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HBSGrad
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saptak1990
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HBSGrad


Don't rush the application. And, don't apply if you're not ready. That may not seem like the best advice to give if I'm an application consultant but it's the truth.

The younger attendees of Harvard Business School shared two traits, in my opinion: extreme maturity and crystal clear vision of career path.

If you've got both of those qualities, your chance of admission is better than average. But you need to convey this clearly in your application.

Lastly, I wouldn't say that 'it couldn't hurt to apply anyway'. HBS keeps a record of every applicant. Be certain that a ding one year will hurt you in future years.

HBS Admissions Consultant

Thank you for the advice, re-reading my post I realize I seem a lot more careless about this than I really am. My application to this program will actually be my main focus until it's finished up and submitted. I'll go ahead and share my profile if anyone feels like commenting:

GMAT:
Currently prepping for first test (9/3/11)

Academics:
B.S. Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry from a top 20 U.S. engineering school
GPA - 3.34/4.0 as of now with 1 semester left, strong upward trend (2.3 -> 3.34); 3.7 major GPA


Internships:
1. Process Engineering internship with a large global chemical and pharmaceutical company. Fortune 200
2. Process Engineer in chemicals manufacturing (designed and led $200k+ project to submission to business unit leader)
3. Process Engineer at an oil refinery for the #1/#2 (depending on the year) largest private company in the U.S.


Positions of Responsibility:
1. Founding CFO of the university's entrepreneurship society
2. Vice President of the school's chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
3. Previously Junior class representative for AIChE


Extra Curricular Stuff:
1. Summer research in metabolic engineering lab
2. 1.5 years in nanomaterials lab
3. Will be working with the "new ventures" group in the Office of Technology Commercialization during the upcoming semester evaluating university technologies for potential start-ups.

Hoping to get strong letters from my supervisor this summer as well as the head of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at my university. I'll be crossing my fingers that my application lines up with what HBS is looking for.
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That looks like a pretty good profile, ChEM3. I heard that they like upward trends. What's your line of interest in terms of entrepreneurship though? Areas?

My profile is pretty similar. I go to a top Engineering school as well, though I'm a candidate in environmental engineering. GPA: 3.84. GMAT 760. I already applied though, so we'll see :) (I'm going the social entrepreneurship route - have already launched a venture in East Africa, worked on a project in Haiti)
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That looks like a pretty good profile, ChEM3. I heard that they like upward trends. What's your line of interest in terms of entrepreneurship though? Areas?

My profile is pretty similar. I go to a top Engineering school as well, though I'm a candidate in environmental engineering. GPA: 3.84. GMAT 760. I already applied though, so we'll see :) (I'm going the social entrepreneurship route - have already launched a venture in East Africa, worked on a project in Haiti)

My main interest right now is in the manufacturing of complex materials for use in alternative energy, but I am also interested in some applications of bioengineering like sensors and advanced drug delivery. I'm interested in ways to make laboratory technology scalable and economically feasible so that it can reach the market as quickly as possible.

Your profile looks VERY solid so if you don't get in then I'll know I don't stand a chance :-D
Best of luck in the coming weeks, I'm sure you'll be seeing that interview invitation soon enough.
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whiplash2411
That looks like a pretty good profile, ChEM3. I heard that they like upward trends. What's your line of interest in terms of entrepreneurship though? Areas?

My profile is pretty similar. I go to a top Engineering school as well, though I'm a candidate in environmental engineering. GPA: 3.84. GMAT 760. I already applied though, so we'll see :) (I'm going the social entrepreneurship route - have already launched a venture in East Africa, worked on a project in Haiti)

My main interest right now is in the manufacturing of complex materials for use in alternative energy, but I am also interested in some applications of bioengineering like sensors and advanced drug delivery. I'm interested in ways to make laboratory technology scalable and economically feasible so that it can reach the market as quickly as possible.

Your profile looks VERY solid so if you don't get in then I'll know I don't stand a chance :-D
Best of luck in the coming weeks, I'm sure you'll be seeing that interview invitation soon enough.

Thanks! I'm hoping for one to come through too! I'll keep you posted on what happens :)
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Also, ChEM3: I really think that bringing out your focus on the "lab to market" portion for the Why MBA essay will make a lot of sense if you present well!
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ChEM3,

I'm not an expert but I think average GPA for HBS is around 3.75. So probably you would want to make up for your 3.34 GPA with a well above average GMAT score. Rest of your profile looks very strong. However, adding some community service would do a lot of good.
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ChEM3
HBSGrad


Don't rush the application. And, don't apply if you're not ready. That may not seem like the best advice to give if I'm an application consultant but it's the truth.

