HBS UPDATE –NEW FROM HER MAJESTY

1. This is bad news for current WLers, w. 100 MORE kids being added to the WL in additon to the alleged 100 non-interviewed kids  they put on there in November first cut mailing.

2. Dee is giving feedback of sorts, NO CRANK CALLS PLEASE, and this is somewhat odd, since she wont have your file, altho she can get a profile of you on her i-Pad, I’ve been told (which curiously lacks a gmat score but does include gpa, college, and some other key stats, like shoe size).

3. As if she had read our last post about the new PC diversity sweeping the school, she notes here, “Our promise to students each year is to comprise a diverse and balanced class – and our metrics for diversity are more complex than those which can be easily reported in a class profile on the website.” Duh, someone tell me what that means, do they also filter for eye color, lefthandness and sense of humor.

4. What is up w. Eileen Chang’s new title, Director of MBA Admissions Operations, and is that a step up, down, sideways, or just a spin around the block. She used to be WL Manager. Usually Director is promo, and we hope so, SK ♥ EC,

December 13, 2010

Greetings,

Tomorrow, December 14, we will release decisions.most likely around noon EST. You will receive an email from MBA Admissions directing you to log in to your online application to view your decision.

About 100 people will be invited to join the waitlist after having been interviewed. Eileen Chang, Director of MBA Admissions Operations, and Dana Scalisi, Waitlist Manager, manage this process and will be in touch with this group before the end of the week.

A note in advance about how we make decisions. Everyone invited to interview is a highly qualified candidate for Harvard Business School. As I tried to make clear in all the interviews I personally conducted, once the hurdle of being invited to interview is cleared, the candidate moves from the realm of being “evaluated” to the world of “selection,” which is more complicated. Our promise to students each year is to comprise a diverse and balanced class – and our metrics for diversity are more complex than those which can be easily reported in a class profile on the website. If my job were to rank order candidates from high to low in order of individual strength, whatever that might mean, different decisions might be made.

Some of you will be disappointed tomorrow and wish to know “what went wrong.” In most cases, the answer is “nothing, it’s about composing a class.” If we had the resources to do individual feedback calls, this is the message that you would most likely hear. We would be reckless if we tried to communicate otherwise. Nonetheless, if a conversation in general terms about our process would be helpful, I’ll be available from 8 am – 9 am every day during the week of January 3 at 617-495-6128. I won’t have your file in front of me, but I’ll try my best to answer general questions.

I thank all of you who engaged in the application process, especially the interview. We sincerely enjoyed meeting you and appreciate the considerable time and effort you invested. Our admissions process is not perfect – our ability to get to know the “real you” is limited – but we do work very hard to make sure it is thoughtful and fair.

With all best wishes,

Dee Leopold
MBA Admissions
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field Road
Dillon House
Boston, MA 02163

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HBS WAITLIST LETTER, NOV 2010 -to be read w. Dee’s post yesterday that she is placing about 100 peeps on the WL, altho I think number is higher.
_____________________________________

November 3, 2010

Dear Sucker:

The MBA Admissions Board has reviewed your application materials and we will be deferring your application for further consideration in round 2. Until then, you will be placed on our waitlist.

This waitlist decision is an indication that we remain interested in your candidacy, but would like to continue to review your application. After the round 2 submission deadline of January 11, 2011, we will have received the majority of applications that will be considered for the class of 2013 and will be able to make a final decision on your application.

Please indicate whether you would like to accept a place on our waitlist through the online waitlist poll. A final decision will be communicated to you on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, which is the decision notification date for round 2.

You are being placed on the waitlist without an interview. If during further review of your application in round 2 we decide to extend an invitation to interview, that invitation will be sent when round 2 interview invitations go out in February. Interviews are by invitation only—please do not contact our office with a request for an interview.

Tomorrow our waitlist manager, Eileen Chang, will be in touch to provide additional clarity on our waitlist process.

We will continue to give your application full and thoughtful consideration as our admissions season continues. We appreciate your interest in Harvard Business School and are grateful for your patience.

Sincerely,

Deirdre C. Leopold
Deirdre C. Leopold
Managing Director, MBA Admissions & Financial Aid

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HBS ZEN WAITLIST DING LETTER.

SEVERAL PEOPLE, NO KIDDING, HAVE GOTTEN THIS LETTER AND ASKED ME WHAT IT MEANS. AND HOW COME EILEEN HAS REVERTED TO LEAVING OFF THE DATES AGAIN (LETTER MINIMILISM]

IT MEANS YOU ARE DINGED –NADA, OFF WL, UNDER BUS, REJECTED, GO AWAY, DONT COME BACK, SO LONG, SEE YA NEXT YEAR (HOPE NOT).

IN SHORT, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ACCEPTED TO HBS AND ARE NO LONGER ON THE WL, YOU HAVE BEEN RELEASED:

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S HBS. 

