Applying to Harvard Business School

Applying to
Harvard Business School
featuring:
Sherry Hakimi
former Marketing Specialist
of MBA Admissions at
Hosted by:
Caitlin Quan
Evisors Marketing & Operations Associate
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars

Agenda
1. About Sherry
2. A Few Things You (Should) Know About
HBS
3. What is HBS Looking For?
4. Application Tips
5. Q&A

 Former Marketing Specialist in MBA Admissions
– Worked at HBS for two years
– Worked across several marketing sectors, including college and
women applicants
– Focused on yield
 Graduated from Harvard Kennedy School
 Currently working in Strategy and Operations for the City of NY
About Sherry

 Full-time, two-year MBA program
 General Management MBA
 ~900 people per class, broken up into 10 sections of ~90 people
 First year is required curriculum (RC year) – and there is no
testing out of anything; second year is elective curriculum (EC
year)
 Exclusively teach by case method
 New: FIELD (HBS is a continuous “delicate experiment”)
 Very competitive applicant pool
 Active, vibrant student life
A Few Things You (Should)
Know About HBS

HBS is shifting away from people who “look good on paper”
 Going beyond essays
 More about who you are, what you have accomplished, and what
you have the potential to accomplish
 They want to know that you are the kind of person who can not just
think up an idea – you can operationalize it, too
“To make more progress in the education of leaders, we have
to get better at translating knowing into doing.’’
- Dean Nitin Nohria
What is HBS Looking For?

 Habit of Leadership
– All different kinds
– Evaluation of your potential to fulfill HBS’ mission of educating leaders
who will make a difference in the world
 Analytical Aptitude and Appetite
– Intellectually curious
– Yes, they want strong analytical skills
– And, yes, they want strong communication skills
 Engaged Community Citizenship
– Does not mean community service
– It means you are a giver as well as a taker
– Goes back to both HBS’ mission and the case method
What is HBS Looking For?
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/58

 Having a current student write you a recommendation is not going to
help you
– HBS believes in keeping a level playing field
– The letter from a current student will get read, but it will not be considered
in the application evaluation process
– Bottom line: If you are a strong candidate, you won’t need it
 Think through your “story of self” as your craft your application
– Make it cohesive
 Make sure to align your recommenders with your “story of self”
– Each recommender is instrumental in corroborating all those
accomplishments, leadership skills, and amazing personal qualities that
you allude to in your essays and resume
Tips

 GMAT or GRE – doesn’t make a difference
– As long as you do well (90%+) on either, you are fine
 Read the HBS website
– HBS is actually fairly transparent about the admissions process
– Dee always likes to say that it’s really not the “black box” that
everyone thinks it is
– Visit: http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/application-
process/Pages/written-application-introduce-yourself.aspx
– FYI: Read Dee’s Sept. 17 blogpost (it is very “real”)
Tips

 Above all, HBS cares about the type of leader you are
– Reflect on what type of leader you are, and own it
– There is no one type of leadership (examples:
motivational, authoritative, thought, entrepreneurial…)
– Every class at HBS starts with a professor asking a student to say
what she or he would do as the protagonist (leader) of the case
– HBS wants leaders that will make a difference in the world
Last Tip

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers
Question 1:
What type of experience is best referenced
in the essay portion of the application?
Hosted by:See the answer at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/58

Questions & Answers
Question 2:
What is the best way for seniors to position
themselves in the 2+2 program?

Questions & Answers
Question 3:
Do they have quotas in selecting
candidates?

Questions & Answers
Question 4:
To what extent should you be funny when
writing an essay?

Questions & Answers
Question 5:
When should someone consider applying to
Harvard Business School?

Questions & Answers
Question 6:
Does Harvard Business School favour
candidates with entrepreneurial goals?

Questions & Answers
Question 7:
Do the experiences candidates mention in
their essays relate to their future goals?

Questions & Answers
Question 8:
What advice do you have for those selected
for the interview?

Questions & Answers
Question 9:
How would admissions look at reapplicants
differently?

Questions & Answers
Question 10:
Is there a greater emphasis on
recommendation letters given the reduction
in essay questions on the application?

Questions & Answers
Question 11:
What advice do you have for those on the
waiting list?

Questions & Answers
Question 12:
What are the restrictions on your resume?

Questions & Answers
Question 13:
If you are politically opinionated, should you
moderate this on your application?

Questions & Answers
Question 14:
What differentiates people with high GMAT
scores/strong work experience?

Connect
Book your session with Sherry at:
www.evisors.com/expert/2087
Sherry Hakimi
former Marketing Specialist
of MBA Admissions at
She can help you with:
• Candidate Diagnostic
• Application Help
• Essay Critique
• Resume Evaluation & Editing
• Interview Prep
…and more!

Applying to Harvard Business School

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Applying to Harvard Business School