For the 2024 Entering Class, Harvard Business School has one long-form Essay question with a 900-word limit.
The question is
“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?”
In addition to the long-form essay, applicants also have the option to express themselves personally in four places:
1) Personal Information: In the personal information section, there is a 40-word space to offer additional context for each of the cities/countries where you lived. See Harvard MBA Application Breakdown
2) Employer: The second place where you are free to express personally is the Key accomplishments (40 words), the reason for leaving (40 words), and the most significant challenges (40 words) under each employer. If you strategically plan the entire application, you can avoid repeating your resume or application narrative for your 900-word essay. For help, Download F1GMAT’s HBS Essay Guide, or you can reach out to me for an initial conversation about strategizing and planning for your HBS MBA Application.
3) Post-MBA Goal: The 80-word post-MBA goal section should include primarily your short-term goals with a long-term goal mentioned at the end. Tie both goals together with a personal narrative for the 900-word essay. It should make logical sense but also be ambitious for a Harvard MBA Application.
4) Additional Information: This 80-word space should only be used if you don’t have sufficient space to offer context about your career changes. This is useful for those who are transitioning from non-traditional backgrounds (creative, sports) or those who had unforeseen circumstances interrupting their career, like life-threatening illness, death in the family, or other responsibilities.
5) Family Background: The 40-word space is ideal for those who are first-generation college attendees. If you are not using financial adversity as the primary theme in your 900-word Harvard MBA Essay, use this space. I would recommend that you include the family background for context and expand on it with the essay narrative.
For help drafting believable narratives, Download F1GMAT’s Harvard MBA Essay Guide. We have included Samples for your inspiration.
