Ask a Former Harvard Admissions Interviewer and Harvard Grad

Question

Answering questions here, especially for those looking for advice about getting into HBS, or any other "Top Ten" highly competitive school. Will try to check back here daily to answer your posts!

eswar9 · Answer

Do you have the stats regarding how Deferred 2+2 admissions worked this year? HBS2+2, Yale Silver scholar, etc.

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MBAIvy · Answer

Not sure what "stats" you're looking for, regarding 2+2 programs, but yes, they're still happening and active! Here's a link for Harvard's below. Hope that's helpful!

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/appl ... cants.aspx

delmoneyy · Answer

Say you have a 720 GMAT, what then separates applicants? Undergrad, work history, volunteer work (is some volunteer work preferred over others), etc.? What is the next major hurdle to focus on as an applicant a few years in advance?

rwx5861 · Answer

Hi MBAIvy,

I currently work for a start-up whose founders are the same age as me. While I am confident my supervisors can give me glowing recommendations, I am worried about the optics of submitting a recommendation from someone who's basically a peer. I understand that the "art" of the admissions process will also factor in my judgment in selecting the most appropriate recommender, and I'm unsure how my boss's being the same age as I will affect the outcome.

What is your recommendation on what I can do in terms of recommendations or other aspects of my application that might help "compensate" for any shortcomings that might come from asking a recommendation from a boss who's also young in his career? Better yet, is there any way to leverage this situation to stand out or to my advantage?

Thank you!

b4y4zid · Answer

Hi!

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loveforcars · Answer

I want to talk about a topic, may be specific to international candidates.

I am from IIT Delhi, one of the top college in India and have 7.7 gpa out of 10. our grading was relative and cannot be compared with anything not even other IITs as they have other methods. I can understand that college throughout India and even across the globe differ extremely on this.

How is it possible that Harvard calculate average gpa out of 4 scale (as shown in the class profile) Based on this... is 7 GPA / 10 , from a top school of a country, is out? I know the application has several components but if we look average of gpa on their website it gives me some sense that if 7.7/10 converts to 4 scale directly will be around 3.08 which is definitely a red flag.

Please can someone share some thoughts?

* no class ranking is provided by our school and due to 60%+ electives even same class has several different courses(60%+)

MBAIvy · Answer

In terms of what separates candidates, given equal GMAT scores, it's going to come down to your SOP, and interview. Volunteer or humanitarian activity of some kind is important, as is (of course) your own work experience, but above all else, the schools want to see how you are PRESENTING and basically branding yourself to them, which translates directly into "how do you really see yourself as a professional?"

This then translates to "how do you carry yourself, come across to others, represent your own personal vision."

THIS is then what will truly get an admission officer's attention, which is going to equate to an acceptance over "the other guy/woman" all scores being equal.

eddie47 · Answer

Hi,
this thread was really helpful, thank you

amarga · Answer

Hi MBAIvy,

I am planning on applying to the 2+2 program this year. I did two internships at a FAANG company, the same role but a different manager each time. Both my managers are very impressed with me and would write glowing recommendations. However, my second internship was significantly more challenging and I achieved far more in that one.

My other option for a recommendation is a faculty member who is acquainted with me because she was my professor, advises my engineering capstone project, and manages outreach events for our program in which I volunteered. She can speak to my involvement on campus, my academic performance, and also my humanitarian background as she knows about some of the work I do outside of school. Sadly she doesn't me as well as either of my managers do, but would still write a glowing recommendation for me.

Do you recommend I submit recommendations from both of my managers who directly supervised me in the exact same role, or is that redundant and should I instead submit one from a manager and one from my former professor?

Thanks in advance!

Linsanity110 · Answer

For veterans applying to MBA programs, is there a big distinction between officer vs. enlisted (officers getting a bigger advantage) or does it really come down to how one's story and qualities are shown? It is my understanding that enlisted veterans with special operations experience looks favorable and interesting.

Suddoo · Answer

Say you have a 720 GMAT, what then separates applicants? Undergrad, work history, volunteer work (is some volunteer work preferred over others), etc.? What is the next major hurdle to focus on as an applicant a few years in advance?

bb · Answer

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