Using An Application Matrix
Before you begin filling out your application and feverishly writing essays, you need an overarching organizing strategy to ensure you highlight all aspects of your candidacy adequately. I found using a tool called an application matrix tremendously useful, and I recommend you use it as well - think of it as a form of pre-writing and planning.
If you didn't purchase this book from www.applyingtohbs.com, you can receive the "Application Matrix" Excel tool by following the directions in the Preface. On the top row of the matrix, I listed everything I felt HBS was looking for in their applicants. (Habit of Leadership, Capacity for Intellectual Growth, Engaged Community Citizenship, Management Ability, Analytics Facility, Interpersonal and Collaborative Ability, Academic and Career Goals, Passion, Global Awareness, Superior Professional and Academic Track Record) In the left column of the matrix, I listed the components of the application. (Basic Info and Short Answers, GMAT, Transcript, Resume, Letters of Recommendation, and Essays.) Then, fill out the matrix. Each criterion should have at least one - and preferably 2-3 - checkmarks where you will address it across different aspects of your application. This step is critical because you start to put together the overall logic of your application. You’ll gain insights such as, “I address my Academic Track Record in my transcript and resume, so I don’t need to spend much time on it in an essay.” Or, “I simply don’t have room in the word limits to talk about my analytical ability as much as I would like. I really need a recommender to focus on that aspect of my application.”
Importantly, this matrix will also help you select which optional essays you will choose as you begin to gain an understanding of the criteria that need to be addressed in the essays as opposed to other sections. My recommendation is to only devote 1-2 criteria to any single essay.
Finally, the matrix will help you highlight areas in which you need to send consistent messaging. For example, if you are sharing stories that illustrate a “habit of leadership” in your essays and you expect a recommender to also highlight this criterion, then you need to make sure there is no conflicting information that you share versus your recommender.
Notably, you can use this matrix for other school applications aside from HBS. Just be sure to slightly alter the criteria you use for each school. For example, you may weight the criteria coverage more toward teamwork and collaboration in Kellogg’s application.
Submit Your Application in an Early Round
Business schools usually have 2-4 application rounds. HBS typically has three: in October, January, and April. (www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/applicationdates.html) Generally speaking, I recommend you apply in the earliest round possible. While you should never submit an application that is not fully polished, there are several advantages to submitting early.Namely, submitting early shows enthusiasm and admissions officers are “fresh” so they may spend more time with your application than in later rounds.
Furthermore, the first round often has fewer candidates than the rest, yet I’ve heard from reliable sources that admission rates are higher the earlier the round. This means that a less competitive candidate overall has a better chance of getting in during an earlier round.
Finally, you will have a better chance of getting wait-listed and being admitted off the wait-list rather than being more immediately nixed in the last round.
In deciding when to apply to HBS versus when to apply to any other schools you're considering, I suggest you consider your personal ranking of all potential schools and the competitiveness of each program. If HBS is in your top three, then apply as early as possible, given its competitiveness. In contrast, another MBA program I really liked was not rated in the top five in terms of competitiveness, so I saved it for a later round, knowing my chances weren’t nearly as diminished at the other school compared to how they might be at HBS. Finally, in terms of when to submit your application, my advice is to avoid the week period before the actual round due date. As you can imagine, everyone will be submitting their application during this time, and you will likely get a closer read if you submit outside of “rush week”.
