In addition, in the second part of the chapter, I help you think about if HBS is “right for you” by discussing the school across eight criteria that many applicants find helpful in differentiating HBS against other MBA programs.
You’ll even have access to an Excel tool I used to compare HBS against other schools using different relative weights associated with these criteria; if you didn't purchase this book directly from www.applyingtohbs.com, you should follow the instructions in the Preface of this book to receive the Excel tool, along with several other tools included in your purchase.
Even if you’ve already done your homework on HBS, my hope is that you will find the perspectives in this chapter fresh and educational as you put together your own case for “Why HBS?”
1. Awesome Classes
Harvard's professors are among the most dedicated and brilliant business teachers in the world. In addition, Harvard's guests are frequently as inspiring and memorable as its professors, with appearances from the top leaders of virtually every major global company. The quality of your fellow students also contributes to your classroom experiences, especially due to Harvard's unique focus on the case method, which I'll discuss in greater detail in a later chapter.2. Career Transition
Harvard Business School is a marvelous place to alter your career trajectory - and you have two years to make sure you get the new trajectory right!You experience a variety of professional environments and have the freedom to pursue your true passion. A survey of my classmates is indicative of the typical HBS career path experience. I have colleagues that went from military to finance and consulting, consultants who signed with operating companies for marketing or product management positions, financial professionals who became entrepreneurs, and private equity analysts who joined technology companies.
I personally came to HBS with a background in consulting, but through my experience with the Immersion Experience Program (more on that later), I found my calling in public education. The point is that HBS represents a pivot point; wherever you decide to pivot, the door is open.
3. Career Accelerator
The simple fact is that an HBS MBA affords opportunities to you that you would not have otherwise. Whether through networking with influential executives or building your skill set through academics, your potential to obtain nearly any position in the business world is substantially increased.HBS alumni sit atop a shocking number of the world’s most important organizations. Whether deserving or not, HBS graduates tend to experience accelerated acquisition of new responsibilities and new roles, and are often propelled to heights inaccessible to them before school. In my own experience, I took a job out of HBS reporting to the Vice President of a $200M non-profit; the position would have been unlikely to be available to me without the HBS accelerator.
4. Speakers and Guests
HBS is filled with CEOs and other major business leaders brought to campus by professors, clubs, and classes on a daily basis. Many are alumni, but Harvard Business School has the prestige and reputation to pull nearly any major speaker. Previous commencement speakers include Kathy Giusti, Ann Moore and Sir Ronald Cohen. I personally have witnessed the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan Chase, and Xerox speak at HBS, as well as the real-life Ari Gold from Entourage (his name is Ari Emanuel), just to name a few.Also, many HBS professors are the distinguished speakers at other business schools. Learning from the men and women who literally “wrote the book” is no small benefit. Finally, a steady stream of political leaders comes through the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. I heard Newt Gingrich speak and other stars in the education field, for example. As an HBS student, you have access to other Harvard graduate school events and resources.
5. The Network and Diversity
HBS is wonderfully and purposefully diverse. Every section of 90 students is hand-picked to ensure an optimal learning environment. You can almost make a joke about it. There’s always a few folks from McKinsey, two or three Mormons, and a few military veterans. There’s always the private equity guy that’s angry in the corner and the non-profit employee getting his first taste of valuing an enterprise.On a more serious note, in recent years, the diversity statistics are: 36% women, 22% minorities, and 34% international students. HBS is also diverse from a career perspective (what people did before HBS), an age perspective (roughly ages 22-35), and an ethnicity and religion perspective. There’s also a vibrant LGBT community on campus.
There is not, however, much diversity in the caliber and ambition of HBS students. HBS students tend to work and network hard, and there aren’t many slackers (or hippies, for that matter) on campus. So, there are some slices of society that are missing. On the whole, though, HBS is a purposefully diverse school, helping promote a stellar learning environment.
6. Harvard Business School’s Mission
“Educating Leaders Who Make a Difference in the World.” At HBS, you don’t just learn about business, you learn about yourself. Much deeper than learning the mechanics of a discounted cash flow, through my classes and the available opportunities, I pinpointed the “purpose of my leadership”. I came away from HBS refreshed and eager to embark on a meaningful career.HBS also provides ample opportunity for students to get involved in the community. They provide opportunities to work with local and global businesses to experience hands-on learning. They truly want leaders that will make a difference.
7. Moral Leadership Focus
HBS is paving the way to create leaders who are not only savvy value creators in the world economy, but also moral leaders who employ a “moral lens” - in addition to economic and legal lenses - when making business decisions. Moral leadership is a big focus for HBS’s new leader, Dean Nitin Nohria. This is seen in the form of classes such Leadership and Corporate Accountability and Authentic Leadership Development, as well as the MBA Oath ceremony held for hundreds of HBS students at graduation. In a world of Enrons and WorldComs, Bernie Madoffs and Raj Rajaratnams, this focus is salient and important.8. Campus and Section Experience
Harvard Business School strikes the perfect balance between the strengths of a large institution and the relationship opportunities of a small school. In the section experience, you get close with a very tight-knit group of 90 people that you see every day for a year, both in and out of the classroom. This affords the opportunity to build genuine relationships with a diverse set of people during your first year.Other elements of the program are designed to foster close relationships as well, such as the first-year Learning Team (a group of 6 students who meet to discuss cases before classes every day) and any variety of club and travel experiences.
In addition, HBS affords opportunities that only a larger institution can provide. Examples include bringing the best speakers and visitors to campus on a daily basis, terrific access to technologies such as Bloomberg terminals in the famous Baker Library, networking opportunities with participants in the Executive Education Programs on campus, as well as access to the rest of the Harvard community and all it has to offer right across the river.
Attending a well-endowed school is no small benefit. In my own experience, I attended subsidized consulting trips to Haiti and New Orleans, and was flown to San Francisco to participate in an initiative called the “Portrait Project”.
Harvard Business School is also one of the only business schools that isn’t confined to one building. Whereas many business schools have one building, Harvard has over 20. From a truly regal student center to a world-class gym to a world-famous library, HBS has it all at your fingertips - not to mention ample living space around campus and a couple sports fields for outdoor activities like bbq-ing!
9. The H-Bomb
Harvard Business School is associated with prestige and the pinnacle of business education. You carry a feather (or a target) on you wherever you go. In all credible publications, it is consistently ranked in the top 5 for business schools in the United States. Companies know this.While you may be teased by your friends when you’re out getting drinks, it’s worth it when recruiters from top firms are knocking at your door on campus. As an HBS graduate, you bear an extra burden of responsibility. Clients, colleagues, and even family and friends value your opinion, so you better have a well-informed one ready!
