How to Write Harvard MBA Essays in 2024?
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Unlock the secrets of Harvard Business School admissions. Discover expert strategies for tackling the challenging MBA essay prompts and maximizing your chances of acceptance. Learn how to craft a compelling essay that showcases your leadership potential and secures your place in this prestigious institution.
Harvard MBA Essay Prompts 2024
Here are the MBA essay prompts that have to be submitted for Harvard University admissions:
- Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
- 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)
- Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)
Usually, to acquire an MBA from Harvard, there are several prompts to be answered. However, Harvard expects only one essay. Given below is the only Harvard MBA essay that you are expected to prepare:
‘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? (900 words)’
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Approaching the Harvard MBA Essay Prompts
Looking at the question/prompt, it may seem like it is open-ended, but for a Harvard University essay, you need to analyse the key strengths that you will highlight in your answer. Also, focus on the word ‘more’ – it implies that you need to provide unique content in this Harvard essay. Avoid reiterating facts and points that are already mentioned in your CV and other official documents.
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Here are the key aspects to be covered, structurally, in this essay:
- Leadership Potential/Motivation: The purpose of an MBA degree is to develop the leader within each student. Hence, begin your Harvard essay with a recent anecdote or an instance that became the turning point of your life and introduced you to your potential of becoming a strong leader. Give an impressive start to your essay by preferably talking about the time/instance, when you led a diverse team, to complete a challenging task. Show your actions, efforts and the ultimate outcome achieved. This should emerge as a story that inspired you to pursue an MBA degree.
- Academic and Professional Life: Once you have explained your motivation and demonstrated your leadership potential, you can highlight your academic and professional experiences, chronologically, in your Harvard MBA essay that have shaped your personality. Cover experiences that are recent (preferably within last five years). Avoid instances from far back in time. These experiences should not be the same as those in your resume. Rather, talk about incidents that underscore your decision-making capabilities, analytical thinking, and the confidence to bring about change and take initiatives. You can also highlight managerial skills, communication abilities, deadline orientation, and dedication towards work, in this part of your essay.
- Community Service/Extracurricular Activities: Besides your regular academic and professional life, it will be beneficial if you highlight your involvement in various other activities. Talk about your recent contributions as a member of an NGO or formal associations with community-driven initiatives. You can also talk about your accomplishments in sports, dance, drama, music, or other activities that you follow passionately. This will show that you are an all-rounder, and possess a healthy approach to life. Avoid stating hobbies as your Harvard MBA essay should be formal and logical in tone.
- Reasons to pursue MBA: As you conclude your recent professional experiences, show how they have prepared you for an MBA degree. Talk about the qualities that you wish to acquire from your MBA. What are the key skills that you wish to develop and the knowledge pool that you will build in your graduation. This part of your Harvard University essay should bridge your existing expertise with what you plan to gain from your MBA. Check out: Why Study at Harvard?
- Goals: For an MBA applicant, goals play a major role. Therefore, take time to think about how do you plan to proceed with your career? Talk about your short-term goals – where do you see yourself immediately after completing your MBA? Do mention the firm you wish to join, the sector in which you want to be involved in, and your preferred designation/role. It is preferable if you continue in your existing field, or else, give suitable justification for the career switch. More importantly, mention the responsibilities that you wish to undertake. This should be aligned with your intent to lead and manage. Further explain your long-term goals – what is your ultimate aim? These should focus on you becoming a top-notch corporate leader or an entrepreneur, managing your own firm. Elaborate on the path that you will undertake – how will you contribute to society or your community, and make a positive difference as a leader?
- Reasons to choose Harvard: You can dedicate some part of your Harvard MBA essay to explain why Harvard Business School is the best fit for your goals. You can mention some specific modules, or opportunities like industrial collaborations, which are aligned with your goals. Highlight the specific features that have helped you choose Harvard University as your preferred destination.
- Conclusion: Exude self-confidence as you conclude your Harvard University essay. Highlight the crucial qualities along with diverse cultural, academic, and professional experiences that you will bring with you to the institution. End your essay on a note such that your acceptance into Harvard Business School should seem like a mutually beneficial association.
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Additional Tips for HBS MBA Essays
Now that we have explained the Harvard University essay prompt at great length, you should be familiar with the way to approach this essay. Proceed step-by-step and think of all your experiences that make you a potential candidate for an MBA degree. Given below are some more guidelines to follow:
- Focus on yourself in your essay. Avoid stating generic information.
- Use impressive language and not fancy words.
- Quantify facts, wherever and whenever possible. It adds value to your statement.
- Proofread your document multiple times to ensure it is error-free.
- Check your document for grammatical mistakes and inconsistencies.
- Give enough space to each part of the essay to ensure a balanced final product. Avoid exhausting all the word limits on a single aspect. It will make your essay look verbose and boring.
- Your Harvard essay outline should be well-structured to enhance readability.
