Harvard MBA Program

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HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL, home to the renowned Harvard MBA program, is undoubtedly one of the top premier institutes in the world, known for its diversity, holistic application process, and experienced teachers.

Founded in 1636, Harvard business program is the oldest University in the United States and undoubtedly the most prestigious one. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is known not just for its breath-taking campus but for its academic excellence, high placement ratio, and whatnot!

Harvard MBA Ranking

Harvard MBA program comes under the famous top H-W-S trio ranking as top 3 in the USA as well as its an M7 business school which is a group of top-notch Business schools in the United States of America, known for quality education, reputation, academic brilliance, and high pay scale opportunities. 

Getting into Harvard MBA program is not an easy task for any candidate. First and foremost, you need to excel in your GMAT scores, and above that, you should have a solid extraordinary undergrad GPA. A GMAT score of 720+ and an average GPA of 3.7 will most certainly help the admission process to Harvard business schools a lot smoother.

The adcom committee at HBS is prudent enough to frame their essays and application process so that they can certainly and strenuously evaluate your skill-set, leadership qualities, how well you thrive in extraordinary circumstances, and to know whether you are self-conscious about yourself or not. Thus, along with exceptional scores, the MBA program demands a hell of a lot of intellectual ability and analytical skills to surpass all the hurdles during the course period of 2 years. Moreover, you need to showcase that you’re curious enough to expand your knowledge base and use it to contribute to the class. 

Harvard Acceptance Rate: How Difficult is it to get into Harvard

Harvard MBA program being one of the most prestigious B-schools not just in the U.S. but in the world, its admission standards are very rigorous and meticulous in terms of academics, extracurriculars, and whatnot. As a result, competition to get into Harvard amazon students is fierce. 

Being a top notch B-School, the acceptance rates at Harvard business schools is much more rigorous compared to even top-class MBA Schools. However, the acceptance rates are even less than 14%; hence, you need to have an extraordinary good profile to get enrollment.

Harvard University’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2024 is 3.59%, which is the highest acceptance rate in four years.

What Does Harvard Look for in an Applicant

Although, for Harvard MBA program, there is no such thing as ‘ Typical Harvard Student,’ they consider all their applicants as an individual who has different goals, ideas, beliefs, and even different points of view to look up to. Still, the following are some parameters on which Harvard judges its potential applicants:

Growth and Potential

• Do you have initiative
•  How have you used your time
• Are you a self-starter
• What motivates you
• Where do you see yourself in 1, 5, or 25 years

Interests and Activities

• What is the quality of your activities
• Do you appear to have a real commitment and leadership role
• What have you learned from your interests
• What excites you the most

Personal Character

• Are you self-confident? How
• How open are you to new people and ideas
• What about your sense of humor, grace under pressure, concern for others
• What choices have you made for your future self

CONTRIBUTION TO HARVARD’S COMMUNITY

• What diversity will you bring to Harvard’s community
• Will you be able to stand up to the pressures and freedoms of college life
• Will you benefit from your Harvard experience

Harvard MBA Essay Questions

For the Class of 2024, the question assigned for the application process is:

As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard MBA program

No word limit is assigned for this question enabling the candidates to elaborate more about their past experiences, problems faced, and how you turned the tide in their favor. Three main aspects of writing a simple yet effective answer are 

• Don’t overthink

• Over-craft

• Overwrite

Just answer the question in clear language such that even those who don’t know the technical hitches of your world can understand. Moreover, try to repeat any rigid facts that are already inscribed in your resume or application portfolio.  

However, for the joint program applicants at Harvard Medical School, School of Dental Medicine, Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School, an additional essay is a must which is mentioned below:

How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400 words)

First of all, understand the questions. Don’t start haphazardly listing the benefits of both the program, one after the other. What’s important is to strike a balance between both the disciplines and highlight the importance of the dual degree in a few questions such as:-     

• How a joint degree is more beneficial for you than a simple MBA?

• How your professional or personal experience becomes handy while tackling both disciplines?

• If you intend to change your industry, why choose to favor a specific Joint degree over the others?

• How will a Joint degree help you achieve your post-MBA goals?

What Makes a Harvard Applicant Sand Out

• Showcase Your Academic Excellence

To stand out in Harvard MBA program application, you need to perform exceptionally well in your GMAT/GRE test. However, having a high GMAT/GRE score won’t guarantee your spot in Harvard, but it will keep adcoms interested in your application; your high score will showcase that you are a hard worker with a stellar academic record and increase your chance to Harvard.

