Mr. College Startup

Harvard’s 2+2 program of deferred admission is a super selective offering. The blah-blah from the school says it is looking for “innovative thinkers who have demonstrated leadership and analytical skills and want to develop their knowledge and passion to make a difference in the world.” More importantly, your background lines up nicely. You are a STEM grad and that is crucial because 65% of 2+2 admits are STEMies. You are an entrepreneur and that is important because HBS specifically singles out “high potential applicants” who are “pursuing entrepreneurship.” Your GMAT score is ten points above the HBS median. That’s great, though not as much of a deal maker for a male, Indian engineering student. Your 6.77 out of a 10 is now going to wow anyone, either. A good sign, however, is that HBS’ Class of 2020 has two MBA students who got their degrees from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science. So Harvard knows and respects the school and your credential from it. Add this all together and I would say you have a shot but it is not a no-brainer for the reasons cited above. If your funding round was significant, that could play a role here because it would be a third-party endorsement of what you have accomplished which is pretty damn impressive.

Hello Mr. College Startup!

While I have worked with a few BITS Pilani students, I’ve never worked with one who has founded a startup in college! That’s very exciting. Congrats on closing your first funding round! I have worked with a few older startup founders and one thing I’ve learned is that b-schools like external validation; make sure the amount of funding you’ve received is clear along with the source(s). Also highlight any awards your startup has won and any incubators it is a part of. If you have external mentors from recognized firms, those will be good to mention as well. Also quantify your client base (assuming you have clients), clarify how many employees you manage.

I’d like you to think about your goals a bit more. What will you accomplish with your start-up in the short-term? What will post-MBA you look like? I realize it’s hard to know these answers today but b-schools like to know that you have a vision for your future. Perhaps talk to current 2+2 students and understand their experiences and what they’ve decided on. Also download the employment reports for the programs you are interested in and see who is currently hiring post-MBA. I’d just love this to be a little bit more defined as your approach these applications.

Last thing — because you do come from a demographic that is not small, consider adding Yale Silver Scholars to your list. I know it’s more work for you but it’s a great global brand and you may be a more unique candidate for them, which may help your candidacy.

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. You have a really impressive profile, especially for someone still in undergrad! Your solid entrepreneurship experience at your startup, both while in college, and for 2-4 years before starting the MBA, will serve you well with ad-com. I’d want to know more about your startup but I like to see that it’s in the media industry, as that isn’t a very common route to HBS so it does make you stand out more. Your demographic is over-represented in MBA programs, and the GPA certainly could be higher, but the high GMAT will help mitigate that. Also you could acknowledge in an optional essay that you did spend a lot of time in college on your startup, so while that doesn’t excuse a lower GPA it does help explain it. You also have several other solid extracurriculars in college, which is a positive. HBS’s 2+2 program is so competitive but you have a compelling background and certainly have a shot. Good luck!