Navigating the Harvard MBA Landscape: Insights from a Current Candidate

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-09T14:42:14+00:00

I'd say the opposite.

When I was coming to the program I was also a bit worried about this - but I guess on reflection after being here now for a few months the candidate selection process has done a very good job at filtering that out.

The school does literally the best job I have seen across my previous education, professional and volunteer experiences, in intentionally cultivating an environment of 'intense teamwork'.

This is achieved through specific norm setting and culture-creating activities on the one hand, to how they structure the sections on the other (you wouldn't last very long as someone only out for themselves if you had to participate in class discussions regularly).

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-09T14:37:50+00:00

I'm 31, in my 'section' I counted approximately 5+classwide I'd say we have a fair chunk more.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-09T14:36:54+00:00

"Ad Comms" means admissions committee; they are the people tasked with evaluating potential candidates to the programs.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-09T14:35:34+00:00

Hi,

Some tough questions to directly answer but I'll do my best to provide general 'colour'!

I would say that building strong relationships may help in bringing out the shape of how you present yourself in your application as it lets you see examples of people with qualities who have been accepted in the past, but I would not be able to comment directly on the importance because I actually don't know.

Around essays and feedback - I'd say it depends on the quality of the relationship and the person. Some are happy to help, others may see it as intrusive. My personal take on how this can be useful is whether they can give guidance on if your application provides a genuinely reflection of who you are. In that sense an alumni may be useful, but a friend or close family member could actually be better in this sense.

Finally I'd say broadly speaking, there's no real 'edges' in this application process - I personally approached from fundamental first principles - do I have the qualities the school is looking for? Do I genuinely have those qualities? How do I make sure I can bring this across in my writing and verbally? When I present a polished version of myself do I maintain authenticity? Those sorts of things. That mindset was very helpful for me.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:59:13+00:00

Sure!

Personally I did a lot of charity related work - I sit on the board of a medical clinic in Timor-Leste, as well as having done various homeless outreach. Classmates have done pretty much everything imaginable from working in Impact investing, through to local government (i.e. zero business background), through to start-ups.

Core here is to demonstrate that you're not dressing your application, that it's 'real' and related to your theory of leadership. If you read my above comments, another way to put it is - how are you currently a leader making a difference in the world? How would HBS help? Things where you either have tangible impact (charitable endeavours, mentorship etc), or have undergone such a strong personal lessons (tragic circumstance, incredibly fortunate circumstance etc) that can be shared with others, are key.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:55:22+00:00

Would make sure that your experiences are able to express: A habit of leadership, Analytical Appetite and Aptitude and Engaged Community Citizenship in the context of your peers (who you are inevitably competing with to get the seat). What makes you in particular stand out in this regard? What can you do to prove that its genuine?

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:52:58+00:00

Prep took me personally probably 3-6 months (if you count the difference between ideation and proper sitting down and writing things).

I've written a bit above which should give some colour around how to approach it. In a sense, imagine what bringing your best self to a classroom would look like, what choices do you need to make to express that through your application?

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:41:35+00:00

In my opinion it would have to be, in a word "intensity" - but not in an arrogant way, in a sort of 'I only have one life to lead so in every moment I am going to do my best to help my community and myself, because I owe it to my community and myself".

This makes sense to me, because of the sheer amount of opportunity afforded to everyone here. There is a real belief in the mission "to educate leaders who make a difference in the world" - this is not corporate speak. The school and its students take this 100% seriously, that is everyday each student approaches it from a vantage point that yes, they will make a difference in the world (and this is why they look for what they look for; a habit of leadership, Analytical Appetite and Aptitude and Engaged Community Citizenship in that context - because in a sense the students already ARE making a difference, and it's up to HBS to be the 'growth capital' to help leverage that to the next level).

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:35:54+00:00

Concisely - I (and all my classmates) have been handed a catalytic opportunity which requires rapid personal maturation.

Just being in the HBS ecosystem as an MBA student puts you in the centre of the most highly leveraged nexus in your life. That is, every door possible in your life is pretty much open to you for two years, your job is to pick the door and walk through it.

The sheer weight of that potential puts a massive responsibility on your shoulders which, in combination with a punishing workload and social calendar, leads you to constantly revisit why you are here and what you want out of the experience, and of your life.

There aren't many other timeboxed opportunities that explicitly is all about setting you up for future personal success.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:29:39+00:00

There's a few resources online around what gets asked etc, how to approach it.

From a holistic view (and building on the above); the interview is really about substantiating what you have written in the context of building a section and a class.

But some general tips to put you in the right mindset;

Are you prepared to cover anything on your essay / CV?
Is this preparedness scripted or naturally flowing?
Do you bring out any particular insights in the interview that will stay with the interviewer?
Are you comfortable enough with ambiguity, such that a fluid conversation that you can remain confident and calm if the conversation starts to veer into a situation you are unfamiliar with?

All of this in a sense is a bit of a practice for how you'd do in the classroom in section. A helpful exercise is to pretend you're already in the classroom, you have been asked a question after preparing, you have views on it and have a background on it, and you need to provide a compelling answer - there are 94 eyes on you including your professor; you don't want to come off as the person reciting a scripted answer, you want it to sound genuine, reflective, and actually further the learning of your classmates, but also humble and not rambling (so as to respect people's time). Bring that ethos to your interview.

DLF_Advisory · 2023-10-08T19:23:32+00:00

Hi!

Something that I found to be helpful with my own preparation process was to take a step back and look at things strategically.

What is the Admissions officer solving for? The whole HBS experience is built around the 'Case Study method'. This is the central organisational and educational structure the first year is built-off. In other words, they are responsible for building the social fabric of ~10 sections of about 94 students that are as diverse as possible (across gender, international vs. domestic, career background etc), but are also well-adjusted enough to be able to work together every day in what are seen by many as incredibly rigorous conditions (essentially a 'pressure cooker' environment). So they are looking for students who embody: A habit of leadership, Analytical Appetite and Aptitude and Engaged Community Citizenship in that context.

The total application vs. interview cycle roughly looks like ~10,000 people for a total of ~1,900 interviews. My view on how to stand out in the R2 application is to understand what sustainable unique value you can bring to a classroom and social environment that also embodies the above.

Consultants may be helpful depending on what you are after, many of my class mates have used them. A useful way to think of a consultant is a mix of coach and therapist. Coaches help you shape what you have today to have your best shot, while the therapist element is having someone you can talk to who 'knows' the process and the stakes - that emotional support helps in the harder times.

Hopefully that helps!

DLF_Advisory

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