 

Dear Mr. or Mrs Waitlist:

Later on today you will be receiving official notification of your release from our waitlist. While this outcome is likely not what you had been hoping for, we want to thank you for being on our waitlist this year, and for the patience you have shown during your time with us.

We know that being on the waitlist is certainly difficult. The anxiety you experienced with the uncertainty in timing is something that we fully acknowledge. We communicated these same words when we released our waitlist last year, and we stand by them as they are sincere in their sentiment. We hope our monthly updates and desire to be transparent in our process was somewhat helpful in mitigating this anxiety. Regardless, while this is probably not much comfort right now, please know that every candidate on our waitlist was important to us, and your cooperation with our process was truly appreciated.

It has been a pleasure getting to know you, Waitlister, and we wish you the best in the coming year. Thank you for your interest in our MBA program.

Sincerely,

Eileen Chang
MBA Admissions
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field Road
Dillon House
Boston, MA 02163

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HMMMM, NEED A LAWYER AND FORTUNE TELLER TO UNDERSTAND THIS BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, AS TO WAITLISTERS:

1. THOSE WHO APPLIED R1 AND 2 AND THEN WERE INTERVIEWED DURING R 1 AND 2 AND PUT ON WL–WELL, THEY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED IN PAST COUPLA WEEKS.

2. THOSE WHO APPLIED IN R1 AND R2 AND WERE PUT ON WL WITHOUT INTERVIEW, AND THEN INTERVIEWED DURING ROUND 3–THEY WILL FIND OUT W. THE ROUND 3 KIDS.

May 11, 2010Hello Everyone:It’s Eileen Chang from the MBA Admissions Board at HBS. As we are in the final stages of admitting the Class of 2012, I’d like to provide you with another update on where we stand with the waitlist. Round 3 decisions will be released this Thursday, May 13. Over these past two weeks, we have made close to 40 offers of admission between those on the waitlist from the first two rounds, and those interviewed during round 3 who will find out their decision on Thursday. At this time, we anticipate extending up to 10 more offers of admission to those on the waitlist. Additionally, we will reach out to approximately 20 more of you to ask you to remain with us through the summer in case a last-minute spot opens up in the class. Finally, we will also be releasing candidates from the waitlist this Thursday. As I mentioned earlier this month, we know that many of you are anxious for resolution on your application, and the majority of you should expect to hear a decision on your application by this Thursday, May 13. Thank you for your patience with our process, and please contact my colleague, Dana Scalisi, or myself if you have any questions. Sincerely, Eileen Chang MBA Admissions Harvard Business School Soldiers Field Road Dillon House Boston, MA 02163

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HBS TO TAKE 50 KIDS OFF WL IN NEXT TWO WEEKS. 

SK IS DUBIOUS, AND BELIEVES THIS NUMBER ALSO INCLUDES THE 10 OR SO KIDS (OR MORE) THEY TOOK LAST WEEK.

ANYONE WHO GOT IN OFF HBS WL LAST WEEK, PLEASE CHECK IN.

May 3, 2010

Hello Everyone:

It’s Eileen Chang from the MBA Admissions Board at HBS with the May

update on our Admissions process.

At this point, we have received all applications that will be considered

for the Class of 2012. We have already begun actively reviewing our

waitlist candidates and have started making decisions on many of these

applications. We also began interviewing round 3 candidates this week,

so we are in the final stretch of finalizing the class.
 

We expect there to be a lot of movement on our waitlist these next two

weeks and anticipate making approximately 50 offers of admission between

now and the round 3 notification date of May 13. We know that many of

you are anxious for resolution on your application, and the majority of

you should expect to hear a decision on your application by May 13.
 

Heading into June, the waitlist will be significantly smaller. The

waitlist at that time will serve to hold a group of candidates who could

be available to matriculate in case last minute (early July)

cancellations occur.
 

It is critical to keep your contact information updated, especially

since many of you are traveling now and over the next few weeks. If

there is a change to your phone number, email address, or mailing

address, please email my colleague, Dana Scalisi….blah, blah blah

Sincerely,
 

Eileen Chang

MBA Admissions

Harvard Business School

Soldiers Field Road

Dillon House

Boston, MA 02163

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Sandy,

From HBS’s directors blog the February 12th post mentions- “Candidates who do not receive interview invitations in round 2 will be considered for spots on the waitlist” – I am one of those WL w/o interview. I had written off HBS and now I’m unsure of what WL w/o interview actually implies – any idea? I suppose there is potential they would include me in the Round 3 interview invites depending on the strength of Round 3 which go out next Friday but didn’t know if you had any idea what HBS’s strategy was.  Thanks for your help.

