With an acceptance rate that hovers in the 11.5% range, even a deserving candidate will find herself biting her nails, anticipating the status update at 12:00 noon EST.
When an applicant faces rejection from Harvard Business School, the first reaction is to “Blame their I.Q.,” the second “Blame their luck,” and third, “Blame their work schedule.”
I.Q. has nothing to do with your rejection, especially for Harvard MBA that receives over 8000 applications for the Full-time MBA program.
The Story of the Harvard MBA Reject
Warren Buffet was only 19 when he was rejected from Harvard Business School. The reason as you might have guessed - he was too young for an MBA. Things have turned out well for the investment guru, whose company, Berkshire Hathaway 2024, reported revenue of $402 Billion, taking the price of the stock to over $671,750. Thousands of MBAs, many from Harvard Business School, work for Warren indirectly through his major stock-holding companies: American Express, Coca-Cola, DirecTV, U.S. Bancorp, Moody’s Corporation, Wells Fargo, and IBM.
High I.Q. and Success: Myth
Let us, for the sake of argument, assume that GMAT Score and GPA have a high correlation with your I.Q. A study followed the lives of the 1940s classes of Harvard Business School into their middle ages to see how test scores impacted their career – salary, status, and productivity. Harvard MBAs with higher test scores did not perform better than the low test-scoring peers. Their life satisfaction (relationship and quality of life) was not any different from the mediocre students. There was no correlation between I.Q. (Test Scores) and success. A Harvard MBA opens the door for you, as do other career options. If your I.Q. is average to above average, you should know that your future success is not dependent on it.
Luck – Yes, it is a Factor But.
In 2007, I attended a self-improvement session that revealed the true purpose of my life. There were life audits, analysis of emotional scars as a child, and role-play. One such session was supposed to train us to understand events and outcomes. Three volunteers from the audience were asked to stand in a queue, and the facilitator would push the volunteer standing at the very end and demonstrate how the queue falls apart with one person’s action. The facilitator then asked the entire audience to move to the other side of the room where we could see the same event from a different angle. Again, he asked the question “Why did the Queue fall apart?” One person began explaining the event at a Kinetic level, while another person started analyzing it at a philosophical level. After we had discussed the event from three to four angles, the facilitator interrupted one of the participants, who was explaining it from the context of teamwork, “Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop..”. Did any of you ask, “Let’s move on to the next item on the Agenda?”
We began looking at each other, confused and slightly annoyed by the whole exercise. His point was simple, “Luck plays a big factor in any outcome.” If you try to decode luck by analyzing the event at different angles (perspective), incorporating your biases, you still won’t be able to decode it. You did your best, and if luck (Random Event) did not favor your candidacy, “Move on with the next application.”
Emotional Intelligence: The Real Differentiator
How you react to events, without getting overwhelmed by the outcome of an event will decide your future success. It is not how you react that matters, but your knowledge of how you will react is what actually matters. When you know your emotions, managing them becomes easy.
For those who say, “Don’t take it personally,” you know they have not walked in your shoes. Of course, it is personal; you even quoted the time in Grade 2 when you found your real passion. You smiled sincerely at the interviewer and bled passion with each word. Nothing moved the HBS Admission team, but you know no one will support your cause if you do not support yourself.
For those rejected without an interview, understand the fundamentals of storytelling in MBA essays. You can purchase a copy of the world's most comprehensive essay guide here where I show how to write compelling narratives.
You are your biggest cheerleader. It is all right to hit the bar and have a few rounds of beer. Let that nerve calm down, but one day of mourning is enough; you have other top schools to apply to. Don’t lose focus. Most M7 schools are reaching equilibrium in compensation and opportunities. Target peer schools - Stanford (P.E. and Consulting), Booth (Consulting), and even Columbia if your goal is to grow in I.B. or Consulting.
Maybe your expressive writing will find better takers at Stanford or Booth.
