Harvard Business School USA opens MBA admission process; first application round to close on September 9, 2015

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
June 19, 2015
Harvard Business School- the graduate business school of Harvard University has opened the MBA admission process for the batch 2016-18
International students must apply latest by Round 2 (Jan 6, 2016) to complete their Visa and other formalities well in time

Harvard Business School- the graduate business school of Harvard University has opened the MBA admission process for the batch 2016-18. The applications deadlines will have 3 rounds the first one closing in September 2015.

Harvard Business School is one of the top rated and most sought after business schools in the world. Located in Boston, Massachusetts USA, Harvard Business School established the world’s first MBA programme in 1908 with a faculty of 15; with 33 regular students and 47 special students.

Harvard is well known for the rigor of its program since case study is its life-blood (almost 500 cases brainstormed by the time you graduate), which is also why Harvard is considered the No 1 for General Management (Consulting) by US News. HBS is ranked No.1 among worldwide MBA by The Financial Times, 5th in the world by the Economist and 3rd best by Forbes.

Admission – Deadlines and Requirements
Admission into Harvard is open and has 3 rounds. An MBA abroad applicant who aspires to be a part of the Harvard community should carefully utilize this period to develop their profile and make themselves Harvard ready.

Application Dates for MBA class of 2018

Round 1:         September 9, 2015
Round 2:         January 6, 2015
Round 3:         April 4, 2016

International students must apply latest by Round 2 (Jan 6, 2016) to complete their Visa and other formalities well in time.

Eligibility Requirements
All applicants to Harvard must have the following:

1. A four years or three years bachelor’s degree program from a recognized university

2. GMAT or GRE test scores

3. TOEFL/IELTS scores (a minimum of 109 on TOEFL iBT and 7.5 on IELTS is required)

4. Candidates are expected to have a minimum of 2 years work experience which may be relaxed for outstanding applicants.  It is important for applicants to understand that the programme is designed for students having prior full time work experience.

Brief Class Profile of 2017

GMAT score range:            510 - 790
Median GMAT score:         730
International students:        34%
Average Age:                     27

Application Process

Application Process to Harvard is online. All documents (listed below) must be submitted to Harvard online by the above deadlines.

Documents required

1. Transcripts

2. GMAT/GRE

3. TOEFL/IELTS

4. Essay

5. Recommendation Letters

6. Resume

7. Nonrefundable application fee (credit card only) of $250 (USD)* - this fee cannot be waived

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview through Skype or telephone

Evaluation of candidates – leadership, analytical aptitude and community services
Candidates must demonstrate their capability to survive the Harvard MBA. Leadership is what Harvard looks for in a candidate. Leadership may be demonstrated in many forms such as college extracurricular activities, business achievements and personal and community commitments. Candidates must have strong analytical aptitude which can be demonstrated form undergraduate scores and the GMAT and TOEFL.

Applicants must also have serious commitment towards the community and society. Harvard thus looks for candidates who can make positive contributions to the society.

MBA in Harvard – The Academic Experience
Harvard is synonymous with leadership. Studying MBA in Harvard is learning everything from section life to case studies, from field-based learning to global immersions which finally covers all aspects of leadership. MBA graduates leave HBS with lessons in leadership that are practical, invaluable and real.

The HBS Case Method
The case study method (a teaching approach using decision forcing cases to put students in roles of business leaders facing extremely difficult business problems and decisions in the past) was introduced by the innovative HBS faculty in 1925 and over 80% of the cases sold throughout the world are written by HBS faculty.

HBS MBA is known for its rigorous case studies-students place themselves as decision makers and is presented with extremely difficult real world cases. Class participation, team work and interaction with peers from various backgrounds are highlights of the case study approach. Class participation at Harvard is extremely important and a student’s grade is based upon on the quality of class participation.

The FIELD Method
A complement to the case method, the field immersion programmes give students to act and think like leaders and put their thoughts into practice. FIELD which stands for Field Immersion  Experiences for Leadership Development pushes the Harvard MBA beyond learning management principles. It involves learning by thinking, doing and reflection.

Curriculum
The Harvard MBA spans for two years which includes a rigorous innovative curriculum. First year students are introduced to FIELD courses to develop their leadership qualities, team spirit and strong management concepts.  It develops your analytical and quantitative skills and helps you learn the standards of communication and collaboration during the first year of study.

From the second year onwards, MBA students can choose from 120 courses in ten subjects as electives and may take any combination of courses. You will also have the opportunity to participate in an Immersion Experience.

Programme Fees
Total tuition fee per year for a single student is $98,400 approx INR 64 lacs which includes health fee, room and utilities, books, case studies and insurance.  Fee is subject to change.

Financial Aid
65% of the admitted students receive some form of financial aid which can be need-based or HBS Fellowships. In addition, various external scholarship opportunities are available for international students with separate schemes for women applicants.

Career Statistics
93% of HBS graduates of the class of 2014 received job offers from which 90% accepted offers. 33% of the 2014 class was placed in Finance functions and 24% in Consulting functions. There were almost 74 graduates from the class of 2014 who founded a business.  84% of the graduates were hired by companies in USA whereas 16% chose to relocate to other destinations like Asia, Africa, Europe and Canada. Median base salary of a HBS graduate in 2014 was $125,000 approx INR 81 lacs.  Harvard has a huge array of recruiting partner including corporate such as Accenture, Adobe, Asian Development Bank, Bain & company, Facebook, FBI, Google, and Twitter among others.

The HBS faculty is internationally recognized and known for their pioneering work in research and contributions to business and management.  HBS also has global research centers around the world including India. Faculty conducts onsite research with access to firsthand observation and direct contact with industry, academic, and government leaders who have faced concrete challenges and made decisions. These researches help in preparing cases which are presented to the MBA students.

Teaching ethics at Harvard revolves around the values of honesty, integrity, respect and accountability. Students clubs are a vital part of the HBS community with more than 70 clubs present. Plenty of opportunities are available for students to explore interests and make friendships outside classroom. These associations help refine a candidate’s overall personality. Some well known alumni are Ratan Tata (Chairman and CEO Tata Sons), Naina Lal Kidwai (CEO and Country Head HSBC India) and Ashish Nanda (Director IIM A) among other prominent figures. 

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