There are many applicants who frequently ask questions like How difficult is it to get into Harvard Business School for MBA? or What schools like Harvard look for in candidates? In this article, we will provide you the answers to all your queries.
We all know that Harvard is a brand in itself. It does not need any MBA rankings for credibility, rather any business school rankings that do not include Harvard MBA at the top, already lose their credibility.
Before moving on with the nitty-gritty on what it takes to crack Harvard, we will talk about the HOW part first. By that means, we will firstly talk about how tough it is to get into the Harvard MBA program?
The answer to this is – very tough. Although Harvard has not been the first business school to set up in the world, its long existence plays a significant role. Harvard with its research ventures and publication has built a self-sustaining ecosystem that builds ideas across academia and industry to remain relevant. Not just those, students from Harvard have achieved tremendous success in the industry and entrepreneurial spaces. Seeing this, one can say with full assurance that the alumni network of Harvard is entrenched in higher positions of power in all business sectors. This is the factor that attracts the brightest MBA applicants across the globe to bag a seat in this top B-school.
This is the reason why most candidates are keen to know the answer to our main question- How to bag an MBA degree at Harvard Business School?
Harvard being a dream school has a stringent acceptance rate of 12%. Hence, the school doesn’t only look for your work experience or academic front but a well-groomed profile. To have a better understanding of it, check out the points mentioned below:
• Have a strong academic front: Harvard squeezes out the best brains in the applicant pool and then trains them. Having a stellar GPA and a GMAT would help you showcase your academic prowess and would vouch for your abilities. Alongside, you can also talk about the leadership positions you have undertaken during your college life. Something that you should not ignore- Don’t get carried by stories mentioning one can get into Harvard even with a low GMAT score like 500. Harvard’s median GMAT score is 730 which is highly competitive. So, prepare accordingly if you are desperate to join the course at this school.
• Work experience with a top brand: Every one in four students at Harvard has been a consultant at top firms like Bain & Co, Mc Kinsey, and BCG. In case you are not in the consulting industry, look for other fields like technology, investment banking where you can work for big companies like Google, Goldman Sachs. Talk about your roles, projects done, impacts created, and overall the learning you had.
• Showcase your leadership skills: Harvard looks for candidates who are already leaders. Show the admission committee that you not only have leadership abilities but you can also communicate as a leader. In your application, mention your experiences from the workplace as well as the college where you have to lead a team and what was the significant part that you played.
All said and done, you need to keep one thing in mind that Harvard isn’t the only top business school in the world. When it comes to MBA other schools also provide the same value. In a few years down the line, you will realize what you were chasing was just a brand and what’s more important is your experience. So definitely aim for high but if you are not able to achieve it, try for other options.
