If you’re ambitious about applying to Harvard’s MBA program, then your dream is to wake up in the morning to something like this:

Get out of bed and see that you have received an offer from one of the top MBA programs in the world.

If you aspire to get into HBS and hope to receive a similar email like Abdi got, keep reading.

In this post, I will discuss everything you need to apply, such as GPA, GMAT/GRE, Essays, letter of recommendations, and so much more.

Additionally, this post will include valuable information on letters of recommendation, scholarships, loans, and other specific information that you need to make it to HBS.

So why should you care to read what I write?

I have mentored over 1,000 applicants (since 2012) who dreamed of making it into the top global business schools. So, I have seen everything.

Additionally, I have tutored over 15,000 individuals for the GMAT and the GREs, which are one of the pre-requisites to get into the top MBA programs.

What are Harvard’s MBA admission requirements?

There are a lot of factors that HBS (Harvard Business school) considers while selecting candidates for their MBA program.

These mainly include leadership potential, analytical prowess, and teamwork.

Harvard evaluates these traits by looking at the following aspects of your application:

• GPA
• GRE/GMAT scores
• Admission Essays
• Application requirements
• Work experience
• Extra-curricular’s

Before you go on further, here are some of the most salient features of Harvard MBA program.

• Harvard Business school is located in Boston, MA, and ranks 5th in the top MBA programs list.
• The average 2-year cost of attending Harvard MBA is $250,000.
• The average 2-year need-based scholarship is $80,000.
• The median starting salary of HBS MBA graduates is $150,000.
• The median signing bonus after HBS is $30,000.

Harvard Business school’s MBA program has an acceptance rate of 10%. Every year, nearly 10,000 applicants apply to the HBS MBA program, and around 1,000 get selected. 

To get an idea of the competition, here are the acceptance rates of a few of the top MBA programs.

Acceptance rates give you an idea about how tough it is to get in.

In the case of Harvard’s MBA program, only 1 in 10 applicants make it, which makes HBS extremely selective.

That is obvious, given the prestige that Harvard carries.

Every applicant admitted to Harvard MBA must pass through a 30-minute board interview.

Although HBS doesn’t share any official stats, nearly 20% of all applicants are called in for the interview.

If you get called for the interview, you have a 50-50 chance of getting into the program.

But before the interview, you must meet HBS’s strict admissions requirements based on multiple factors. Harvard says that they mainly look at three things in an applicant:

• Leadership Potential, which can be demonstrated as follows:
1. College extracurricular activities include athletic participation, academic teams, clubs, and political activism.
2. Academic achievements such as leading a successful group project.
3. Business achievements such as developing/implementing new procedures leading special projects.
4. Personal accomplishments include overcoming depression/drug abuse, honors list, leading a startup alongside a demanding full-time job.
• Analytical and Quantitative Prowess. This can be exhibited through:
1. GMAT/GRE scores.
2. Nature of work experience.
3. Previous GPA.
4. Diploma’s/certifications such as CFA levels 1,2 and 3.
• Community Engagement. Some examples can be:
1. Blood donation drive.
2. Helping people in times of disaster.
3. Teaching underprivileged kids.
4. Overseas Exchange programs

There is no guarantee that you will make it even if you checkmark on all the above factors. But, if you don’t tick mark on most of the above factors, your chances of getting in are almost none. (Unless you are Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, lol)

Harvard MBA GPA Requirements

For HBS, there is no minimum GPA to apply. However, the average GPA of admitted applicants at Harvard MBA is 3.69.

This means that HBS wants the top of the cream. Nonetheless, your undergraduate majors and university ranking matter as well.

For instance, someone from MIT engineering with a GPA of 3.3 is far academically superior to someone, let’s say, with a 4.0 in an arts degree from Florida Memorial University. (Not to say the Florida Memorial University is wrong, lol)

Since Harvard MBA focuses on quantitative skills, STEM undergrad majors have the edge over non-STEM undergrad majors in the HBS’s admissions process.

All things aside, what to do if your GPA is low since it is impossible to change your GPA now. Some applicants think that doing a master’s with a better GPA can help you with your HBS application. Some say that one should enroll in some short courses and improve your GPA. Don’t do either of the two. Instead, if your GPA is below 3.7, focus on your GMAT/GRE to compensate.

GMAT & GRE requirements at Harvard MBA

First, Harvard has no preference for GMAT over GRE or GRE over GMAT. Therefore, you can take either the GMAT or the GRE before the application deadline to complete your application.

Harvard’s MBA Average GMAT score & Analysis

HBS has no cutoff GMAT score, but a high score is necessary.

Again, this score makes HBS Extremely Competitive for GMAT test scores.

Only 4% of the global GMAT test-takers score 730+ on the GMAT.

It usually takes 5-6 months of rigorous prep to score something above 700 on the GMAT. You may want to look at this post to get the best books to prepare for the GMAT. Or if you like to study online, then here is the best online GMAT prep course that is the most affordable.

Here’s the breakdown of Harvard MBA GMAT scores by section:

Only 6% of all test-takers score a 41+ on GMAT verbal.

26% of all test-takers score a 49+ on GMAT quantitative.

Harvard Business school also looks at the Integrated Reasoning (IR) and analytical writing (AWA) portion of the GMAT exam.

• A good Integrated reasoning (IR) score for Harvard MBA is 7+ out of 12.
• A good GMAT AWA score for Harvard MBA is 5+ out of 6.

Harvard MBA GRE Score & Analysis

Again, this score makes HBS Extremely Competitive for GRE test scores.

Only 10% of the global GRE test-takers score 327+ on the GRE.

