Calling all HBS Applicants - (2015 Intake) Class of 2017

Who would be an ideal applicant to your program based on admissions, culture, and the program in general?

DefyingGravity:- The stereotypical HBS student is an ultra-competitive, alpha male from a finance or consulting background. As a somewhat reserved female with a social enterprise background, I can confidently tell you that the stereotype is completely false. HBS is a bit less touchy-feely than Stanford, but there is still an emphasis on developing “leaders who make a difference in the world.” (That’s the HBS motto, by the way). We even have required courses like Lead and FIELD, which emphasize emotional intelligence. Basically, the defining characteristic of the ideal HBS applicant is someone who has demonstrated leadership potential.



GPA, GMAT, Application Essays, Interview, Work Experience, and Extra Curricular. If you asked to arrange these parameters in the order of their importance at HBS – what would it be?

DefyingGravity:- I would rank these parameters in the following order (most to least important): Work Experience, Application Essay, GMAT, GPA, Extracurriculars


What advantage, if any, is there in applying in a specific round over another?

DefyingGravity:- I think the odds of admission in rounds 1 and 2 are roughly equal. Don’t sacrifice the quality of your application in order to apply in round 1. However, it’s emotionally/psychologically less stressful to have at least one admit sooner rather than later.



Are the on-campus and off-campus interviews treated equally or there is any preference to one over other?

DefyingGravity:- I interviewed on campus for HBS. However, I do not think that there is an admissions advantage in interviewing on or off. If you interview on-campus, a full day of activities is available to you. These activities are fun, but do not influence your odds of acceptance.



Do you recommend a school visit? Is it a must?

DefyingGravity:- Yes, definitely. Many people think visiting schools is overrated and an unneccesary expense. I am an advocate of researching as much as possible in order to present your best self in your application and interview. Visiting schools gives you additional fodder that can only strengthen your app.



Is there anything related to Financial Aid worth a mention?

DefyingGravity:- Financial aid at HBS is completely need-based. Many other schools offer merit-based aid (i.e. Tuck), or a combination of merit and need-based aid (i.e. Kellogg). HBS uses a strict formula to calculate how much money you’ll get. This is both good and bad. The positive aspect of this is that if you have a financial need, then you will definitely get money. The down side is that you will never get a full-ride. Of the schools at which I was accepted, my HBS fellowship offer fell roughly in the middle of my other offers.