How to Get Into Harvard Business School

1. Harvard Business School Program Overview
2. Harvard Business School Curriculum
3. Harvard Business School Statistics
4. HBS Acceptance Rate
5. Application Requirements for HBS
6. Extracurriculars at Harvard Business School
7. Notable Professors and Classes at HBS
8. How to Answer Harvard Business School’s 2024−2025 Essay Prompts
9. HBS FAQ

Harvard Business School Program Overview

Many people are intimidated by the prestige of Harvard with its worldwide reputation, internationally known professors, and historic campus. But once students settle into the Harvard Business School (HBS) experience along with hundreds of their peers from around the world, they quickly see that the environment is more supportive than its cutthroat reputation suggests. At HBS, students help each other, whether through study groups, after class, or on weekends.

By using the case study method exclusively, HBS teaches its students how to think, analyze, and act. In your application, you need to portray exceptional communication skills to demonstrate that you can not only grasp concepts and clearly relay them but also teach others. HBS seeks people who can grow from setbacks or failures and are open to learning from others’ very different perspectives. Demonstrate your learnings in your application essay using examples from your work or extracurricular experiences. How did the experience help you grow? What did you learn to do differently next time?

If all of this sounds intimidating, fear not: HBS students also like to have fun! Although incoming HBS classes are admittedly large (the typical class size is roughly 930 individuals), each class is divided into sections of approximately 90 students. These groups complete the core courses together, and each section has its own team of faculty members. The sections engage in friendly competition outside the classroom at the annual Section Olympics, which consist of athletic, humorous, and team-building games. Students continue to bond through such extracurricular activities as the HBS Show, the annual student-led comedy show; TGIF gatherings, which bring sections together each Friday to unwind over food and drinks; and nearly 100 clubs that offer something for everyone: how about the Coffee and Tea Club, the Golf Club, the Rugby Football Club, or the Outdoors Club? The campus has a lot to offer as well. An HBS student and former Stratus client told us, “The HBS campus is small, and it’s very easy to get from one place to another. We have a beautiful gym and dining hall; a classic library and modern executive education building where we can study; beautiful outdoor spaces…”

HBS enjoys worldwide name recognition, and the program is global in many aspects: 35% of the latest incoming class was international; 55% of all cases published in 2021 (the latest available data) were globally oriented; and the FIELD program, which runs throughout the first year of studies, features a “Global Immersion” course that pairs students with real companies from around the world to provide a hands-on learning experience.

If you are considering applying to HBS, let your personality and passions shine through in your application, but don’t forget about humility. HBS wants students who are confident but also understand how much they have to learn from others.

Harvard Business School Curriculum

HBS employs a required curriculum (RC) in the first year, which concentrates heavily on the case method. One notable exception to case-method teaching at HBS is FIELD (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development), a course that offers students the opportunity to test ideas in small-group, interactive settings. At the end of the term, student teams are sent into global markets around the world, where they develop a new product or service concept for global partner organizations.

In the first year, students take all their classes with their sections, each with about 90 people. This dynamic creates an intense bonding experience among section mates, who come up with section traditions, games, and inside jokes. Sections often have parties so students can socialize with their peers outside the classroom as well. All that time together tends to make students more comfortable speaking in class, which is critical because a substantial part of one’s grade is based on class participation.

In the second, elective curriculum (EC) year, students choose from among more than 100 elective courses in ten subject areas, including 45 courses on entrepreneurial management. Students also can choose to participate in an immersion experience and/or to cross-register at other Harvard schools. HBS has several renowned resource centers to supplement classroom learning, including Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab), which is designed to help students grow their ventures at any stage of development. Another standout resource is the HBS Global Initiative, which employs teams in Boston and key centers around the world that are dedicated to the school’s efforts to build expertise in global business practice and innovation.

The Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship offers HBS students a plethora of learning opportunities in the field, such as the New Venture Competition, which includes tracks for business ventures, social enterprise ventures, and alumni; the Rock Summer Fellows program, which offers ten- to twelve-week summer fellowships; and the Startup Bootcamp, an immersive learning experience intended for first-year students. Elective courses at the Rock Center include “Founder Mindset,” “Avoiding Startup Failure,” “Entrepreneurship and Global Capitalism,” and “Managing the Future of Work.”

An HBS student and former Stratus client told us, “I did a winter short intensive program (SIP), a weeklong course on retail co-taught by a professor who’d worked in the industry and a current venture capitalist. Both instructors brought in impressive speakers that they knew, spoke from their own experience, and opened their networks to help students find summer internships.”

Another former client spoke of their core class experience, saying, “My favorite core class was The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM). It teaches students how to launch a new venture or initiative, whether we’re an individual entrepreneur or a manager in a large company. The class made me more comfortable with the idea of building a business by explaining that entrepreneurs resolve uncertainty.”

