Harvard Business School 2+2 Chances

Graduate School Business School - MBA
1

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>I'm hoping someone can give me some insight and/or critic on my chances on getting into the HBS 2+2 program. I have one more year left of my graduate program and I'm applying this summer. Thank you all in advance. I would really appreciate any thoughts you have on my profile. </p>

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<p>Basic Info:</p>

<p>Age 22
Female
Asian
Undergraduate: Lower Ivy - Major: Health Policy, Minor: Business GPA: 3.4
Graduate: Lower Ivy - Master of Health Administration GPA 4.0 (probably going down a little this semester)
GMAT: 710
Recommendations and Essay should be solid
Applying First Round</p>

<p>Work and Internship Experience:</p>

<p>3 years as a resident Advisor
Didn't really do any internships as undergrad and went traveling instead. While it looks bad on here, I don't regret any of it.
This summer I will be interning at New York Presbyterian</p>

<p>Extracurricular Involvement, Community Service & Leadership:</p>

<p>Alpha Phi Omega - Community Service Fraternity (held minor offices)
Social Fraternity - President and other offices throughout the years
Chair of campus government - Think student government but for undergrad, grad, faculty, and staff
And a few other things here and there </p>

<p>Goal: I honestly will have no problem getting a job out of my masters but I want to try my luck at HBS for a chance to do something bigger. My goal is to change the healthcare industry through innovation and hospitality. I know it sounds not realistic but that is truly why i'm doing this. Do you think I should say so in my essay? </p>

<p>Main concern:</p>

<p>Undergrad GPA. I hope it's not too low. Though this was mainly due to my first two years of college when I was sexually assaulted among other personal stuff. Unfortunately it bothered me a little more than it should and I did poorly (less than 3.0) because of it. Once I snapped out of it I was around 3.7 and pulled my GPA up a little. Should I tell HBS about this or should I just keep quiet?</p>

<p>My GMAT isn't the highest but I took it after studying for two weeks to apply to my grad program. I tend to believe that colleges are looking to see that you're capable of doing well and not for the best possible score so I'm thinking of just leaving the score be. Your thoughts?</p>

<p>My main goal is HBS 2+2 but I will apply to GSB as well. I'm only apply to these two for now for their deferred program and if I don't get in I'll decide if I want to re-apply in a few years. If you have any insight on either please let me know. Thank you so much for reading everything and let me know if you need additional information. </p>

2

Assuming the sexual assault story is mentioned and validated with documentation, you definitely have a fighting chance! Best of luck.

3

I don’t understand the designation “Lower Ivy.” All of the Ivy League institutions are elite schools, some of the best in the country, and the distinctions between them in terms of quality are negligible. It seems weird.

With that said, if you already are earning an MHA from an Ivy League institution, then I don’t see the need to go back for an MBA. I don’t know what Ivies are considered “lower” other than they are not HYP, so the only non-HYP Ivies I know that have MHA programs are Columbia (at the Mailman School of Public Health) and Cornell (in the College of Human Ecology). Both of them are elite schools with well-respected programs ranked within the top echelon o their field. I’m not sure why a Harvard MBA (and more debt) would improve you anymore or help you do something “bigger”, especially since you said you know you’ll have no problem getting a job with your master’s. What will help you change the healthcare industry is not a Harvard MBA; it’s the experience and skills you will gain through your career.

I do think that you should say that you want to change the healthcare industry through innovation and hospitality - with more specifics (what do you mean by hospitality?) - but I don’t think you should say that you want the chance to do something bigger. You need to clearly explain why you want a Harvard MBA on top of the administration degree you already have, and why you think this additional degree will enhance your job opportunities and career development.

With that said, your undergraduate GPA is pretty far below their average (3.75). Your GMAT score is just about average - within their accepted range, but slightly below the average of 730. My knowledge of the 2+2 program is that they are looking for students who showed shining examples of leadership on campus - internship experience + held positions in several campus organizations or was really invested in one. I know a student who was admitted to the 2+2 program (he chose not to go); he was the president of about 3 things, held positions in other things and was also in the National Guard - plus had a stellar GPA. Your EC involvement looks…pretty average for the kind of person competitive for HBS 2+2 - not great, but not bad. The fact that you have no internship experience might be a ding against you, but you also are in a business-based master’s program and will be interning this summer so that might help.

So, you seem like a below-average to average candidate. The program has a 12% admissions rate.

If you do decide to tell Harvard your sexual assault in your statement, you do not need documentation to “validate” your experience (as you don’t for any kind of explanation for poor performance in undergrad - illness, death in the family, etc). I think if I were you I would mention it briefly - 2-3 sentences. Mention that you know that your cumulative GPA in college looks low but you were sexually assaulted in your first year of college, and dealing with the emotional and mental fallout was tough on you. However, you recovered and threw yourself back into your work with a passion, and was able to achieve a 3.7 in your last two years of college as well as a 4.0 in your master’s program - proving that you are capable of excelling at graduate-level work. Finish on a positive note and draw attention to the higher GPA in your last 60 credits.