Admitted to Harvard Business School Class of 2011!

FYI - If anyone's still figuring out where to stay for ASW, I just got a really good deal.

I booked the Doubletree Guest Suites on Priceline by bidding $70 (parameters = 3.5 stars, Cambridge...it's in Boston, but by Priceline neighborhood guides it's considered Cambridge). There's only one other 3.5 star hotel in the Cambridge section, so your chances are good for getting Doubletree.

Hey Yall, ASW was really fun and I met msday! The faculty panel really sold me on the case method, and the career services people made me feel really good about not knowing what I *really* want to do after school. HBS seems to be a great place to be if you want to explore several career paths. I'd even say the experience was a bit touchy feely, and they are really serious about HBS being a 'transformational experience.'

I have no doubt that the numbers nink posted above are accurate. In fact, those numbers seem very true for me today and definitely were true for me in undergrad. This is going to be a huge commitment, but well worth it.

Hello after a semi-long hiatus! It was a pleasure meeting THE BigBad. Meeting her and others at ASW confirmed for me that an MBA is the right thing to do at this time. The people I met had done such interesting, different things than I had (especially BigBad, who is the polar opposite of me!), and I can foresee some exciting discussions with the 90 others in my section if I end up at HBS.

The scheduled events were pretty standard (admissions talk, student association talk, fin aid, career services, professors, residence hall open house). The highlights of the day for me were:

1. champagne social - met a lot of the HBS admits.
2. watching Rev. Tom Doyle speak at dinner: https://www.hbs.edu/news/releases/060303 ... award.html
3. hanging out with potential future classmates @ Cambridge bars.
4. the surprising down-to-earth-ness (yes, I know that is not a real phrase) of everyone I met.

The weather was surprisingly nice - a few showers at night, but upper 40s during the day.

Now, I've presented a very positive view of HBS so far. The main downsides I foresee (for me):
1. It's going to tough to break into consulting while competing with 900 really talented classmates, many of whom come with star-studded Ivy ugrad/IB/PE/MC resumes.
2. 13+ cases every week might wear me out after a while.

Overall, the day met my unreasonably high expectations. I know I would be very happy going here - it's a great fit.

I thought I'd post my thoughts on ASW. Overall, we had an amazing time and the weekend made me realize I made the right choice.

People - Throw out all of the stereotypes. All of the current and admitted students were so cool and down to earth. Yes, they were extremely accomplished, but everyone was so humble and happy to be there.

Class - I sat in on my first HBS class. I don't think I'll ever want to sit in a lecture class again! The case method was amazing and the professor did an outstanding job at keeping the class energized. It never felt like the students were competing for participation. It felt like a healthy discussion from different perspectives. I was amazed at how much the professors prepare for each class (10-15 hours for some). It shows as they know how each student can contribute to different parts of the discussion for each case. (i.e. - Asking a student about a similar problem he faced at his previous job that related to the case.)

Partners - Many of the other schools I looked at were known for being "partner friendly". HBS was considered to be weaker in that department. That was not the case from our experience! HBS goes out of the way to make partners feel like it is their school as well. Partners can attend class, join clubs, and participate in any event! Basically, they say that partners get the HBS experience without the class work and they really mean it! My wife is extremely excited about HBS now!

Also, I recieved my financial aid package the other day. I was very impressed with the fellowship HBS provided. Even though my wife and I have a significant income, the HBS fellowship was still by far much larger than any other scholarships I received at other schools. It was quite a surprise!

Have you guys decided where you guys are staying yet for ASW?

Yes, I am required to take Analytics. I can do math, but haven't in a long time... like, since high school...

As far as hotels, I think there is a DoubleTree near there. I'm also considering the merits of staying with friends in town. It would be cheaper, but tough since they're in different neighborhoods.

Is anyone going to the West Coast social tomorrow night? I have to go read the assigned case study

I'm not required to take analytics, but I kind of wish I was. You guys will have 2 additional weeks to bond with classmates and you'll know lots of people not in your section!