---

Intuition and common sense can lead you down a dark rabbit hole when it comes to WL w/o interview and what it means. Sometimes it is just decision fatigue over thre in Dillon House, that, and keeping folks guessing. My guess is R2 WL kids w.out inerviews, and any R1 kids w/o interviews, if those are still around????  should cert. get interviewed in the R3 window

HRH blog says

Most interviews will take place from May 3-6th. We will be conducting round 3 interviews here on campus and in London and Palo Alto.

That sounds like 3 days PA (18 interviews) 2-3 days London (12-18 interviews) and GOD knows how many on campus, where they can throw lots of adcoms  in the fray if they have to (and adcoms not all that busy once they chew thru R 3 apps and rest up for 2+2). I’m thinking  ~200 interviews in R3 total, which will also include a lot of college seniors. For a R3 accept cohort of ~110-125 (maybe ~30-40 being college seniors who will defer). So total add to the class after R3 blows thru is  60-80 kids. R2 deposits are due at end of April, so there will be one more big WL shake out in May, where they will cut down the current ~200-240 WL to 50, 25, etc. (but I am not sure how many of those will be accepts, sorry, that is the missing piece of this puzzle)  and string folks out thru June/July, They usually fold the tent in early July -w. last two WL accepts being kids who live in Cambridge already (if you want to incrementally improve your odds, move here, same for Stanford, which is explicit about limiting last x spots to kids who already live near school, seriously.

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Sandy,Any advice for Wharton waitlisters?  What’s the best course of action, if any?

That said, most kids who get off WL just wait, but that does not mean you should not wrack your brains coming up w. angles. Current students, if they are on adcom, or good-goody types and class leaders, can also move the needle in some cases.  No gives a flying frig who gets in off WL except the poor SOB’s who are on it.  It is easier for adcom to do some random big shot a favor, or return a favor (for hiring W kids)  and take you, than it is to  take the other guy.  Also, since dif between you and other guy is near flippin zero, in many cases, taking you (the connected one) makes sense–there is a perfectly rational  and intelligently corrupt basis  for it. Make it easy for them, man, buddy up.

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stop the presses, no news from HBS about the WL. Eileen Chang learns to put dates in these letters, unlike ones last year.

NO ONE WILL BE TAKEN OFF WL TIL APRIL 6TH!!!!!!!!!!!! 

March 1, 2010
 

Hello Everyone:
 

It’s Eileen Chang from the MBA Admissions Board at HBS. As it is the

first of March, I’d like to provide you with another process update.

Given that I had indicated in last month’s message that we will becommunicating decisions to as many of you as we can on April 6, I don’t really have anything too noteworthy to add this month. We are currently in the middle of reviewing round 2 applicants and begin conducting round2 interviews today. Some of you on the waitlist who have not already been interviewed may have been invited to interview this round.
 

The most common inquiry we received since our February update was concerning admission to other programs and the timeline of our decision process relative to the need to respond to other business schools. We will not be able to provide a decision to anyone currently on the waitlist before April 6. As a result, we understand if you need to make other plans and wish to remove yourself from the waitlist. Please do so

by emailing my colleague Dana Scalisi at dana_scalisi@hbs.edu.
 

For those who are wondering, the number of people who will be admitted from the waitlist will depend entirely on what we see in round 2. I hope to be able to share more information on this in my update next month.
 

Until then, thank you for your participation on our waitlist.
 Sincerely,

Eileen Chang

MBA Admissions

Harvard Business School

Soldiers Field Road

Dillon House

Boston, MA 02163
 

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THE CHANG-0-GRAMS BEGIN.

LOOKS LIKE HBS WLers will be

waiting tit April 6th, at the earliest,

for any outcomes.

February 1, 2010Hello Everyone:This is Eileen Chang from the MBA Admissions Board. As it is the beginning of February, I wanted to touch base and provide you with a waitlist update. We are currently reviewing applications from our Round 2 candidates and will extend Round 2 interview invitations soon. Some of you who have not yet been interviewed may be invited to interview in Round 2. If you have already been interviewed, you will not be asked to interview again. At this point, the earliest we anticipate making decisions on our waitlist candidates will be on notification day for Round 2, which is April 6. We will not be making any decisions before then. We realize that April 6 is more than two months away, and we are sorry if this causes inconvenience for those of you who are facing other deadlines. We will try to make decisions on as many of your applications as possible on April 6, and I will have more information about this in my spring updates. We understand that with this timeline you may need to make other plans before receiving a final decision on your HBS application. If at any time you decide to withdraw from our waitlist, please do so by emailing Dana at dana_scalisi@hbs.edu. For those of you who want to remain on the waitlist, it is important to keep your contact information updated, so please email Dana with any changes. We are grateful for your cooperation and patience with our process. Sincerely, Eileen Chang MBA Admissions Harvard Business School Soldiers Field Road Dillon House Boston, MA 02163

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