Harvard Busines School Statistics

Class Profile (Class of 2026)

• Class Size: 930
• Applications: 9,856
• Average Work Experience: 5 years
• Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.69
• Women: 45%
• U.S. Minorities (Multi-Dimensional Reporting): 38%
• International Citizenship: 35%
• Median GMAT: 740
• Total GMAT Range: 540−790
• Median Verbal GRE: 163
• Median Quantitative GRE: 163

Career Placement (Industries, Class of 2023)

• Financial Services: 35%
  • Private Equity: 17%
  • Investment Management/Hedge Fund: 6%
  • Venture Capital: 6%
  • Investment Banking: 3%
  • Other Financial Services: 3%
• Consulting: 25%
• Technology: 16%
• Health Care: 5%
• Manufacturing: 6%
• Nonprofit/Government: 5%
• Consumer Products: 4%
• Services: 2%
• Entertainment/Media: 1%
• Retail: 1%

Geographic Placement (Class of 2023)

• United States: 89%
  • Northeast: 54%
  • West: 16%
  • Southwest: 7%
  • South: 5%
  • Midwest: 4%
  • Mid-Atlantic: 3%
• Outside the United States: 11%
  • Europe: 5%
  • Asia: 3%
  • Middle East and North Africa: 1%
  • Australia and Oceania: <1%
  • Canada: <1%
  • Latin America: <1%
  • Sub-Saharan Africa: <1%

HBS Acceptance Rate

As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, HBS has a competitive acceptance rate—in 2023, the school received 8,149 applications and admitted 1,076 applicants. This means that approximately 13.2% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 1,076 applicants who were admitted, 938 decided to enroll.

Application Requirements for HBS

Bachelor’s degree and transcripts

HBS requires all applicants to have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent if the applicant graduated outside of the United States) and to provide unofficial academic transcripts with their application. If the applicant is admitted, they are expected to provide official academic transcripts.

Resume

All HBS applicants must submit a resume with their application. “While it is important for candidates to assess their own readiness to apply, the Admissions Board recommends that applicants have at least two years of full-time work experience (prior to enrolling),” the school’s website states. Applicants with fewer than two years of work experience may consider the school’s 2+2 program.

Recommendations

HBS requires two recommendation letters. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, and professors are typically not suitable recommenders. “We know it is not always possible to have a direct supervisor write your recommendation – we would not want you to jeopardize your current position for the application process,” the HBS website states. “Look at the questions we are asking recommenders to complete. Find people who know you well enough to answer them. This can be a former supervisor, a colleague, someone you collaborate on an activity outside of work. How well a person knows you should take priority over level of seniority or HBS alumni status.”

Test scores

HBS accepts the GMAT and the GRE to fulfill the test score requirement. All applicants must provide a test score, although the school does not have a stipulated minimum score. For the Class of 2025, the median GMAT score was 740, and the complete range was 540–790. The average GRE Verbal score and the average GRE Quantitative score were both 163. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo score.

Anything else?

An interview and three essays are also required of HBS applicants. Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis by admissions committee members who have reviewed the application beforehand. HBS interviews are conducted virtually, on campus, and at international hub cities. These are some of the questions that are commonly asked during HBS interviews:

• Let’s talk about your company. What do they do?
• What does average day look like?
• What’s the next big trend in your industry?
• What would you do differently if you were CEO?
• What have you learned from your current manager?

Extracurriculars at Harvard Business School

HBS students are very social and find many opportunities to gather outside the classroom. It’s definitely a “work hard, play hard” atmosphere. Most student activities are organized by clubs or the student government. There are nearly 100 clubs on campus, so odds are your interests are represented, and clubs are a great way to get to know students outside of your section. HBS clubs also host numerous annual conferences that draw people from around the world, including the HBS Health Care Conference and the HBS Social Enterprise Conference. Some noteworthy clubs include the Armed Forces Alumni Association, General Management & Operations Club, Partners’ Club, Tech Club, Wine & Cuisine Society, and Women’s Student Association.

The aforementioned HBS Health Care Conference welcomes industry professionals, experts, and students on campus once a year for roundtable discussions, “lunch and learn” events, and networking opportunities. The 2023 conference was themed “Charting the Changing Tides” and welcomed such keynote speakers as the chief medical officer and general manager of Amazon Clinic. The event featured such panel discussions as “AI Revolution in Healthcare: Transforming Medicine and Patient Care,” “Designing Consumer Health Devices: From Consumer to Clinical,” and “The State of Gene Therapy.”

A Stratus consultant and HBS graduate described the Africa Business Club as one of the highlights of their time at the school, saying, “Going into HBS, I knew I wanted to work in Africa at some point in the future. So, I joined the Africa Business Club (ABC) and had many opportunities to meet and build relationships with business leaders throughout the continent and was exposed to the breadth of opportunities to work in Africa. At the time, ABC hosted the largest student-run Africa-focused business conference in the country, and I was thrilled to organize a panel session with another classmate of mine in my second year. I also had the opportunity to co-lead a trek to East Africa. I always think fondly of my time at HBS. Some of my closest friendships today were made at HBS and the Africa Business Club.”

