A Harvard MBA's View Of Those Dings

‘HENRY’

The third applicant, who did not even get an interview, I’ll call Henry. 790 GMAT (kudos!), 3.15 GPA from Rutgers (Biomedical Engineering), work experience in manufacturing at Abbott Labs, wants to lead the company. Sandy and I actually mostly agree as to why this one didn’t sit well with the admissions committee. If you want to be CEO at Abbott, why do you need B-school? Shouldn’t you just stay and climb the ranks? Also, in this day and age, does the lifelong company man even exist anymore? Maybe it’s just an unrealistic, unimaginative thing to say. It doesn’t really show that much ambition to make a difference in the world.

To not even get an interview, I do imagine that it was a combination of poor essay and poor recommendations. Perhaps Henry chose very senior people in the organization to write his recommendations, thinking this would be impressive, rather than picking the managers who actually knew him and could vouch for him with specific examples of his strengths and accomplishments. Or, maybe his managers just didn’t give him good reviews because they don’t find him impressive. Furthermore, Henry’s reflection that he should maybe change industries to get into B-school is a big red flag.

Didn’t he JUST say that his goal was to lead Abbott, and now he wants to not just change companies, but change industries, all in order to maybe get admitted to a school? Something isn’t right here. I think Henry needs to do some soul searching and be honest with himself about what he really wants out of his career and why he’s really applying to b-school. Then, he needs to craft a really great story, make sure he has the best possible recommendations, and re-apply – if it still makes sense for his goals. I’m not surprised there was no interview – there’s nothing in this profile that makes me want to learn more about you.

I’m not pretending to be an expert here, as I’ve never sat with an admissions committee. However, as someone who’s actually been through the process successfully, and has helped many others to do so, I hope that my perspective can help potential applicants recognize that the important part of your application isn’t the quantitative, but the qualitative. The quant may get you in the door, but the qualitative is what determines if someone falls in love with your application enough to argue on your behalf in front of his committee. Let admissions know who you are, what matters to you, what you’ve accomplished, what you want to accomplish, how business school will help you get there and what you can contribute to the b-school environment. That last part is key, and often overlooked; admissions committees are responsible for creating the best environment for future leaders to live and learn for two years. To adapt from Kennedy, say not just what the school can do for you, but what you can do for the school.

Jyll Saskin graduated from Harvard Business School this year

Jyll Saskin is a former journalist who graduated from Harvard Business School with her MBA earlier this year. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments with her on Twitter @jyllsaskin