HBS Waitlist parable
Sandy -
Waitlisted HBS candidate here. I understand the “No new materials policy.” However, I do wish to know what brought about the decision on the waitlist – i.e. what did they see as a weakness in my application. Does HBS permit these inquiries? Would asking be viewed as going against their waitlist policies?
Let me answer this by telling you my favorite joke, which also reminds me that when I do HBS interview prep -http://hbsguru.com/blog/2008/01/25/mock-hbs-interviews-for-round-2/ I also tell kids that they may be asked to tell a joke as part of interview process, sooooo, have one ready (that Q has never been asked to my knowledge but they do often ask for favorite books, movie, or “Convince me to read a book you like a lot…………..” that Q from her Maj herself!!!!)Now being me, this is joke is not going to be funny, but it will be odd and revealing and reflective: and most importantly, it will answer your question fully, if you are smart enuf to interpret it correctly.A long, long line of prisoners have just been pushed out of cattle cars and assembled to be processed into a Nazi concentration camp [funny already, NO???] and one is particulary insistent on seeing the commandant. He steps out and demands from the guards, “I must see the commandant, I have something urgent to tell him” and the guards immediately surround him and beat him to the ground w. their rifle butts while shouting, “No one can see the commandant.” The guy picks himself up, and again says, “I must see the commandant” and the guards beat him w. rifle butts, and kick him to the ground, while saying, “NO ONE CAN SEE THE COMMANDANT.” After five increasingly intense beatings, each time after his insistent, “I MUST SEE THE COMMANDANT” and their reply “NO ONE CAN SEE THE COMMANDANT, a guard finally shrugs his shoulders in exasperation, and drags the poor fellow to see the commandant. OK, now picture the typical Nazi commandant office, blah blah, and the guard going in there explaining all this to the central-casting commandant….then the guard comes out, drags the guy from the ante-room to the polished office of the commandant– the commandant rotates on his jack boots, and faces the guy, nearly crumpled on the floor, and says with “this-better-be good” disdain, “I understand you have something to say to me??”
“Commandant!” the guy says, with his near last wind, “I am so glad to get to speak to you, I was on line with these thousands of other prisoners and I had to talk to you to tell you something of critical importance, but the guards would not listen….”
” Yes,” says the commandant, “but you are here now, so just what is so important and earth-shattering that you had to tell me in face of five severe beatings?”
“Commandant,” the prisoner says, “I’M INNOCENT!!!”
