Calling all HBS 2011 Applicants!! (Including 2+2)

So guys, Round 3 is comming up. For all those who got an interview, which of the optional essays did you choose? I am stuggrling on choosing the last one. I think that the career vision and why harvard is meaningful is sort of a stretch and to be honest one may come as arrogant or too ambitious if one says too much. I chose the one were i present myself to the harvard class and I think I will end up choosing the one were I was frustrated or dissapointed with something.

What are your thoughts? to those who were interviewed, which optional essays did you choose? Thanks for your tips guys!

So guys, Round 3 is comming up. For all those who got an interview, which of the optional essays did you choose? I am stuggrling on choosing the last one. I think that the career vision and why harvard is meaningful is sort of a stretch and to be honest one may come as arrogant or too ambitious if one says too much. I chose the one were i present myself to the harvard class and I think I will end up choosing the one were I was frustrated or dissapointed with something.

What are your thoughts? to those who were interviewed, which optional essays did you choose? Thanks for your tips guys!

So guys, Round 3 is comming up. For all those who got an interview, which of the optional essays did you choose? I am stuggrling on choosing the last one. I think that the career vision and why harvard is meaningful is sort of a stretch and to be honest one may come as arrogant or too ambitious if one says too much. I chose the one were i present myself to the harvard class and I think I will end up choosing the one were I was frustrated or dissapointed with something.

What are your thoughts? to those who were interviewed, which optional essays did you choose? Thanks for your tips guys!

I don't know if this is an inappropriate question - so if it is, I will happily withdraw..
Is there a way to find out a list of HBS interviewer names so we can research a bit about their backgrounds? Sometimes it's good to know your audience, so you can better relate to them.

The application states in the Undergraduate degree section:
"Please list grade point average if on a 4.00 scale. If your insititution does not use a 4.00 grading system, do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale. Please list your overall score/average grade in the scoring system relevant to your degree."

What does overall score/average grade mean? Please explain what overall score and average mean?

agnok - in some countries the scale is out of 100, so 95 overall / average grade would be an example

Is average grade the average of the class? Please show a numeric example

Yes.
For example, say you had a total of 3 classes in your BA (an easy one, eh?):
Advanced Writing Skills - 3 credits - grade is 98/100
Whistling For Dummies - 6 credits - grade is 78/100
Procrastination 101 - 2 credits - grade is 89/100

So you have a total of 3+6+2=11 credits.
Now, calculate the average as follows:
AWS - 3 credits * 98 = 294
WfD - 6 credits * 78 = 468
P101 - 2 credits * 89 = 178

So the total points you have is 940. Divide that by the total credits (11) to get your average: 940/11 = 85.45

for someone who makes thier money from hbs applicants and consultants I find your distaste for both quite amusing...we get it, please could you stop with the finger pointing already, thanks.

HARBUS: OK, . . . what are the best arguments in favor of consultants?

SANDY: Consultants can level the information grid, both in the obvious example that applicants from banks and consulting shops have a lot of contextual information about applying, about what questions really mean--if not the secret handshake--then just the data base of previous successful applicants from their firms, and access to mentors, successful peers now at school X, Y, and Z etc.

HARBUS: And?

SANDY: And in the not so obvious example of being a group of dedicated school watchers, who stay around year after year, (consultants) can be an added voice to that of the official information provided by the school. Consultants are like stock analysts, who are not perfect either obviously, but who do interpret what the official company line is, have industry expertise, and in cases, force a company to own up to mistakes, or just operate with the healthy knowledge that someone is watching them.

HARBUS: Huh? Consultants do that?

SANDY: You bet, consultants are outgrowths of the blog and internet culture of the past 10 years, and most consultants, including me, define their 'brand' on blogs and internet forums like Business Week's, which has about 10 leading consultants all giving advice, chewing over any event like grade disclosure, hacking, interview scheduling, 3rd-round applications, age limits at various schools, dean changes, EMBA vs. MBA in public forums. The more history, data, insight I bring to those discussions, the more I get a following, the more I define a personal brand, the more clients I get, etc.