Calling all Harvard MBA Applicants: 2024 Intake Class of 2026

Hello everyone,
A very happy new year to everyone.
New to this group chat, just had two questions:
1) anyone starting the GMAT focus edition prep now and planning to take in March/April?
2) Anyone planning to enroll for MS/MBA joint degree at HBS?

Hi everyone, about me
- 4 year exêxperience (1 year- an auditor EY; 2 years Financial Analyst for an startup- 1 year start my own bussiness)
- Gmat 720;
-GPA: 3.64/4
Should I consider applying for HBS? Do I have any chance?

I would encourage you to not “self-select” out. You have a slightly below average GPA and GMAT, but you may be able to make up for it with work anecdotes and experiences. If you’re applying next year, you have time to retake the GMAT if you feel that you need the extra boost on your academic credentials.

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Hi all,

I plan to apply for a HBS this year for class 27. At the time of course starting, i will be 32yrs old with nearly 9 year experience.

Some information about my background: I got my bachelor degree with GPA 3.7, at the age of 22, then take 1 year gap. After that, I worked for Deloitte for 4 years as financial/ tax consultant and got CFA at during this time. Currently, I am working as an investment manager at a real estate company. I have not taken GMAT, will take GMAT focus this Feb/Mar and target score in 95% percentile.

My main concern is that even there is no age/ working exp limits for applicants, I've read some articles which said that the Adcom do not prefer candidates at 30s or having more than 8 year experience consistently in an industry. I am not sure, with my profile, should I apply for MBA at HBS?

I’ll offer the same advice as above - don’t self select out. If going to HBS fits into your near- and long-term professional goals, give the application a shot! Make them tell you no if they think you’re not a good fit. As for age, the “opportunity cost” of taking 2 years off increases the older you are, but at 32, you won’t be off the charts on the old end. I’ll be matriculating this fall at 31.

Best of luck as you study!

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What is the lowest GMAT/GRE score that has been accepted at HBS?

On one forum, I saw a self reported score of 590. The Class Profile for 2025 gave a range of 500-790.

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If you really are curious on seeing what profiles get admitted into the schools with that surprisingly low score (Come I didn’t even prepare and had a higher score than that), I’d recommend when you are speaking to the class of 2023, 2022, 2021 - get the people you speak with to tell you about who were some of the people to the best of their knowledge have a low GMAT and have been accepted and what is the lowest in their batch they have seen. Also, ask for the people without the GMAT score and GMAT Waiver (last 3 years). Profile them and find commonalities and you can then see if you match somehow into that pool

Thank Milpilot16 alot
Yeah, will have a try with HBS.
Anw, have you seen anyone with about 8-9 year experience, regardless their age, are accepted?

Hi everyone,
I flunked the quant part of my GMAT yesterday (43Q, 700 overall), and with no time to retake it, I was hoping to get your perspective on two questions:
1) Would you recommend adressing a subpar GMAT score in the supplemental short answer, even if there are no extenuating circumstances?
2) If invited to an interview, would it be helpful to have retaken the GMAT by then and earned a significantly higher score, or would candidates have passed such hurdle at that point?

Purely anecdotally, I will have 8 years of WE upon matriculation, and I know of plenty of others with the same.

First off, take a deep breath. 700 Composite is slightly below average, but it’s still within the band.
1) You may get differing advice, but I wouldn’t. There is no “mitigating factor” as you mentioned and it would only highlight the perceived shortfall.
2) I would retake it for 2 reasons - 1st, it may be useful in the event you are waitlisted. 2nd, the “hurdle” isn’t fully cleared until you’re offered admission. The panel will look at your whole application again post-interview. They MAY choose to not consider a late GMAT in R2 prior to Waitlist considerations to promote equity with all other applications submitted R2, but it won’t hurt you.

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Thank you very much milpilot16, hearing someone else’s perspective is really valuable to me.

I submitted my application but I really want to know.. what are the drivers for an interview invite. is it gmat ? or is it work ex, or is it gpa or is it the essay ??? the brand value of uG or work ex ? what is that they want?? quality or brand?

one single factor... that’s makes it a yes or no

Hi - Does it really matter if you give GRE as opposed to GMAT?

No it doesn’t

oh.. just got a mini attack reading this question.. don’t ask such questions,, I also took GRE