harvard mba essay tips

harvard mba essay tips

Effective Strategies for Writing Compelling Harvard MBA Application Essays

1. Introduction to the Harvard MBA Application Process

The HBS essay question is derived from the interviews that are conducted with each applicant. Therefore, you need to think very hard about your answers to these essay questions, because these are the discussions that you’re likely to have with Admissions. But equally important is that you’re going to be asked to prepare these essays under a tight time constraint, reflecting reality with the admissions office. The only elements left behind in this process will be your creativity, uniqueness, dedication, commitment, and scholarly talent. How bright will you and your experience shine through? And have you identified the areas that matter the most to your future as a leader and business professional? You are going to need to craft individual essays that demonstrate these traits, but also work in support of the entire application as a whole.

The Harvard Business School MBA application process is one of the most competitive in the world, and you need to set yourself apart from literally thousands of other applicants. Writing powerful essays is one of those key strategies. Writing compelling essays for your Harvard MBA application will help you stay on track, explaining why you’re interested in pursuing an MBA in the first place and serving as a great opportunity for you to articulate your goals, your identity, and your authentic voice.

2. Understanding the Purpose of the Essay Section

When you finally have access to the application form, you will know that there are several different sections, one of which is on education and personal details. With regard specifically to the essay section, the interviewer will be looking for answers to the following questions: 1. What is the nature of the interaction you experienced with the individual(s) during your process of becoming known to the MBA program? 2. What do you bring to this particular process? We are interested in learning about the experience of each individual as a team member and as a process detail. We also understand that many different types of individuals are admitted to Kellogg. What do you need yourself to be most effective at coming to the potential of that person? 3. Are you a well-qualified academic prospect with the ability and academic learning skills to excel at the MBA program, with its unique, demanding, fast-paced environment? 4. What are the personal and professional concepts that you hope to achieve as a result of attending the MBA program? 5. What are the opportunities that you could potentially be offering that would serve the program’s first-time or alumni engagement?

If you’re thinking of applying to any initial MBA programs, you will be required to submit some very demanding academic essays as part of the application process. This is why it would be a good idea to get the help of an MBA essay editing service. People at this type of service will help you to improve your graduate program essay writing. It doesn’t matter what process of the graduate program essay writing you need help with. When it comes to writing your Harvard MBA application essays, many applicants are not totally sure as to what needs to be written. Keep reading to understand the purpose of the essay section and how to write an effective Harvard MBA application essay.

3. Crafting a Strong Personal Narrative

When you consider the alternatives, what business schools should do to satisfy their personal narrative requirement, the currently experienced tools available to them, and the feasibility of more exacting, would you rather take an aptitude test?

The application essays are not intended merely as a demonstration of mastery exercising on important social intelligence skills of Hay/McBer. Like any socially intelligent act, their expressive outward function is much more important. Although it is certainly true that Harvard uses the essays to evaluate whether we would want the student in class or as a member of our team, the essays also represent the only time you, the applicant, have an opportunity to express why you want to attend Harvard Business School. The essays remain your sole chance to explain what you expect of yourself and hope to achieve at HBS, what you expect of your cosmopolitan classmates, and why you think the admissions committee should agree that expending between dollars and years on an MBA is a prudent investment in yourself. These essays are your chance to sell yourself.

As unpalatable as it may be to many of us, the MBA admissions process is an exercise in self-marketing. Traditionally, business schools have sold the degree by promoting its superior financial returns in earnings, career progression, and personal net worth. Although all these desired outcomes are true and supported by considerable evidence, the decision to attend business school and the motivation of the person making that choice are less tangible and more difficult to measure. This is why Harvard and most other top-tier programs require essays as part of the application process.

Chapter 4 What it means: The role of the personal narrative in the application process

Part Two. Crafting a strong personal narrative

4. Showcasing Leadership and Impact

If the result is less quantifiable, then another way to showcase your impact is to show peer leadership. When your boss allows you to lead team training, this is because they trust you with tasks they don’t trust the rest of the team with. This is a form of leadership that may not have a clear explanation in the classic definition but exists in the world of business. How did the result of the leadership opportunity help your boss and peers? This is a more abstract way to show your leadership impact on the job, and while it may require some more creativity, it’s equally as defining to who you are at your place of employment. And don’t think that just because you only have a sentence worth of space to disprove that your leadership resulted in a positive impact, you shouldn’t mention it.

Harvard’s essays aim to get a look at what you are as a person. Good essays are the cornerstones of a great application. And good essays will only help you stand out if what you are showing is remarkable. So here’s where we factor in leadership of impact. Always connect your leadership with the result of your efforts. You want to show a result that is quantifiable and explain how your leadership skills led to that result being achieved.

Showcasing leadership on your resume is, of course, a must when applying to an MBA program. But showcasing leadership on your essays can be just as important. Why? Because you have limited opportunities to explain your leadership on your application, but a lot of opportunities to do it in the essays.

5. Tips for Writing with Clarity and Precision

By adding significant data, the writing will become much more compelling. Start with broad general statements and then add specifics. You should continue to ask, “What kind of leader?” to a journalist-becomes-manager, who becomes content. At the time of writing, I had given 7 specific tips on leadership, which includes well-structured narratives that define important learning experiences. Over time, this list will improve.

This concept is best illustrated with an example. “I want to be a leader just because I feel like it exists within me, waiting to be nurtured and born. I just know it. I don’t have many examples of leadership to offer right now, but trust me, I will have after graduating from HBS,” might illustrate that someone wants to lead, but lacks content and evidence. “I was able to turn around GMAT scores through coaching, peer teaching, and subsequent academic moderation. This process required hard work and was satisfying. I want to continue the feeling of accomplishment that comes with making a meaningful difference in business and its future in a senior leadership role within the tech sector,” begins to give more evidence of leadership potential.