Mr. Engineering Perfectionist

Agree with others, please check if you qualify for 2+2. As for those who do, and get an interview, below is worth a look, and note that all 2+2 deadlines have been pushed back b.c. of virus, etc. But you knew that. SK

How To Avoid Landmines In Your 2+2 Interview

Hi Mr. Engineering Perfectionist! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at The MBA Exchange. I think your best bet here is to spend the next few years building up your candidacy, as you have a lot of potential, but probably not the profile to get in today (I’ll echo the comments on the 2+2 program too). Harvard’s average GRE score is 328, with 164 for both math and verbal, so you’ll definitely want to get your test score up and likely should consider getting some test prep help from any of the firms like ours out there. I do suggest you stick with the GRE, as Harvard’s average GRE score would equate to a 710 GMAT, which is 20 points below their 730 average for admits… so basically, it may be easier to get in with the GRE vs. GMAT. Cybersecurity is becoming a hot topic and growing in importance. I could see it as a differentiater for you in your application, so long as you continue to take on higher-level assignments, get promoted, and find ways to connect with the management side of things. Lastly, make sure to keep up your extracurricular involvement and impact on the community. HBS wants well rounded students who will contribute to their program,

HI Mr. Engineering Perfectionist
Krista Nannery from mbaMission here. I’ll echo what Jen from Stratus says…because you have already graduated from college, please check to see if you are actually eligible for 2+2 programs. Sadly, it may be too late.
I do think cyber security and forensics is a great field though! Look for ways to take leadership and management positions as you grow in this career to give yourself the best possible shot at b-school when the time is right to apply.
My best,
Krista

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. You have a strong GRE and GPA from a great university in a harder major, so those are all strengths for you. I’m confused about your status, as the 2+2 program at HBS is for current college seniors or full-time graduate students. Are you currently in a master’s program at USC? If not, you wouldn’t be eligible for the program. Are you currently a software engineer? You could certainly work for a few years and then apply to HBS and other schools then. If you want to move toward the management side of tech and away from the engineering side, the MBA will be your degree, but you’ll need to be very specific about what you want to do after the MBA. If it’s consulting, make the WHY very clear — so many people want to do it that you really need to connect the dots from where you are to an MBA to where you want to go. And if you are waiting a few years until going back to school, you’ll have a chance to pursue extracurriculars perhaps related to passions that you have. It’s hard to tell what you’ve done with just “philanthropy.” When your outside-of-work activities connect to your overall story, it’s more compelling.