• Amaze Them With Your Essays

Harvard being a reputed B-school, has plenty of applications with robust profiles. So, use your Essay as a medium to demonstrate your unique voice and strong character. And you can do that simply by writing something that only you could write.

Tell a story that demonstrates your persistence, work ethic, creativity, and even your mistakes and how you cope with them.

• Wow Them With Your Extracurriculars

Demonstrate excellence by participating in a club or activity you are interested in. Don’t just join a club; instead, showcase your leadership role in it, what contribution you have made in that club so far and how your presence affects the working of that club.

Remember to have quality over quantity. Harvard and other M7 will not care how many things you participate in. Rather they want to see excellence and deep dedication in one or two fields you are passionate about.

• Grab The Volunteering Opportunity

Volunteering in your community is always a smart way to show your generosity and good heart. It is also a great way to impress and spot your place in the hearts of adcoms. You can find volunteering opportunities easily in your locality, like helping children learn to read and write, cleaning an old age or veteran’s home in your area, or simply providing shelter to the homeless. There are countless ways to volunteer in your community and strengthen your application.

• Maintain a High GPA

Try to maintain a high GPA; this will help adcoms understand that you will keep up the rigor of the Harvard subjects. However, having a high GPA won’t simply break your doors to get into Harvard, but it will keep you in the running for admissions to the college.

• Focus on Bringing Diversity

The competition to get into Harvard is very high. So, to stand out from the crowd and make a mark on adcoms, you need to convey through your application how uniquely you and your experiences are going to contribute to Harvard’s community. What diversity (diversity of background, ideas, perspectives, intellect, etc.) you are bringing in, and how your presence will enhance the school’s environment.

List of MBA Programs Offered by Harvard Business School

Other than the standard two-year MBA program, the HBS, in collaboration with six Harvard University graduate schools, hosts seven joint degree programs designed to prepare every individual for complex situations & leadership challenges that balance expertise with practical management skills.

Every year hundreds of students on the HBS campus pursue joint degree MBA in different fields offered by the school. Amongst all, the MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences is the newest joint degree program offered by HBS designed for students interested in growing organizations that will advance new drug discoveries or therapeutics.

• MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Program

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) and Harvard Medical School through the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (SCRB) to offer the MS/MBA biotech program 

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard Kennedy School to offer two separate programs, namely the 

• MBA/MPP (Master of Public Policy)  
• MBA/MPA-ID (Master of Public Administration-International Development)
• JD/MBA

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard Law School for a law program offered jointly to offer the JD/MBA.

• MD/MBA

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard Medical School to jointly offer the MD/MBA program. 

• DMD/MBA

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard School of Dental Medicine to offer DMD/MBA program jointly. 

• MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program

Harvard Business School partners with Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences to offer an engineering science program jointly.

Harvard Career Development Resources

HBS Career & Professional Development Offers) primary job is to provide varied resources according to the needs of each individual. The CPD offers tools a student requires both for internship and full-time search and an array of resources geared toward your professional development post-HBS.

Dedicated Team

CPD is committed to both students and alumni to help them realize their unique career visions. CPD’s dedicated team comprises more than 30 career education professionals working together to guide students and alumni throughout their career journey. Moreover, the CPD team provides valuable programming for students and alumni to create a beneficial employer relationship for the HBS network.

Experienced Coaches

In addition to a dedicated team, each student and alumni can have a choice about selecting from more than 60 career coaches trained to work with them throughout their career trajectories. The Coaches themselves are experienced business professionals who would help you draft resumes, cover letters, and at the same time create and execute a search strategy, prepare for interviews and improve your networking.

Company Connections

The CPD partners with more than 1,400 companies every year; together, they host different events, post jobs, and conduct interviews. In addition, students and alumni have access to the exclusive CPD database, where one can search for companies, contacts, and job postings by industry, location, and function.

Student Fellowships

HBS supports diverse career paths through alumni fellowships, loan assistance, and internship funding other than partnerships with different companies. For example, in 2021 itself, 223 students completed internships through HBS Summer Fellows Program. 

Global Opportunity Fellowship (GO: AFRICA)

HBS supports MBA graduates and recent alumni who are helping to make a difference working in Africa. The GO Fellowship is only awarded to many students and recent graduates ready to accept a full-time, post-MBA job in Africa or the founder of a new venture in the African continent.

