Harvard Business School (HBS) Application Tips

Harvard Business School or HBS as it is commonly known as is a dream school for millions of MBA applicants. We at Applicant-X believe that if you pay enough thought to the application & craft it perfectly, HBS is not a far-off dream. We have compiled some tips to give an edge to your application. These are not full proof tips but something that you should consider giving a thought while writing your applications.

Harvard Business School MBA Application Tips

1. There are 3 major things that Harvard look at in an application:

a. Leadership habit

b. Analytical aptitude

c. Engaged community citizenship

Weave stories that highlight this aspect of your profile & craft the story in such a way that they make you stand out.

2. Being Ahead of the Curve: HBS has an intense MBA program. They are looking for people who are ahead of the curve & are progressing much faster than their peers. Mention such stories in your application from your professional life that highlights you being ahead of the curve.

3. Being Mission Driven: HBS is a school that lays much emphasis on their culture. They want their students to be also not only money driven in their life but mission driven. Your past, present & the future should be driven by a mission that you believe in your core & that should be highlighted in your application. This mission may be visible distinctively to you right now but the need of the hour is to introspect & find the true purpose that underlies your drive.

4. Essays are not Resume: Essay’s are the best opportunity you have to showcase yourself before the interview round. Utilize it, write a story, don’t just list out your professional achievements or your credentials but it should define who you are in its essence.

5. Be vulnerable: Yes, you heard it right. Admission officers want to know you, they want to understand you and your situation and your beliefs. To be able to do that, they need to know the story behind you, what made you who you are today, and that story is so so so much important, even if that means being vulnerable about yourself.

6. Consistency is the key: Do you have a hobby that you have followed from the last 20 years? Talk about it. Do you have a belief that is a core part of you and will remain so in the near future? Talk about it. The team at HBS wants to know that you are not someone who flip flops from one habit to another, one goal to another & are aimless in your vision & your goals, but are someone who are consistent with their track record, consistent with their goals, & who have consistently hit their goals.

7. Be upfront & open: Do not hide anything. If you have a career gap, mention it. If you failed at a venture, mention it. What is important here is not that you have had this weakness in your application, but that you are being up front about it and have learned something from all these situations. IF the admission officers find that you are hiding something in your application, that’s it for you. You will be rejected straightaway. So be upfront & open about your professional life in your application.

Hope this helps!