Mr. Investment Banker

For the record, I like you. You seem like an incredibly well-rounded candidate, from being the boxing captain to leading a team in a global nonprofit. Your raw stats–both your 750 GMAT and your 4.0 GPA–are really impressive and nicely above Harvard’s class averages. And your internships appear to show that you can get hired in highly selective firms. So what could possibly lead Harvard Business School to turn you down? Let me count the ways:
1) You’re an Econ major applying to a program that clearly has a bias for STEM undergrads. Some 57% of the 2+2 cohort for the Class of 2023 have STEM degrees.
2) You are Asian/Indian which puts you into competition with a larger pool of candidates.
3) You are not at a traditional feeder university to HBS. In the Class of 2020, a recent analysis by Fortuna Admissions, shows there is not a single graduate of UCL in the class. There are seven from Cambridge, five from Imperial, two from London School of Economics, and one each from Oxford (a theology major no less), Manchester, Edinburgh, Durham, Kent, and Nottingham. No UCL. That doesn’t immediately disqualify you, of course, particularly because of your super impressive stats and accomplishments. But HBS places more weight than it cares to admit on one’s undergraduate institution, unfairly so. That is why I don’t see you getting over the three hurdles mentioned above.

I love everything I see here – you’re doing very well at school (kudos!), your GMAT is excellent, and you’ve carved out time to commit to the things that you’re passionate about and that have surely shaped you as a leader. And yet, Harvard’s 2+2 program was designed primarily to get on the radar of those people who otherwise might never think about b-school – STEM majors, entrepreneurs, etc. I think your experience in banking/finance will make them think that they can hold off for another 2-3 years before making a decision on you. For HBS, they have little reason to “take you off the market” (so to speak) so early, especially given that you’ll be coming from a well-represented (and competitive!) pool. I’ve rated your chances a little bit higher than the average acceptance only because I think that you’re applying from a non-US school, which is less represented in the class. The pro of going for it anyway: you get your name on their radar early; HBS is friendly towards 2+2 reapplicants. But go in with your eyes wide open – and if this year doesn’t work out, go continue the track record of wins you’ve started and apply again in 3-4 years. PS: I don’t know what you’re targeting for your full-time job coming out of university – that could change my assessment of your chances.

Hello Mr. Investment Banker! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here. (And former Londoner! I lived in Clerkenwell for 10+ years until last year.) So a 1st from UCL and a 750 GMAT are tough to beat and attention-getting. Add the diversity you bring to the mix coming from the UK and there’s even more to like here. What I worry about though is that you are already on the typical MBA path. Does HBS need to take you now? I kinda think the NGO and the British passport make this more possible but I am still a bit uncertain. If you really want to lock down an MBA program today, try adding a few other deferred programs to the mix. Otherwise, apply to HBS now, see what happens, and then if things don’t work out, do banking for 2 years and PE (or something else–something interesting) for 2 years and apply again.

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. You have quite a strong profile and I think you’ll be a solid candidate for HBS’s 2+2 program. The GPA and GMAT are great of course, but I’m particularly impressed with the extracurriculars you’ve taken part in while in college, especially the leadership role at the nonprofit. Schools like to see involvement in these types of activities because it shows you can be a successful student while being involved in the community. They want you to do the same while in an MBA program! Your demographic is a little tougher as it’s over-represented in MBA applicants, but if you can create a solid case for why the MBA (and the deferred program in particular) is necessary to reach your goals, that will serve you well. You don’t say what role you expect to have before starting the program (another investment banking role?) but it will be important to clearly explain in the application the skills you’ll gain from that role, and what you’ll still be missing that would prevent you from reaching your post-MBA goals. Lots of people say they want to go into consulting (and MBB), so be sure to really think through WHY consulting and how what you’ll learn there will help you in your LT goal. I think you have a solid chance!