HBS MBA Admissions Essay for the Class of 2018
May, 15, 2015
NOTE: An updated and expanded version of my analysis of the HBS essay and application for 2016 entry can be found here. While the Harvard Business School application for 2016 entry will not go live until mid-June, the essay was released today, May 15th. Until I see the online application form for the Class […]
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HBS Admissions Interviews for the MBA Class of 2017
Oct, 09, 2014
In this post I provide advice for HBS Admissions Interviews for the MBA Class of 2017. HBS ADCOM HQ In my experience, applicants who succeed at HBS MBA interviews go to their interview with a sense of confidence based on having done careful preparation. My clients who have failed the interview stage have often done so because of related reasons: lack […]
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HBS Class of 2017 MBA Application Essay, Resume, and App Form
Sep, 11, 2014
In this post I will be analyzing the optional essay question and key components of the HBS Application for the Class of 2017 as indicated by the optional MBA essay topic: You’re applying to Harvard Business School. We can see your resume, academic transcripts, extracurricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores, and what […]
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Beating the Competition, Gaining MBA Admission: Averages & the 80% Range
May, 17, 2014
This is the second post in a series. In the first post, I looked at competition from the macro-level of Acceptance Rates, Number of Applicants, Number of Enrolled, and Yield. Given the global nature of my client base and my experience over the past twelve and half years, I am able to assess the competition […]
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The Possible Impact of the HBS Round 1 Deadline on Columbia Early Decision
May, 16, 2014
Harvard Business School’s Round One Deadline of September 9th is perfectly designed to make the decision to apply to Columbia Business School Early Decision easier than ever before because applicants who time their ED applications right can know whether they have been invited to an HBS interview long before paying Columbia’s deposit and even possibly […]
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Columbia, HBS, and Stanford Essays and Recs
May, 16, 2014
While Columbia Business School is the only one of the three to actually have the application online for 2015 entry, Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB have also announced their essay and recommendation topics. I have already written about Stanford’s Class of 2017 essays and recommendations very briefly in Stanford GSB cuts 1 Essay […]
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Beating the Competition, Gaining MBA Admission: Macro-Numbers
May, 09, 2014
Clients frequently ask me to assess their chances for MBA admission. They want to know how they compare with their competition. They want to know how to beat their competition. This is an extremely reasonable request. After all, admission to top MBA programs or other competitive graduate programs is a zero sum game: You get […]
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Advice for Family Business MBA Applicants
May, 07, 2014
Amongst the many different types of clients I work with, applicants whose careers and/or future goals are related to their family businesses have special advantages and challenges. My family business clients have come from very diverse backgrounds. I have had applicants whose families controlled businesses that were quite small, $1 million or less in annual sales, […]
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The “Hidden Essays” in Recent MBA Applications
Apr, 29, 2014
One marketing gimmick, used the world over, is tell potential customers/applicants/survey test takers how easy it is to complete an application for whatever. I can’t prove that the Business School Admissions offices that I mention in this post had car insurance ads or membership card applications or “Please Take this Survey” requests in mind when […]
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HBS Admissions Interviews for the MBA Class of 2016
Jan, 12, 2014
In this post I provide advice for HBS Admissions Interviews for the MBA Class of 2016. HBS ADCOM HQ I did not revise my HBS interview post for Round 1 applicants, but that did not stop six of my clients from being admitted to HBS in R1 for the Class of 2016. You can […]
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