It usually takes 4-5 months of rigorous prep to score something above 325 on the GRE. You may want to look at this post to get the best books to prepare for the GRE. Or if you like to study online, then here is the best online GRE prep course that is the most affordable.

Here’s the breakdown of Harvard MBA GRE scores by section:

Only 7% of all test-takers score a 163+ on GRE verbal.

19% of all test-takers score a 164+ on GRE quantitative.

Harvard Business school also looks at the analytical writing (AWA) portion of the GRE.

A good GRE AWA score for Harvard MBA is 4.5+ out of 6.

Multiple GMAT or GRE attempts

Multiple GMAT or GRE attempts are very common among Harvard MBA applicants. This is understandable since the scores are so competitive that many applicants don’t get a top-notch score on the first attempt.

Therefore, I always recommend that you consult the best prep material to ace the GMAT.

Harvard MBA has no bias against someone who takes the GMAT or the GRE multiple times.

Infact, multiple GRE or GMAT attempts can positively impact your HBS MBA application. It tells Harvard’s admissions board that you are persistent and ambitious enough to work hard to improve every aspect of your application.

You could have taken the GMAT, let’s say seven times, and every time you failed to achieve a 700+. Then the 8th time, you decided to take the GRE, which is more accessible than the GMAT, and scored your desired score. This speaks volumes about your commitment and will have a massive impact on your application.

Also, note that Harvard MBA does not super score your standardized test scores. 

This means that you cannot send section-specific scores from different exam attempts. You can only send scores in their entirety from a given shot. For example, if you have scored higher on the verbal section on your first attempt and lower on your second, you cannot choose to send the higher verbal score to your school from the first take. Instead, you will only be able to send all the scores from whichever attempt you want to report to the school.

Work Experience

The average Pre-MBA work experience at Harvard Business School is 5 years.

This means that the average age of an admitted MBA applicant is 27 .

If you are a current final-year undergraduate student or a graduate student with no work experience, you can apply to Harvard’s 2+2 MBA program.

The ideal work experience for the MBA program at HBS is 4-5 years at application. Below and above that, the odds of making it fall dramatically.

For most top MBA programs, 4-5 years is the perfect amount of work experience. According to the leading MBA forum poets and quants, this is so because five years is enough to make valuable contributions in the MBA class. In addition, these young professionals are much more adaptable and can mold into the rigorous MBA program.

The quality of work experience matters a lot in the case of HBS. You could have worked for five years in a role where you didn’t get a chance to develop your leadership skills. That work experience is futile for an MBA at Harvard.

At HBS, you would see many people with 3-4 years of work experience who previously worked at top consulting firms like Mckinsey. Nearly 20% of the HBS class comprises people from consulting backgrounds. This is because, in a consulting firm, you can develop your leadership and professional skills in a brief period.

Undergraduate major

Nearly 30% of the MBA class at Harvard is composed of engineering applicants.

Almost 70% of the MBA candidates at HBS are from a quantitative background, i.e., engineering, economics, math, and physical sciences.

Fewer than 20% of students are from humanity, social science, and arts backgrounds.

This shows that applicants from STEM backgrounds have an edge over others when applying to the HBS MBA program. Standardized exams such as the GMAT and GRE are also quant heavy, and therefore STEM applicants generally fare well in them.

Letters of recommendation

You need two letters of recommendation (LORs) to apply to HBS MBA.

LORs are an essential part of your application since a great letter validates your credentials and what you say in your application. A great LOR is not generic saying things like ‘this person is talented and brilliant. Everything that your referee says must be backed by actual examples. Make sure that your recommender can talk about specific things about you. Here are some examples of good LORs that you can consult for your application.

What is the importance of each part of your Harvard MBA application?

Poets&Quants collected data from the 50 most prominent MBA admissions consulting firms and asked them to weigh each component of the MBA application. Over many years, these consultants have helped thousands of MBA applicants get into top business schools. Here is what their study concluded:

The vast majority of the MBA admissions consultants have clearly stated that a good GMAT score and a good GPA make up almost 30% of the overall admission weight. This shows that academic and analytical aptitude is the number 1 factor that top MBA programs like Harvard focus on.

A surprising outcome of this data is that letter of recommendation are nearly as important as the application Essays. Therefore, one should strive to get the best LORs from the most accomplished referees. Ideally, if you get a letter from someone who knows you well (and have a strong relationship with) and also has an impressive title/profile will add a lot of value to your application.

What is an Ideal applicant for MBA at Harvard?

So, admission decision to Harvard MBA relies on many factors.

However, based on the data and past profiles of admitted applicants, the ideal profile for getting admitted to the Harvard MBA program is as follows: 

To have the best shot of getting into Harvard’s MBA program, you should aim for a 740+ on the GMAT or a 330+ on the GRE, with a 3.75 GPA or higher. You should have 4 years of work experience preferably in consulting. Also, an undergrad in a STEM field is a huge plus.

If your profile is similar to this, your acceptance probability to HBS MBA will be a lot more than the standard 10%.

Do keep in mind though that many top-notch applicants like these ideal applicants get rejected by Harvard every year. In fact, in this post, you can read about a few candidates with consulting experience, and a 780 GMAT score who got rejected.

Female applicants have a huge advantage in the admissions process at HBS MBA. 

Harvard does not share the number of female applicants to HBS, but far more male applicants than female applicants for the MBA program. And since nearly 50% of all admitted applicants are females, this puts female applicants at a considerable advantage in the application process at HBS MBA.

Application Requirements for Harvard MBA

Harvard’s MBA program requires an online application that comprises of the following:

Deadlines and Rounds: Go here.