Harvard Business School

What It Takes To Get Into Harvard’s 2+2 Program

For many MBA programs, work experience is a must.

But what if you could secure MBA admission prior to working?

Harvard Business School’s 2+2 program offers students deferred admission into the prestigious b-school under the condition that students work at least two years before attending the HBS MBA program.

Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently discussed what the HBS 2+2 program offers and what they seek in applicants.

WHAT TO KNOW

The 2+2 program at HBS is specifically geared towards college seniors and graduate students who went directly from undergrad to grad school.

According to HBS, priority is given to “high potential applicants” including those who meet the following criteria:

• Planning to work in an operating company (tech, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, industrials, etc.)
• From a lower socio-economic background (first generation in college, lower income family background, less family exposure to graduate school)
• Going into a technically demanding role
• Pursuing entrepreneurship

Blackman notes there are few things applicants should know about prior to applying.

For one, if you’re interested in applying for the Class of 2024, you must graduate from your current program between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020.

Additionally, applicants in this cycle must complete either the GMAT or GRE between April 2, 2015 and April 1, 2020.

WHAT THEY SEEK IN APPLICANTS

According to HBS, the 2+2 program seeks “innovative thinkers who have demonstrated leadership and analytical skills and want to develop their knowledge and passion to make a difference in the world. Upon graduation, admitted 2+2 students spend a minimum of two years (maximum of four years) working in a professional position in the public, private, or nonprofit sector.”

Blackman notes that the class profile is made up of the following backgrounds:

• STEM (65%)
• Economics/Business (18%)
• Humanities (17%)

From these stats, one thing is clear: untraditional is an advantage.

“For the rest, you want the things that 2+2 is looking for to be the focus – science, engineering, entrepreneurship, risk-taking, etc.,” one HBS insider tells Blackman. “It’s ok to get dorky in these areas and go deep.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, Harvard Business School