Harvard Business School: Everything You
Need to Know

Interested in the Harvard business school (HBS)? In this post, we tell you everything about this school’s admissions to help you prepare perfectly and send an excellent application. We cover the school’s acceptance rate and ranking compared to the rest. Lastly, we take a look at the cost of education at the university.

Harvard Business School Admissions Selectivity

Harvard business school admissions are as selective as they come. Why? The educational institution has one of the most prestigious MBA programs, attracting thousands of applications when only a few slots are available.Besides, the department boasts of a well-connected alumni network with defining strength in ties and numbers. Importantly, HBS has been maintained its position as a premier educational destination for years, given its emphasis on pioneering discipline-specific and management research.

All That You Need to Know About Costs

What does the Harvard business school cost? The cumulative charges for attending this institution factors in both direct and indirect expenditure. Students have to settle their direct costs, tuition, and fee directly as part of their bill. Indirect charges, for example, living costs, are more within your control. The yearly expenditure of attending this institution considers a nine-month schooling year, with the scholar leaving moderately.Learners can benefit from various need-based scholarships, fellowships, student loans, and other funding packages to offset all or part of the schooling expenses. That said, if you are planning to join the university in the coming year, you can expect to pay $73,440 in tuition fees. It’s always a sensible idea to apply for various types of financial aid even after submitting your application.

Final Words

If you consider sending an application to this institution, this post is an excellent place to start gathering essential information. For further clarification, be sure to contact the school’s representatives. Having as much information as possible is key in ensuring you make the necessary preparations effectively.
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Harvard Business School Acceptance Rate for 2019-2020

The Harvard business school acceptance rate varies from one year to the other. The only thing about it that is somewhat of a constant is that it is relatively low. According to the institution, there were 9,304 applications for the 2019-2020 academic year, with only 732 choosing to enroll. It translates to an acceptance rate of less than 10%. Thus, you have to send an excellent application to cut.

Harvard Business School Application Requirements

What are Harvard business school application considerations? The institution’s admissions committee considers leadership potential, strong academic ability, and personal qualities described in the application.While the GMAT is a significant component in any MBA application, the institution maintains no special number. For a long time now, candidates with a wide range of scores have been admitted. What about the GPA? There’s no minimum threshold for your GPA. It is only an element of your application, so be sure to make your application stronger by focusing on other essential considerations.

Before submitting your application, here are some things to do:

  • Edit your application extensively;
  • Ask your recommenders to submit their recommendations timely;
  • Prepare for the interview sufficiently;
  • Strengthen your application by focusing on the school’s values.

Harvard Business School Rankings 2021

Harvard business school rankings vary depending on the researcher. According to US News and World Report, the university is ranked No. 6. This platform ranks educational institutions based on their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. The institution is ranked No. 1 by Financial Times.
Harvard Business School
#6 Best Business Schools

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many fields who make a difference globally. The university, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world. Harvard faculties are engaged with teaching and research to push the boundaries of human knowledge. For students who are excited to investigate the biggest issues of the 21st century, Harvard offers an unparalleled student experience and a generous financial aid program, with over $160 million awarded to more than 60% of undergraduate students. The university has twelve degree-granting schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education.

Total students ~2.011
Status
Private
Established in
1908
Campus
Urban
Adress
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Dates&Deadlines
The Application Dates for MBA Class of 2023

(matriculating fall 2021)

Application submitted online by 12 noon Boston time
Notification of the MBA admission board’s decision
Round 1
Round 2
Round 1
Round 2
08 SEP 2020
05 JAN 2021
10 DEC 2020
30 MAR 2021

The application date for 2+2 applicants

Application submitted online by 12 noon Boston time
Notification of the MBA admission board’s decision
2+2 Round
2+2 Round
01 JUN 2020
28 JUL 2020

Please note that each "round" represents a distinct period in which you may apply, not a succession of steps for your application. You may apply in one round only, one time in an application year.
Class of 2023 applications received after September 8, 2020 will be considered in Round 2. Applications received after January 5, 2021 will not be considered.

