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mainhoon
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 08 Jan 2011, 19:37
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BubbaWon
Had to search for this. Hope it helps fellas

From Dee's blog:


Round 2 Application Deadline - FAQs
Date: January 11, 2010
As we head toward January 19, I'll try to field some FAQs. None of these are new to us, but we're mindful that applicants are dealing with all this for the first time, so we'll risk being repetitive in an effort to be helpful.

Question: How rigid is the word-limit restriction? What happens if I go over?

This is the language we used last time about this; it's still true, and I can't think of a better way of saying it:

"Your essays do not get cut off if you go over the word limit. That being said, after reading many, many essays, we have a good feel for whether an essay is going over the limit. I think it's fair to say that we expect a candidate to be able to edit effectively, but don't stress over a few extra words.

We're getting a lot of similar questions from recommenders wondering if their remarks are being cut short. They aren't. We have suggested word limits for recommenders that amount to roughly a page of text; we do this to give those not familiar with writing recommendations a sense of an appropriate length of response. If your recommenders have more to say, that's fine. Their file upload doesn't get cut off after a single page or after a certain number of words."

Posted from my mobile device
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Thanks for the post.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) Updated on: 08 Jan 2011, 21:51
Originally posted by mainhoon on 08 Jan 2011, 21:02.
Last edited by mainhoon on 08 Jan 2011, 21:51, edited 1 time in total.
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hbsguru
I am an expert, having seen hundreds of applications of admitted HBS students, including about 30-40 round one. HBS mantra is use your judgment. Believe me, if HBS adcom is reading this thread (and THEY DO!!), they would be liking Bubba's way of thiking vs. chicken-sh** and bean counting 'tude of other guy.
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Thanks for your insightful comments. One has to count the words/beans regardless and while judgement is useful, it is important to know when you are pushing it.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) Updated on: 15 Jan 2011, 23:39
Originally posted by smileyface on 08 Jan 2011, 21:46.
Last edited by smileyface on 15 Jan 2011, 23:39, edited 3 times in total.
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BubbaWon
mainhoon
Bubba, I am glad that we have someone who go in with 5-10% over. Its just that I don't know if they actually dinged others because of that, unlikely yet who knows. Plus as someone posted, as long as the quality of essays is good, they may not care about over.. You mentioned in 651 words for essay1.. What about the others? did you go 40 over in those too?

Thanks much...

My other essay word counts:

Mistake: 432
Undergrad experience: 436
Career vision: 473 (whoops 8-) )

I guess you could file this one under "read the directions, even if you don't follow them"
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73 words is almost an extra paragraph. I guess adcom is not as good as spotting essays that are over the word limit as they would like to think. You sure were pushing it though.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 08 Jan 2011, 21:50
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question: think it is worth addressing 4 months unemployment right after college before starting work? HBS explicitly asks applicants to document any period of non-fulltime work experience
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 08 Jan 2011, 22:03
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May I know if anyone have the latest HBS resume template? I can only find this one online, but it seems pretty outdated, and to be honest I think the font format is a bit strange and not matching HBS professional style.
Thanks guys!
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mainhoon
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 08 Jan 2011, 22:40
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do we have to use a hbs template? i did not think so...
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) Updated on: 09 Jan 2011, 00:09
Originally posted by BubbaWon on 08 Jan 2011, 23:47.
Last edited by BubbaWon on 09 Jan 2011, 00:09, edited 3 times in total.
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smileyface
question: think it is worth addressing 4 months unemployment right after college before starting work? HBS explicitly asks applicants to document any period of non-fulltime work experience
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I think you're okay letting it go so long as you started by September (I'm assuming you graduated in May).

As to your previous post - while somewhat offensive - I say good, progressive writing (i.e., writing that engages the AdCom and briskly moves them through a story without pseudointellectual/nonsensical Magna Carta pablum) trumps word count every time. Moreover, I'm not naive enough to think that the AdCom didn't notice that I was over the word limit, but rather DIDN'T CARE because I used those extra words fruitfully.*


*This entire post was 98 words - goes by quick, right?
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 08 Jan 2011, 23:51
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mainhoon
do we have to use a hbs template? i did not think so...
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You can use whatever template you like. I took a Wharton resume floating around my office and borrowed that format. Whatever floats your boat. When it comes to resumes, it's the content rather than the format that matters.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 03:52
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Do the recommenders have to be careful about 250 word limit for rec questions? How does HBS view long recs...
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 04:36
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On the accomplishments essay, how did you separate out the 3 accomplishments? Did you number them? Insert extra line spacing between them? I assume AdCom won't really care too much but wanted to see if there's a common convention.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 04:38
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jk12
Do the recommenders have to be careful about 250 word limit for rec questions? How does HBS view long recs...
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My opinions is you should inform your recommenders that it is good to have it within the limit but if it is going over they should try and get it down below the 10% level.

How HBS views it? (I think its fairly consistent across most formal processes that sets you a 'limit') Going "Reasonably" over the level is ok.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 05:07
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randomwalk
jk12
Do the recommenders have to be careful about 250 word limit for rec questions? How does HBS view long recs...

My opinions is you should inform your recommenders that it is good to have it within the limit but if it is going over they should try and get it down below the 10% level.

