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(4.8) |
I think the school guanrantees you one of the following : your dream job ; a great network; or unparalleled partying. Where people go wrong is trying to attain all three. Pick one and you will get it!
Classmates were very nice and smart. Never really encountered the Harvard stereotype.
The classes were interesting but don’t expect to get specialized knowledge such as accounting , modeling, or deep supply chain knowledge. Harvard Business School focuses more on teaching you how to think and problem solve, which coincidentally the skill I use the most at work now.
Even at a top tech company, many of my coworkers struggle to understand problems from a director’s level but reading 10,000 case studies allows you to hone the practice.
Limited flexibility in choosing classes, no ability to specialize and you won’t get SME experience
Nope
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I had two expectations going into HBS. The first was to expand my network and the second was to come out of the program working on my own business venture. HBS met and exceeded both of these expectations. The network I was able to build with fellow students and alumni is invaluable. There have been countless times I have already reached out to old classmates or alumni to get their advice on something I have been working on. Launching my own startup was also a primary reason for going to business school. HBS is very supportive of entrepreneurship and has tons of resources at both HBS and throughout the wider Harvard community that have come in handy as I launch my own venture.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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HBS has the most unique classroom experience with the case study method and engagement model. Everyone who is serious about attending HBS should first attend a a class on campus to “get it”. For applications then, the lens to look at your application through is if you’ll add something unique to the classroom. At HBS, each student’s experience is highly dependent on their classmates. Therefore, if you do not add anything unique and insightful to the classroom, you are dead space and reducing everyone else’s ecperience. Therefore, highlight your uniqueness and ability to add nuance and insight to the classroom and that’s your ticket into HBS :)
The mix of required curriculum and electives is the perfect mix.
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Tech
Business school is unfortunately not a 2 year vacation at HBS. Classes are challenging - you always have to be on top of your game because of class participation and cold calls - and the learning curve in the first semester is very steep. Class attendance is mandatory (HBS has a very strict attendance policy) and there is class 5 days a week. What that does is force everyone to be very engaged, leading to better discussions, and a lot more learning than if it were just the professor speaking. That being said, the case method is a little more difficult to enact in classes like finance and accounting, and it can be hard for those with non-finance backgrounds to get up to speed quickly because the school just throws you in the deep end with financial modeling.
HBS completely met my needs because I wanted to come to business school to learn something (and not be paying $75k/year just to network). It was academically a lot harder than I expected, but everyone is very nice and helpful - a lot of pre-HBS finance people do section reviews out of their desire to help their sectionmates. However this also means that if you’re expecting to come to HBS to cruise or even work on a start up idea, the rigorous curriculum means you might not have the time to do that.
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The MBA program at HBS was exactly what I was looking for: hundreds of amazing classmates, access to basically every company in the world, lots of learning and fun classes. It's a great opportunity to open your mind, see what 's going on in the market, try out new areas and plan for the next years post-mba.
I suggest to future applicants to travel to Boston, talk to alumni and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. It's not only important for the admission process but also to really understand if HBS is the right fit for you.
Best of luck!
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Came to HBS the military hoping to transition to investment banking. I found the case method to be extremely frustrating at first, but over time I adjusted and have come to really enjoy class and feel like I have learned a lot. The required curriculum taken during the first year gave me a good business foundation that I feel prepared me well for my summer internship and the elective curriculum taken during the second year.
I suggest that future applicants understand what the case method means. If you want to come to business school to party and relax, realize that everyone must do SOME prep for every class. For some people that means 1-2 hours (me) and for others 30min - 1hour. If you blow off prep I think the 80 minutes of class would be quite boring.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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One can feel incredibly lucky to be accepted to Harvard Business School. The school is reference in terms of state-of-the-art management practices, constantly doing relevant research and staying in contact with leading industry executives, often HBS grads themselves. The Case method is incredibly helpful in facilitating the transition from Junior level positions to Management as it helps students think about the problem as a whole and not focus on specific aspects of the theory being thaught. The faculty is incredible and constantly amazed me with their level of preparation and how well they know both the subject and the students.
My biggest advice to future applicants is to think about the experience that the Case-method and the fixed first-year curriculum creates that is so different than other Business Schools. This is where the key to really enjoying HBS MBA program lies.
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I had some serious misconceptions of what HBS was like, and how the people there would be. To be fair I interviewed offsite and did not have a chance to visit the campus until the admitted students weekend.
I thought the other students would be unfriendly and driven to the point where the environment at school would not be pleasant. I was wrong. My first encounter with other admitted students was amazing. Everyone was not only amazingly accomplished but friendly and down to earth. I cant speak for prior graduating classes but the class of 2018 has been amazing (1 semester into the program now).
The class room experience is unlike any other teaching/learning I have experienced. The case method should really be used in more courses and topics, thought not suited for all. It allows the students to teach one another and build on to memorable real world examples of business problems.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
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HBS has largely exceeded my expectations, in particular the wonderful faculty and students. The case method, while an adjustment at the beginning, has proven to be a most insightful teaching tool. I'm continuously surprised by the intelligence and diversity of the student population. Moreover, I truly believe that HBS has some of the best student organizations amongst top businesses schools. However, the career department needs to step up its game as there are few true value-added services provided by the school, and most students (even those who are pursuing traditional career paths) have to rely on their fellow classmates and student clubs for career help.
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Loving my experience so far. The section experience is probably the highlight. My classmates are incredibly accomplished yet down to earth. I don't see anyone being competitive. Academic experience is more intense than what my friends at other schools are reporting, but I view that as a real differentiator and a big reason why I chose HBS. Case method classes can be nerve-racking yet invigorating. The first year is very structured. You are told what classes to take and where to sit. You have the same seat in the same classroom with the same 94 people for every class. The professors rotate in and out. It helps you get to know your sectionmmates better.
Don't only rely on the on campus options. If you know what you want to do before school starts, start reaching out to Alumni early. The internship I wanted didn't recruit at HBS but the alumni working at the company got me in front of there right people and I was able to secure an internship. The HBS degree might sometimes be a target on your back, people assume things about you, so when doing off campus recruiting it's really important to convey your interest and show how serious you are about that particular role.
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