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How to Apply
All Steps of the Application Process
Candidates must have the transcript of their U S.bachelor's degree. The school requires the uploaded transcripts from the institutions the student has attended. There is an opportunity to upload "unofficial" or student copy of the transcript. However, you must provide the HBS with the official transcript as soon as you are admitted.
When applying for HBS you must have the GMAT or GRE unofficial score result that is given in the testing center the day you passed the test, or the official score if you have received it. For the 2021 MBA application cycle, HBS will allow you to submit a test extension request if you are having difficulty accessing testing. There is no minimum of the test result to apply to HBS and there is no preference towards GMAT or GRE.
A TOEFL, IELTS or Pearson Test of English (PTE) is required if you did not attend an undergraduate institution where the sole language of instruction is English. Scores from ALL of these tests are valid for two years. These tests must be dated January 1, 2019 or more recently to be valid. For the 2020-2021 academic year you can take an online or at-home test. HBS will accept the TOEFL iBT and the TOEFL iTP Plus (in China in partnership with Vericant), IELTS and the IELTS Indicator, and Pearson Test of English (PTE), the Internet-based (IBT) version of the TOEFL.
You must add the essay to your application. The topic of it is : As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?. There is no word limit for it, just the one criteria - to answer the question without overwriting and overthinking. Joint program applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School must provide an additional essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400 words)
You will need to have two recommendations submitted online by the application deadlines. Recommenders will be asked to fill out a personal qualities and skills grid and answer two additional questions : The recommendation form includes the following questions, along with other types of questions: How do the candidate's performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. ( up to 300 words) Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant's response. ( up to 250 words)
You can upload your current CV through the HBS application system. There is no need to have a special format of it, just use whatever you would use to conduct a job search.
You will have to sign the Acceptance of HBS Admissions Policies.
Nonrefundable application fee, paid only by credit card, of $250 (USD) - this fee cannot be waived. The only exception is for all active duty military applicants and past SVMP participants who do not have to pay the application fee. Applicants to 2+2 Program have an application fee of $100. Applicants to the 2+2 program with financial need are able to request a need-based fee waiver.
The interview doesn't give you the guarantee of admission. If you receive the invitation letter you must participate in the interview as it is a part of the application process. Interviews may be scheduled on campus, in domestic or international hub cities, or via Skype. Neither the timing of your interview invitation nor its format, whether in-person or via Skype, implies anything about the status of your application or affects your candidacy. Interview is a 30 minutes conversation with the purpose to know you and your intentions better.
During the next 24 hours period after the interview you will be required to submit the written reflection through the online application system. Detailed information about the post-interview period will be provided to those participants who are invited to the interview process.
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International Applicants
What International Applicants to HBS Must Have
HBS welcomes students from around the globe. The admissions criteria applied in evaluating international applicants are the same as those for U.S. citizens. All application materials, including transcripts and recommendations, must be submitted online and in English.
An international applicant is required to hold a college or university degree equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree. Equivalent degrees include international three-year bachelor degree programs. All post-secondary educational institutions you have attended and received a degree from, including technical and professional schools, should be listed on the application form. The complete, formal names of the institutions and the title of any diploma or degree earned must be used.
When providing uploaded transcripts for the application, all course names must be translated into English before submission. An unofficial translation is acceptable in your initial written application. However, if admitted to Harvard Business School, you will be required to provide an official original language paper transcript sent directly from each college or university attended to World Education Services (WES) along with an official word-for-word English translation of that transcript. The School reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission if there is a discrepancy between the uploaded unofficial translation and the official original language transcript and/or the official translation.
All candidates who received their bachelor's degree and any graduate degrees from a university or universities where English is NOT the sole language of instruction are required to take an English language test. Candidates who received a bachelor's degree from a university where English is NOT the sole language of instruction but received a Master's or Ph.D. degree from a university program where English was the sole language of instruction are also strongly advised, though not required, to submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS or PTE scores as part of their initial written application process. For the 2020-2021 application, HBS will accept the at-home or online versions of the TOEFL iBT and the TOEFL iTP Plus (in China in partnership with Vericant), IELTS and the IELTS Indicator, and Pearson Test of English (PTE). Scores from tests taken before January 1, 2019 will not be accepted. The MBA Admissions Board discourages any candidate with a TOEFL score lower than 109 on the iBT, an IELTS score lower than 7.5, or a PTE score lower than 75 from applying.
The documents for the admission :
All application materials, including transcripts and recommendations, must be submitted online and in English.
  • - Transcript
  • - GMAT/GRE
  • - TOEFL/IELTS/Pearson Test of English (PTE)
  • - Admission Essay
  • - Recommendations
  • - Resume
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