How HBS views it? (I think its fairly consistent across most formal processes that sets you a 'limit') Going "Reasonably" over the level is ok.
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thanks. Does the quality of writing in a recommendation has to be as good as in an essay? One of my recommenders does not write well (non native speaker of english). I am worried if writing quality of rec matters much.
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jk12
Do the recommenders have to be careful about 250 word limit for rec questions? How does HBS view long recs...

My opinions is you should inform your recommenders that it is good to have it within the limit but if it is going over they should try and get it down below the 10% level.

How HBS views it? (I think its fairly consistent across most formal processes that sets you a 'limit') Going "Reasonably" over the level is ok.


thanks. Does the quality of writing in a recommendation has to be as good as in an essay? One of my recommenders does not write well (non native speaker of english). I am worried if writing quality of rec matters much.
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As long as he or she is polite, coherent and discernible, I guess you are fine :)
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 05:29
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srjaidev
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randomwalk


My opinions is you should inform your recommenders that it is good to have it within the limit but if it is going over they should try and get it down below the 10% level.

How HBS views it? (I think its fairly consistent across most formal processes that sets you a 'limit') Going "Reasonably" over the level is ok.


thanks. Does the quality of writing in a recommendation has to be as good as in an essay? One of my recommenders does not write well (non native speaker of english). I am worried if writing quality of rec matters much.

As long as he or she is polite, coherent and discernible, I guess you are fine :)
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thanks srjaidev.

Has anyone seen HBS rec form? My recommender has told me that he is having a real hard time compressing stuff into somewhere near word limit. Can the recommender add an additional letter, besides answers to the questions, to include all the remaining material into the rec?
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mainhoon
do we have to use a hbs template? i did not think so...
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this is more formalist and nervous-nelly thinking, altho you do say you dont think so. first, do you think using a not toally circulated HBS resume format is like some secret req. that HBS uses to separate out kids w. friends at HBS and who stalk boards like this, versus other kids. To judge fr. outcomes in R1, they are tilting towards kids who DONT HAVE FRIENDS AT HBS AND ARE FROM LESS FREQ. POPULATED PLACES, hence Dee's remark to the dinged PE guy, he mighta done better working at tractor factory.

MORE TO THE POINT: an HBS resume is job-seeking resume, while an APPLICATION resume should strees diff stuff. An application resume should be more text, more detailed about how you accomplished things, what diffs you fr. peers at work, and more expansive about extra currics. In general, it should be longer, altho maybe one page maybe two, no big diff, altho most are one. Employers are not ALL that interested in that, they are just creaming the resume to see what industries and brand names you worked in--they assume if you GOT INTO HBS in the first place, the non-Geek, human stuff is already in place.
also, altho obvious, an application resume should lead w. Work Ex, while most HBS resumes start w. saying they are in HBS, both being reverse chrono, but different, given situations of kids are diff. Not super impt and 20 pct of application resumes start w. edu. altho I dont like it, no big deal.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 08:33
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hbsguru
mainhoon
do we have to use a hbs template? i did not think so...

this is more formalist and nervous-nelly thinking, altho you do say you dont think so. first, do you think using a not toally circulated HBS resume format is like some secret req. that HBS uses to separate out kids w. friends at HBS and who stalk boards like this, versus other kids. To judge fr. outcomes in R1, they are tilting towards kids who DONT HAVE FRIENDS AT HBS AND ARE FROM LESS FREQ. POPULATED PLACES, hence Dee's remark to the dinged PE guy, he mighta done better working at tractor factory.

MORE TO THE POINT: an HBS resume is job-seeking resume, while an APPLICATION resume should strees diff stuff. An application resume should be more text, more detailed about how you accomplished things, what diffs you fr. peers at work, and more expansive about extra currics. In general, it should be longer, altho maybe one page maybe two, no big diff, altho most are one. Employers are not ALL that interested in that, they are just creaming the resume to see what industries and brand names you worked in--they assume if you GOT INTO HBS in the first place, the non-Geek, human stuff is already in place.
also, altho obvious, an application resume should lead w. Work Ex, while most HBS resumes start w. saying they are in HBS, both being reverse chrono, but different, given situations of kids are diff. Not super impt and 20 pct of application resumes start w. edu. altho I dont like it, no big deal.
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Thanks, Sandy! That is very useful! I really wanted to know if we could be wordy in the resume, explaining certain points in more detail.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) 09 Jan 2011, 08:44
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hbsguru - I did not understand your first line. I was responding to Iceccn's post about hbs resume template. I did not use any template, I just used a standard resume format.
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Is the additional information essay for HBS supposed to be used sparingly (i.e. only if you have something in your background that needs explanation) or do most people fill it out to strengthen their candidacy?
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For extra-curriculars since college, the application data form asks for a contact person for each activity.

Does HBS actually follow up on these? Is it the exception rather than the rule? Is it better to give email or phone?

Nothing to hide, just feel like I should give people a heads up if so.
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Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2) Updated on: 09 Jan 2011, 12:16
Originally posted by BubbaWon on 09 Jan 2011, 12:12.
Last edited by BubbaWon on 09 Jan 2011, 12:16, edited 1 time in total.
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@NishaTG- I believe it is meant to be used sparingly. Case in point: the "essay" is really jut a text box, whereas the official essays require you to upload a Word/PDF format
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