Review: Getting off the Harvard Waitlist with Ivy Admissions Group

This client was a pleasure to work with. He worked with a different consultant on his application and landed square on the waitlist where he agonized for months. After he reached out, I walked him through out social-science driven process and he suddenly saw all the deficiencies in his original application. He decided to work with us because he liked the idea that we offer more than just a series of worksheets — we offer a partner to help you co-create your narrative. After some hard work, we found the winning argument and presented it to HBS. It’s a good thing too, because HBS reduced the size of its class by 200 students. He was one of the just 20 students to be admitted off the waitlist this year!

“Working with Nate (IAG) was a truly exceptional experience. IAG had a particularly strong ability to understand my relatively unique background and encourage me to undergo a process of deep introspection -- that eventually pulled forth a narrative that was effective in representing who I was as a professional, and as an individual. I would recommend IAG to those considering the, what can be, very daunting prospect of applying to business school.“

- Male, Finance, White

Purchased: Conquer the Waitlist

How to apply to HBS as an Indian

Hari is an admissions expert at Ivy Admissions Group. He attended graduate school at Stanford, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School despite despite not coming from a well known school in India and advises clients on how to do the same.

Over 9,000 people typically apply to Harvard Business School ever year, but only about 10% matriculate resulting in a class size of about 900 students. For Indian candidates, the situation is much more challenging. While Harvard Business School does not publish detailed incoming class details – it is known that Indians are one of the largest groups on campus with about 50 students every year. The South Asian Business Association is the hub of Indian activity on campus and the annual Bollywood night is something that the entire campus looks forward to.

It is reasonable to assume that there at least a few thousand applicants from India every year resulting in an acceptance rate of 1-3%. So, what makes that 1-3% of student so special?  Based on our years of experience working with Indian candidates and several members of our team having gone to school there here are our thoughts.

Table Stakes to be Considered

It is clear from the HBS website and that there are some minimum table stakes you need to meet in order to gain admission 

GPA/GMAT/GRE: How does the average GPA of 3.70 translate to an Indian context? There is no easy conversion mechanism and the admission committee understands an 80% from Mumbai University is much more challenging to achieve than an 80% from a less known university. IIT students that were admitted typically had a GPA of greater than 8.0 on a scale of 10. A large portion of the Indian students at Harvard went to college at prestigious institution such as IIT, BITS, NIT etc. However, there are also students who went to arts college and other not-so-well-known institutions. The median GMAT score for the class of 2021 is 730 and the median GRE verbal and quantitative scores are 163/163.  However, this belies the fact that Indian students typically achieve higher scores on these standardized tests. 750 or 760 is a standard score that we come across for successful candidates

Work Experience: The average years of work experience is 4.7. This is true also for Indian candidates. Most Indian candidates that we have worked with have at least 3 to 4 years of experience at a minimum. It is also pertinent to note that students in India matriculate and complete college at an earlier age than American counterparts. We often hear enquiries from students who would like to apply after 1 or 2 years of experience. We strongly encourage you to wait for a few years to have a stronger profile before applying.

Previous Industry: HBS does not care which industry you came from pre-MBA. A disproportionately large portion of the Indian students at Harvard have an engineering background – and this is likely driven by the pool of applicants and not any choice the school makes.  The previous employers of Indian students are from the usual well-known consulting, finance, banking and other leading blue-chip firms in India (ITC , Tata group etc.). Having said that the school does look for diversity and we see candidates who work in nontraditional industries also successful make it to Harvard.

But I was a gold-medalist at IIT, and I worked at BCG and Sequoia – why did I get rejected?

A quick perusal of MBA forums will reveal candidates from India posting their incredible stats and profiles – including their 800 GMAT score, along with their rejection results from Harvard.

What will put you over the top

Here is the truth – there are way more people who apply to schools like Harvard Business School and meet the minimum table stakes than there are spots. Especially for Indian candidates as we alluded to earlier the acceptance rates are likely 1-3%.  What sets apart those who get accepted and those who do not?

One factor is of course standing out from the pool of candidates with a unique set of achievements in your chosen field or Industry. We have also historically seen candidates with less impressive stats but meaningful leadership experiences in uncommon fields make it to Harvard. But there is one other key ingredient we have seen that helps candidate stand out in the pool.

