Unlike other M7 and T20 schools, Harvard MBA has only two application deadlines. The first is September 4th, 2024, and the second is January 6th, 2025.
Admission Consultant’s Note
If you are targeting Stanford and Harvard, prioritize the ‘What Matters Essay’ first, as you are likely to gather unique stories from your life that could be used for Harvard’s leadership essay. See our sample essays to understand the narrative style expected in leadership essays for HSW and M7 schools.
Harvard Full-time MBA Deadlines (2025 Entering Class)
• Round 1: September 4th 2024
• Round 2: January 6th 2025
What are the latest essays for the Harvard Full-time MBA Program?
Required Essay #1: Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you strive to make on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
Required Essay #2: Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)
Required Essay #3: Growth-Oriented Essay/Curiosity: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (250 words)
What has changed in Harvard MBA Essays – 2025 Entering Class?
Harvard used to ask an open-ended essay that require applicants to highlight aspects of their personality not visible in any part of the application. In short – there was no particular theme to Harvard’s MBA Essay prompt.
When did Harvard MBA Change its Essay Prompt Before?
When you are in the industry for as long as us, there are some interesting archival articles.
Fun Fact: It was in 2012 that the school changed its essay. Here is an excerpt from F1GMAT’s Harvard MBA Admission Updates page
May 22th 2012: Essay 1: Tell us about something you did well. (400 words)
Essay 2: Tell us about something you wish you had done better. (400 words)
In 2012, when the focus was on applicants as a contributor, in 2024, Harvard clearly evolved to look at MBA applicants from three perspectives – business, leadership, and curiosity as a virtue for growth.
Writer’s Tip
In most of the Harvard MBA essays I have edited, I noticed that the IMPACT is captured with precision. It is the emotion or ‘human’ qualities that makes the admissions person empathize with you as an authentic person and not just an abstract entity with titles and achievements. .
