{"id":48928,"date":"2020-06-08T17:07:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T00:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=48928"},"modified":"2020-09-29T12:26:24","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T19:26:24","slug":"harvard-application-deadlines-and-essay-question-analysis-2020-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/harvard-application-deadlines-and-essay-question-analysis-2020-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Harvard Application Deadlines and Essay Question Analysis- 2020-21"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"798\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Harvard.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Harvard.jpg 798w, https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Harvard-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Harvard-768x448.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Harvard Business School kicked off the 2020-21 MBA admissions season last month by releasing its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/mba\/admissions\/Pages\/application-dates.aspx\">application deadlines<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/mba\/admissions\/application-process\/Pages\/default.aspx\">essay question<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Application Deadlines:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Round 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Application Deadline: Tuesday,\nSeptember 8th at Noon ET<\/li><li>Decision Notification: Thursday,\nDecember 10th at Noon ET<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Round 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Application Deadline: Tuesday,\nJanuary 5th at Noon ET<\/li><li>Decision Notification: Tuesday,\nMarch 30th at Noon ET<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, the essay question remains unchanged from previous years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Admission director, Losee says<em>, \"Amidst all the uncertainty globally, we plan to minimize changes in our application process this year<\/em>\u2026..<em>We understand that these are difficult times globally and that many of you have been affected personally by the pandemic. Please know that we always review applications holistically and understand that many plans, employment opportunities, and personal situations have been disrupted by COVID-19. Of course, we will take this most unusual of times into account as we evaluate your application<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The application will open up again in mid- June 2020. Meanwhile, the applicants are encouraged to download the <a href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https:\/\/apply.hbs.edu\/register\/app-guide&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ckenicholson%40hbs.edu%7C9eda5495bca244afada008d6d3b4dbc0%7C09fd564ebf4243218f2db8e482f8635c%7C0%7C0%7C636929171072819052&amp;sdata=YUenvgC0oqO\/vtHcJdxWAri2YNfaP6Y5Zpu7y9UPIJM%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Application Guide<\/a> to learn more about what's inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let's\ntake a closer look at the <strong>essay prompt<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>QUESTION:\n<\/em><\/strong><em>As we review your application, what\nmore would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard\nBusiness School MBA program? (no word limit)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This\nopen-ended question needs to be tackled very strategically, and it requires a\nsignificant amount of introspection. Since the essay prompts says,<strong> 'what\nmore would you like us to know'<\/strong>, you should make sure that you do not merely\nrepeat what you have already discussed in other application materials. To avoid\noverlapping of elements in your essay, you must go through other application\nmaterials (r\u00e9sum\u00e9, application form, and LORs) and discuss with your\nrecommenders what examples they will be discussing in their letters. However,\nyou may still discuss at length the achievements you have already touched upon\nin your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before\nchoosing your stories (personal and professional), please get a thorough\nunderstanding of what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/mba\/admissions\/Pages\/who-are-we-looking-for.aspx\">Harvard is looking for in candidates<\/a>, and then weave your stories\/ accomplishments around these\ntraits. HBS is looking for candidates with <strong>\"<em>a habit of leadership,\nanalytical aptitude and appetite, and engaged community leadership.\" <\/em><\/strong>Therefore,\nyour stories should illustrate these traits with a focus on <strong>leadership<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be\nauthentic and genuine. Show your confidence and passion for what you have done\nand what you plan to do- academically, personally, socially, and\nprofessionally. Remember, you are a unique individual, so use this essay as a\nplatform to show your uniqueness. Do not be afraid to share your mistake or\nfailure at some point in life. Harvard is not looking for mistake-free\nindividuals. The key is how you have learned from your mistakes, overcome life\nchallenges, and have emerged a more influential person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since there is no word limit for this open-ended question, please use your discretion regarding the final length of your essay. You may decide to submit an essay between 500- 750 words. If you choose to write a longer essay, make sure to keep it under 1000 words. Our clients have written compelling essays within 800-1000 words. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mistakes to avoid while writing this\nessay<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'Don't\noverthink, overwrite, and over craft.' When working with people on HBS essay, I\noften need to remind them that though re-writing and revising is the essence of\nwriting, overwriting sometimes may kill the very soul of the essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After you have\nbrainstormed and finalized your stories, have confidence in your stories and\nwriting style, and organize them coherently and succinctly. Refrain from making\ncountless unnecessary revisions thinking, \"Is this what admission\ncommittee would like to know?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Write from\nyour heart in a concise and straightforward language. This is not an academic\npaper, and flowery prose will not get you in. We recommend expressing your passion\nand drive, your leadership experiences, analytical aptitude, and background in\na simple, but effective and concise language that reflects your unique voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid using\nthe word 'leadership' in every single sentence. Some applicants think that\ntheir best bet to impress the admission committee is to use 'leadership' in\nevery sentence. Follow the thumb rule of 'show not tell' and allow your unique\naccomplishment stories (personal, professional, and social) to vouch for your\nleadership skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid writing\na 'why MBA' and 'goals' essay since you will be covering these topics in other\napplication materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid telling\nthe school how great they are. They are aware of their greatness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even though\nthe essay question doesn't ask 'Why HBS', you will still like to let them know\nwhat you envision getting involved in to reach the next level of your career\nand how you plan to leave Harvard a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Avoid spoon-feeding the Ad Com. For example, don't waste precious space by starting your essay with the following statement: \"I would like the admission committee to understand what has driven my personal and professional growth.\" Also, please do not wrap up your essay by stating, \"I hope that through this essay you got an insight into my personal and professional life for better evaluation of my candidacy.\" Please remember that the purpose of writing this essay is to offer the admission committee insights into your personal and professional attributes\/ strengths. Hence, such explicit statements are redundant and will not add any value to your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a><strong>Free Resources<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/essay-tips\/10-key-tips-for-creating-compelling-business-school-essays\/\">10 Key Essay\nTips with Examples<\/a> <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/category\/student-interviews\/\">&nbsp;Success Stories -MER Students<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/student-interviews\/indian-engineers-journey-5-tops-mba-programs-including-dream-school-harvard-part-4\/\">Harvard MBA Mansi's video interview<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2011, MER (<a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/\"><em>myEssayReview<\/em><\/a>)&nbsp;has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs. (Poonam, founder and president of MER, is one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/reviews\/myessayreview-345345505?fl=menu\">top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have questions about your\napplication? E-mail Poonam at <a href=\"mailto:poonam@myessayreview.com\">poonam@myessayreview.com<\/a> or sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/free-consultation\/\">here<\/a> for a free consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"ttps:\/\/myessayreview.com\/question-analysis\/harvard-application-deadlines-essay-question-analysis-2020-21\/\">blog post<\/a> first appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/\">myEssayReview<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harvard Business School kicked off the 2020-21 MBA admissions season last month by releasing its application deadlines and essay question. Application Deadlines: Round 1: Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 8th at&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[943,113,243],"tags":[269,267,873,796,1145],"class_list":["post-48928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-myessayreview","category-applications","category-blog","tag-application","tag-deadlines","tag-essay","tag-harvard-business-school","tag-mba-essay-advice","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/141"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48928"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49774,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48928\/revisions\/49774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}