Ivy Admissions Group originally started out by helping Waitlist clients, and over the years we have had the opportunity to see hundreds of profiles that clearly meet the minimum table stakes, but were missing something to push them into the accepted zone. What we’ve been able to figure out is that special ingredient that moves the application from Waitlist -> Accepted. What is that special ingredient? Narrative. It’s a simple word, and quite frankly, a simple concept. But it is often misused, forgotten, or implemented haphazardly. A narrative is a story arc that connects your personal inspirations and motivations to your career aspirations. In the case of an MBA application, a personal narrative will inform the admissions committee how you ended up on your current life story arc, show where this arc will take you by projecting it into future, and then argue why business school is the logical next step in your career because it is the perfect bridge to connect the two. Why are you better positioned to use an HBS MBA to solve the world’s important challenges and another Indian candidate whose resume and profile look remarkably similar to yours?

It is crucial that your personal narrative be authentic and reflected in every component of your application, something that takes a lot of deep personal introspection and reflection. For many people, this is a struggle, and it can help to have an objective third-party work with you to try and distill your personal narratives.  If this is something you might need help with, please feel free to reach out to discuss.

Breaking News: HBS is Full! - What that means for the waitlist

As the COVID-19 pandemic decimates the economy, pushing the American unemployment rate into the 20%+ range, we predicted that the yield rates as business school would skyrocket. With Harvard Business School’s announcement to candidates on the waitlist today, we see that is exactly the case.

In general, business school admissions rates are counter-cyclical: when the economy is good and attractive employment options are plentiful, many potential applicants would rather keep climbing up the ladder at work than forgoing earnings to go to business school for two years. Conversely, when the economy is bad, many applicants on the fence see the benefit of getting out of the job market (where their wages may stagnate anyway) and bolster their resume with a name-brand MBA.

As the saying goes: “any port in a storm.” And what a storm we are in.

Why Is This Surprising?

Today Eileen Chang, the HBS Admissions officer overseeing the waitlist announced that at this point, incoming HBS class is full (see letter below). Normally HBS always accepts candidates off the waitlist in early summer as admitted students change their plans, choosing to stay at work, switch jobs, matriculate at another school, or serve out military deployments. This year, that didn’t happen. Instead, anyone who could get into HBS put down their deposit to attend.

Many were caught off guard as the blogosphere opined that many students would not want to matriculate if there was the potential that business school would be held online (at least at the beginning) or that many international students would have a hard time securing visas in the present environment. Those things certainly diminish the value of business school, but in short the smart money is betting that things are going to get far worse in the economy to make those sacrifices worth it on balance.

“The Class of 2022 is currently at capacity.”

It’s Eileen Chang with a process update before we head into Memorial Day Weekend here in the U.S. 

Many of you submitted updates to your application earlier this month, which were helpful in giving us a more complete picture of where you are right now in your professional and extracurricular activities. For those who did not submit an update, we assume that the information we have for you continues to remain current. Thank you all for your continued interest in HBS.

We first want to share with you that the Class of 2022 is currently at capacity. At this time, we are not able to make any additional admissions offers. However, incoming first year students have until June 1 to let us know if they will be taking the deferral option mentioned in my last update, which may open up spots in the Class of 2022 at that time.

If there is movement in the class in early June, I will send another update at that time and provide more information. We are aware that a number of you have other options to consider and that waiting for a decision from HBS is not feasible given the timing outlined above. If you wish to remove yourself from the waitlist to pursue another option, we certainly understand. Simply send me an email and I can remove you. 

We are grateful for your patience with our process and will be in touch in early June with more information.

Sincerely,
Eileen 

What’s Next?

Normally, the story would end here and everyone on the waitlist would be released.

But this year, all is not lost. Harvard Business School has given admitted students until June 1st to elect to defer their offer of admission to a later year, something it almost never does. While students can express a preference to return in one or two years, the challenge is that they may not get the option they desire. Business School students are notoriously risk averse students may now have a choice if they defer one or two years

How to get into Harvard Business School

Over 9,228 people applied to Harvard Business School in 2019, but only 10.2% of applicants matriculated, resulting in 938 students for the HBS class of 2021. What is the difference between the applicants who were offered a spot and those who were rejected? What can you do to make sure you are one of the lucky people who gets into Harvard Business School?

