Round 1 Decisions; Round 2 Deadline
After what I know is a long wait, tomorrow is the big day for Round 1 applicants! At 12:00 noon Eastern Time tomorrow (Dec 10), we will release Round 1 decisions via the Application Status page. A little over half of those we met during the interview process will receive an offer of admission. To a portion of those not accepted, we will extend an offer to join our waitlist.
For those considering Round 2, the application deadline is a little less than four weeks away on January 5, 2021, at 12:00 noon Eastern Time. You can apply here. Please remember that we have increased the size of the next two incoming classes to about 1,000 students each (learn more here), and we look forward to getting to know you through the application process. Best wishes over the next few weeks as you put your applications together.
Giving thanks
In the U.S., the Thanksgiving holiday is this week, and on behalf of the HBS Admissions and Financial Aid team, I want to share our thanks with you.
2020 has been a challenging year around the world. Given the pandemic, we have missed traveling to your home towns and countries to meet you in-person and share more about HBS. And, we have missed hosting you on the HBS campus for class visits, campus tours, and interviews.
Despite all that, we have enjoyed meeting many of you through our online events and, for those who applied in Round 1, through your written applications and interviews. Thank you for your flexibility and enthusiasm for connecting in these new ways. In a world with so many challenges, we are heartened by how you are leading in your organizations and leaning in to your communities.
Round 1 decisions come out on December 10 at noon Eastern time, so just a few weeks away. For those of you considering Round 2 (the final deadline for the Class of 2023), you still have plenty of time before the January 5, 2021 deadline.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Updates on Class Size and Internship
Today, I am pleased to confirm that HBS will increase enrollment for the next few years—the Classes of 2023 and 2024 will enroll about 1,000 students each.
In April, when we announced our one-time deferral policy for those admitted to the Class of 2022, we were already thinking ahead to those of you applying in the next two years. We did not want you to be disadvantaged by spots already reserved for those who deferred from the Class of 2022.
For this reason, even as we prepared for this year’s class, we have been working diligently with Harvard University and our faculty and staff teams at HBS to explore increasing the HBS class size. Though uncertainty remains around the world, we have developed robust plans and contingencies for a great experience for enlarged HBS Classes of 2023 and 2024.
HBS has always strived, through a thoughtful design of the learning and student experiences, to offer the breadth of opportunity of a large business school and the intimacy of a small section of fellow students. This deliberate balance will continue as we temporarily expand enrollment at HBS for the Classes of 2023 and 2024 to about 1,000 students each.
Additionally, I want to share a note from the HBS Dean’s Office about a new summer internship requirement in the MBA program:
Last week, the faculty expressed their support for a proposal to require summer internships for MBA students. Beginning with the Class of 2022, then, students will be able to fulfill this requirement through successful completion of a summer work experience—either with an established organization or by launching an entrepreneurial venture, and in either a paid or an unpaid position. Any student facing circumstances that preclude an internship, including personal circumstances such as the birth of a child or caring for a family member, will be able to apply for a waiver.
We expect this to be seen as good news throughout the HBS community given that 99% of students usually pursue an internship opportunity. We have long considered summer internships an important extension of our curriculum—one that enhances learning and provides important practical experience. Beyond formalizing their vital role in our two-year program, the shift will benefit a number of our international students by offering them U.S. employment eligibility and ensuring that they can pursue unpaid internships.
I hope that you share my excitement on these two pieces of good news and will consider applying to HBS!
HBS Racial Equity Action Plan
Earlier this year, HBS Dean Nitin Nohria acknowledged that
HBS can and should do more in the fight against racial injustice and inequality
especially against Black Americans. In June, he launched the
Dean’s Anti-Racism Taskforce, comprised of students, staff, faculty, and
alumni, and tasked this group with developing an institutional action plan. The
full plan was released on September 23, 2020, and I encourage you to take time
to read the full Racial Equity Action
Plan.
As one of the members of the taskforce workstreams, the past few months have
left me feeling humbled and grateful to be a part of developing our
institution’s Racial Equity Plan. Specifically, in the Students and
Participants workstream, we were tasked with addressing the following key
questions: “How do we attract more Black and African American students to our
educational programs, and how do we ensure everyone can thrive at Harvard Business
School?” I admit that at times I felt daunted by the enormity of what we were
up against—including centuries of racism in this country—and yet time and again
I was buoyed up by the collective commitment of others within my workstream and
members of the broader taskforce as we worked toward tangible action steps and
change.
As outlined in the Racial
Equity Plan in the MBA program, we have committed to expanding our
current outreach, programming and partnership efforts focused on communities of
color. We have also released additional detail on the racial/ethnic identities
of our students in our 2022 Class Profile along with five years of
comparable data for recent HBS Classes in the Racial Equity Action
Plan.
As an HBS community, we are deeply committed to promoting racial equity both
within our institution and—through the leadership of our students and alumni
making a difference—in the world.