Harvard Business School - Information session

I had been to HBS info session on September 12th and it was a great experience. Harvard was on my radar as a potential school but didn’t figure on my final list. I figured based on my research that it was not as a good a fit as compared to others I had on my list. I was hoping that I could get some of the issues I had addressed at this forum.

Here are notes from the session

• Session started with a presentation, a good one, something that one would come to expect that from a leading business school.
• Presentation stated HBS’s mission statement, which I overlooked in my prior research and was surprised to see how much that aligned with my personal mission statement
• Presenter talked about HBS’s focus on leadership and finding leaders.
• There was some stress on the case-method and how students contribute to overall learning.
• Presentation also touched on other aspects of Harvard but they didn’t really stand out.
• This was followed by a video which was interesting but not spectacular
• Next was a Q & A with alumni. They were seated in front of all potential applicants, much like a press conference.
• Many questions were asked about the life at HBS, curriculum, studies, co-curricular activities, requirements etc. Alumni answered questions well and gave good insight on what they had learnt at Harvard. There were some anecdotes quoted. They finished by giving some tips on application and they concentrated on focusing on goals, fit to the school and the overall story.
• After that we were able to mingle and chat with alumni and this was the most beneficial part for me. I got clarity on how HBS could help me achieve my career goals and how MBA at HBS aligned with what I was looking for.

Overall I thought that the info session was very useful and really helped gain a better understanding of what HBS was all about. I also dispelled lot of my doubts and preconceived notions about the school. HBS Info session is must attend for anyone considering applying to Ivy League schools for a MBA.