Admissions & Financial Aid
Written Application
To apply for the Harvard Business School MBA Program, we ask you to assemble and prepare a variety of materials that will help us assess your qualifications. Remember, all materials must be submitted to HBS online. The following serves as a preview of what you need to prepare.
Application Components
The application for the MBA Class of 2012 consists of the following:
- Responses to the four application essay questions (see below)
- Current resume
- Three recommendations (must be submitted online)
- Self-reported transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate academic institutions attended (full- or part-time)
- GMAT or GRE scores from a test taken January 1, 2005 or later (and TOEFL IBT or IELTS score, if applicable, from a test taken January 1, 2008 or later)
- Signed HBS Community Values statement
- Signed Statement of Application Integrity
- Nonrefundable U.S. $250 application fee (credit card only)*
- Interview (by invitation only)
*College seniors pay a reduced fee of $100.
Verification
The School will verify application information and reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between the self-reported information and information provided through verification.
Essays for the Class of 2012
As an opportunity to present your distinctive qualities, your essays are an important part of your MBA application. You will be asked to submit your personal statements online with the balance of your application materials. Essays should be single-spaced. Please limit your response to the length indicated.
All applicants must submit answers to four essay questions. The first two questions are required of all applicants. The remaining two essays should be in response to your choice of the next five sub-questions.
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.
Essays:
- What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
- What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
- Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):
- What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
- Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.
- Tell us about a time when you made a difficult decision.
- Write a cover letter to your application introducing yourself to the Admissions Board.
- What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
Joint degree applicants:
- How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400-word limit)
Recommender Questions for the Class of 2012
Recommendations must be completed online. The form includes the following three essay response questions, along with other types of questions.
- Please comment on the context of your interaction with the applicant. How long have you known the applicant and in what connection? If applicable, briefly describe the applicant's role in your organization. (250-word limit)
- Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant's response. (250-word limit)
- Please make additional statements about the applicant's performance, potential, or personal qualities you believe would be helpful to the MBA Admissions Board. (250-word limit)
