Harvard Business School is making radical changes to its MBA application, revamping the essay section and reducing the number of required recommendations, reports BusinessWeek.
Admissions Director Dee Leopold announced the changes in her blog today. She says they will affect more than 9,000 HBS hopefuls who are expected to apply for the 2014-15 academic year, approximately 930 of whom will be admitted.
For 2014 applicants there will be a single essay question with no word limit, and it will be optional: “You’re applying to Harvard Business School,” the question reads. “We can see your résumé, school transcripts, extra-curricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores and what your recommenders have to say about you. What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?” Previous applicants were required to write two essays of no more than 400 words each about “something you did well” and “something you wish you had done better.”
In her blog, Leopold explains that admissions to HBS is “not an essay-writing contest,” and that eliminating the word limit “brings this process closer to the way things work in the real world.” Applicants who feel their credentials speak for themselves and that no elaboration is necessary can skip the essay, she says.
"What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?"
ReplyDeleteAnswer: My dad gave 5 million dollars to Harvard.
Reply: We are willing to overlook your failing grades, lack of a high school diploma, those three pesky felony arrests, the child pornography charges, and that messy statutory rape thingy, and welcome you to the freshman class of 2014... Veritas (Truth)