I'll probably just end up staying with a friend for ASW. Look forward to meeting you all!

I'm attending ASW and we're staying at the Doubletree. It's where I stayed when I interviewed and it's definitely walking distance to HBS (they also have a free shuttle). My checklist recommends that I take the Analytics Program. Everyone I have talked to about this said it is extremely worth it. Besides the material, I think it will be a great way to get a head start on everyone else and really get used to the teaching method.

Just saw this... first time I've seen a firm number (24%) in regards to R1 applications at HBS. we're "the best set of applicants ever"! I wonder how many classes he's said that to

https://www.mbamission.com/blog/2009/01/ ... er-at-hbs/

MBA News: Toughest Year Ever at HBS?

January 25th, 2009 | Posted in News, Blogroll

Many MBA candidates learned their fates this week, after patiently (or maybe impatiently?) waiting for HBS to release its admissions decisions. Of course, for those who were disappointed by the results, it is difficult to take solace in the clichés offered by the admissions offices, pertaining to the competitiveness of the application process and the quality of applications this year. But, is there some truth behind the clichés? Could this year actually be that competitive? The answer, at HBS at least, is yes.

Gaining admission to HBS this year will be challenging not only because of the volume of applications but also because of the quality of applicants – a fact to which HBS Dean Jay Light attested on his Virtual Learning Series call (December 16th). During this alumni call, for paid members of HBS’s alumni associations, Dean Light told listeners that applications in the first round were up by 24% (which would indeed put HBS on pace to receive a record number) and declared that this was the “best set of applicants ever.” Dean Light added that it was the biggest cyclical response recorded in the history of the school. According to a listener, Dean Light stated that the school was considering taking in extra students and joked that they may even add an extra section. We would not recommend that MBA candidates hold their breath for the extra section, but it is possible that HBS may try to squeeze a few extra seats into the classroom. Time will tell…

Wow, this makes me feel simultaneously proud of myself and also kind of nervous since I'm from a non-traditional academic background. I'm going to wind up taking a lot of summer school in order to keep up with all the other brainiacs!

Has anyone who is unable to attend R1 ASW found out whether or not it's ok for us to attend R2 ASW? I emailed them about it, but no response.

Class of 2009 Employment Update
Date: February 13, 2009

You don't need me to tell you that these are unusual times. As you are thinking about your future, it may be interesting to hear news about how our Class of 2009 is faring in the job search process.

We've heard from 88% of the Class of 2009 - there are always students in the class who are going on to other degrees, returning to sponsoring companies, etc. As of today, 77% of those seeking employment have received offers. I don't have any more details to offer at this point, but we are proud of both our students and our Career Services team who have helped many of our students discover and pursue their dreams and find new opportunities in the midst of great uncertainty in the market. It is still months from graduation and companies and organizations continue to be a big presence on campus - spring will be lively here at HBS. We will provide updates as the season progresses.

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/blog.html

FYI

Deadline for Harvard Business School Scholarship

https://iberkshires.com/story/29879/Dead ... rship.html

I'm not going to admitted students weekend this weekend, but I'm going to be doing a bar crawl through Mass Ave from Harvard Sq to Central Sq on Saturday. Come meet up with us if you want a tour of Cambridge bars.

63% of HBS students watch less than 1 hour of TV per day

70% of respondents get their news from online news services such as NY.com and CNN.com

43.4% of HBS students don't subscribe to any magazines

33.6% of respondents spend 2-3 hours on the internet each day

72.4% of HBS students watch 0-1 movies at home or in the theater each week

41.4% of respondents do not read books at all or read very rarely each month

https://media.www.harbus.org/media/stora ... 3392.shtml

Interesting post. I bet the numbers for 1st years look even worse. 13 cases per week is pretty rough...

Hey all, have fun at ASW this weekend! Looking forward to a recap on the weekend's festivities since I won't be able to make this one