HBS Insider Explains How To Nail Your Essays

Remember this about Harvard Business School: around 10,000 applicants each year submit credentials that are, in most cases, extraordinary. Stellar test scores, elite employers, prestigious undergraduate degrees – HBS has seen it all. These accomplishments may get you to the threshold, but they won’t get you to the interview. Once you’ve cleared a certain bar of brilliance, drive, and dedication, the deciding factor becomes your story.

And that’s where the real differentiation happens.

Your essays are the only part of the application where you speak directly to the Admissions Board in your own voice. If you want to stand out in a sea of exceptional profiles, you must give them a reason to care beyond your resume. There isn’t space to tell your entire story, so focus on giving them glimpses – vivid moments, choices, and reflections that leave them thinking, “Wow, I cannot wait to meet this person. I have so many questions.” That’s how you set the stage for a successful interview.

Based on my experience working in admissions at HBS and closely with dozens of successful HBS applicants at Fortuna, here’s my advice to help you craft essay responses that are focused, authentic, and compelling. Let’s dive in – and if you’d like to talk through your strategy and get personalized guidance on your approach, you can sign up for a free consultation with a Fortuna coach to start the conversation.

How to Answer HBS’s Essay 1: The Business-Minded Essay

Prompt: Business-Minded: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations. (max 300 words)

This essay asks for the story of your career path – past and present. By focusing on your choices, the admissions committee signals that they care not only about what you’ve done, but why you did it. They want to see evidence of intentionality, values-driven decision-making, and self-awareness. In other words: What motivated each step? What did you learn? And how did it shape where you’re heading next?

Focus on the “Why” Behind Your Career

Rather than listing job titles or achievements, zero in on a few pivotal decisions that illuminate your character and priorities. These might include:

• A formative internship that changed your understanding of impact
• A high-stakes decision to leave a stable path for a riskier but more meaningful one
• A personal or professional inflection point that shaped your aspirations

Don’t feel pressure to construct a linear or flawless narrative. What matters most is that your path shows momentum, thoughtfulness, and purpose. If your journey has twists and turns, show how it was nevertheless guided by reflection and values – not random chance.

Past and Present, Not a Manifesto

It’s tempting to over-index on future plans here, but resist the urge. HBS has another question where you will set out your vision. For this essay, stay grounded in how your past decisions illuminate your present goals. You can point toward where you’re headed – just don’t spend half your word count detailing long-term ambitions.

Skip the aspirational speech. They want to understand how you think – and your track record speaks louder than your dreams.

Choose Your Story Wisely

You only have 300 words, so you can’t cover your entire resume. Focus on a core narrative thread that illustrates your trajectory and values. Ideally, it will also give the reader insight into your personality, motivations, and impact.

Avoid resume repetition, vague platitudes, or generalized summaries. Let the admissions committee into your world through one or two vivid examples that capture how your thinking and choices have evolved.

How to Answer HBS’s Essay 2: The Leadership-Focused Essay

Prompt: Leadership-Focused: What experiences have shaped how you invest in others and how you lead? (max 250 words)

This prompt taps into a central tenet of the HBS mission: to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The admissions committee isn’t just interested in your accomplishments – they want to understand how you lead. Leadership at HBS isn’t about hierarchy or job title; it’s about impact, influence, and elevating others.

Highlight How You Empower Others

This essay invites you to reflect on the experiences that have shaped your leadership style – especially how you support, inspire, and collaborate with others. Maybe you mentored a junior colleague, coached a volunteer team, or helped a group navigate a tough moment. The key is to show that you don’t lead by dominance, but through inclusion, encouragement, and trust.

Think of a moment (or two) where your investment in others directly led to growth, progress, or change. It doesn’t need to be dramatic – but it should reflect humility, emotional intelligence, and a clear set of values.

Be Personal, Be Reflective

HBS wants to know who you are, not just what you’ve done. This essay is an opportunity to be a bit more vulnerable – especially if formative life experiences shaped how you approach leadership. If you’ve overcome adversity or come from a background where collaboration and resilience were survival tools, that context can powerfully inform your leadership story.

That said, don’t cover too much ground. With only 250 words, one well-chosen example will do more than a series of summaries. Use storytelling to make your narrative compelling, and show – not tell – your approach to investing in others.

Skip the Future-Focused Ending

Unlike the previous version of this prompt, HBS no longer asks explicitly about the kind of leader you want to become. Admissions committees believe past performance is the best predictor of future success, so let your actions – and your reflection on them – speak for your potential. If your story reveals empathy, initiative, and influence, the admissions team can see what kind of leader you’ll be at HBS and beyond.

How to Answer HBS’s Essay 3: The Growth-Oriented Essay

Prompt: Growth-Oriented: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (max 250 words)

This essay is your invitation to reveal your inner learner – someone who seeks out new ideas, stretches beyond their comfort zone, and embraces discovery. HBS isn’t looking for a fixed mindset or polished perfection here. They want evidence that you are actively growing, and that curiosity is a driving force in how you operate and evolve.

Show What Sparked Your Curiosity – and Where It Took You

The best responses often start with a spark: a moment or question that ignited your interest. Maybe you dove into a complex problem at work, explored a new culture or language, pursued an unfamiliar field, or re-examined long-held assumptions. What matters is not the scale of the example, but the depth of engagement and the ripple effect it created.

Be specific: What did you do when curiosity struck? What steps did you take to learn more? How did that pursuit stretch your thinking or change how you show up in the world?

This is a great place to be a little more personal or even a bit playful – especially if the story reveals unexpected dimensions of who you are. That said, the example still needs to lead somewhere meaningful. Growth is a key part of the prompt, and your answer should demonstrate how your curiosity led to insight, change, or a new way of engaging with challenges.

Signal the HBS Classroom Contributor You’ll Be

Curiosity is central to the case method at HBS. The school thrives on open-minded students who ask bold questions, challenge assumptions, and bring fresh perspectives to every discussion. This essay is your opportunity to show that you don’t just consume knowledge – you actively pursue it, reflect on it, and use it to drive change.

Final Thoughts on the HBS Essays

Above all, your essays should convince the HBS Admissions Board that you’re ready to live up to the school’s mission: to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.

Even if you don’t have every detail of your post-MBA future mapped out, your essays should make it clear that you are committed to leadership, impact, and growth – and that these qualities are reflected in your experiences so far.

Lead with evidence. Show what drives you, how you think, and how you act. When your essays reflect both your achievements and your capacity for self-reflection, you give the Admissions Board a compelling reason to want you in the room.

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Karla Cohen is a Director at Fortuna Admissions, the dream team of former admissions directors from the world’s top business schools. A former HBS senior associate director, who also brings admissions office experience from Stanford GSB and INSEAD, Karla has helped hundreds of candidates secure spots at their dream schools. For a candid assessment of your MBA profile and personalized feedback on your next steps, schedule a free consultation.

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