Mr. Future F500 CEO

Dude, could you tell us more about your current job, the prestige of the company, does it routinely send applicants to HBS and other top B schools, and what Q/V breakdown was on GRE. How many years of post-college FT experience will you have when you matriculate in Sept. 2021? Just checking but this is important.
thanks.

Hi Mr. Future F500 CEO! This is JP, Senior Consultant with The MBA Exchange. I’m a graduate of HBS and have worked with lots of successful applicants to the school over the years, including many with a background similar to yours. Here’s why there is such a gap between the experts’ assessment (15%) and the community’s (50%):

Your background and accomplishments stand out to the eyes of the average MBA applicant, but don’t stand out AMONG the top HBS applicants. But it’s totally normal, as the latter is true for virtually all HBS applicants, including many who get admitted! I know this is a hard pill to swallow, as you are probably more accomplished than the vast majority of your peers around you. But if you can overcome this mental hurdle, success can be within your reach. Relying on your test scores, degrees, and work experience WILL NOT be enough to get you (or virtually anyone!) into HBS. However, getting to the core of your deeper story, such as your personal values, life motivations, how this fits with HBS and developing a genuine, meaningful vision for the future beyond “F500 CEO” are some of the basic pre-requisites to even be considered a true contender at a school like HBS.

I suppose this is where getting assistance with your application comes into play, as even current and former students often don’t truly understand what makes an HBS application stand out. In fact, many MBA consultants don’t understand it either, so you’ll have to choose your advisor carefully. Approaching the process with humility and an open mind will lead you to success, that much is certain! If you’re keen to have a chat about your candidacy, just reach out to us via The MBA Exchange website, and ask for ‘JP’, mentioning that you posted your profile here.

Take care,
JP

Hi, it’s Nisha with mbaMission! I like the confidence of the username, and you definitely have some good achievements to back it up: very strong academics, founding a nonprofit, and a solid career in consulting/strategy to date. One thing that HBS, as well as any other schools you target, will want to understand: why do you need an MBA after getting an MFE at Oxford and already breaking into corporate strategy? Typically, most folks get an MBA after consulting so that they can enter a corporate strategy role, and you’re already there in addition to having a Master’s. What are the skills and experiences you feel that you still need at this point, why do you suddenly have the need to branch out past financial services (since most people with the MFE intend to stay in finance), and why do you aspire to be a CEO? You would have to explain your rationale very well in your application. Additionally, you’ll want to tell your story in your application in a way that reveals what shaped you into who you are today and what drives you.

Finally, expanding the list of target programs is a wise idea – HBS is not only very tough to get into but also unpredictable, as my colleagues and I have seen this season.

Mr. Future F500 CEO – thanks for sharing your profile. Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions from Stratus, here.
Love the killer GRE and congrats on founding a non-profit. I’m not the first to tell you that HBS is a tough school to get into. I think a challenge for you will be explaining why you need an MBA when you already have two business degrees. What do you hope to learn that you haven’t already picked up along the way? Also, you will need to explain your trajectory. Why did you pursue a MSc in Financial Economics if your aspiration is to be a F500 CEO?
HBS is looking for three things in their students: 1) Analytical Aptitude and Appetite – you should be able to knock this out of the park, 2) Habit of Leadership – I’m seeing glimpses of this in the limited information you have shared. Hopefully there is more and a vision for developing as a leader at HBS and beyond, and 3) Engaged Community Citizenship – You seem to have moved around a bit over the past 4-6 years. You’ll need to showcase how you have contributed to the communities you have been part of – both during your time there and beyond. If you really want an MBA, I suggest you expand your list beyond HBS because 9 out of 10 applicants don’t make the cut.
All the best.