Calling all Harvard Applicants: (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

Usually ~3/4 of the total interview invitations will go out on that first day, but in the grand scheme of things HBS does a 10x better job than most schools in terms of being completely clear with applicants on things like interview invites. Plenty of schools don't give any guidance on when interview invitations will start (or end) and some are known for doing interviews less than a week before decisions are released. So I think HBS does a pretty good job of minimizing the agony, especially given the volume of applications they receive relative to other schools.

Usually ~3/4 of the total interview invitations will go out on that first day, but in the grand scheme of things HBS does a 10x better job than most schools in terms of being completely clear with applicants on things like interview invites. Plenty of schools don't give any guidance on when interview invitations will start (or end) and some are known for doing interviews less than a week before decisions are released. So I think HBS does a pretty good job of minimizing the agony, especially given the volume of applications they receive relative to other schools.[/quote]

I do see that HBS does it much better than others.. But then, we all paid ~$250/app, so telling us a rough idea of when things are happening shouldn't be such a difficult, impossible task!

Will the news come out at 12pm EST @ Jan27th?

News will come out for those lucky enough to get invited to an interview at 12pm on Jan 27th. For the rest of us, we will have to wait until the following Wednesday Feb 3rd before we are officially dinged. 2+2 invites come out on Feb 3rd as well, and potentially a very small number of further invites.

So if you don't receive an invite by 12.30pm on Jan 27th and you didn't submit a 2+2 app, then it is very likely that you have been dinged.

FROM HBS Admissions Blog: Round 2 Interview Invitations

Greetings to all of you. This post is, quite frankly, not a news flash, but more like a reminder of what we’ve said before. We’re moving along here and the plan is to send out the first wave of interview invitations on Wednesday, January 27. Our plan is for this first wave to be released at 12:00 noon Boston time. Invitations will include detailed instructions about the sign-up process and our Campus Interview Days. Remember, where you choose to interview has no bearing on the evaluation process - all of our interviews are conducted by members of the Admissions Board. If you choose to interview in a hub city, you are still warmly invited to come to campus and attend the activities we plan for the day. We will send out invitations in two waves. As I just said, Wave 1 is January 27. On February 3, we will send out more invitations (Wave 2) and also release the candidates who will not be moving forward to the interview stage. Please note that all 2+2 interview invitations will go out in this second wave on February 3. Please don’t send any additional materials to us. We consider applications complete at the time of submission and we will not be adding information to anyone’s file. I do know that this stage is hard - the waiting - but please channel your energy into good deeds or work or family - or a million other things besides sending things to us! Dee

I heart these guys (and that will still be true even if I get dinged). I love how transparent they are with the process. The blog is super helpful and I wish more AdComs did this (admittedly, HBS AdCom probably has a lot more resources than most). Thank you HBS for the updates!! It makes the waiting slightly less painful.

Ditto that sentiment! The transparency is really refreshing

--

Garth - that was a haiku

--

Don't be so negative though, I know of someone who was called on the last date of R1 and he is now accepted.

First time posting here... have been checking here from time to time to see how others are holding up... wish everyone all the best on Wed!

Everyone told me the waiting would be the worst part, and I laughed -- but really, I'd write another 5 essays if it meant I could end the waiting

First thing I do if invited -- squeal, then text all of my supporters with the good news!
First thing I do if not invited -- lunchtime cocktail (or 5) to drown my sorrows?

Good luck to everyone -- the wait is almost over, and hope you all get some good news this Wednesday!

UPDATE: Got the interview invite and reacted just as predicted -- with some tears thrown in as well.

First thing I do if invited: Jump and scream "I am the boss" endlessly.
First thing I do if not invited: Get wasted.

Good luck to everyone!

(1) leave work and go day-drinking
(2) leave work and go day-drinking

[NOTE: this will be 9am in California]

But seriously folks, I will not be crying or drinking or anything else if I am not invited, and I hope we all keep some perspective on Wednesday. HBS is an incredibly competitive program and as far as I'm concerned, there's no shame in being dinged. Conversely, for those of us who do get called, it's a tremendous honor and achievement but does not automatically qualify us as masters of the universe.

When I was 17, I thought the world had really come to an end when I didn't get in to Yale's undergrad program. I was convinced it was the worst tragedy ever. I cried like a baby and felt so sorry for myself and cursed the unfairness of it all. And you know what? Much to my dismay, the world actually kept spinning on its axis. I ended up getting accepted into UCLA, U Chicago, Stanford and Johns Hopkins, and my life turned out pretty great even though I Did Not Get Into Yale. Lesson learned. Some of us will get invited to interview at Harvard. Some of us may even get accepted to Harvard. Many (most) of us will not. Regardless of the outcome, it does not define who any of us are. If you've applied then you're already affirmatively reaching for a better life, and all of us who work hard will have one. So let's stay cool.

That said, I have clearly chewed off all my fingernails this week.

1. Refresh the page. Go to my inbox again. Recheck. Pinch myself. Repeat.
2. Silently tell myself that there's nothing more I could've done. Then channel that disappointment into become a person that HBS would regret not inviting

I am oddly unaffected by the wait this time. Perhaps because I never thought I had a serious shot at HBS, even getting to the interview stage, so I have the same level of amused anticipation as I would with a powerball ticket in my hand. I think if I do get an interview, I will likely be in the bucket of people they invite just to confuse the rest of us on what exactly the selection criteria is.