This year Harvard Business School has streamlined the essay process even further by limiting the usual batch of essays to one question. While one question for HBS makes coming up with topics somewhat easier (in prior years Harvard often asked applicants for three accomplishments) the open ended nature of the question and the no-limit word count will make this one question potentially quite challenging.

There is one question for the Class of 2016:

You’re applying to Harvard Business School. We can see your resume, school transcripts, extra-curricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores and what your recommenders have to say about you. What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?

HBS adds this tip to the essay prompt:
There is no word limit for this question. We think you know what guidance we’re going to give here. Don’t overthink, overcraft and overwrite. Just answer the question in clear language that those of us who don’t know your world can understand.

The goal of this essay is to know yourself, know HBS, and know how to match the two to demonstrate your fit for the school. Your first task should be to evaluate all of the other aspects of your candidacy – what is the story your resume tells? What do you think recommenders will say? How does your transcript communicate your skills, accomplishments and interests? Then you need to evaluate how to fill the gaps with the essay.

While comparisons with Stanford’s “What Matters Most” open-ended question may come immediately to mind, HBS is very different and it will be important to know the program.

As you consider possible stories to tell in this essay keep in mind that HBS has always been highly focused on leadership and wants to accept candidates who have a track record of leadership impact and a success trajectory that indicates upper management potential. Accomplishments have traditionally been a strong focus of HBS essays, and outlining one or two leadership oriented accomplishments as examples of who you are would likely be a strong approach. Other ideas are to reflect upon your future goals, explain an important formative experience, and reflect upon your growth as you enter an MBA program.

We see many applicants tempted to include “why HBS” type information in HBS essays. This has never been part of an HBS application essay question and we don’t recommend including that sort of angle here. HBS is quite clear on why applicants are interested in the school, and they would rather see you use the space to provide more information about yourself and your candidacy.

A note on word count: HBS traditionally has limited essays to around 400 words each. Do not be tempted to go overboard with a 2,000 word essay this year, rather focus on concise and clear writing and consider keeping this essay to 600 words or less.

Anita was a college senior at Northwestern and was weighing her postgraduate options. She thought Harvard Business School’s 2+2 program was perfect for her, as she would get two years of real-world work experience before returning for a two year program. Anita worked with her Stacy Blackman consultant to make sure she presented herself in the best light, as she thought she might not look like the best fit for this relatively new program on paper.

What worried Anita the most was that she was actually a natural fit for an MBA program. With a strong academic resume, a good GMAT score and a soon-to-be-complete degree in economics, she would be a strong candidate for any traditional MBA program after gaining a few years of work experience. However, Anita was concerned that the HBS 2+2 program was focused on attracting non-traditional MBA students, such as science and mathematics majors, or students who would normally pursue other types of postgraduate degrees.

Anita’s consultant directed her to look at some of the program’s recent admission statistics: while the current class was nearly two-thirds students with a STEM background, almost twenty percent came from more traditional economics and business backgrounds. The program’s website also specifically mentioned that students from all undergraduate majors were now encouraged to apply.

Anita knew that she would be competing with other students with great numbers as well, so she and her consultant chose to emphasize her leadership experiences. Anita enjoyed long-distance running, and in college had gathered a casual group that would work out on weekends. Anita had convinced them to raise money for charity by entering various events, and after several successful runs joined up as a local chapter of a national charity running organization.

In addition, Anita and her consultant found a narrative through her background of “leading younger people” that ran from Anita’s time as a Girl Scout leader, through her Big Sister mentorship, to her Resident Advisor and Orientation Leader positions as a junior and senior. While they emphasized the “business” qualities of Anita’s charitable marathon group, including fundraising and organization, her other leadership experiences testified to her character as well.

By combining Anita’s leadership qualities with her more traditionally MBA-style background, and touching on how the HBS 2+2 program would help shape Anita’s future in the business world, she and her consultant felt confident in her application. Anita is working for a tech startup now and looking forward to the second half of her 2+2.

Are you applying to the HBS 2+2 program? We have experience positioning applicants like you for success – contact us to discuss further.

Quite a bit, according to an open letter published last week by Ryan Allis ’14 as he reflected on his first semester for the Harvard Business School Class of 2015 pre-matriculation blog.  Like any top-tier MBA program, HBS students learn finance, marketing, operations and the like. But Allis says he’s taken away much more than that over the last four months.

For example, Harvard Business School:

• Teaches you a deeply analytical thinking process critical to making high quality decisions and becoming a transformational leader.
• Enables you to build a team or find a team of superstars to go after any big world challenge that you wish.
• Gives you constant psychological reinforcement and mentors that enable you to refine and then actually execute on your dreams to make a difference.

In just one semester, Allis says his thinking process and decision-making ability has been refined, because “HBS teaches you to see one problem from ninety angles–equal to the number of classmates in your first year section with whom you’ll take each class and form meaningful lifelong bonds.”

Also, HBS changes the caliber of the people in your life as you build lifelong ties with highly competent people who want to make a big difference in the world. Allis adds that this greatly expands the frontier of opportunities available to you and your ability to find leverage points to influence the world.