Table Stakes

It is clear from the HBS website that there are some minimum table stakes you need to meet in order to gain admission into Harvard Business School.

GPA/GMAT/GRE: With an average GPA of 3.70, you probably shouldn’t be too far under a 3.5 if you want a decent shot at admission. The median GMAT score for the class of 2021 is 730 and the median GRE verbal and quantitative scores are 163/163. We tell the candidates that we work with that once you have higher than a 710, you don’t need to worry about retaking the GMAT, although if you have a very low GPA, a higher test score will help you. We like to use this website to calculate the GMAT equivalent for the GRE.

There is no preference between submitting test scores for the GMAT vs. the GRE – take whichever test you feel you will score best in. People who are stronger at math tend to excel in the GMAT, whereas people who are strong verbally tend to do better on the GRE, but this is a generalization. Our recommendation is to take a free practice test or answer some practice questions for both tests to see which one you gravitate toward.

Work Experience: The average years of work experience is 4.7. Now, this doesn’t mean that if you have fewer than 4 years you will not get in; rather, it means that you should have enough work experience to allow you to make a significant impact in your role, and for most people that seems to take about 4-5 years.

Previous Industry: HBS does not care which industry you came from pre-MBA. If it seems like they tend to favor consulting or tech, it is because that is where most of the applicants are coming from. Dee Leopold, the former head of admissions, used to say that HBS is trying to build a “salad” (her words), so they need to get a good mix of students from different backgrounds and industries to bring diversity to the class. However, keep in mind that if you’re applying from a common industry, you may need to have a stronger application to stand out.

But I have a 4.0 from Yale and I worked at McKinsey and Facebook – why did I get rejected?

A quick perusal of MBA forums will reveal numerous people posting their incredible stats and profiles, along with their rejection results from top schools. Why is this?

Here is the tough truth – there are way more people who apply to schools like Harvard Business School and meet the minimum table stakes than there are spots. Unlike college applicants, business school applicants to schools like HBS tend to be a more self-selecting group of people who feel like they at least have a remote shot at being accepted, i.e. meeting the minimum table stakes. So, it is clearly not enough to just meet the minimum table stakes. What sets apart those who get accepted and those who don’t?

Ivy Admissions Group originally started out by helping Waitlist clients, and over the years we have had the opportunity to see hundreds of profiles that clearly meet the minimum table stakes, but were missing something to push them into the accepted zone. What we’ve been able to figure out is that special ingredient that moves the application from Waitlist -> Accepted. What is that special ingredient? Narrative. It’s a simple word, and quite frankly, a simple concept. But it is often misused, forgotten, or implemented haphazardly. A narrative is a story arc that connects your personal inspirations and motivations to your career aspirations. In the case of an MBA application, a personal narrative will inform the admissions committee how you ended up on your current life story arc, show where this arc will take you by projecting it into future, and then argue why business school is the logical next step in your career because it is the perfect bridge to connect the two. Why are you more deserving to attend HBS than the other candidates whose resumes and profiles look remarkably similar to yours?

It is crucial that your personal narrative be authentic and reflected in every component of your application, something that takes a lot of deep personal introspection and reflection. For many people, this is a struggle, and it can help to have an objective third-party work with you to try and distill your personal narrative. If this is something you might need help with, please feel free to get in touch for a free consultation, or check out our Complete School Package and Narrative Bootcamp services.

Updated April 2020: The Best MBA Deferred Admissions Programs (to apply to when still in college)

While most business schools require you to have between 2-5 years of work experience before you can apply to their flagship MBA programs, more and more business schools are offering deferred early admissions programs for college seniors. College is a great time to apply to business school. Applying now gives you another opportunity for admission, a potentially less competitive peer group to compete against, and much greater flexibility on when to attend. An offer of admission from a top program also enhances your resume prestige and hedges your career risk. There really is no downside. Offers of deferred admission usually give students a guaranteed spot in a future MBA class provided they spend two or more years getting business experience (which you will need anyways to get the most out of business school). Here are the top programs that offer such deferred enrollment options: 

Harvard Business School 2+2

Perhaps the most famous of the deferred admission MBA programs is Harvard’s 2+2, established by its famous former director Lee Leopold. While college seniors from any academic background are eligible to apply, some preference will be given to high potential individuals on paths that aren't as well established in leading to graduate business school, including applicants:

1. Planning to work in an operating company (tech, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, industrials, etc.)

