HBS: which optional questions to choose
hbs-career vision essay–this was a question submitted by BW poster:
Is it a dealbreaker to skip the “optional” career goals essay for HBS? I thought I might go with “Is there anything else you want ADCOM to know?” in my application and talk about career goals in the interview, if I get one.
ANSWER: Well, it is not a dealbreaker, altho my bet is, of the~ thousand kids they admit, like 85+ percent (maybe 90+) will have answered that question, but that could also be the stat from the general applicant pool, so not sure there is any predictive value. I cert dont know, altho WOULD LIKE TO, what the admit percent is of kids who answer that question vs. leave it out, altho my guess is, pretty similar. It just seems a good way to round out your story, and in some cases, if you are a-typical, a valued piece of info as to why you need MBA in light of goals. Answering this question WRONG can be a deal-breaker (well deal-damager), e.g. if you declare some set of goals that does not compute w. need for MBA — want to be movie star, anchor man, super real estate agent in Hamptons (well, maybe), run the largest auto detailing shop in Canada (real example, not a chain, etc. Just expand two man biz–also no good if you say you want to start Hedge Fund to rival X Y Z and you dont have any experience. General High School fantasies about biz also not good, e.g. I want to be a Tycoon, or Start Reality TV show about CEO’s (who knows, some dude w. an MBA could start a TV show about hiring people, but my guess is, that was not on his app). To kick it up a notch. The real impt questions are those which capture what you have in fact DONE not what you want to do, to wit, 3 accomplishments, mistake, and Leadership. Leadership Q is now, amazingly optional, but prob. also answered by 90+, and a good idea, too, b.c. you can write an impactful answer here, more so than saying right things about sustainability in career answer, which is true, but hey, anyone can say they want to start largest auto detailing shop in Canada and keep it green too, but real leadership exp. tend to be unique and telling.
To kick it out a notch: I’d say like ~70 percent of the apps they get will have leadership and career questions as 2 out of 3 of the optionals, and, dudes, I’d think a long time before not doing that yourself, dont get cute, it dont work, unless you have a very good reason. Beyond that,
it is pzzble in Undegrad Q to actually explain something, or provide context for you entire app. by esp. explaining who you were like when you entered school, and what happened there.
it is pzzble in what else to tell some charming pwerful story about birth in poor, violent place, and how that has impacted values blah blah and score,
it is pzzble in Global issue to link some global issue w. your own accomplishments and dreams, altho DO NOT WRITE SOME POTTED PLANT HERE about global warming etc.
it is pzzble in culture shock to say something smart and revealing, esp. if you have been victim and did something about it, but even w.out that kind of drama, just capturing how you felt in alien enviro and how it recalibrated values can be a plus.
You kinda have to think which pzzble gain best suits your story. The choice is often not so impt as it seems, the HBS admit process is dense and holistic, your deal usually comes out in the wash, and that is what they are looking for.