The younger attendees of Harvard Business School shared two traits, in my opinion: extreme maturity and crystal clear vision of career path.

If you've got both of those qualities, your chance of admission is better than average. But you need to convey this clearly in your application.

Lastly, I wouldn't say that 'it couldn't hurt to apply anyway'. HBS keeps a record of every applicant. Be certain that a ding one year will hurt you in future years.

HBS Admissions Consultant

Thank you for the advice, re-reading my post I realize I seem a lot more careless about this than I really am. My application to this program will actually be my main focus until it's finished up and submitted. I'll go ahead and share my profile if anyone feels like commenting:

GMAT:
Currently prepping for first test (9/3/11)

Academics:
B.S. Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry from a top 20 U.S. engineering school
GPA - 3.34/4.0 as of now with 1 semester left, strong upward trend (2.3 -> 3.34); 3.7 major GPA


Internships:
1. Process Engineering internship with a large global chemical and pharmaceutical company. Fortune 200
2. Process Engineer in chemicals manufacturing (designed and led $200k+ project to submission to business unit leader)
3. Process Engineer at an oil refinery for the #1/#2 (depending on the year) largest private company in the U.S.


Positions of Responsibility:
1. Founding CFO of the university's entrepreneurship society
2. Vice President of the school's chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
3. Previously Junior class representative for AIChE


Extra Curricular Stuff:
1. Summer research in metabolic engineering lab
2. 1.5 years in nanomaterials lab
3. Will be working with the "new ventures" group in the Office of Technology Commercialization during the upcoming semester evaluating university technologies for potential start-ups.

Hoping to get strong letters from my supervisor this summer as well as the head of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at my university. I'll be crossing my fingers that my application lines up with what HBS is looking for.

You can tell a good story around your career path. HBS will like that.

With your background, you need to demonstrate leadership above all other qualities. Engineer + decent GPA + hopefully good GMAT = good-enough intellectual capacity. The AdCom will, however, question your leadership ability.

One solution is to fill that gap with your recommendations. Find someone who can attest to your leadership skills. This can be someone who has supervised you professionally OR extracurricularly, as in faculty supervisor for AICHE for example.

Good luck.

HBS Admissions Consultant
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ChEM3
HBSGrad


Don't rush the application. And, don't apply if you're not ready. That may not seem like the best advice to give if I'm an application consultant but it's the truth.

The younger attendees of Harvard Business School shared two traits, in my opinion: extreme maturity and crystal clear vision of career path.

If you've got both of those qualities, your chance of admission is better than average. But you need to convey this clearly in your application.

Lastly, I wouldn't say that 'it couldn't hurt to apply anyway'. HBS keeps a record of every applicant. Be certain that a ding one year will hurt you in future years.

HBS Admissions Consultant

Thank you for the advice, re-reading my post I realize I seem a lot more careless about this than I really am. My application to this program will actually be my main focus until it's finished up and submitted. I'll go ahead and share my profile if anyone feels like commenting:

GMAT:
Currently prepping for first test (9/3/11)

Academics:
B.S. Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry from a top 20 U.S. engineering school
GPA - 3.34/4.0 as of now with 1 semester left, strong upward trend (2.3 -> 3.34); 3.7 major GPA


Internships:
1. Process Engineering internship with a large global chemical and pharmaceutical company. Fortune 200
2. Process Engineer in chemicals manufacturing (designed and led $200k+ project to submission to business unit leader)
3. Process Engineer at an oil refinery for the #1/#2 (depending on the year) largest private company in the U.S.


Positions of Responsibility:
1. Founding CFO of the university's entrepreneurship society
2. Vice President of the school's chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
3. Previously Junior class representative for AIChE


Extra Curricular Stuff:
1. Summer research in metabolic engineering lab
2. 1.5 years in nanomaterials lab
3. Will be working with the "new ventures" group in the Office of Technology Commercialization during the upcoming semester evaluating university technologies for potential start-ups.

Hoping to get strong letters from my supervisor this summer as well as the head of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at my university. I'll be crossing my fingers that my application lines up with what HBS is looking for.

