{"id":58117,"date":"2023-06-26T06:49:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T13:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2023\/06\/how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school-3\/"},"modified":"2023-11-01T03:13:56","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:13:56","slug":"how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school-3\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Into Harvard Business School"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-40186 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_8588-scaled-1-734x551.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"734\" height=\"551\" \/>Lessons Learned From Our Admissions Experts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cHow can I get into Harvard Business School?\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s the first question that the majority of our prospective clients ask. Our SBC consultants have guided more HBS admits than any other program, in large part because the demand for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/mba-application-advice\/harvard-business-school\/\">Harvard MBA<\/a> is so high in our client pool.<\/p>\n<p>The 2023-2024 application cycle looks to be more competitive than last season. MBA demand has picked up for a variety of reasons. First, there are the enticing salary reports among recent graduates. According to the most recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmac.com\/market-intelligence-and-research\/market-research\/corporate-recruiters-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey<\/a>, \u00a097% of US-based recruiters anticipated their hiring demand for business school graduates to increase or remain stable over the next five years. Then there\u2019s renewed optimism from international students now that Covid restrictions have eased worldwide. Finally, the economic slowdown, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/blog\/from-tech-layoff-to-business-school\/\">especially in tech<\/a>, has prompted many professionals to think about heading back to school.<\/p>\n<p>We have several former HBS Admissions Officers on our SBC consulting team, so we decided to gather HBS admit data across our client pool to define themes and strategies that can help future MBA applicants.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school like HBS? Contact us to talk strategy with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/contact\/\">free 15-minute advising session<\/a>\u00a0with an SBC Principal Consultant.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid aligncenter wp-image-35784\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Harvard-Business-School-Dillon-House.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"495\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019ve no doubt read on the HBS website, their preferred framework for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/mba\/admissions\/Pages\/who-are-we-looking-for.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">assessing MBA applicants<\/a> is three-pronged. They seek candidates with these characteristics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Habits of Leadership<\/li>\n<li>Analytical Aptitude &amp; Appetite<\/li>\n<li>Community Citizenship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thus, we present these lessons to you on how to execute on this three-prong framework in the MBA application based on our review of the profiles of hundreds of successful HBS admits.<\/p>\n<h3>How to Get Into Harvard Business School:\u00a0 Show Habits of Leadership<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cLeadership can look a lot of different ways,\u201d notes SBC consultant Andrea, who served on the HBS Admissions Board for five years. For instance, \u201cCapital L\u201d leadership is one form. These are the people in positions of authority professionally\u2014those whose roles\u00a0convey they are leading the parade.<\/p>\n<p>But we also see HBS admits who are \u201csmall-L\u201d leaders. Irrespective of their actual job titles, these professionals are strategic, innovative, and proactive. The small L leaders step up when needed and thrive when times are hard. Plus, they demonstrate leadership traits <em>over time<\/em>\u00a0and can show that track record to HBS throughout their application.<\/p>\n<p>Capital L leadership may include examples such as fraternity president, Eagle Scout, student council president, varsity soccer team captain, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Small L examples include: starting a recycling program in your dorm or starting a community garden in your community to source local produce. Maybe you served as an effective role model and mentor in your firm or developed a new way to approach building a financial model at your bank.\u00a0 In a nutshell, Andrea says, \u201cYou saw a need, and you filled that need.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>To get into Harvard Business School, leadership examples must shine throughout the entire HBS application.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That includes your short responses on work experience entries; your list of extracurricular involvement and awards; your resume; and, of course, the essay. \u201cLeadership is demonstrated not only in the roles and titles held, elections won, etc.. but also in how you interact with others and ways in which you\u2019ve made an impact alone or with others, \u201c Andrea says.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Check out SBC\u2019s Strategy Guide for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/guides\/strategy\/harvard\/\">Harvard Business School: What the AdCom Wants<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-37255\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-christina-morillo-1181396-734x490.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"734\" height=\"490\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Show Analytical Aptitude &amp; Appetite<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cAcademic, analytical and quantitative prowess is crucial, as HBS Adcom will look at the applicant\u2019s GPA and test score. HBS AdCom will also comb through transcripts and consider the skills the applicant exercised and built in his or her work experiences,\u201d Andrea reveals.<\/p>\n<p>For reference, we\u2019ve assembled a sampling of test scores for SBC client admits from this past season. GRE scores ranged between a 630 converted to an 800 perfect test score. GPAs ranged from 3.4 to 3.9. GMAT scores ranged between 690 and 770.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Undergraduate Institutions<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The school pedigree of HBS admits varies considerably. Here are some of the undergraduate colleges and universities attended by our SBC client pool of HBS admits.<\/p>\n<table width=\"639\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Duke<\/td>\n<td>University of Minnesota<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Vanderbilt<\/td>\n<td>Brown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Princeton<\/td>\n<td>Waseda (Tokyo)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>UC Santa Barbara<\/td>\n<td>Harvard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Williams<\/td>\n<td>Yale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U Sao Paulo<\/td>\n<td>UC Berkeley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cornell<\/td>\n<td>Boston University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wesleyan<\/td>\n<td>Middle East college<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>UVA<\/td>\n<td>U Maryland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>UTA<\/td>\n<td>Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Univ. Warwick (UK)<\/td>\n<td>Michigan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U Penn<\/td>\n<td>Dartmouth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>When it comes to undergraduate majors, Harvard Business School is not looking solely for candidates with a business background. HBS welcomes applicants with humanities and STEM degrees, too. So, even if your college classes weren\u2019t quant-heavy, there are other ways to demonstrate you can handle the intellectual rigor of the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrong work experience can compensate for lack of quant classes in college,\u201d Andrea notes. \u201cIn addition to the stated criteria, intellectual curiosity and horsepower are buried in there. This can come across as dorky, but to HBS, dorky is good!