Another Stratus consultant and HBS graduate praised the Wine & Cuisine Society, saying, “The Wine & Cuisine Society was a great addition to my time at HBS because it was a non-professional and non-academic way to be involved, meet other students who love food and wine, and sample some of the best cuisine and wine around Boston. I highly recommend participating in at least one or two casual or leisure clubs like this as an avenue to get a break from classes and job hunting while still surrounding yourself with interesting people from all over the world.

Learn how Stratus’ team approach can get you into Harvard Business School. Start with a FREE consultation with an admissions specialist today!

Notable Professors and Classes at HBS

Rawi E. Abdelal

Rawi E. Abdelal is a world-renowned expert in the fields of international political economy, emerging markets, and globalization. In addition to serving as the Herbert F. Johnson Professor of International Management, he is the Emma Bloomberg Co-Chair of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which aims to provide mayors and other city officials with better leadership skills.

During the 2023–2024 academic year, Professor Abdelal is teaching the course “Business, Government, and the International Economy,” and in past years, he has taught such courses as “Wisdom from Uncertainty: Life as a Work in Progress.”

Amy C. Edmondson

Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at HBS and the author of such books as The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (Wiley, 2018). Professor Edmondson has been ranked as one of the most influential management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 several times and as the number one thinker in 2021.

At HBS, Professor Edmondson teaches courses on such topics as organizational behavior, organizational learning, and leading change in the technology and operations management department.

Michael E. Porter

Dr. Michael E. Porter teaches economic theory and strategy concepts at HBS, and he founded the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, which is based on his work, in 2000. Indeed, Dr. Porter’s HBS profile describes him as “the most cited scholar today in economics and business.”

In addition to teaching, Dr. Porter has written nearly 20 books and more than 125 articles. He has received numerous awards for his work both at HBS and on a national level. In 2000, he received the highest Harvard faculty honor when he was named the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor.

Changing the World: Life Choices of Influential Leaders

This course, like many other electives at HBS, aims to equip students with the leadership skills required to make informed decisions. The course syllabus notes that the question at the core of this class is at the heart of HBS’s mission: “How can I make a real and sustainable difference?” Students examine case-length biographies of well-known leaders each week and search for patterns in their behavior. During the course, students “learn how to apply these principles to develop a personal strategy: how to tailor an approach to reflect [their] interests and capabilities, how to develop mentoring and support systems, and how to identify high-payoff areas to focus [their] time and attention,” the syllabus notes.

The Moral Leader

This course is a seminar-style elective that offers a new perspective on leadership by replacing case studies with literature. The literature used in the course ranges from Shakespeare and Greek plays to contemporary fiction, and the course examines each work in three parts: accountability, character, and pragmatism.

As noted in the syllabus, a former student who took this course describes its aim as to “[show] how people develop the skills, courage, and perseverance to use power, money, and influence in constructive ways.”

How to Answer Harvard Business School’s 2024-2025 Essay Prompts

For the first time in more than ten years, Harvard Business School (HBS) has changed the essay questions for its MBA application. This year’s essays veer away from the open-ended, 900-word “What more would you like us to know?” and toward three shorter essays. In these essays, HBS seeks evidence that applicants are business minded, leadership focused, and growth oriented.

• Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations and communities you plan to serve. (Up to 300 words)
• Leadership-Focuses Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (250 words)
• Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (250 words)

Click here to read our advice on Harvard Business School’s essay questions.

HBS FAQ

What is HBS best known for?

HBS is one of the highest ranked business schools within the United States and the world, and the Harvard name carries high recognition globally. HBS uses its case method–based curriculum to advance its goal of helping students gain “deep general management and leadership skills,” as the school’s website states. The HBS MBA program is a highly international and hands-on experience, from which graduates walk away with a strong sense of how to make practical and holistically informed decisions as leaders.

How much does tuition cost?

Estimated tuition for the HBS full-time MBA program is $118,854 for single students for the 2024–2025 academic year. This includes program charges for three semesters, room and board, health insurance, and such additional fees as transportation, program materials fees, and other living expenses.

How difficult is it to get accepted into HBS?

As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, HBS has a competitive acceptance rate—in 2023, the school received 8,149 applications and admitted 1,076 applicants. This means that approximately 13.2% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 1,076 applicants who were admitted, 938 decided to enroll.

HBS is known globally for its strengths in general management and developing thoughtful leaders, but do not let a school’s reputation steer you elsewhere if it doesn’t seem like a perfect match right away! HBS’s prestige may in fact seem intimidating to some, but many prospective applicants visit the HBS campus and are surprised by how approachable the students and faculty are.
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