HBS 2+2: Which Round Should I Apply In?

Graduate School Business School - MBA
1

<p>So, as some of you may know, HBS 2+2 now accepts applications for the three different rounds AND the original summer round. My original thought was to apply by the summer July 6th deadline, but the last semester really roughed me up and now I'm considering applying in either Round 1 or Round 2. Any input on which round I should apply in is appreciated.</p>

<p>Deadlines:
Round 1: Application Deadline - October 3, 2011 (Notification: December 2011)
Round 2: Application Deadline - January 10, 2012 (Notification: March 2012)</p>

<p>So, I had a nice GPA and good extracurriculars, etc. This isn't really a chance me thread. I'm a double major in Financial Economics and Music Composition, and I'm downplaying the Econ studies, because what I really want is to run an orchestra. Anyway, since I'm presenting a "creative/artsy" app , my Quant background is of course going to be questioned. I've taken Calc I/Stats, and had no trouble with those, and I am of course doing my best to do great on the GMAT Quant.</p>

<p>However, the last semester has been really bad for me and messed up my GPA. One of the classes that destroyed me was Econometrics, where I got a C; the only one I have so far. Now, I know that Econometrics is reputably very difficult, and I had a lot of trouble with it. In addition, the semester was very bad for me, and I got 2 B-s as well. I have a slight downward curve with my grades, which I know is bad; I started out with a 3.8, held a steady 3.7, and now, after this semester, have a 3.6. I don't think this is gonna look good at all, especially since it's a quant course.</p>

<p>So, one of my options is to apply for Round 2, take finance/accounting or possibly retake econometrics, and have a great semester. This also gives me lots more time to prepare for the GMAT. Do you think it's worth it to do this, or is the competition in Round 2 too great? An HBS Adcom told me that HBS 2+2 candidates ONLY compete within their own pool. However, at that point, the Summer Round and Round 1 will have passed. I'm guessing that my music background will hopefully make me stand out a little, so maybe it won't hurt to wait? Or, should I just get my app in by Oct. 3, Round 1, and do the best GMAT I can?</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

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<p>hmm… What school do you go to? I think your gpa is fine as long as your school is well-known enough…</p>

<p>And you have to know that gpa is just one of the many factors that they look at.</p>

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<p>Diablo, I’m at SUNY Binghamton, which is a fairly well-ranked public school. My primary concern isn’t the whole GPA, it’s my quant track. I feel that because I’m pushing myself as a musician, they’ll question whether I can crunch the numbers, and having a C in a math class won’t help. Moreover, the average GPA for the program is 3.76, so I want to take a semester time to pull mine up.</p>

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<p>Having gone through the regular admissions process at schools of this level, I got the impression that it was roughly twice as hard to be admitted in Round 2 vs. Round 1 even though the schools will claim otherwise. A little bit of stardust is probably the most important factor in getting admitted to HBS, and I’m not seeing that in your profile (unless you’ve got something up your sleeve that you’re not letting on for confidentiality purposes). It would be worth it to wait to Round 2 if you can put together something extraordinary that will set you apart from the crowd. A slight GPA bump or a couple extra points on the GMAT will not have much bearing on whether you get admitted to HBS or not.</p>

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<p>BigAarst, thank you for the input. I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “stardust,” but as this is not a “chance-me” thread, I didn’t write out my whole profile. My strengths are in my music work; I’ve started and run a composers’ orchestra in school that reaches out to the community, create collaborative experiences between the music and film depts. at college, and want to pursue an MBA to continue creating impact through original music. That’s the short of it, but I’m more concerned with making sure my numbers say I can do the work. Thanks for your thoughts!</p>

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<p>Schools will never say it but the numbers start working against you the later you apply.</p>