About Harvard Business School
The Harvard Business School has a brand like no other business school in the world. And it is this magnetic appeal that persuades more than 9,000 hopefuls to compete for one of the roughly 1000 places in its MBA program. The HBS Admissions team is made up of, on average, only five key individuals. Such limited staff resources may in part explain the school's move towards a shorter, more streamlined application in recent years. HBS only requires two recommendations, and in the past few years has moved from four essays down to just one essay. Your resume and recommendations have never carried so much weight.
HBS has more CEOs of Fortune 500 companies than any other MBA program, a couple of former presidents (U.S. and Mexico), and an unrivaled global network of influence. This conservative symbol of success, with its old red brick campus and the highest admissions yield, nevertheless faces a battle to win the hearts of minds of the tech industry. For many applicants, the closest they will get to a Harvard MBA is a T-shirt, but for a select few it will be the experience of a lifetime.
With a world-renowned college, HBS can claim academic excellence in many fields. Perhaps best known for general management and a dedication to the case method.
Strengths and Specializations
General management, leadership, entrepreneurship, strategy, corporate social responsibility
Graduating Class of 2025
Number of Applicants: 8149
MBA Class Size: 938
Avg. Work Experience: 5 years
Avg. GPA: 3.73
Avg. GMAT: 740
International Students: 39%
Female Students: 45%
Tuition: $74,910/year
Post-MBA Careers (class of 2023)
Career Sector: Consulting 25%; Private Equity 17%; Technology 16%; Starting Own Business 13%
Top Recruiters: Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Procter & Gamble, Citi, JP Morgan, American Express, Apple, Facebook, Google, Tesla, Netflix, Walt Disney, L'Oréal, Amazon, J&J
Avg. Base Salary: $175,000; Salary Increase: 112% (source: FT Rankings 2024)
Employment offered after 3 months of graduation: 86%
HBS Ranking
Admissions
Deadlines for 2023-2024: R1: Sep 06, 2023, R2: Jan 03, 2024
Essays
"As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?" (900 word limit)
View our team's essential advice for the HBS Essay: 5 Key Tips on What Harvard Wants
Post-Interview Reflection
As part of the Harvard MBA application process, HBS requires interviewees to complete a Post-Interview Reflection. This is not intended to be another formal essay. Think of it instead as an email you might write to a colleague or supervisor after a meeting. HBS will be much more generous in our reaction to typos and grammatical errors than they will be with pre-packaged responses. Reflections that give any indication that they were produced BEFORE you had the Harvard MBA application interview will raise a flag for the Admissions Committee. Your Post-Interview Reflection is due within 24 hours of the conclusion of your interview. There is no word limit for the Post-Interview Reflection.
Read our Tips for Writing the HBS Post-Interview Reflection.