Just how powerful is the HBS brand on your resume?

A guy I knew in High School went to Harvard for undergrad. We were in a bar one day when a really drunk guy walked up to our table and looked at the Harvard guy and said "hey you! did you murder somebody?" and Harvard guy actually opened up his wallet, pulled out his harvard student ID and said "no, i go to harvard."...drunk guy walked away.

A girl I know always talks about how she went to Harvard law. turns out that she went to Boalt (great school btw) but went to Harvard law for a semester. but to think day she tells everyone that she went to Harvard law. she went on a date with a friend of mine and my friend told me when they started talking it went something like this:

Harvard Girl: I can't tell you what I do for a living because you'll be too intimidated
My friend: uh, don't worry, i won't be.
HG: ok, i'm a district attorney.
friend: oh cool.
HG: But i really can't tell you where i went to school or else you'll be really intimidated
friend: uh (rolling his eyes at this point), you really don't have to worry about that...
HG: ok, i went to harvard. are you intimidated?
friend: uh, no.
HG: why not?
friend....on and on...short date.

I think the brand names goes pretty far and works well if you take the "modest" approach where you don't bring it up but wait until someone asks and then say "well, I went to Harvard".

RVD.

honestly I hate the modest people. lol Ok hates a strong word but as long as you don't say it condescending, I don't see why not. It makes me more interested. Or another instance where I asked this girls bf why he was moving away, and he said for work. However I knew he was a doctor and going for a residency. Who caresss I like to hear things like that, it gives me more drive.

I think having the HBS brand on your resume will increase its strength, making it stronger than Angelsoft but not as strong as Charmin Ultra.

Great story about the phycho *complain*! Loved it.

Otherwise, I totally agree. If somebody asks you what you do, just go for the casual answer. If somebody qsks you specifics, then you go Wharton or HBS. Modesty and casualness are the best approaches I reckon (don't fall in the fake modesty trap though, that feels just akward).

Over here the bars we hang out at are generally populated with Wharton students, but even when a non-Whartonite asks you what you do, they are not impressed (they get used to see these people all year, so they don't care anymore - that's my first impression after a week over here anyway).

RVD, are you a first or second year student? If first, what cohort?

I heard one time that a guy hit a deer with his car. The poor thing was wedged in his grill. He did not know what to do so he tried the only thing he could think of......he put his hands on the deer corpse and said "I am a Harvard MBA" and the deer came back to life, fixed the car damage, and ran back into the woods. True story.

you guys are too funny...if I get into HBS, i am going to get a "I HAVE AN HBS MBA" tattooed on my forehead...

You won't need it. They don't let you graduate w/o having a permanent smug look on your face that says it all -- HBS alum, biotch!

You won't need it. They don't let you graduate w/o having a permanent smug look on your face that says it all -- HBS alum, biotch!

Bumpworthy