We know that preparing a Harvard MBA essay can be a daunting task because you will be competing with brilliant brains, all across the world, for limited seats. However, the best way to handle it is to keep calm and stay focused on your strengths. Being authentic and genuine goes a long way when it comes to MBA applications. For any questions or concerns regarding your Harvard University essay, do not hesitate to contact us. Drop your query and we will get back to you as soon as possible. All the best for your applications!
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Crafting a concise yet compelling response to Harvard’s MBA essay prompt are a challenging but rewarding endeavour. Remember to be authentic, showcase self-awareness, and align your experiences with the values of HBS. Within the prescribed word limit, ensure that every sentence and anecdote contributes to a comprehensive and impactful portrayal of your candidacy. With a well-structured and thoughtfully crafted Harvard essay, you can enhance your chances of securing a spot in the prestigious HBS MBA program.
Candidates looking for assistance with university admissions can get in touch with our Shiksha Topper Counselling services on our website. For other queries feel free to get in touch with us in the comments below. To read more about MBA Essays from top universities, visit our website.
MBA Essays of Leading Universities
How to Prepare MBA Essay for Harvard - FAQs
Q. How hard is it to get into Harvard MBA?
A. As one of the most competitive and sought-after institutions for an MBA program, Harvard has an acceptance rate of 13-14%. For 2025, the university will be enrolling 938 students and they would receive approximately 8000 to 9000 applications. Therefore, you can understand the level of competition that you need to beat to get into Harvard MBA.
Q. What is the significance of essays for an MBA at Harvard?
A. Essays speak on your behalf. Whenever a university shortlists the candidates for an MBA, they assess the overall profile, and what can distinguish you from the rest are your essays. They become all the more important when there are similar profiles to evaluate. Therefore, your Harvard MBA essay will play a crucial role in your admissions. The essays have a weightage of around 40-50% in your application.
Q. What should I include in my Harvard University essay for an MBA?
A. Given that an esteemed institution like Harvard receives thousands of applications for an academic session, the time spent on evaluating per application is approximately 15 minutes. Hence, the stories that stand out attract the reader’s attention. Include unique anecdotes and experiences, in your essays, to reflect your potential as a leader, and a promising student of the MBA program. Preferably, they should be recent (past five years) and from your professional/entrepreneurial life.
Q. What is the admission process for MBA at Harvard University?
A. The institution follows a rigorous process for admissions into its reputed MBA program. There are three or four rounds of applications in a year, and the earlier rounds have more seats, usually. You are expected to be prepared with your academic transcripts, GMAT/GRE score, work experience, Harvard MBA essay, and at least two professional letters of recommendation (LORs). Therefore, you need to start at least a year in advance, and make sure that you follow all the guidelines suggested by the university.
Q: Is it hard to get into Harvard University?
Getting into Harvard University is quite competitive but not impossible. Applicants can get into Harvard once they have outstanding academic grades. For the Class of 2028, 1,937 of the 54,008 applicants to class were granted admission, This is equivalent to 3.6%. Apart from the academic achievements, Harvard University also looks for these qualities in students:
- Growth & Potential
- Interests & Activities (Extracurricular)
- Personal Character
- Contribution to the Harvard Community
Q: What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
Q: What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?
There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.
Q: Is it hard to get into the UTSA in San Antonio Texas?
According to various sources, University of Texas San Antonio has an overall acceptance rate of around 87% which makes it somewhat selective for international student admissions. Some of the general requirements to be considered for admission are given as follows:
- SAT/ACT scores
- Overall Student's GPA
- Letters of Recommendation
- High School Class Rank
- Additional Academic Records
Q: Is University of North Dakota good for Indian students?
The University of North Dakota is one of the top choices for international students to pursue their higher education. The UND warmly welcomes its international students as they have contributed a lot to the success of the university. Moreover, the university offers a top-notch environment, the best academic opportunities, technical & career training, etc. The university boasts over 1000 international students who represent more than 95 countries. Additionally, international students highly enjoy the facilities provided by the University of North Dakota. The UND is one of the largest research universities in the United States for international students.
Q: How can an Indian student get into Harvard?
Harvard University is a part of the prestigious Ivy League institutions and also ranks among the top 5 universities in the world. This globally renowned university is very selective when it comes to admissions and admits students based on their holistic profile and overall academic as well as behavioral character. Indian students planning to pursue higher studies in Harvard University must be at the top of their class in order to secure an admission in this highly competitive university. Harvard University has a set of admission requirements for international students and they are listed below:
- Digital application along with USD 90 (INR 7.5 K) application fee;
- Official academic transcripts;
- English proficiency exam scores (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo);
- Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT);
- GMAT/GRE scores;
- Letter of intent/Statement of purpose (SOP);
- Letters of recommendation (LOR);
- Resume;
- Portfolio; and
- Interview.
Conversion Rate: 1 USD = INR 83.20
Q: Is MIT costly for Indians?
MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.
Q: What is the decent score required on the ACT test to get a good university in the USA?
The definition of a good ACT score varies from university to country. However, to get into the top 100 universities, you must aim for a score higher than 31 on the ACT.
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