Schools have tried disrupting the application process with tweet essay, video essay, and image-based questions. From the many disruptions, the video essay has become a supplemental essay for many top MBA. Harvard Business School has continued with this one question:
Q) 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? (Harvard MBA Essay in 2016,2017,2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
This question has remained the same for Harvard MBA Applications from 2016 to 2024 entering class. The team switched up a little bit in 2015 with an ‘introduction’ question that clearly didn’t work out. But if you go back, 2013 was the turning point when they introduced an open-ended question:
“You’re applying to Harvard Business School. We can see your resume, school transcripts, extra-curricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores, and what your recommenders have to say about you. What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?”
The intent of the question has remained the same – to see you beyond your profession, accomplishments, and goals.
Evolution of Harvard MBA Essay
So, how did the admission team evolve and begin focusing on open-ended questions?
Harvard MBA Essay in 2008 was like any other School Essay
In 2008, the essay was typical:
- What are your three most substantial accomplishments, and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
- What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):
- What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
- Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.
- What area of the world are you most curious about and why?
- What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
The admission team was trying to gauge your emotional intelligence with questions on accomplishment, mistakes, and attitude towards community, academics and goals.
2009 to 2012 – The Standard Why MBA Essay
From 2009 to 2012, the questions on accomplishment and mistake were consistent with 2012, introducing the standard why MBA question.
2023 and beyond – the Motivation for Harvard MBA
1) Values Driving the Accomplishment
While editing MBA application essays, I have also wondered about the client’s motivation. Some first drafts are opaque, with little revealed about the person behind the goals. Only when I ask the applicant to expand on a phrase or a triggering event that pushed them to a career in PE are when interesting motivations revealed. Often, my effort as an editor and consultant is to encourage the applicant to reveal some motivation without revealing too much. Revealing too much motivation early on is the #4 mistake in my MBA Essay Mistake series . It can turn into a caricature if the examples cited and the examples listed in the resume don’t match.
2) Beyond Cosmetic Weakness
You don’t have to reveal a catastrophic mistake that might jeopardize your admission chances to go beyond cosmetic weakness. Being specific and offering context is key to bringing authentic weaknesses into the essay. If you want to understand how to spot a lie or a peripheral expert with limited in-depth knowledge, observe how the person details the specifics. Many can’t. That is why interviews are a great tool to validate applicants.
Cosmetic weaknesses will have all the traits of what an admission person wants to hear with forced heroes’ narrative. Genuine MBA weakness in essays will have the protagonist owning up to a weakness, working on it, and offering the right context.
3) Visions of a Better World
A vision about the world that aligns with an ideology is key to standing out in school applications. Unlike a few years back, when the ideologies were ambiguous or even liberal faculty seldom openly stated their position, post-2016, there has been a huge shift in how openly one can express one's political leanings. Based on the causes and the representation of faculty with liberal ideologies, we can safely reach a conclusion that Harvard MBA values liberal causes.
Shortlisting motivations and examples that match the political ideology of the MBA admissions team are important for influencing admission outcomes.
The liberal vs. very liberal is the secret to fine-tuning your tone for all MBA Essays.
