Harvard Business School Welcomes MBA Class of 2008

For Immediate Release: September 8, 2006
Contact: Jennifer Centra, jcentra@hbs.edu, (617) 495-6155

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL WELCOMES MBA CLASS OF 2008

BOSTON - Harvard Business School has officially welcomed 907 new students to its MBA program. The Class of 2008 was chosen from 6,716 applicants. The 91% yield (percentage of applicants admitted who matriculate) is once again the highest of any major educational institution in the world.

Other notable statistics for the incoming first-year Class include:

907 matriculants
35% women
22% minority
33% international, representing 70 countries
An average of four years of full-time work experience

Members of the Class come from a variety of educational backgrounds. Thirty-five percent hold an undergraduate degree in the humanities and social sciences, followed by engineering (28%), business (24%), and natural sciences (8%). A number of students have already completed advanced study in medicine, law, and other graduate programs.

Work experience covers a wide array of organizations, from consulting and venture capital to government and healthcare. Nine percent of the incoming class comes from the nonprofit sector, including charter schools, refugee relief organizations, and volunteer services. Many bring a military background ranging from special forces to global peacekeeping units.

Steve Nelson, Executive Director of the MBA Program, highlighted the diversity of the Class in his welcoming remarks: "In your spare time, you are black belts, stand up comedians, stuntmen, and jazz band musicians. You play instruments at concert levels. You have climbed Kilimanjaro and biked across Canada. You have worked for the NFL and even played in the Super Bowl."

As the students set out on their educational journey, they already have something special to look forward to. When they pick up their diplomas in 2008, HBS will celebrate not only their graduation but the 100th anniversary of the School's founding.

About Harvard Business School
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located in Boston and offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 40 Executive Education programs. With a faculty of more than 200 distinguished scholars, the School is dedicated to educating leaders who make a difference in the world. Its core focus is to shape the practice of business, build enduring knowledge, and effectively communicate important ideas. Harvard Business School is the world's largest producer of business cases, a method of teaching pioneered by the School in the 1920s.