Mr. Hustler

You have a lot going for you. You are clearly a go-getter, with a successful entrepreneurial track record. And you have a high GMAT. If you had gone to one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), which collectively provided 12 members of Harvard’s Class of 2020, and your startup sold something other than vapes, I would be far more optimistic about your chances at HBS. But at Harvard, your feeder college counts because you’re competing in the pool against others who have graduated from a feeder college. And in U.S. admission circles, there’s a politically correct bias that may make some look askance at your success selling vapes in India. The more recent barrage of U.S. media reports on the health risks of vaping could very well work against you. Some of your target schools will more properly focus on your accomplishments and your high GMAT score but I don’t think HBS is one of them. You are going to get in to one or two of your target schools, unless you failed to execute well on your applications. But you won’t be packing your bags for a move to Boston.

Hi, this is Deepak Punwani from MBA Exchange. If only your first start up wasn’t about vaping but about something in area of providing clean energy to the masses (for example), your chances would be so much higher ! That said, initially vaping was seen as a safer alternative to smoking those ciggies, so if you started in 2016 or thereabouts vaping wasnt such a bad name then. If you can show that you evolved your views with the research and actually decided to move away from Vaping before Juul became a four letter word and India banned Vaping, you can actually play this to your advantage. And e-scooters is a “hot” industry and if you are at Bounce / Vogo kind of firm then play up the backing by marquee VC’s. All of this makes you stand out from the crowd but would urge you to execute well on the story (which is significantly offbeat). So my suggestion would be to think clearly and deeply about why you chose entrepreneurship so early in life? what did you learn from first ventures success or failure? why a move to more traditional industries now post MBA? If you can author this well and represent your own “voice” with conviction and conscience – who knows it could be a best seller at HBS and other schools. Good luck.

Wow – there is a ton more I’d like to learn more about! For ex, how you’ve turned opportunities into wins, how you’ve leveraged your learnings from the vaping start-up to the mobility start-up, and how you’ve helped other aspiring entrepreneurs find their own success. Other things to think about: why business school at all? I know you see it as a springboard (and it is one, of course!) – but what do you really want to gain from business school that you didn’t in undergrad business, and why is mgmt. consulting calling your name? You might find – after the fast-paced and “do whatever it takes” spirit of start-ups – that mgmt. consulting or an LDP type role is a bit stifling. Doesn’t mean it’s not the right answer for you, but your goals all need to really tie together well. The schools have to see the logic (and the passion!) behind them. You’ve got the stats that HBS is looking for, and you’ve certainly got some really exciting wins under your belt. Bringing them to life as well as what really motivates/drives you will be essential when it comes to HBS’s core essay & communicating who you are!

Mr. Hustler! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here. Now you have an interesting story! But I agree with John on the vaping thing…b-schools in the US may not know what to do with that given all the negative press here. So here’s my question for you…how do you feel about vaping, now that you’ve left the business? Maybe there’s a way to talk about this honestly in the optional essay…I just think AdComs will raise an eyebrow or two so you might as well get in front of it. (To be fair, b-schools seem to like Big Tobacco so the question is why is vaping more problematic. I don’t know if I have a good answer for that but I think there’s probably some recency bias in there.)
Your stats are pretty fantastic which will get you in the door at a few programs…Booth and Kellogg in particular. And working in the mobility space is very “hot” right now, especially if it’s a known company. I’m almost wondering if to help reduce the focus on vaping, maybe you apply with two years at the mobility company? Just an idea.
Lastly, be careful of selling a b-school on “global validation.” They want to know that you’re in it to learn, not take advantage of their brand name. Make sure your apps focus more on the skills you need to make your MBB and CXO dreams come true and how each program will uniquely position you for success.
In sum, I think you are a very different sort of Indian male candidate. This will help you stand out in this process if you execute well.
Krista