2. From a lower socio-economic background (first generation in college, lower-income family background, less family exposure to graduate school)

3. Going into a technically demanding role

4. Pursuing entrepreneurship

Students in college or graduate programs (attended directly after college, but not PhD programs, law school or medical school) can apply and defer attending the 2-year MBA program for between 2 and 4 years. To be considered for admission to the 2+2 Program Class of 2024 (entering fall 2022), you must graduate from your program between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. 2+2 applicants pay $100 on the application fee compared to $250 for regular applicants. 2+2 applications have only one deadline: June 1, 2020.

Stanford GSB Deferred Enrollment

An excellent way into the US business school with the lowest acceptance rate. Stanford actually offers direct enrollment opportunities for college students, however in almost every case this deferred enrollment option is more advisable. Deferred enrollment is open to those who are in your final year of a bachelor degree or a joint bachelor/graduate program, and your degree will be conferred between October 1 last year and September 1 this year OR you are currently enrolled in a graduate program, which you began immediately following an undergraduate or undergraduate/graduate program.

In most cases the deferral requested by GSB for the student is 2 years. Candidates for this program can apply in any round, though Round 3 is slightly preferred, and the reduced application fee is $100.

Stanford intimates that this enrollment option is aimed at college seniors who seek to work in post-MBA industries that either require work experience (consulting) or previous work experience in that same field (private equity, biotechnology).

Wharton Moelis Advance Access Program

This deferred admissions fellowship program is only open to undergraduate students studying at the University of Pennsylvania. The Moelis Advance Access Program is a deferred admission program that gives Penn undergraduates a guaranteed pathway to the Wharton MBA after pursuing 2-4 years of work experience. The program focuses on Penn seniors whose academic and career interests expand traditional notions of business education.

Moelis Fellows access the Wharton network and resources during their deferment period and will receive a $10,000 yearly fellowship (or more based on merit) during the 2-year full-time MBA program. Applications open in March with Round 3 and the application fee is waived.

Chicago Booth Scholars Program

The Chicago Booth Scholars Program accepts applications from any current undergraduate student in their final year of study from all undergraduate institutions. The program allows you to complete the MBA application process while still at your undergraduate institution, then start at Chicago Booth after a conditional 2-4 year deferment period for professional experience. During the deferment period, Booth Scholars are expected to seek substantive work experience that will position them to succeed at Chicago Booth and beyond. Booth Scholars represent diverse interests and backgrounds, and are not limited to STEM or non-traditional applicants.

MIT Sloan MBA Early Admission

MIT Sloan MBA Early Admission is currently open to all enrolled full-time students who are:

• graduating or have graduated from an undergraduate degree program during the current academic year

• graduating from or currently attending a graduate degree program they entered immediately upon completing their undergraduate degree without full-time work experience

If admitted, successful candidates are expected to seek full-time work experience between two to five years. MIT Sloan welcomes applications from all areas of undergraduate concentration, including the humanities, the social and physical sciences, business, and engineering. Applications are typically due in June and there is no application fee for the MIT Sloan MBA Early Admission process.

Yale SOM Silver Scholars Program

Truly unique among the “deferred admission” programs is Yale’s Silver Scholars, which is an opportunity for college senior to pursue a Yale MBA degree immediately after graduation and begin an accelerated career path in any industry. Yale is looking for college seniors who will be future leaders in business, government, and nonprofit endeavors.

A three-year program, Silver Scholars spend the first year completing the core curriculum at Yale, the second year in an extended full-time internship, and third year taking elective coursework back at Yale before graduation. Extended internship placements include start-ups, government education departments, general management roles in large corporations, and investment firms. Though the Silver Scholar is different in character than the traditional MBA programs, it offers students a “first class ticket” at this prestigious business school that is rocketing up the rankings.

