ntake a closer look at the essay prompt. The HBS essay that applicants\nneed to submit this year is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 As we review your\napplication, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy\nfor the Harvard Business School MBA program?<\/strong> (no word limit)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This open-ended question needs to be tackled very\nstrategically, and it requires significant amount of introspection. Since the\nessay prompts says, \u2018what more would you like us to know\u2019<\/strong>, you should\nmake sure that you don\u2019t simply repeat what you have already discussed in other\napplication materials. Before brainstorming ideas\/ stories for his essay, make\nsure to go through other application materials (r\u00e9sum\u00e9, application form, and LORs)\nand discuss with your recommenders what examples they will be discussing in their\nletters so you can avoid overlapping of materials in your essay. However, you\nmay still discuss at length the achievements you have already touched upon in\nyour r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before choosing your stories ( personal and\nprofessional), please get a thorough \nunderstanding of what Harvard is looking for in\ncandidates<\/a>, and then\nweave your stories\/ accomplishments around these traits.   HBS\nis looking for candidates with \u201ca habit of leadership, analytical aptitude\nand appetite, and engaged community leadership.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>Therefore,your\nstories should illustrate these traits with a focus on leadership<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nsharing your stories, be authentic and genuine. Show your confidence and\npassion for what you have done and what you plan to do- academically,\npersonally, socially, and professionally. Remember, you are a unique individual.\nso use this essay as a platform to show your uniqueness. Don\u2019t be afraid to\nshare your mistake or failure at some point in life. Harvard is not looking for\nmistake-free individuals. The key is how you have learned from your mistakes, overcome\nlife challenges and have emerged a stronger person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since\nthere is no word limit for this open-ended question, you will need to make up\nyour mind on word limit. You may decide to submit an essay between 500- 750\nwords. If you decide to write a longer essay, make sure to keep it under 1000\nwords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Mistakes to avoid while writing this essay:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \u2018Don\u2019t overthink, overwrite and over craft\u2019.  <\/strong>When working with people on HBS essay, I often need to remind them that though re-writing and revising is the essence of writing, overwriting sometimes may kill the very soul of the essay. After you have brainstormed and finalized your stories, have confidence in your stories and writing style and organize them coherently and succinctly. Refrain from making unnecessary countless revisions thinking, \u201cIs this what admission committee would like to know?\u2019<\/li>
  2. Write from your heart in a simple and concise language. This is not an academic paper and you will not be evaluated for eloquence and for using robust words, rather for your passion and for your impactful stories, background, and experience composed in a simple, but effective and concise language that reflects your unique voice.<\/li>
  3. Avoid using the word \u2018leadership\u2019 in every single sentence. Some applicants think that their best bet to impress the admission committee is to use \u2018leadership\u2019 in every sentence. Follow the thumb rule of \u2018Show not tell\u2019 and allow your stories (personal, professional and social) to vouch for your leadership skills. <\/li>
  4. Avoid writing a \u2018why MBA\u2019 and \u2018goals\u2019 essay since you will be covering these topics in other application materials.<\/li>
  5. Avoid telling the school how great they are. They are aware of their greatness.<\/li>
  6. Even though the essay question doesn\u2019t ask \u2018Why HBS\u2019, you will still like to let them know what you envision getting involved in to reach the next level of your career and how you plan leaving<\/g> Harvard a better place. <\/li>
  7. Avoid spoon feeding the Ad Com. For example, don\u2019t waste precious space by starting your essay with the following statement: \u201cI would like the admission committee to understand what has driven my personal and professional growth and what has motivated my goal of dedicating my career to create businesses around infrastructure development. Also, please do not wrap up your essay by stating, \u201cI hope that through this essay you got an insight on<\/g> my personal and professional life for better evaluation of my candidacy<\/em>.\u201d Please remember that the purpose of writing this essay is to offer the admission committee insights into your personal and professional attributes\/ strengths, so such explicit statements are redundant and  will<\/g> not add any value to your story. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n


    For further assistance in developing your application essays, you may review the general     Essay Tips <\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview<\/a>  ) has helped applicants get accepted into top 20 MBA, programs, including HBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You\nmay be interested in Harvard admit Mansi\u2019s video\ninterview<\/strong><\/a> wherein she shares her application\njourney to Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg, Wharton, and INSEAD. Mansi is first year\nstudent at the HBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     If you want\nto discuss application strategy for Harvard application, fill out the free consultation<\/em><\/a> <\/em> form\nor email me at poonam@myessayreveiw.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This blog post<\/a> first appeared in myEssayReview<\/g> blog.
    <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Web<\/a> \/Blog<\/a>\/\nFree\nresources<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n<\/a>\n \n \n<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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