The HBS essays are arguably the most important part of the HBS application. It is a glimpse into the life and mind of a dynamic future CEO. It is the admissions committee’s chance to get to know you, and really your chance to explain to them why they’d be making a big mistake by not accepting you. It is your chance to explain your career vision, your dream of doing something that can make a big impact on business and our society. And it’s your chance to convince them why you are the person to do it, and how HBS will help you reach your goal. There are really three important keys to the HBS essay application strategy. The first is to paint them a picture of a grand career vision. After all, why would they bother to accept you if you don’t even have the intent or desire (whether actually true or not) to change the world. Second, once you convince them that your career vision is genuine and supported by actions from your past and motivations that underlie your personal background, you must show them why you are right person to achieve those big dreams. What leadership traits have you shown in the past? How have you managed different business situations as a leader? Thirdly, you need to explain why HBS will help you reach your goal. How does HBS fit into this equation? How does HBS help you, the tremendous young leader with great potential, maximize your chances of reaching your career. Convince them you can become the next CEO of Johnson & Johnson. After all, you’re only worth something to them if you can raise their brand equity and if you can give back to the school. Regardless of how the HBS essay questions are structured, or how they might change every year, what the school is trying to get out of the essays is the same, year after year.
In this article, we will help you focus on the second major goal of the HBS essays, convincing the admissions committee that you have what it takes to reach your ambitious and world-changing career goals. What HBS publishes about their students and what they like to see in prospective students is true. They look for leadership abilities. Yes, that’s really the only thing they care about. Leaders become CEOs, not quant jocks. Leaders become visible. Leaders are the ones who become famous, not necessarily “team-oriented” students. Leaders rise to the top. Leaders become politicians and Presidents. Now, there are different qualities that support leadership ability. For example, empathy, communication ability, persistence, motivational ability, listening skills, etc. are all required of good leaders.
These are all skills you need to communicate in your HBS essays through stories of how you achieved a particular result or how you resolved a particular situation. When you meet HBS students, the one thing you’ll observe is that they all believe they can be leaders. They are aggressive, ambitious, they know how to listen (or at least pretend), they know how to inspire others, and they know how to rally a team. This is what the admissions committees are looking for. On the other hand schools like Kellogg focus a lot on team work. Well, to be honest, HBS doesn’t really care about team players. If you’re TOO team oriented, you’ll never have enough ambition to become the head of a company and advance beyond your peers. HBS students are team oriented enough to know how to get projects done well and to earn the respect of others. But, they know that being too team oriented is also a fatal weakness of a strong leader. Well, they know that being team oriented is really more about servant leadership. Whereas Kellogg students view being team oriented as an excuse to just do their part and not be singly accountable for the end result of a project. Being too team oriented makes you less accountable. It restricts you from being the one who drives things forward. Remember, demonstrate your leadership qualities through stories and actions you weave into your HBS essays. Don’t just give the schools a laundry list of qualities you think you have. Who would believe you after all? Actions, and context behind those actions, can convey a lot more meaning.