The Alumni Network

At HBS, you’ll have an amazing opportunity to be able to connect with more than 86,000 alumni throughout your career period. Moreover, you can also connect with any fellow Harvard B-School alumni through various Alumni clubs worldwide.

Fostering Entrepreneurship

Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship. With its unique programming and opportunities, including the Rock Summer Fellows program & the HBS New Venture Competition, one can access top-notch centers for entrepreneurship at both the Rock Center and the Harvard Innovation Lab.

Today, HBS MBA alumni are a strong community that contributes to the growth and excellence of various organizations worldwide. A few of them started and launched their welfare organizations! 

Harvard MBA Careers

Form about 900 MBAs who graduate every year from HBS go with a life mission of making a difference. Two-third of Harvard MBAs build their careers in the US. Others take over to these different sectors: 

• Financial Services (34%)
• Consulting (24%)
• Technology (19%)
• Healthcare (7%)
• Manufacturing (4%)
• Entertainment/ Media (2%)
• Consumer Products (3%)
• Non-Profit/ Government (4%)

Job Location

The data below represents the job location of students of the Class of 2021

• United States – 87%
• Northeast (US) – 49%
• West (US) – 22%
• Southwest (US) – 5% 
• Mid-Atlantic (US) – 4%
• Midwest (US) – 3%
• South (US) – 3%

• International – 13%
• Sub-Saharan Africa <1%
• The Middle East & North Africa <1%
• Latin America <1%
• Europe – 6%
• Asia – 4%
• Australia & Oceania <1%
• Canada – 1%

Harvard MBA Deadlines

The Harvard Business School Admissions Committee has arranged two rounds of deadlines this year for applicants who wish to join the Harvard Business School class of 2024. Applicants must submit their applications (including references) by 12 noon: 00 pm ET, the day of each deadline. 

Applications received in the afternoon on September 8, 2024, will be considered in the first round. Additionally, any Class of 2024 applications received after September 8, 2024, will be considered in Round 2. Any applications received after noon on January 4, 2024, will not be considered.

ROUND	APPLICATION DEADLINE	DECISION NOTIFICATION
2+2 ROUND	28 APRIL, 2024	JULY 2024
ROUND 1	08 SEPTEMBER, 2024	09 DECEMBER, 2024
ROUND 2	04 JANUARY, 2024	30 MARCH, 2024

Please note that each “round” represents a distinct period in which you may apply, not a succession of steps for your application. You may apply in one round only, once in an application year.

Harvard Class Profile: Class of 2024

Diversity

Harvard business school truly hosts a very diverse student body in terms of educational background, nationality, different interests, and ambitions. This diversity is the very foundation of the HBS learning model.

The pie chart below represents the nationality of the Applications received in the 2020-2021 Academic Year, around 9,773 applications.

For more information on diversity, let us look at the data below that showcases the variety Harvard had in its MBA class of 2023:

	FEDERAL GUIDELINES REPORTING		MULTI-DIMENSIONAL REPORTING
AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKA NATIVE, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER	1	0.2%	10	2%
ASIAN AMERICAN	155	24%	169	26%
BLACK / AFRICAN AMERICAN	80	12%	88	14%
HISPANIC / LATINX	73	11%	73	11%
WHITE	301	47%	380	59%
MULTI-RACE	23	4%	—	—
DID NOT REPORT	8	1%	8	1%

For more details on the MBA class of 2023 profile, you can click the below link. Moreover, the below link will direct you to the official Harvard website, where you can learn more about

• Federal Guidelines Reporting
• Multi-Dimensional Reporting

Harvard MBA Cost

For the MBA batch of 2024 at the Harvard Business School, the tuition fee is around $76,000. To ensure a sure shot admission to the school, a detailed plan and a strong application letter are required. However, with such high tuition fees, HBS provides more than 800-900 different annual scholarships for students eligible based on their needs.

In the below paragraph, we will discuss all the different types of scholarships offered by the HBS every year.

Harvard MBA Scholarships and Financial Aid

HBS, one of the topmost premier institutes, requires a significant investment in time and money. Moreover, apart from tuition and living expenses, several added expenses make you think twice before pursuing an MBA in the world’s one of the most prestigious schools.

