2013 HBS Application Essays

HBS dropped a big surprise on everyone this week when they reduced their essays down to one, and in an even more unconventional move, made it totally flexible and with no word limit. HBS has traditionally asked four essay questions (pretty much an MBA standard), then last year reduced it to two, and now to one... even making it optional:

“You’re applying to Harvard Business School.  We can see your resume, school transcripts, extra-curricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores and what your recommenders have to say about you.  What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?”
 
So what does this mean to you, if you are a military candidate? Here are some thoughts:

• First, it obviously means that the rest of your application (outside the essays) is emphasized even more. For starters, this means your GPA and GMAT. With less essay space, you have less of an opportunity to differentiate yourself, and there will be more reliance on your GPA/GMAT, which is probably exactly what HBS wants. 
• HBS would probably also say that it's not just your GPA and GMAT that will get greater emphasis, but also your letters of rec (down to 2 from 3), and most importantly -- your career accomplishments as conveyed in your resume. The only problem? Almost nobody knows how to read a military resume. If you are in the Army, try reading a Navy resume, or vice versa... even you will be stumped, let alone a civilian with no military experience. So I believe this places the military applicant at a disadvantage, as opposed to more traditional applicants who come from well worn paths to business school.
• With a lower bar to applying, I would expect the total number of applicants to go up. Applying to HBS now seems "easy" -- you literally don't even have to write an essay -- as opposed to Stanford, which one could argue now has the toughest essays to answer, and would take weeks of detailed effort. 

Who WINS from this new application approach at HBS?

• Those with a high GPA (3.8+)
• Those with a high GMAT (740+)
• Those with top undergrad degrees (Ivy League and Service Academies)
• Those with explicitly clear military career accomplishments like honor graduates at top military schools and those consistently ranked as #1 or top 10% among their peers.

 Who LOSES from this new application approach at HBS?

• Those with a low GPA (below 3.3)
• Those with a low GMAT (below 700)
• Those with non-top undergrad degrees
• Those with military experiences that are more difficult to convey in a resume

A few other thoughts:

• As a market leader, HBS is a trendsetter. A few years ago HBS started accepting the GRE and now almost everyone does. So if HBS is de-emphasizing essays in the application process, it wouldn't surprise me if others followed in subsequent years.
• HBS is experimenting. One should not assume they have particular insight into whether this will lead to the results they want or not, but obviously they have enough confidence to try it out. Last year they started experimenting with the post-interview "reflections" - and looks like the experimentation continues. 
• I would be curious to see if the fewer essays will provide HBS with sufficient data on an applicant. What are they going to do when, for example, they receive five applicants from West Point with the same GPA, GMAT, comparable work experience, and a similar statement?

Advice for the essay itself:

1. Differentiate yourself. Assume you have five other people with the same GPA/GMAT and military experience applying at the same time. What makes you different?
2. Focus on the future. The school will hopefully get your military background (maybe), but your resume says nothing about your future plans. Remember that a good essay discussing the future, however, will tie in with your past.
3. Letters of rec. These are now opportunities for your recommenders to discuss what you may not have an opportunity to do. Their completeness and quality are more important than ever.