Ways to Gain Admission to Harvard Business School

Ways to Gain Admission to Harvard Business School

I read an interesting guest post on “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” by Jay Cross, a guy who actually paid to apply for his dream job. It was a smart move for both him and the recruiter. By charging a fee, the recruiter filtered out less motivated applicants, ensuring only the most dedicated ones applied. Jay, by paying the fee, knew that his competition was significantly reduced, increasing his chances of landing the job. This job, a top online marketing position, would have normally attracted thousands of applicants. But with the fee, only eighteen people applied.

So, what does this have to do with Harvard? A few years ago, I was considering going back to school for an MBA. I was extremely bored at my job and figured that taking time off work could only be justified by either early retirement or further education to get a better-paying job, which would help me retire sooner.

I already had a master’s degree in business from a school in France, but the networking opportunities there weren’t as strong, and I had no professional experience at the time. An MBA from a U.S. school seemed like a fun and valuable experience, and I was confident I could find a way to finance it, just like I did for my business school in France.

I started researching MBA programs, more as a way to escape my dull job than as a serious plan. After about an hour, I found out the following:

– You need to pass the GMAT exam and score well to get into a good school. The exam is offered 3-4 times a year and costs $250.
– You have to write an impressive essay to make the school want you.
– You need two important people to write recommendation letters for you.
– Each school application costs around $250 (with some variations, like Stanford at $275 and Harvard at $250).

There were other requirements too, like deadlines and paying for degree translations. The good thing was that most schools had need-blind admissions, meaning they would admit you regardless of your ability to pay and then help you figure out the finances.

Then I looked at the admission rates. When I applied to my French business school, about 5,000 people were competing for spots at various schools, and the one I wanted accepted only around 30 students, giving me less than a 1% chance. In contrast, Harvard Business School, the top-ranked school globally, had a 10% admission rate last year.

Harvard’s lengthy application process weeds out many applicants before they even apply. Only 10% of those who do apply get in, which is probably a tiny fraction of those who, like me, briefly dream about applying. The GMAT scores of admitted students range from 550 to 750. This means someone with a 550 GMAT score (which is quite low for Harvard) believed they had a chance and succeeded.

Why does Harvard have a higher admission rate compared to my European business school? Because Harvard has numerous small barriers that filter out applicants, similar to the job application fee. The costs add up to over $500 between test fees and application fees, possibly reaching $1,000 if you include preparation materials and travel expenses. If you’re not willing to spend $500 to apply, are you ready to pay $60,000 per year for tuition? Many students, even with good GMAT scores, give up to save $250 and apply to safer schools instead.

But not that 550 GMAT student. They didn’t let an academic score stop them. They wrote an essay, got two mentors to write recommendation letters, paid the $250 application fee, and believed they could be one of the few selected from over 9,000 applicants.

That’s how you get into Harvard or achieve anything you want in life. Embrace the barriers because overcoming them increases your chances of success. Your competition, unable to handle small obstacles, will give up, leaving the path open for you. Seize the opportunity instead of just dreaming about it.