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrea continues, \u201cResearch projects, thesis projects, reading and interests you develop on your own all qualify under horsepower. One\u2019s quest to satiate his\/her intellectual curiosity needs to shine through for the HBS application. This comes across in extracurriculars, awards, on the resume, and certainly in the HBS essay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Examples of \u201cdorky-is-good\u201d across our SBC client pool include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Discussing research projects you pursued that weren\u2019t required\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Taking on TA positions\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Working in a lab and writing a paper with a professor\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Opting to do original research for a thesis\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Developing a new curriculum with a faculty member<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThis can be on display throughout the application. But the essay is a great place to really get a sense that a candidate thinks about the issues deeply and is on a quest to satisfy intellectual curiosity,\u201d Andrea explains.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/blog\/b-schooled-podcast-episode-97-hbs-faqs-and-life-advice-with-dawn\/\">B-Schooled Podcast Episode #97<\/a>: HBS FAQs (and Life Advice) with Dawn\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29648 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1024px-Students_in_a_Harvard_Business_School_classroom-734x489.jpeg\" alt=\"How to get into Harvard Business School\" width=\"734\" height=\"489\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Show Engaged Community Citizenship<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cPersonal qualities encompass ethics, morals, values, judgment, and ego,\u201d Andrea notes. That is a significant element should you advance to the in-person interview.<\/p>\n<p>She simplifies this as: \u201cHow you will play in the sandbox that is the HBS classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrea also says that citizenship is less about what you say and more about the overall tone of how you say it: how you generally come across in the application.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>HBS doesn\u2019t want egotistical or arrogant types in the program, and the reading of the application is the first place they have their antenna up looking for it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For example, take the applicant who is from a common demographic (investment banker), comes from Darien, Connecticut, who studied at an elite undergrad, and has traveled the world. That applicant must be very careful with the tone of his application and essay. HBS AdCom is going to be looking out for arrogance based on privileged life circumstances and choices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTalking in a braggy manner and discussing an over-the-top lifestyle would take the applicant out of the running. Instead, I recommend trying to present an unexpected application that shows real depth around how he makes a positive impact in the communities in which he\u2019s spent time,\u201d Andrea says.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-37256\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-rodnae-productions-6647174-734x489.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"734\" height=\"489\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It takes a lot to rise to the top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/blog\/overrepresented-buckets\/\">oversubscribed populations<\/a>. Therefore, if you are in an overpopulated pool, you have to do things that set you apart from that herd.<\/p>\n<h4><b>How to Get Into Harvard Business School: Applying the Framework to the HBS Essay<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>The essay really is make-or-break for HBS, Andrea reveals. So many applications have acceptable credentials up to that point of the application. But it\u2019s the essay that sets the overall application apart and earns it the interview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo deep. Get personal. Make sure the reader feels genuineness and authenticity. Make them get goosebumps while they are reading,\u201d Andrea suggests. \u201cAt the end of the essay, the reader should feel so moved they want to meet you immediately. They can\u2019t wait to get to know you better, hear more of the story, ask you specific questions to learn more, be inspired, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/harvard-hbs-essay-example\/\">SBC\u2019s collection<\/a> of successful Harvard Business School essays.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The HBS essay cannot just be a story of successes and accomplishments, Andrea cautions. \u201cIt has to leverage some creative theme or thread that is big and deep and acts as a mechanism to pull the story together. Open with that theme, then bring it to life with experiences and then end on that theme\u2014come full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/comprehensive-services\/\">All-In Partnership<\/a>\u00a0to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume. Contact us today for a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free 15-minute advising session<\/a> to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant. Meanwhile, here\u2019s a snapshot of the caliber of Harvard Business School AdCom expertise on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/about\/mba-admissions-consulting-team\/\">our team<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-10-at-8.07.06-AM.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-59770\" src=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-10-at-8.07.06-AM.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-10-at-8.07.06-AM.webp 640w, https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-01-10-at-8.07.06-AM-300x85.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\/blog\/how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">How to Get Into Harvard Business School<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyblackman.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lessons Learned From Our Admissions Experts \u201cHow can I get into Harvard Business School?\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s the first question that the majority of our prospective clients ask. Our SBC consultants have&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,749,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-stacy-blackman","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117","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\/122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59794,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58117\/revisions\/59794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}