According to Harvard Business School (HBS) Admissions Director Deirdre Leopold, the question she is asked the most these days by prospective applicants is whether they should apply for Round 3 admission. Of course she doesn’t give a yes or no answer, but she does provide some points worth considering.
For starters, she says, there are always places in next year’s class for Round 3 applicants, though certainly not as many as for those who apply in the earlier rounds. And as for financial aid, money is available to all applicants, no matter when they are accepted.
That said, there are a few things people considering Round 3 should keep in mind:
• International applicants are still encouraged to apply, but they must bear in mind that applying for a visa takes time. If admitted, they should accept quickly in order to get that process underway.
• On-campus housing, unlike financial aid, is not guaranteed for those admitted in Round 3. In fact, the housing lottery for both apartments and dormitories takes place before Round 3 notification.
• As in all other rounds, Round 3 applicants must include GMAT scores and, if applicable, TOEFL scores in order for their applications to be considered complete.
2+2 Admissions Application Released
Also out of HBS this week comes the release of the 2+2 program admissions application, including all instructions, policies and materials. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2008. To access the application, you must create a password-protected personal account, which you can do here.
The 2+2 program is a deferred admissions program designed to attract promising college students who might not otherwise be considering business school. Basically, college students can apply for admission to HBS in their junior year and receive notification of acceptance by spring of their senior year. If accepted, a place in the HBS class will be reserved for them – which they can step into once they graduate from college and complete two years’ worth of approved work experience.
While in the working world prior to beginning coursework at HBS, 2+2 students will take part in on-campus summer academic programs that let them take classes with HBS faculty and get to know fellow classmates. All 2+2 students are also assigned a career coach and can keep connected to current HBS students as well as fellow program participants through a dedicated website.
HBS expects that 2+2 program participants with grow to make up about five to ten percent of the 900-member incoming MBA class over the next several years.
2+2 Application Essay Questions
Though you’ll have to register to begin the application process for yourself, we thought we’d post the 2+2 application essay questions so you can begin thinking about how you might answer them. Here you go:
1. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
2. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience? (600-word limit)
3. Please answer TWO of the six questions below (400-word limit each):
a. Discuss a defining experience in your leadership development. How did this experience highlight your strengths and weaknesses?
b. How have you experienced culture shock?
c. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
d. What global issue is most important to you and why?
e. What else would you like the MBA Admissions Board to understand about you?
f. What have you learned from a mistake?
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