HBS 2+2 Profile Review: 740 GMAT, lower GPA, Engineer

Question

Hi everyone, I'm in my senior year of Engineering at one of (if not the) best Engineering schools in Canada (think Waterloo, U of T) thinking of applying to 2+2 now and perhaps again after a few years as a regular applicant if I'm not successful.

**MBA Info**

* ***Why I want an MBA:*** Being in the tech industry, I'm interested in pivoting to tech consulting at MBB or VC in the future.

**Background**

* ***Work experience:***
* *I've done internships at big and small tech companies (including one each at all of Facebook, Airbnb, Pinterest and Stripe) in Software Engineering and Product Management roles.*
* Heading to a tech unicorn (think Lyft, Uber, Stripe, Pinterest, Robinhood) as a Software Engineer after graduating from college.

​

* ***Extra curriculars and other experience:***
* Volunteered at local food bank for the better part of a year now.
* I do website design and maintenance for the Innocence Project in my area (this is a social cause I'm passionate about because of some family history here).
* Founder of college startup which generates $300 of revenue a month.

* **Undergrad school/major:** Electrical and Computer Engineering major at Tier 1 Engineering school in Canada
* **Race/nationality:** Pakistani-Canadian (born in Pakistan, grew up in Canada)
* **Gender:** Male

**Stats**

* ***GMAT Score:*** 740
* ***Undergrad GPA:*** So this is where I'm confused. My school isn't on a 4.0 scale, but we have percentages instead. 1st and 2nd year I did not do so well and got averages in the mid-60s. I did have extenuating circumstances because my father suffered a heart attack during this time and it was a major burden on my shoulders. So much so that, when in the middle of my 2nd year he was no longer able to work, I withdrew from school for one year in the middle of my 2nd year to work for a year to pay the bills. Came back and in 3rd year I got averages in the mid-70s, which is a Good standing at my school. In 4th year I got averages in the mid to high 80s, which is an Excellent standing.
* Not sure how much my circumstances matter, but being from a family with limited means and being a first-generation college student coupled with some bad cards dealt to me led to poorer performance for the beginning part of my undergrad.
* I'm hoping that my upwards trend in my undergrad performance is a good signal for them, coupled with my GMAT score, which I'm willing to write again to get an even better score.

​

I'd appreciate any feedback you all have, including things I could do to make myself more competitive in the time that I have before applications now, and perhaps things I could do to make myself more competitive in 3-4 years out of college if I apply again as a regular applicant.

patto · Answer

Hi!! First off, I'm not a admission guru....
I was in a similar situation a couple of months ago... but after talking with an admission consultant he told me that It was sort of imposible to get into 2+2. He told me that my profile must be sort of perfect in the sense that GMAT =+710, internships in very well known companies..., excellent extracurricular activities..., excellent gpa... or to excel in sth... (profesional football player, NFL, ceo of an important start up,... etc.)
He also told me that 2+2 is for very strong quant guys (apply math degrees, or similars), that the admissions guys are looking for people with those degrees...

I would say that your gmat is very good, the internships seem to be very good, your gpa no.. and no info about the extracurricular activities. IMO, If I were you I would not apply unless you have strong extracurricular activities (leadership)... not to discourage you... It might be a waste of time..

In my case, the adm consultant recommended me to get a masters in usa or somewhere else, find a good job and then apply for an mba in hbs, etc... He also helped me to notice that an MBA is not everything in one's life as It was to me. Maybe, something else is what you want... a master in finance or whatever...

I would recommend you to talk with a consultant. There are plenty of them giving free sessions (the first one) from which you can take advantage of.

Please, don't take me wrong, I don't want to discourage you. It's the most competitive program...

patto · Answer

The adm consultant also told me that 2+2 it's even more difficult than the regular one...

schnaco · Answer

I want to disagree with the poster above me (I am also not an admissions person, but an admit to two top deferred programs).

You seem to have a lot of things deferred MBA programs are looking for. Surely, 2+2 is one of the most selective ones, but you have a lot going for you:
-background: you're an engineer, even from a good school. HBS states explicitly that STEM majors and non-traditional backgrounds are somewhat favored. You also fall into a demographic that is interesting (Pakistani roots).
-internships: you seem to have fantastic internships at well-known companies. If you can show any impact there, that's even better. You also have a good/ great job offer for when you graduate.
-entrepreneurial spirit: HBS likes that. You founded a small start-up, and you seem to act very mature in the face of a lot of adversity. In my opinion, demonstrated maturity is the number one thing deferred programs look for, simply because they cannot look at work experience as much as for a regular applicant.
-goals: MBA makes total sense coming from and engineering background and transitioning into tech consulting.

Now to grades: From what you describe, I believe you should be fine. Your circumstances matter a whole lot, just be sure to clearly explain. After all, you even dropped out to help your family and then came back to do really well in school...again, great sign of maturity and hats off to you. Make sure to frame it in a way that clearly shows the adcom that you turned a bad situation (that obviously was not your fault) into something great and grew from it. Regarding GMAT, 740 is above the average for HBS. Your GPA most likely will be below. So, if you think you can retake and score higher, that's great and you'll be even better prepared to apply. If not, your GMAT is not going to disqualify you.

HBS and 2+2 especially are never easy to get in to. Many people say that getting into deferred programs is a bit harder in general. However, there is absolutely no harm in applying, and in fact, I think with the right execution you have a great shot. Best of luck to you mate! If you have any questions/ follow-up, just PM me!

ARINGO · Answer

Hi Mbahopefultwo Shimri from ARINGO here. We at ARINGO, actually have a deferred MBA programs team and work with about 20 deferred applicants each year. We have a fantastic success rate, so I definitely don't agree with the other comments in this thread that mentioned how impossible it is to get into HBS 2+2 or other deferred programs. it is hard but doable Harvard is definitely one of the most sought-after schools out there, and it is hard to get into their "regular" MBA program (~9% admission rate overall) and in my eyes, the 2+2 option is actually a great option. you try and in the "worst-case", if it doesn't work out, you can apply in 2-4 years to their MBA program... In terms of your profile. you are definitely in the game! GMAT - great Undergraduate school - great Internships (I need to hear more about these) great! GPA - this is an issue. but you can overcome it with explaining your circumstances (working full-time during the degree for example) Extra-curricler activities - ? this is a must, as the deferred programs don't have a lot to go on in terms of professional experience, they look and give a higher weight for your GMAT, Undergraduate and extra0curriculer activities so, how can you strengthen your profile? 1. Volunteer 2. Have some nice hobbies 3. Secure a full-time job (yes, I know this is a hard one) 4. Apply to many deferred program (you can see the list here: there are other GREAT options except 2+2) 5. Start writing the best stellar application possible (We can help with that

) Happy to answer any other questions or pop on call anytime... As always I am on shimriw@ARINGO.com GOOD LUCK!

bb · Answer

HBS 2+2 Profile Review: 740 GMAT, lower GPA, Engineer

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