Great profile! Which round are you applying?
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This wait for interview notification is going to drive me crazy, lol.
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So, I've decided to apply for Round 1, I didn't want to rush my application to get it in for the summer round (No time between spring classes and work). Here's what I have for my profile:

Male, 23, Dual citizen (Finland/US)

GMAT:
-Taking it next month, but practice CATs are generally 750+

Academics:
-3.81 GPA, majoring in Electrical Engineering at a large private university

Experience:
-Two summers as an RA in a radiology lab at Harvard Medical School
-Spent past year doing microelectronics research in the cleanroom on my school's campus
-I will likely have a publication or two in scientific journals by the time I graduate

Extracurriculars/Service:
-Took two years off between my freshman and sophomore years to do volunteer missionary work for my church (This explains my older-than-average age for a college senior)
-Spent one of those years in leadership positions supervising and training groups of 6-14 other missionaries
-Coaching youth soccer this fall
-Extracurriculars are pretty weak, captain of 10-12 different intramural sports teams, that's about all (I spent most of my time on school + 20 hours of research/week)

I plan on emphasizing my leadership experience during my 2-year hiatus to try to show that I'm not quite as one-dimensional as my profile might demonstrate (More suited for a PhD candidate). Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might be able to improve my chances for the 2+2 program, or how I might be able to spin my profile to my advantage?
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whiplash: I definitely plan on emphasizing my lab to market interests, it's an area I'm quite passionate about for various reasons.

saptack: Thank you, I plan on scoring 720+ and hopefully around the 750 area; it's a big focus of my energy right now. I agree that the community service could help my application, I might see if there is anything available to get involved with in the company I'm working for this summer.

HBSGrad: Leadership is definitely something I've been working on the past year, I used to be extremely introverted so I was hesitant at first but now I love it. One of my recommendations will be from the faculty advisor for our entrepreneurship society that I lead with the President and VP so hopefully that helps.

02163: Thanks! I'll be applying Round 2 most likely, but possibly Round 1. I want to make sure I have all of my ducks in a row before I hit that submit button.
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Sampo
So, I've decided to apply for Round 1, I didn't want to rush my application to get it in for the summer round (No time between spring classes and work). Here's what I have for my profile:

Male, 23, Dual citizen (Finland/US)

GMAT:
-Taking it next month, but practice CATs are generally 750+

Academics:
-3.81 GPA, majoring in Electrical Engineering at a large private university

Experience:
-Two summers as an RA in a radiology lab at Harvard Medical School
-Spent past year doing microelectronics research in the cleanroom on my school's campus
-I will likely have a publication or two in scientific journals by the time I graduate

Extracurriculars/Service:
-Took two years off between my freshman and sophomore years to do volunteer missionary work for my church (This explains my older-than-average age for a college senior)
-Spent one of those years in leadership positions supervising and training groups of 6-14 other missionaries
-Coaching youth soccer this fall
-Extracurriculars are pretty weak, captain of 10-12 different intramural sports teams, that's about all (I spent most of my time on school + 20 hours of research/week)

I plan on emphasizing my leadership experience during my 2-year hiatus to try to show that I'm not quite as one-dimensional as my profile might demonstrate (More suited for a PhD candidate). Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might be able to improve my chances for the 2+2 program, or how I might be able to spin my profile to my advantage?
Hey Sampo,

Yeah your profile looks great for a PhD candidate. But, the 2+2 program was not meant for those into business. It was meant for candidates like you, who would have never thought of going to business and then, one day, they hear about 2+2 and that's how the thinking begins.

I think you can put a lot of emphasis on your coaching and captaining roles. They speak volumes about leadership. Specially the coaching part could help you build nice essays on how transformed your team, or some of your players. Your two years of volunteer work would make a strong case for community service. I think you have much better extracurriculars than you realize!! :)

And with a 750+ score and your profile, you make quite a quanty profile. So, go ahead and make that your highlight in your application. I believe you have a very good chance at 2+2. And for profile evaluation by the experts, please post your profile in the Ask Admission Consultants section. :idea:

P.S. Which round are you targeting? I'm going for R1.
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Good luck, people! :)

10 days to interview notification.
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whiplash2411
Good luck, people! :)

10 days to interview notification.

You can do it!
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Thanks 02163. At this point, it's way out of my hands. All I can do is hope .... and wait. This wait is so much harder than I thought it'd be. Originally, I was thinking the application would be harder, but oh no no. :D
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saptak: I'm targeting round 1, I originally had planned on the summer round (I even filled out a lot of the application) but I realized I didn't have enough time to get good essays and prep for the GMAT before then.
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Hey guys!

I am newbie to this forum but my application is in for the summer round! Now we can share the anxiety together!
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