Just to "push back" a little (to use a commonly-heard expression at HBS, ha ha) on the importance of on-campus vs. off-campus for interviewing,
I was living in Asia at the time of applying and was unable to visit the campus before
the day I moved into the dorms, so I didn't have
any on-campus insight to bring to my interview.
If making it to campus would pose a significant financial / logistical burden for you (as it did for me), then I wouldn't agonize over it. Almost all HBS interviews are run by trained professionals (I'm guessing last year's "observers" described in interview reports might have been in training for this year), many of whom have been doing this for
years. This helps ensure a level of relative consistency & professionalism in the interview experience, on-campus vs. off.
NOW: it IS vital that YOU understand the case method, and it's also VITAL that you have done a lot of homework on HBS and have 1 good and 1 "bad" opinion on it, ready to discuss. Let's unpack each of these:
1)
Why do I need to understand the case method for my interview?Ok, if you haven't already, watch a video of the case method in action online -- one of my faves can be found by skipping to 7 minutes and 55 seconds into the video called "Inside the HBS Case Method 2007" on YouTube, or about 7:40 into the YouTube video "Inside the Case Method: The Entrepreneurial Manager". Just a few minutes of either of these videos gives you the general idea. (as good as watching a whole class? No. But...good enough? I think so.)
In particular, pay close attention to the back-and-forth, and how disagreement happens (e.g. 1-minute example starting at 10:00 in the Entrepreneurial Manager video).
They are trying to learn a LOT about you during the interview, but the "case specific" stuff they are trying to learn from the interview is
how will YOU be, as a case method participant?.
In practical terms, this means:
- How articulate are you (in general)
- How SUCCINCT can you be. You don't get 5 minutes during a case discussion to drone on and on about your opinion. You get a few seconds. Can you summarize your key points ASAP?
- How quickly can you think on your feet if the conversation suddenly changes direction? (as it does a zillion times a day in an actual HBS classroom) -- some people complain that the interview doesn't seem to "flow" the way it does for other schools, but IMHO this is deliberate.
- How do you respond to criticism / someone whose views are opposed to yours? Do you get defensive / petulant? Do you crumble from the pressure? (neither of these is the correct response, ha ha)
In sum, are you going to be someone who can go with the ever-changing flow of a case discussion, come up with insightful things to say on the fly, and firmly defend a position while still being likeable / gracious / mature about it? (or modify your opinion when presented with compelling counter-evidence). Note this is not "all" the interview is trying to find out, but rather answers "what's the benefit of attending a class & understanding the case method beforehand?"
2)
"Homework" on HBS?Sure, attending a class > not attending one, but not fatally so. The one potential question you'll need to do homework for could be: "
How did you form your opinion about Harvard? What is it?" and/or "What is one good thing you think about HBS / one thing you're looking forward to" and "What is one negative opinion / criticism / concern you have re: HBS?"
The advice to tackle this question for HBS is the same as for every school out there: hit your network, HARD, for anyone who goes there, try to hop on the phone with them and ask them questions about what it's like -- what's good, what's bad, etc.? Hustle, hustle, hustle. (I've been considering asking recent grads their thoughts on this and compiling into a post - let me know if that's of interest?)
That way, if you're interviewing hub/skype, and are asked if you've visited, you can say with confidence, "While it hasn't been feasible for me to visit HBS yet, I've spent a lot of time talking to current students and alums / on the website / etc., and my impression of HBS is...." so you can show a good-faith effort to learn about the school. And hey, you need to do this for every school anyway.
Just my 0.02, as someone admitted without visiting first,
Maria
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