Thirdly, Allis believes Harvard Business School can help you use your life to make a bigger difference in the world. ”Whether or not you already have your life dreams mapped out,” Allis says, “HBS provides the landscape for wide-ranging exploration and reflection and the support to go in any direction you wish.”

Finally, this first-year student is amazed at the psychological value and self-fulfilling prophecy of being around people who assume you’re going to do something special in the world.  “If you crave the combination of an inspiring environment with access to the people who can help you do anything you set your mind to,” says Allis, “You’ll love your time at HBS.”

Don’t try to stand out, do make sure you understand—and are excited about—the case method approach to learning, and stay curious are three of the main pieces of advice Harvard Business School’s Dee Leopold offers applicants in a recent post on her director’s blog.

While some candidates may feel deflated after reading her remarks, fearing they might have to switch strategies mid-stream, Leopold’s tips benefit anyone applying to Harvard and other case method-based MBA programs.

Tip #1

“Try to resist the urge to make “standing out” your primary goal in the admissions process. If you have made traditional choices all along (college, extra-curriculars, major field of study, jobs), own it. You’ll look silly if you try to portray yourself as a rogue daredevil. There are plenty of people at HBS who come from traditional backgrounds.”

I would add that excellence comes in many different packages, and sometimes small examples can brilliantly illustrate your distinctive contributions. Avoid any attempt to manufacture a memorable impression and instead focus on relaying with enthusiasm your own unique accomplishments and interests. You’re not being asked to talk about yourself for any other reason than to help a school learn why you made the choices you did. What those choices were is hardly relevant.

Tip #2

“Do your homework about the case method. It’s our signature pedagogy and it is nothing like traditional academia. Watch Inside the Case Method on our website and ask yourself if you find this method of learning intriguing and exciting. If it’s not for you, choose another school now vs. later.”

The Case Method approach is a proven winner because it brings the subject to life, brings business back to reality, and allows you to benefit from the professional experiences of a diverse group of classmates. However, this method may not be for everyone.  Other top programs, such as Chicago Booth School of Business, Kellogg School of Management, Yale School of Management and more rely on a broader mix of teaching methods.

Tip #3

“Stay curious. It’s so easy to stay “heads down” during the application process and become so introspective that you lose sight of the larger world. Keep reading. Keep listening. We’re looking for people who can dig into a case about a company they have never heard of, in an industry they don’t think they care about – and be 100% engaged.”

I like to remind applicants to stay connected to the bigger picture – remember what this process is all about.  Ultimately it is not about submitting a set of essays.  It is not even about getting in to X school.  It is about your future, your career, creating opportunities for yourself.  Tap into all the things in life that inspire you; this will help you to make things happen.

For anyone planning to apply to Harvard Business School this year, director of admissions and financial aid Dee Leopold recently offered a roundup of answers to common questions she’s been hearing from Round 1 applicants.

Although some candidates may be tempted to submit a lengthy resume to counterbalance the recently reduced number of essays in the Harvard Business School application, Leopold cautions that a one-page resume is still a good guideline. Also, do not submit anything extra with your application. Period.

Don’t forget to manage the recommender process! Applicants must input their recommenders’ names and contact information before the application deadline, the director stresses, since that’s the only way they will be able to access the recommender form.

We all know business school is expensive, so if you are interested in applying for financial aid, sit tight for now because all need-based financial aid information goes out only to admitted students.

The online scheduler for first-year class visits opened today but the slots are filling up fast, so head on over to set up your appointment to visit a class and learn more about the HBS case method.

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Have you started on those essays yet? This year’s questions are a strong departure from previous years, specifically in the number and length of the essays. Read our MBA essay tips for Harvard Business School for guidance on how to approach this essay set.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Todd came to us as a college senior at MIT, with a computer science major and a successful angel funded start-up in his background. While Todd’s experience seemed like the ideal fit to start a career in Silicon Valley, Todd was more interested in developing his general management skills. Todd had learned about the Harvard 2+2 program that accepts college seniors into the HBS MBA program and allows them to work for two years prior to matriculating.

Todd wanted to continue his graduate studies, and also decided to apply for a PhD program in engineering as well as trying for the HBS 2+2 program. We knew that Harvard was specifically interested in candidates like Todd who have many academic options and are focused on continuing their education. Since MBA applicants typically have two or more years of experience before applying, many high potential college seniors decide to focus on law, medicine or other grad programs.

Todd had both impressive academics and a history of mentoring at-risk youth. Because of a difficult family upbringing, Todd was sympathetic to kids who needed someone to support them in their goals. He was highly focused on giving back, which is a trait that HBS values.

Todd needed help approaching his HBS 2+2 application because MBA programs value different attributes than a purely academic program like a PhD. We helped Todd identify some of his key leadership qualities, like working on a team to put together his business plan and volunteering.

In approaching Todd’s application strategy we took all of these great leadership attributes, combined with his academic success, and made a compelling case for this future as a business leader. By highlighting his specific experiences as a leader in his startup competition team, we showed that Todd had excellent interpersonal skills tied with exceptional intellectual and analytical skills. The overall package was an ideal fit for HBS 2+2, and Todd is excited to start the program next fall after an enriching two years working at a large technology firm.

Are you applying to the HBS 2+2 program? We have experience positioning applicants like you for success – contact us to discuss further.

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