From the HBS Admissions blog/ 23 December 2009:We're turning out the lights tomorrow and heading home for the holidays. For the first time in recent memory, our admissions calendar allowed for a Round One decision notification before the HBS holiday break. We liked it. It made for a rather frantic Thanksgiving, but we're looking forward to not being in Dillon House all by ourselves like characters out of Dickens.
Round Two is also slightly modified this year: The deadline isn't until January 19 and that means we'll be back on the job in plenty of time to answer last minute application questions. In prior years, the deadline was right after the New Year... which probably caused a fair amount of frustration and anxiety when we weren't around to answer phones or email every day.
Here's a preview of what you can expect as we come up to the Round Two January 19 application deadline. We don't start reading applications until after the deadline - so there's no advantage to rushing to hit the "submit" button. That said, server traffic can be heavy on the day of the deadline, so it's smart not to wait until the final few hours. Everything always works out, but there can be some very anxious moments. It's probably a good idea to make sure your recommenders are very mindful of the deadline.
Right after January 19, we'll be able to give you a pretty good idea of when interview invitations will be released and when the actual interview period will be.If you're thinking of visiting HBS, you're welcome to come during the month of January, but the campus is very quiet until the third week. Students are on break...and many are on Immersion Experiences (IXPs) or student-led trips and treks. However, we will have information sessions - and the lines for lunch in Spangler will be considerably shorter! Class visits will resume in February - watch the website for sign-up details.
We hope that the holiday period gives you a chance to be both celebratory and reflective. Here in Dillon we're making our New Year's resolutions. I know one: It's important for us to carve out time to do the exercise of putting ourselves in your shoes. I always think we should be listening more and talking less. This can only lead to improvements in how you experience both the application process and Harvard Business School. Speaking for myself, I will try to be more diligent about timely updates about interview invitations and decision notification. I've been trying not to over-communicate and just repeat things that are on the website - but I resolve to be more sensitive to those high-anxiety periods.
Sending you all good wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and looking forward to 2010!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 Dec 2009, 04:23
