Calling all HBS Fall 2010 Candidates

Moderator--any way you can update the first post with an updated roll call?

I never specifically asked to be added in for R2 but I am in

According to Dee's latest blog post, majority of R2 interview invites will go out on February 12th:

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/blog.html#post-2010-01-21

I'm in for R2. I hope I won't be crying on February 12!

Applied to R2.

Looking forward to Feb 12 - at least some of the waiting will be over by then!

Profile: Canadian, Engineer, 5 years in the defense industry, with a side of entrepreneurship.

Just joined gmat club, applied to HBS round two.

Relieved to see others had the same issues I did submitting on Tuesday. I submitted at 2:30 but didn't get a confirmation email until 5:30. Similarly, my last recommender submitted around 4 and I didn't get a notification until later that night.

[quote="LB20"]Moderator--any way you can update the first post with an updated roll call?

I never specifically asked to be added in for R2 but I am in [/quote]

I just compiled an updated roll call (slow day at work ), but don't have access to update it. Hopefully gobruins or a mod will be able to get that up there.

Updated per Janky's request

Is there any way of knowing when our application is being reviewed by the committee? like a status change some place - like the home page of applyyourself?

[quote="GoBruins"]
Updated per Janky's request[/quote]

Nice. Thanks

[quote="agnok"]Is there any way of knowing when our application is being reviewed by the committee? like a status change some place - like the home page of applyyourself?[/quote]

I don't think you can tell. They don't take the time to update everybody's status as the app goes through the process. Plus, most schools have multiple people review (not sure if HBS does this). So it maybe the case that one person reads your app today and another person reads it in two weeks.

Hey all,
As people are starting to prep for interviews, I thought I'd finally post my interview experience from R1

From what I've read, the HBS interview seems to vary quite a bit from the very easy-going/conversational to the almost stress test type where people are getting interrupted mid-answer to move on to the next question. I was fortunate enough to get the former. In general, there were a lot more high-level questions than I thought there would be. Here are the questions I can remember:

Why did you choose xyz university?
How did you know you wanted to go into business?
Why consulting?
Why did you choose your current firm?
Tell me about a typical project
What's the best part of your job? Worst part?
What would you change/improve about your firm? (this seems to be a popular HBS tricky question, which I had luckily seen...)
Why do you think your firm hasn't done this yet? (...but was definitely not prepared for this follow-up question)
Tell me about your experience working with xyz organization outside of work?
What would you bring to HBS?
(no time for questions)

One thing to keep in mind is that the interviewer will have read your application, so they will ask targeted questions. She also specifically asked that I use examples/stories that I did not mention in my essays (although you should probably do this regardless). Lastly, I got my interview invite the day after most people did, so don't be too discouraged if you don't get an invite on day one.

Hope this helps someone, good luck to all

my HBS interview experience was significantly different.. the interviewer had read my application and I could see they had highlighted some parts of my essays.

The questions were very pointed and around specific things I had mentioned in my essays, My advice to you all is this.

1) they all ask you the typical "walk me thru your resume", make sure you put some color to this..i.e. just dont read off your resume, begin with a short intro about yourself, who you are, where you come from..and then just skim thru certain highlights of your career..no need to say i was managing 100 people and i didnt like Joe X and had to motivate em blah blah.. simply note what you accomplished in that job..and move on.

2) based on this..HBS interviews are certainly not blind they have already read your essays..they have done their homeworks..at somepoint they will ask you a specific thing from your experience or something you mentioned in your essays..be sure you are prepared to explain those points...without going into too much details

3) really your work or your life experiences are probably of interest only to you.. so dont ever get bogged into stupid details someone else wouldnt give a rats ass .. they will challenge you with some questions..they are really trying to judge your analytical skills.. i remember i had a conversation over the future of iPhone and how it may change the telecom industry in USA...

4) at the end of the interview Q&A..take a moment to tell them you would like to summarize your candidacy..in 3 min you should be highlight your strengths, why you are unique and most importantly why it is critical for you to have an MBA to further your goals!

for me..point 4 really won over my interviewer..as our interview ended she asked me if had any questions, I responded by saying I dont have any but i would like to take this opportunity to summarize my candidacy and in 3 min i just gave an elevator pitch to her..

please add me to the roll call as a round 2 applicant

As I type this my hands get colder, as the blood keeps draining from my fingers. I just realized I'm flying out to Paris to meet my girlfriend for Valentine's day weekend the same day the interview invites come out.

I'm going to chuck this blackberry out of the plane if I don't see one before I cross that horizon to the east turning darkness into light.

Oh and add me to the roll call for Round 2 please.

___________________________
- Euphoric in the midst of chaos

Couldn't agree with that sentiment more, i'm OCD about refreshing email on my blackberry. I'm hoping to be leaving for vacation the next day, so hopefully that will help cheer me up if/when i don't get an invite that Friday. I do know what it's like to not get an email you're waiting for before you take off though. Don't worry, if you keep your phone on for a while, it's not really going to interfere with the plane's navigation system.

I tend to follow a principle that says: "nothing is that important." I can understand that all of us have put in a lot of time and effort into our applications; many have also planned out a part of their lives based on what school they want to get to; and naturally we would be devastated if we fail to make it through. But try for once to look beyond those possible 2 years on the bench. And perhaps you'll see that life offers so much more than just a 2-year stint.

On another note: In one of Hinduism's great philosophical discourses contained in the Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna advises man (and woman) to work without thinking of the fruits of labour. It says "Kaam karo; phal ki chinta mat karo". Tranlated it means: Concentrate on your labour; not on the fruits it will bear.

So feel proud that you've given your best shot, and move on. I really mean it MOVE ON ! And life will follow :D

Good luck to every one.

Good luck everyone.