Tuesday Tips: Harvard MBA Essay Advice for 2024-2025

Harvard MBA essay

After more than a decade with the same prompt, Harvard Business School has updated its essay requirement for the Class of 2027. The new Harvard MBA essay set has three questions focused on the following evaluation criteria: Business-Minded, Leadership-Focused, and Growth-Oriented.

These prompts clearly signal who Harvard Business School is looking for. Business-minded people want to solve problems to improve their organizations and are effective at doing so. Meanwhile, leadership-focused MBA applicants know that successful organizations run with effective teams. Finally, growth-oriented people have an innate curiosity and are always improving.

While these essay questions are new, the goal remains the same—proving you are a fit for HBS. Check out the incoming class profile for an idea of what constitutes the “typical” HBS student. A persuasive essay set can move you into the interview round for a closer look.

As a former HBS Admissions Officer on the SBC consulting team revealed, “The essay is make-or-break for HBS. So many candidates have acceptable credentials up to that point of the application, and the essay sets the overall application apart and earns it the interview.”

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of HBS expertise on our team:

When answering these questions, consider examples from your life that showcase these qualities. The goal remains to know yourself, know HBS, and know how to match the two.

First, evaluate all of the other aspects of your candidacy. What story does your resume tell? What will your recommenders say? How does your transcript communicate your skills, accomplishments, and interests?  Next, consider how you can fill in the gaps through your essays.

“At the end of the essay, the AdCom reader should feel so moved they want to meet you immediately. They can’t wait to get to know you better, hear more of the story, ask specific questions, be inspired, etc,” shared another former HBS Admissions Officer on the SBC team.

Curious about your chances of getting into Harvard Business School? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

Harvard MBA essay

Harvard MBA Essay Set for 2024-2025

Applicants to the MBA Class of 2027 (matriculating fall 2025) need to respond to these three essay prompts:

Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)

This first Harvard MBA essay question is similar to a typical career goals essay. However, note that it focuses on impact. HBS seeks MBA students who will change their organizations and the world. You should think big, be ambitious, and show that you care.

In the past, we have seen successful HBS essays home in on a core driving passion. HBS students are ambitious, motivated, and never dull. Asking about how you plan to “serve” in your business career is intentional. This essay is not about your ambitions; it’s about what you will do to improve the organizations and world around you.

Business-minded people are also practical. When you review your plans and aspirations, make sure they can be realized. Passion and skill can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Your goal is to demonstrate a success trajectory to indicate upper management potential. Your path should show a passion for impact in both business and society.

Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)

HBS has always focused on leadership and loves candidates with a track record of impact. The next two essays ask for evidence of your leadership potential. For this essay, think of an example that shows an accomplishment. If your key achievements are not readily apparent in your resume or transcripts, you can use this essay to explain them.

It’s important to note that hardship can be a part of growth. If you have faced challenges in your life, embrace them in this essay and tell your story. Remember that focusing on the lessons learned from your setbacks can be inspiring and revealing.

Finally, make sure you focus on others in this Harvard MBA essay. Leadership is about the team and its people. In your story, focus on anything you learned about how you plan to lead people. The final part of the question asks about the kind of leader you want to become. Think about how you want your future team or company to view you. And what you hope to accomplish.

Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)

The final HBS MBA essay question is about growth and focuses on curiosity as a key quality. When you think about people who are lifelong learners, they are all curious about the world. Curious people want to understand how things work, solve problems, and work on developing themselves and their teams.

This essay asks for an example, which should be evidence that you are curious. Keep in mind that both personal and career-oriented topics can work for this essay. Think about a time when you were curious about a problem at work, school or an extracurricular. Describe why you were interested, what you did to learn more, and how your learning had impact. In conclusion, remember to be specific and let your personality shine through.

Joint Degree Essays

Joint degree applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School must provide an additional essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (up to 400 words)

Joint degree applicants for the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences must provide an additional essay: The MS/MBA Engineering Sciences program is focused on entrepreneurship, design, and innovation. Describe your past experiences in these areas and your reasons for pursuing a program with this focus. (recommended length: 500 words).

Applicants will also be able to respond to an optional essay.

Both joint degree Harvard MBA essay questions are targeted at the reasons why you are pursuing both degrees. This is a place to demonstrate your research into each program and highlight relevant past experience.

For these essays, it’s vital to have clear goals and understand how the programs will help you achieve them. For your past experience, show that you are qualified for both the MBA program and the relevant joint degree program. Your career goals should also warrant the investment in both programs.

The first joint degree essay also asks about both the personal and professional development you expect. Some possibilities include the people in your program, unique academic opportunities, the caliber of speakers who visit the schools, and the incomparable alumni network.

The second joint degree essay focuses on your past experiences and why you want to focus on entrepreneurship, design, and innovation. There are many MBA career paths that require a strong engineering background, and this is a place to show that you are prepared academically for the education. Finally, show that you have a professional goal requiring the joint degree.

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The SBC team wishes you luck with your Harvard Business School application and would love to support your efforts. Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your HBS MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership and HBS interview Prep to hourly help with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Harvard HBS, Stanford GSB and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team:
Meet Erin, who was Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) and Director of MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Meet Andrea, who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation.

Contact

(323) 934-3936
info@StacyBlackman.com

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