Harvard MBA Essay for the Class of 2026
In addition to the HBS deadlines, the Harvard MBA essay for the 2023-24 admissions season has been confirmed. The essay question remains unchanged and HBS will continue to impose a word limit this season.
Here is how Harvard Business School admissions explained the word count when they introduced it for the first time last year:
We have heard from some applicants that, without a word limit, sometimes questions (and stress) arise about the “right” word length. We hope that including a limit provides applicants with a little more direction and eliminates the stress about how much is too much to write.
Do you need to submit 900 words? No, certainly not. Successful applicants may share what they wish to in 500 or 700 words, for example, or go up to 900.
The Harvard MBA Essay
“As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program?” (900 words max.)
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.
Joint program applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 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? (400 words)
“The essay really is make or break for HBS,” shares one of the former HBS Admissions Officers on the SBC team. “So many applications have acceptable credentials up to that point of the application. It really is the essay that sets the overall application apart and earns it the interview.”
The HBS MBA application will open in summer 2023.
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Check out our targeted tips for the Harvard MBA essay. And don’t hesitate to contact us to learn how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with your Harvard MBA application. Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of the expertise on our consulting team:
