SBC Harvard - Admit - Profile

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
ADMITTED STUDENT
PROFILE
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Transaction ID: 8V1612610D456771H
HARVARD BUSI NESS SCHOOL PROFI LE
2 201 3 STACY BLACKMAN CONSULTI NG I NC. www. StacyBl ackman. com ALL RI GHTS RESERVED.
Copyright 2013 by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Inc, Los Angeles, California, USA. www.stacyblackman.com
Cover design by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Inc
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission
from the publisher. Contact Stacy Blackman Consulting at ebook@StacyBlackman.com.
ISBN 10 1-61755-925-3
ISBN 13 978-1-61755-925-9
Visit www.StacyBlackman.com/store for the latest Stacy Blackman Consulting ebooks.
DISCLAIMER:
This guide is designed to assist in your MBA Admissions application, but does not guarantee admission to Harvard Business School.
INTRODUCTION
MBA program applications require you to present your career progress, career goals, accomplishments, and potential contributions to the programs
student community through essays, recommendations, resume and application data.
Before putting fingers to keyboard, its a good practice to first consider who your reader will be, what the subject matter is, and your objective for the
writing assignment. The answers to these three questions are fairly straightforward:
WHO IS MY READER?
The Admissions Committee
WHAT IS THE SUBJECT MATTER?
My attributes, strengths, achievements, and goals, which combine to form a complete picture of me
WHAT IS MY OBJECTIVE IN WRITING THIS ESSAY?
To earn an acceptance letter
The next question isnt so easy to answer:
WHAT IS PROGRAM X LOOKING FOR?
It would be helpful if each schools admissions committee told you exactly what they were looking for. Representatives of the program from admissions
officers to current students certainly offer plenty of clues, but there is no definitive source of reference.
The Dean of Admissions for one of the top programs responded as follows when asked what his program was looking for:
We look for people who will contribute in a meaningful way to our communityWe dont just look at one thing we look
at the whole picture and think about the fit.
When reviewing your application, the admissions committee is trying to determine if who you are, what youve accomplished, and what you hope to
achieve in the future is a good fit for their institution. With this in mind, we can refine our answer to the question above about your objective for this essay
writing assignment. Your end goal is, of course, to earn an acceptance letter, but the way you do so is to persuade the admissions committee that you
fit. You must look at your strengths and achievements through the lens of the admissions officers. Your MBA application is your opportunity to communicate
those strengths and provide multiple reasons to believe that you will fit in next years class.
Based on over a decade of experience with the admissions offices of the most competitive MBA programs, we will offer some insight into what constitutes
fit for the program being discussed. By listening carefully to the admissions officers over the years and by paying close attention to the profiles of
successful applicants, we have assembled a list of the fundamental qualities and attributes that each program values. By reviewing these key attributes
you can tailor your MBA application strategy to ensure that fit is coming through loud and clear.
HBS PROFILE: WHO is Harvard Business School looking for?
The true common characteristics of our students are demonstrated leadership potential and a capacity to thrive in a
rigorous academic environment. HBS Admissions
Harvard Business School (HBS) is one of the most competitive MBA programs in the United States with an average
admission rate hovering around 12 percent over the last decade. Most of the nearly 9,000 annual applicants to HBS are
qualified, with above average GMAT scores and undergraduate GPAs. When HBS is choosing amongst a highly qualified
group of candidates, who does the admissions committee actually admit?
The class of 2014 had a median GMAT of 730, but a GMAT range of 670-790. The average GPA for the class entering in 2011
was 3.66. The average age of entering students this year is 27, which is up significantly from 2010 when the average HBS
student entered at age 25. In prior years Harvard has revealed a bit more about their students age range and led to the
conclusion that very few HBS students are over 30 at matriculation. While this is likely still true, we have found that qualified
applicants who are a good fit with a full time MBA program are admitted at all ages.
Beyond the statistics, what does it take to be HBS material?
A TYPICAL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENT
HBS is never looking for the average or typical in potential MBA students, however there are common elements shared by
successful applicants to Harvard Business School. Most HBS students have exceptional academic profiles featuring a
consistently strong GPA from a rigorous program of study. HBS believes that undergraduate performance is highly
predictive of MBA program performance and therefore weights transcript data heavily. Typical undergraduate fields of
study include Economics/Business or Science & Technology majors.
Most successful HBS applicants have a strong record of leadership. Many students were class presidents, leaders in the
community, or had exceptional leadership opportunities at work.
In terms of industry background, almost 30 percent of the class of 2014 hailed from financial services, venture capital or
private equity. The second most common background was consulting at 20 percent. High tech and government, nonprofit
and education also represent the backgrounds of another 18 percent of the class.
A UNIQUE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENT
Diversity is an important element to HBSs admissions committee and the class of 2014 is more heavily female, international
and ethnically diverse than prior classes. Underrepresented minorities (for MBA purposes that includes African American,
Latino or Native American candidates) represent 24 percent of the class, women make up 40 percent and international
students (meaning citizenship outside the United States) are 34 percent of the class.
Along with visual diversity like gender, race and nationality, HBS is interested in candidates who have pursued unique paths.
For example, Stacy Blackman Consulting has successfully assisted candidates for HBS including former professional
athletes, military officers, diplomats and entrepreneurs. Non-traditional applicants for HBS that have found success
generally were able to communicate exceptional leadership histories and fit with the program.
HBS PROFILE: WHAT is Harvard Business School looking for?
The true common characteristics of our students are demonstrated leadership potential and a capacity to thrive in a
rigorous academic environment. HBS Admissions
It is well known that HBS must believe you possess exceptional leadership potential, but knowing that the HBS Admissions
Committee wants to see a portfolio of experiences, initiatives, and accomplishments that reflect a habit of leadership is
only the beginning when you set out to craft an exceptional HBS essay.
Business school libraries are overflowing with books on leaders and leadership. There are multiple opinions about what
leadership is exactly, whether the quality is innate or developed, and what makes a leader effective or ineffective. Before
we go any further in our discussion of what HBS is looking for, it would be helpful to have a working definition of leadership.
Well use the definition offered by an HBS Admissions Officer:
Leaders are people who leave their footprints in their areas of passion."
Understanding that HBS will be evaluating your leadership potential is only of limited application when it comes time for
you to choose topics and stories for your essay. Based on over a decade of experience helping our clients garner admissions
letters from HBS, weve assembled a more comprehensive list of the qualities that goes deeper than leadership alone.
These qualities interact and overlap and combine to form great leaders. They are:
High-Impact Leadership Case Study Compatibility Self-Awareness
Passion Initiative Integrity
Vision Solutions Focus Service
Maturity
An effective HBS essay will convince the admissions committee that you possess the strengths they are looking for. In the
following section of the guide, we discuss these qualities in more detail so that you can decide which of your strengths to
feature and what stories to tell to convince the HBS admission committee that you fit at HBS.
HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSHIP
Leaders are people who leave their footprints in their areas of passion." HBS Admissions Officer
The definition above offers important clues about what the admission committee will be looking for when evaluating your
leadership potential. They will want to see evidence that you have made a positive impact (i.e., left your footprints) on the
communities of which youve been a part both personally and professionally. This makes perfect sense when you think
about it, because your past leadership achievements are the best gauge of your potential for realizing your future
ambitions.
The admissions officers use of the term footprints in the definition is also meaningful. You need to provide concrete
examples and tangible evidence that you made a difference. The admissions committee understands that you are early in
your career, so they dont expect that you will have led an entire company or founded a not-for-profit. If you have, great!
If not, as HBS admissions points out, [The admissions committee] appreciates leadership on any scale as well, from
organizing a classroom to directing a combat squad, from running an independent business to spearheading initiatives at
work. The scale of your achievement is not as important as the fact that you left indelible footprints. Your job description
provides the baseline of what is expected of you. Applicants who are accepted to HBS have gone above and beyond,
challenged the status quo, and made an impact. They arent accepted simply because they are different but because they
have made a difference.
PASSION
The leadership definition above doesnt end with the word footprints leaders leave footprints in their areas of passion.
The admission committee will expect you to articulate what you are passionate about and will want to see evidence that
you have actively expressed those passions inside and outside of work. HBS prepares its students to make a mark on the
world, but no school can supply you with passion. The hope is that you will arrive on campus on day one with a burning
desire to make the world a better place.
Grand achievements are rarely the work of a single individual; passion is critical to HBS because leadership requires
harnessing the energy and talents of others. Your spirit and desire to achieve something meaningful will be necessary to
activate and motivate your team and, some day, an entire organization. Its not just your footprints that interest HBS
admissions they also want to see the footprints of those who are following you as you blaze a new trail in an area of passion.
VISION
Kim Clark, a former dean of HBS, welcomed the new class with these inspirational words: You can literally change the world.
Choose wisely and choose well." It is fair to assume that the admissions committee will expect that your passions and
abiding interests have shaped your personal vision and future aspirations. Your vision for making an even greater impact
in your areas of passion in the future is a key aspect of your leadership story.
HBS isnt interested in candidates who are seeking an MBA degree to hasten their climb up the corporate ladder. The
schools mission is to educate leaders to make a difference in the world. Even if you are early in your career, it is possible
to provide examples of how you have formulated, communicated, and achieved a vision. The time horizon might be short
and the scale of what you accomplished might have been limited. Nonetheless, in your essay you can demonstrate that you
have a talent for seeing how things can be improved and a track record of rallying others to embrace that picture of the
future and work together with you to realize it.
INTEGRITY
We look for students who exhibit the highest ethical standards and respect for others. HBS Admissions
Its been a few years since HBS included its classic ethical dilemma question in the list of a required essays, but that doesnt
mean that high ethical standards and integrity are any less important to the HBS Admissions Committee. In fact, in light
of a litany of corporate scandals, some involving HBS alumni, the school has increased its commitment both to admitting
students who possess an unfailing moral compass and to ensuring that the program provides the tools and training to
prepare graduates for the complex ethical decisions they will face in the future.
Another reason that HBS may have dropped the ethical dilemma essay question is that too many candidates wrote about
situations in which they had to choose between right and wrong and, invariably, they chose the right path (i.e., they are
ethical). In a sense, the question led many respondents to adopt a narrow definition of ethics as the choice between being
honest and dishonest. Ethics and integrity cannot be so narrowly defined. First of all, some of the most complicated ethical
situations are when you are forced to choose between the lesser of two evils.
Integrity is not a single attribute but a combination of attributes. In his book Integrity, Dr. Henry Cloud defines integrity as
the courage to meet the demands of reality. He then provides specific traits required for integrity: creates trust, unafraid
of reality, results-oriented, solves negative realities, causes growth, and finds meaning in life. His list may help spur your
thinking about how you might convey your integrity to the admissions committee not in a single ethical dilemma but in large
and small ways throughout your application by describing what you thought, felt, said, and did.
The challenge for applicants is to figure out how to communicate the quality of integrity in their application. It bears
mentioning that integrity is one of those qualities that is often more convincing when reinforced by a third party, so consider
ways that your recommenders might build the case and supply examples that you possess high ethical standards.
SERVICE
Most candidates who have goals of attending business school at some point in the future understand that the schools want
to see evidence of community service. In response, they dive into a community service project in hopes of checking the
community service box on the application. Unfortunately, they never stop to think about why the admissions committee is
interested in their community service accomplishments. The members of the admissions committee arent like judges who
have sentenced you to 100 hours of community service. Rather, they are interested in your community service work because
it provides insight into your deeper interests and the causes that you care about. Most of us need a job to earn a paycheck,
but community service (barring a judges mandate) is optional. Therefore, you will want to put a great deal of thought into
what kind of community work you do. If the only reason you can come up with for being involved with a particular
organization is because you think it will look good on your business school application, you may be wasting your time.
The second reason the admissions officers want to see evidence that you are the type of person who devotes energy to
making a community stronger is that they must decide whether or not to invite you into their community. You will be as
busy in an MBA program as you are at your day job. Do you have the dynamic energy and drive to get involved and give
back even when its not strictly required? If you have a habit of contributing energy to the causes and communities you
care about, then the admissions committee is likely to conclude you will make their student community stronger.
HBS Professor Bill Georges work on authentic leadership offers another important insight into why evidence of service is
important to HBS. He writes that Leadership style can be broken down into takers and givers. Takers are often charismatic
personalities who end up making decisions to enrich their own coffers and careers. Givers, on the other hand, create value
and empower employees to become leaders. This is a critical distinction that sheds some light on why some candidates
who have resumes of impressive leadership achievements might not make the cut at HBS. The admissions officers are not
only concerned with your achievements; they are also interested in the connection between those achievements and who
you are, the means you used to reach the ends you achieved, and the value of your achievements to the organization or
community. Leadership stories in which youve put the needs of others ahead of your own are therefore much more
compelling to the admissions committee.
CASE METHOD COMPATIBILITY
The right candidates must be eager to share their experiences, support their colleagues, and teach as well as learn from
their peers. HBS Admissions
Harvard Business School is unique amongst MBA programs in its almost complete dedication to the case method of
teaching. If youve never participated in or observed a course taught via the case method, you should probably see at least
one in person or online before you set to work on your HBS essay. The case method is a type of experiential teaching
approach in which the student is presented with a real world situation via a written case and asked to put himself or herself
in the place of the decision maker also known as the case protagonist. Before each class, HBS students are assigned a
case to prepare on their own or with their study group. In class, the professor leads the class through a discussion of the
key issues in the case, asking students to present their analysis of the issues and to debate various solutions to the case
protagonists problems. Each class begins with the infamous cold call in which the professor selects one student at
random and asks him or her to get the discussion started.
Given that the case method is central to the HBS learning experience, the admissions committee must evaluate whether
you possess qualities that will enhance your ability to both contribute to and benefit from the case method approach.
These include: intellectual curiosity, exceptional communication skills, a respect for the opinions of others, and the ability
to teach as well as learn from peers.
HBS students are drawn from a diverse array of professional backgrounds, which makes for lively discussions with many
different perspectives. You will be expected to defend your opinions while listening carefully to and respecting the opinions
of your fellow classmates. Keep that in mind whenever your essay or story relates to a situation in which teaching and
learning from others was essential to success. Demonstrate that you can be persuasive but also that you can be swayed
by reason. Also be aware that your application is an opportunity to share your point of view, convey points, provide
examples, and build your case. The admissions committee will be evaluating these abilities, which is why the quality of
your presentation is critical to proving that you are case study compatible.
INITIATIVE
Situations in which you have taken initiative versus being assigned a task and performing it well are worth sharing with the
HBS admissions officers. Consider times when you have stepped forward to address a long-standing problem in your
organization or community or instances in which you volunteered for additional responsibilities outside of your job description.
Early in your career your superiors may be reluctant to entrust you with major leadership responsibilities because your
ability to lead is untested; therefore, candidates who have actively sought out opportunities to make an impact will stand
out from the competition in the application process. Recently, HBS has asked an optional essay question about how you
have engaged with a community or organization. This is another way of asking about how you have demonstrated
initiative, made significant contributions, and gone above and beyond the call of duty.
SOLUTIONS FOCUS
The central question in every HBS case is not what do you think but rather what would you do. That is not to say that
your ability to analyze the relevant issues in the case is unimportant to the HBS Admissions Committee, but they will be
looking closely in your application for evidence that you have applied your analysis, formulated an action plan, and, most
importantly, executed on that plan.
When faced with a problem there may be a number of ways to tackle it. Your ability to look at a problem holistically and to
develop and implement a comprehensive solution rather than a series of point solutions is important. HBS is evaluating your
potential to be an effective general manager. The general manager, as opposed to a functional manager (e.g., the head of
marketing) is responsible for implementing cross-functional solutions that activate the capabilities of an entire organization.
Consequently, achievements in which the impact you made required the coordination and effort across the organization
will be of great interest to the admissions officers at HBS.
SELF-AWARENESS
Recently, Dee Leopold, the managing director of admissions, listed self-awareness as one of the key attributes her
committee is looking for in candidates. She went on to say that the admissions committee expects candidates to share how
their life experiences have shaped their outlooks and perspectives about the world.
Self-awareness isnt a quality that you demonstrate by telling a story; rather, it has to do with how you tell the story and
your ability to communicate what you learned. Being able to explain to the admissions committee why you value one
accomplishment above others, what you learned from a setback, or the deeper meaning of your career goals is evidence
of self-awareness. Furthermore, the self-aware individual has knowledge of both his or her strengths AND weaknesses.
When writing your essay go beyond just rattling off the plot, I did A, then I did B, and we accomplished C. The admissions
committee also wants some insight into what you were thinking and feeling, why you made a particular choice given the
alternatives, what you value, and what is meaningful to you.
MATURITY
A quality that goes hand-in-hand with self-awareness is maturity, and maturity was a quality specifically mentioned by the
schools managing director of admissions as being important. In years past, the average number of years of work experience
for admitted students was four. Lately, the trend has been to accept younger candidates, a handful directly out of college.
The quality and extent of life experience and how you have matured, crystallized values and passion, and formulated a
worldview as a result are more important than the years that have elapsed since you graduated from college. Maturity isnt
a matter of growing older its a matter of growing wiser. The fact that the admissions committee is looking for evidence
of maturity suggests that you should find opportunities to share defining moments in your life. Remember that maturity
and wisdom are very often the result of experiences that take place in our lives outside of work. Try to balance the personal
and professional and share a portfolio of experiences that reveal your human side not just your business persona.
CONCLUSION
In this guide, we have provided guidance that will help you to craft the best essay possible:
We have armed you with a list of the fundamental qualities and attributes that the admissions officers are looking for as
they review your application, so that you can be sure to emphasize and accent these characteristics in your essay. The
intention here is not to give you a cheat sheet or a list of buzzwords to paste into your essay. Rather, you should study this
list closely and feature the qualities that describe you, and use your essay and stories to supply the admissions officers with
convincing reasons to believe that you possess these characteristics.
The first draft of anything is [expletive deleted]. Ernest Hemingway
The best writing is rewriting. E.B. White, author of The Elements of Style
Hemingways words are a reminder that after all the soul searching, brainstorming, and navel gazing, you must eventually
sit down and write something. If you set your expectations that the first draft you write will probably be absolutely terrible,
then the pressure is off. Some candidates read examples of successful essays and become so intimidated that they
become terrified about facing the blank page and wait around hoping that the perfect essay will somehow spring from their
finger tips. They procrastinate, waiting for inspiration that never arrives. Budget plenty of time for the process of writing,
rewriting, and more rewriting. The essay process is a marathon, and trying to sprint a few weeks from the deadline will
usually not work well.
HERE ARE A FEW FINAL TIPS:
Make sure that the question asked is being answered no more, no less.
Take advantage of all the essay questions on an application. An essay cannot be evaluated in isolation. How the application
essays work together to provide a holistic view of you is critical.
Why you made a choice and what you learned from an experience are just as important (perhaps more important)
as what you did.
Show personality and be a little daring but within reason. Use judgment here, and if you are questioning a particular
story too much, it is probably best to omit.
You cant tell them everything; so tell the admissions officers the most important things.
We believe that if approached correctly, this can be a fun and enlightening experience. Of course, if you feel you need more
inspiration, guidance, and advice, we will be happy to match you with one of our experienced application strategy
consultants. Learn more about the editorial and comprehensive business school admission consulting services we offer at
www.StacyBlackman.com.
BEST OF LUCK!
ABOUT STACY BLACKMAN CONSULTING
Stacy Blackman Consulting's mission is to help our clients achieve their most ambitious educational and professional goals
by making the MBA application process less stressful and more successful.
Since 2001, we have helped hundreds of candidates with their applications to top business schools; our clients have been
admitted to every top MBA program worldwide.
Stacy Blackman Consulting offers Comprehensive, Hourly and Editing services. Services may include:
School selection
Strategy development
Assistance with essay writing: coaching, review and feedback
Interview coaching
Planning for school visits
Reference selection, preparation and editing
Developing resumes
Review of data forms
Wait list and deferral strategy
Assistance with extra-curricular involvements
Coordinating school communications
In addition to our consulting services and our online guides, we have published a book on the MBA admissions process
entitled The MBA Application Roadmap.
To learn more about our services and resources, visit our website (www.StacyBlackman.com).
Also, visit our blog at www.StacyBlackman.com/blog, which is updated daily with the latest MBA news and application tips.
Sign up for the Stacy Blackman MBA Roadmap newsletter at http://www.StacyBlackman.com/newsletter.

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