But fret not! Other the academic brilliance, HBS is also known for offering generous financial aid throughout your time as a student and beyond. The aid applies to everything from Tuition Assistance to Summer Fellowships to Career Support & Exploration. More than 50% of HBS students receive need-based scholarships, with the majority of scholarships in the $30–$70k range. Moreover, every year 800–900 Need-based scholarships are funded. An average of $42K scholarship award is given in a year, with the total SCHOLARSHIP BUDGET being around $43M in 2020.

Now, let us look at different types of scholarships offered by the Harvard Business School. 

• Tuition Assistance – These are Need-based scholarships, fellowships, and student loans that are offered to help one meet their cost of attending school.
  
• Summer Fellowships are financial support for summer internship opportunities between your first and second year.
  
• Career Support & Exploration – Financial assistance programs at graduation and/or beyond (e.g., loan reduction and repayment assistance programs).

Loan Reduction

Apart from scholarship aids, HBS offers a loan reduction program for each graduate working in the private sector with loan interests significantly below the HBS average. Additionally, any HBS alumni can apply to the HBS Social Enterprise Loan Repayment Assistance Program, managed by the Social Enterprise Initiative.

According to HBS, “each MBAid Journey is unique, based on own circumstances, passions, and career interests. The school is there to help you understand your options and shape your journey to becoming a leader who will make a difference in the world.”

Why Harvard MBA. Are You a Good Fit for Harvard

CASE METHOD

Harvard takes pride in its case method, which it rightly claims to be the foundation of its MBA curriculum. In each class, you read a case about a protagonist and a decision that they are facing. Then, you’re put into the protagonist’s shoes and forced to decide on what they should do, often without all the information you’d like to have. 

FOCUS ON GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Harvard MBA highly focuses on preparing you to be a general manager putting you into the shoes to make tough decisions. The first year at Harvard MBA is, you may call, the least flexible of all business schools, preparing you for broad, general management education. So, it helps you develop the foundational skills critical for business.

THE SECTION

Unlike other business schools, Harvard divides its MBA class into sections. You have to take every class with your section for the first year. As a result, you get to know every member of your section incredibly well, and much of your social life and professional networking will be section-driven. But, on the flip side, you may not be quite as close as the other 840 students in your class.

NOT A “FIERCE, CUT-THROAT COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT”

As assumed by many people, Harvard does not encourage competition. 75-80% of the class gets the same grade (2), 5-10% get 1s, and 10-15% get 3s. Everyone receives the same grades, engendering a non-competitive spirit. So, it helps you focus less on grades and more on learning inside and outside of class.

Many other things make Harvard unique. Its high reputation, name-brand faculty, glorious Harvard employment reports, etc. But these are important qualities that stand out based on the experience of students there and will help you make a more insightful decision into why you would want to go for a Harvard MBA. 

Recruiters

It’s a pretty well-known fact that Harvard attracts some of the biggest companies worldwide, including Amazon, Amazon Studios, American Airlines, Inc, Blackberry Farm, ByteDance, and many more. To know more about all the summer intern and MBA Graduates hired by different organizations.

BCG, McKinsey, and Bain are among the world’s most voracious hirers of MBA talent, being the top three major employers at Harvard Business School, with McKinsey leading the recruitment process at Harvard and Stanford. In contrast, BCG tops the list at Wharton.

If you want to look into other M7, you can read this article that shares tips on making a good application and standing out even if you belong to an over-represented group.

Average Salary Packages

Apart from enriching your knowledge base and skill-set necessary for future endeavors, graduating from a top Business school like Harvard surely increases your package by many folds. To understand, let us look at average packages, signing bonuses, and performance bonuses for the previous year.

• Median Base Salary – $ 150,500
• Median Signing Bonus – $ 30,000 – About 51% of the graduates received a signing bonus on joining.
• Median Performance Bonus – $37,000 – About 65% of the graduates received a performance bonus.

However, besides ensuring high annual packages and a good position in a reputed company, a Harvard MBA curriculum is designed in such a way to help you develop advanced and flexible management skills, leadership qualities, and strategic management.

Understanding each and every aspect about the School and its program, scholarship, tuition fees, job location, and admission process can be pretty hectic for a person new to this field in any case; if you need more in-depth information about any particular aspect of the Campus facilities, types of MBA, application process, interviews, and course structure, feel free to hop on a 1:1 call with our team of experts.

We at MBAandBeyond follow a stepwise procedure to ensure maximum efficiency, quality, and interaction to make sure we make every minute worth it! We at MBA and beyond are determined to guide you through your entire application process, ensuring the best offers from top Business schools. Happy learning 🙂