Columbia Business School Deferred Enrollment Program

The Columbia Business School Deferred Enrollment Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain a few years of work experience with a guarantee of admission to Columbia's highly selective MBA program, and the flexibility to begin the full-time program 2-5 years after college graduation. The program accepts applications from students of all academic and personal backgrounds. Students who are graduating during the current academic year from a bachelor's degree program and students completing a graduate degree program (candidates must have started the graduate degree program directly after completing their undergraduate degree) are eligible to apply. Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs, law school, or medical school are not eligible. There is no application fee and applications are usually due in June.

Kellogg Future Leaders

College seniors and Master’s students who went directly into a graduate program from undergrad are eligible to apply to the Kellogg Future Leaders program. There is no preference for majors in any particular discipline. Once admitted, Kellogg will hold your spot for 2-5 years while you gain work experience. There is no application fee to apply, and applications are typically due in June.

Berkeley Haas Accelerated Access

This year Berkeley Haas is piloting a brand-new deferred admissions program. In the 2020 pilot cycle, the Accelerated Access program is exclusively available to UC Berkeley undergraduate seniors and graduate students in their final year of study who enrolled in their graduate program immediately after completing undergrad, without gaining full-time work experience. The program allows you to complete the MBA application process while in your final year of study, gain conditional admission, and then start your study at Berkeley Haas after a 2-5 year deferment period for professional experience. Students from diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. There is no application fee. There are two application deadlines: Round 1 deadline in early April and Round 2 deadline in early June.

Darden Future Year Scholars Program

College students in their final year of study and fifth-year master’s students can apply to Darden’s Future Year Scholars Program. Admitted scholars may choose to begin their MBA after gaining 2-4 years of work experience. This program is a little unusual in that there are 4 deadlines – January, April, June, and August. There is no advantage to applying in an earlier deadline. Darden is not looking for students from a specific academic background. Admitted scholars will be considered for merit-based award at the time of admission (and will be considered for additional scholarships at the time of matriculation) and will receive a personal Darden mentor. There is no application fee to apply.

Some actual interview questions Harvard Business School is asking this year

The admissions interview at Harvard Business School is a unique and often intense experience. Not all applicants are invited to interview. If you’ve made it to the interview stage – congratulations! You will be evaluated by members of the Admissions Committee who have read your application (or at least your resume) in advance and will come with specific questions tailored to you. Expect the interview to last exactly 30 minutes.

We believe in paying things forward, so when our clients get the interview at HBS (and most do) we use what we learn in their interviews to better prepare future clients for the questions they can expect in that given year. We then get to pass those insights onto you.

These questions asked are meant to clarify elements in your application that are unclear, prod your interests and commitments, or simply to test your ability to think quickly. In all cases, they will be evaluating your oral communication skills to ensure that you will be a strong fit for the case method style of instruction that infuses every course taught at HBS.

Analysis of the questions this year

This year the interviewers again have tended to deviate away from the previously standard opening question of “tell me about yourself.” Instead, we have seen some interviews start out with a random question, such as “do you think your great work ethic is learned or innate?” Otherwise, HBS is staying consistent in the sense that they continue to emphasize drilling down into your past work experience, why you made certain career transitions, and making sure you really understand the industry you’re trying to move into.

New questions we are seeing this year

• How is your current company winning in the market? How could they continue to win in the market?)

• What is the gap between you and the leaders you admire?

• What role does intuition play in decision-making vs. data and analytics?

• When did you use business intuition when the data was telling you something different?

• Tell me about your time in college? (new for how open ended it is)

Older questions coming back into fashion:

• Where do you see the industry you’re interested in now? Where will it be? What is a company you admire in the industry?

• What other companies did you apply to other than the one you’re currently at?

• What is one thing you wish you had done differently?

• What is another industry you find interesting?

• What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

Keys for success:

• Focus on your transition points in your career and be able to explain them well.

• Know yourself, know your company, know your industry.

• Remember that 93% of speech is non-verbal. Practice your body language, tone of voice and the emotions in your stories as much as you rehearse your content. (give us a call if you need help)

• HBS is a case method school and is testing how easy it is to follow your points. Keep them organized!

How Does Coronavirus (COVID-19) Affect My Round 3 Business School Application?

The global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has upended nearly every aspect of life as we know it. For those of you who are still wrapping up your business school applications for the class of 2022, what does this mean for you?

