Mr. Berkeley Boy

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission! Thank you for sharing your profile with us. Here’s an overview of what deferred/2+2 MBA programs’ admissions committees seek: excellent academics, outstanding extracurricular leadership, substantive internships, and recommendations that attest to strong potential. Your academics, particularly your GRE, are pretty solid (and schools understand the grade variances among majors and universities). Great to see that you’ve had two Fortune 500 internships as well.

However, while it sounds like you have research and mentorship experience, what I’m not sure about based on the information you have provided here is: your campus leadership. What initiatives have you spearheaded at Berkeley, and how have you led other students towards a collective goal? If you feel you are light in this area, this is what I would focus on developing between now and application time.

One thing I always tell deferred/2+2 applicants: the admissions process is not only competitive, but also somewhat unpredictable – often, it can be tough to know who makes the cut. However, even if these programs don’t work out for you, it will in no way jeopardize your future MBA prospects – we’ve seen that some candidates admitted to HBS and other top programs via the “regular” application process had been deferred applicants a few years earlier.

Hope that helps – best of luck!

Mr. Berkeley Boy – Thanks for posting your profile. Susan here from Stratus. I’m impressed that you are thinking ahead and presume that you are considering applying for deferred enrollment programs a year from now.

I’m not so concerned about your stats. Your GPA and GRE are at or above the averages for HBS and the major(s) you are pursuing are quant-heavy which will indicate to adcom that you have the analytical aptitude and appetite that they are looking for in students.

The two other areas that HBS (specifically) is looking for are a habit of leadership and engaged community citizens. Although this profile doesn’t allow me to see everything about you, based on the outside activities that you mentioned, I’m not seeing either of the aforementioned traits. NOW is the time to step up and begin to develop your leadership skills and use your skills and knowledge to add value in the communities that you are part of.

While you may not find a seat at HBS through 2+2, don’t take a no as ‘never.’ It is simply a ‘not now.’ For any business school you will need to demonstrate that you have already led and worked with others. Do this now and it will reap benefits in the years to come.

Wishing you all the best!