HBS Application Down To Just One Essay

Applicants who apply in the first round can be expected to hear from Harvard on Dec. 11. Those who apply by the round two deadline of Jan. 6, 2014, will be notified by Harvard on March 26, 2014. And applicants in the school’s third round, with a deadline of April 7, 2014, can expect to be notified by May 14th.

Leopold said last year’s change did not materially impact the flow of applications, and she doesn’t expect this year’s earlier deadline to make a difference, either. “The breakout stayed pretty much the same last year,” she said. “I expect the same this year.” In a typical year, HBS receives roughly 30% of its applications in the first round, half in the second round, and the remaining 20% in the third and final round.

To avoid overwhelming server traffic generated by the high volume of applications HBS receives, candidates are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible prior to the deadline of each round. The school also encourages applicants to apply in the first or second round, as space in the class may be limited by the third round.

Harvard Business School that 9,315 applicants sought admission to the school during the 2012-2013 admissions cycle, a 3.9% increase from the previous year. The increase, which reversed two consecutive years of application declines, implies an acceptance rate of about 11% to 12%. In the 2011-2012 season, applications fell 4% to 8,963. Two years ago, applications to Harvard’s MBA program also had fallen by 4% to 9,331. The peak year for HBS applications was back in 2004 when the school received 10,382 applications.

The school’s first information session on the new application will be held tomorrow, May 31, at 10 a.m. EST in Aldrich 208 on campus. It’s first admissions Q&A webinar has been scheduled for June 12th at noon EST. Prospective applicants are urged to register for the event.

DON’T MISS: THE GATEKEEPER TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL or BEHIND HARVARD’S BIG ADMISSION CHANGES or STANFORD CLASS OF 2013 ESSAYS SAME AS LAST YEAR