Harvard Business School Essay: 3 Tips To Stand Out
Jeff Schmitt
8 min read
Harvard Business School. Courtesy photo
Harvard Business School Essay: 3 Tips To Get Stand Out
Earlier this month, Harvard Business School officially announced its two application rounds for the upcoming Class of 2024.
Harvard’s open essay prompt asks applicants to respond to the following question: “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program?”
Karla Cohen, an expert coach at Fortuna Admissions and former HBS associate director of doctoral programs and an MBA interview board member, recently offered a few tips on how to write a compelling MBA essay for Harvard and what the B-school’s admissions officers are looking for.
CHARACTER IS CRITICAL
Cohen says character is the upmost important factor that HBS admissions officers look for in applicants.
“The Admissions Committee seeks principled, passionate individuals who have the potential to fulfill the HBS mission to education leaders who make a difference in the world,” Cohen writes.
While the B-school states that it specifically reviews prior academic performance and GMAT or GRE scores, it also places importance on engaged community citizenship.
“So much of our MBA experience – including the case method, section life, and student-organized events – requires the active collaboration of the entire HBS community,” according to the HBS website. “That’s why we look for students who exhibit the highest ethical standards and respect for others, and can make positive contributions to the MBA Program. The right candidates must be eager to share their experiences, support their colleagues, and teach as well as learn from their peers.”
DON’T FOCUS SOLELY ON WORK
One of the biggest pitfalls that applicants make when writing an MBA essay, according to Cohen, is merely writing about their professional achievements.
“What really made my eyes glaze over were narratives from candidates who sailed through life, having never failed or struggled, who always excelled at everything and then segued to the details of some deal or consulting project,” Cohen writes. “This can’t be overstated: Your essay must not read simply as a story of successes and accomplishments. It’s a common pitfall, and it robs your story the potential for making an emotional connection. Above all, write an essay you yourself would want to read.”
BE VULNERABLE
The most compelling and powerful essays are the narratives that are grounded in real life, including the failures. Cohen says that one of the best ways to write a compelling essay is to be vulnerable in your writing.
“Most people are afraid to be real, and they spend hours polishing and perfecting an “image” or ‘brand’ that is an illusion,” she writes. “When you take the risk to be yourself, to be vulnerable, it inspires a human connection. It gives you credibility. What’s more interesting to read – the story of someone who sailed through life and had everything work out perfectly, every single time? Or the story of someone who struggled, faced extraordinary challenges, and demonstrated the tenacity and resilience to not only survive but to thrive?”
DON’T TELL, BUT SHOW
When writing, it’s important to also write in a way that walks the reader through your experience – from the feelings you felt to the lessons that you learned.
“Avoid the temptation to qualify your experience or tell the readers what they are supposed to think,” Cohen writes. “Show them instead. For example, what is more powerful – someone saying, ‘I had a horrible flight,’ or, ‘We pulled onto the runway, and I could see from my window the dark clouds above; the captain announced once cleared for takeoff, we were in for a bumpy ride. I could feel my pulse quickening.’
Lastly, be sure to tie your experience back to the lessons you’ve learned.
“Underscore how it shaped you as a human being and what you learned from the experience and remember to SHOW them the impact vs. simply telling them,” Cohen writes.
No Extracurriculars? Here’s How To Bolster Your Application
In MBA applications, extracurricular activities may not be carry the same weight as other factors. However, they can give some candidates a distinct advantage with admissions officers.
“Extracurricular activities are not a primary factor when reviewing applications but they can matter – and especially help – when factors like GMAT, GPA, etc. fall below expectations,” Phil Miller, assistant dean for MBA and M.S. programs at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Carlson School of Management, tells US News.
For those with minimal or no extracurricular activities, it’s important to leverage other aspects of your life to show admissions officers that you have what it takes to excel in B-school. Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently discussed how applicants with minimal extracurriculars can still put together a compelling application.
LOOK BEYOND WORK
When considering what other aspects to talk about in your application, Blackman recommends looking outside of your work and professional life.
“Think along the lines of travel or cultural experiences or even a family situation,” she writes. “What else are you passionate about besides your job, and how has that passion manifested itself? Hobbies or extracurriculars can be windows into character qualities.”
GET INVOLVED
While Blackman warns that it may look disingenuous to join a slew of volunteer organization right before Round 1 deadlines, applicants looking to bolster their extracurricular activities can seek out opportunities to get involved in causes that they are passionate about.
“You could see if your employer has any community-focused committees that you could get involved with soon,” Blackman writes. “Perhaps you could mentor a junior employee or head up a company-sponsored fundraising drive. Alternatively, taking an active role in a community organization or nonprofit that’s currently in dire need of someone with expertise or skills is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from the competition.”
Since admissions officers like to see growth in applicants, it’s important to also consider opportunities where you can demonstrate your potential.
“If you’ve volunteered for a certain group before, see what else you can help them with that’s more high profile, or ask if they have new roles that have sprung up over the last year due to the COVID-19 crisis that would be a good fit,” Blackman writes.
McGowan Fellows Program Celebrates Historic Milestone
The McGowan Fellows Program is a highly selective scholarship that offers full-year of paid tuition and extensive leadership training, coaching, and networking opportunities to 10 students from 10 top-tier MBA programs.
Celebrating its second decade of operation, the McGowan Fellows Program introduced its 11th class of grant recipients this year, who will begin their program in August.
Michael T. Nietzel, of Forbes, recently sat down with Diana Spencer, Executive Director for the McGowan Fund, and discussed the program’s accomplishments and its impact on MBA education.
EXTENSIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
One of the aspects that makes the McGowan Fellows Program unique is the leadership training that it provides to recipients.
Fellows take part in a social impact project, where they focus on a complex societal issue and collaborate with organizations in building impactful solutions. Past projects have included building an ethics curriculum by Aurora University and a collaboration with the American Heart Association aimed at increasing participation for the Get With The Guidelines program.
The structure of the program focuses heavily on the social impact project with other supporting aspects such as coaching and formal coursework.
“About 70% of it is experiential through the social impact projects, 20% is coaching by Fellows alumni toward McGowan principles; and only 10% is formal coursework,” Spencer, the executive director of the program, tells Forbes.
FOCUS ON IMPACT
The McGowan Fellows Program places a strong emphasis on values-based leadership. The underlying concepts of the program are that good leadership has the power to transform individuals, teams, organizations, and society; leadership can be taught; and good leadership is greatly needed as our nation faces increasingly complex challenges.
“Our vision is that every MBA program should be developing principled, values-based leadership in their students,” Spencer tells Forbes. “Business leaders should not be thinking only of value in terms of shareholders or direct customers. They need to consider the impact their work has on the widest possible range of stakeholders in society.”
As such, the program is looking into developing consultancy relationships with B-schools in the idea of “conscious capitalism.”
“That’s the idea that when capitalism is practiced ethically and consciously, it should do more than make profits, it should elevate humanity by aiming at higher purposes, taking into account the broader needs of society, and building a culture of trust and accountability for all those it serves,” Spencer tells Forbes. “Our Principled Leadership Program serves as a strong foundation for such a change.”
Here is the list of this year’s McGowan Fellows:
Pooja Aysola, MIT Sloan School of Business
Mehal Choudhary, Columbia University Graduate School of Business
Brittney Cummins, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.
Sanat Daga, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Adam Davis, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Jane Fisher, Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business
Alexander Goot, University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Matthew Griffin, Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business
Karthik Hakkuvan, Duke University Fuqua School of Business
Alex Lowry, University of Michigan Ross School of Management