Many top business schools have extended deadlines for Round 3 and deferred MBA applicants. Additionally, business schools realize that many people who had no intention of applying to business school this year may now suddenly find themselves out of a job, causing them to re-evaluate their career plans and making applying to business school seem like a good option. These extended deadlines and relaxed testing deadlines give them a chance to apply. Read on for school-specific information and helpful links.

Harvard Business School

Instead of April 2, 2020, the 2+2 new application deadline is June 1, 2020 at noon ET. Decisions will be released on July 28, 2020 at noon ET. In a blog post published by Chad Losee, Managing Director of HBS Admissions, HBS reaffirmed its commitment to international students. “Today I want to reaffirm that HBS MBA Admissions will continue to admit the most talented international and domestic applicants, irrespective of citizenship, as we strive to build a class of leaders who will make a difference in the world…Any international admitted student who is unable to start the program due to a visa issue despite their best efforts will be deferred to next year’s MBA class."

Stanford GSB

Round 3 deadline remains April 8th, 2020 at 2pm PT. Applicants are allowed to submit required exam scores after the Round 3 deadline. If you cannot submit your scores before they post decisions on May 21st, 2020 and you are considered to be a competitive applicant, they may invite you to join the waitpool until they receive your scores and can further consider your candidacy. Test scores are accepted up until August 1st, 2020. You may be invited to interview without test scores but you will not be admitted without a test score.

Wharton

The deadline Round 3 has been extended to April 15th and for Advance Access to May 27th. Round 3 and Advance Access applicants can submit their applications without having sat for a standardized test. Please see the admissions website for instructions on how to enter your scores into the application. If admitted to Wharton, you will be admitted with the condition that official testing will be submitted before arriving on campus on August 10th, 2020 for Round 3 applicants and before December 31st, 2020 for Advance Access Applicants.

Tuck

We will maintain our Round 3 deadline of March 30, and we will also allow applications on a rolling basis thereafter in a one-time Round 4 for those who need additional time. You can submit a Round 4 application on a rolling basis from April 1 to June 1. We’ll return decisions on a rolling basis -- as soon as possible from May 11 to July 1. You will still need all required materials to apply, including test scores. International applicants, especially those currently residing outside the U.S., are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible to account for expected visa delays at international embassies. Applicant-initiated interviews have been suspended for the remainder of the application cycle, while committee-initiated interviews will be conducted virtually for this cycle.

Chicago Booth

The Round 3 deadline has been extended from April 2nd, 2020 to May 31st, 2020. Applications submitted after April 2nd will receive decisions on a rolling basis. Due to global GMAT/GRE test center closures, for applications submitted by the deadlines noted above, we will accept test scores through an extended deadline of July 1, 2020.

MIT Sloan

Round 3: The timeline for MBA Round 3 remains the same. All applications must be submitted by 3:00pm EST on April 9, 2020.

Early Admission: The timeline for MBA Early Admission applications has been extended, the new deadline is June 2, 2020. All applications must be submitted by 3:00pm EST on June 2, 2020. Applicants invited to interview will be notified in mid-June and all interviews will be conducted via Skype. Final decisions for MBA Early Admission will be released on July 15, 2020.

Standardized Tests: MBA Early Admissions applicants who are unable to take and/or secure official test scores due to limited access to test facilities should email us at earlymbaadmissions.mitsloan@mit.edu to request a temporary waiver to complete the exam. If admitted, your offer will be conditional upon a minimum score set forth in your offer letter.

Waitlist Success Stories, Part 1: Dreams came true at HBS

Harvard Business School Admit

“Nate's help was critical! He identified the weaknesses in my essays and narrative and he helped me reposition my narrative in a much more compelling way. I highly recommend him for help with storytelling and narrative building!

- Entrepreneur, White, Male, Engineer

Purchased: Conquer the Waitlist

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Harvard Business School Admit

“Finding out I was on the waitlist was really tough for me. I felt like I was so close to something I really wanted but didn't know how to get there. The waitlist is a complete gray area. I didn't know what steps to take to strengthen my application and beyond that, I didn't want to take any steps to weaken my application. Ivy Admissions was critical in helping me to evaluate my application and then draft two letters to improve my narrative and reiterate my interest in HBS. I ended up getting in and am so thankful I used this team! “

- Oil & Gas, Private Equity, Female, White

Purchased: Conquer the Waitlist