EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Interviewing Guide
    • Getting Off the Waitlist
    • Applying in Round 3 mini-guide
    • Applying to European Business Schools
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

planning (way ahead) for HBS 2+2: which round?

January 31, 2012 by EssaySnark - Discusses HBS 2+2 Leave a Comment

HBS is in the air today, since the first of the HBS interview invites are going out today.

This post is not about that.

It is about HBS though, however it’s geared to people at the complete opposite end of the process.

Awhile ago we has an exchange we had with a motivated Brave Supplicant who’s currently finishing college and is planning for an application to HBS 2+2 before graduation. We were so impressed that this Brave Supplicant was starting to do research so early — the first inquiry came in July or August of 2011 and this kid isn’t going to be applying for a full year from then! To (hopefully!) start the 2+2 program a full year later! Which actually means not starting classes until 2015! Which means not graduating with the MBA until 2017!!

Phew! Talk about planning things in advance!

Anyway, we told you before about the question on GRE vs GMAT and timing.

This time we’re going to share an earlier exchange we had, about application rounds, specifically about interviewing. Note that this is specific to HBS 2+2. Some of what we’ve got here tells you about the standard HBS application process, but read it carefully if you’re applying to that program since not everything that we say is fully relevant to a standard Harvard MBA application.

Here’s the question we got:

First of all I’d like to thank you for your very prompt responses, all of which have been of great help to me.  [You’re welcome! ES.]  There is this one thing that i am a little confused about. The HBS 2+2 program invites applications in four rounds, including a summer round. Now, in the summer round the chosen applicants are required to fly to Boston for their interviews. This might prove to be slightly inconvienient for me, considering that I live near [foreign city]. At the same time I have heard from quite a few people that if one applies in one of the earlier rounds at HBS there is a greater probability of getting in.  [Uh, yeah. You probably heard it from EssaySnark.]  So I m a little torn as to when I should apply for the program. I do want the advantage of applying early but at the same time flying to Boston might be a little difficult. I will once again be very grateful for your valuable advice.

Here’s what we said:

Hi [BraveSupplicant] – that’s a very good question.

You are right: In past years, when they had just one (summer) deadline for the 2+2 program, HBS had a requirement that in order to apply, you needed to be willing to fly to campus in Boston to do the interview if they were interested in you. That requirement is still true to apply in that first early (summer) 2+2 round. However, now that they’ve opened up the three additional rounds for 2+2 applicants, they can fit the interviewing in with their standard admissions process. That means that if you apply in one of those three rounds, you’ll be able to interview in any of the cities that the HBS adcom travels to. In previous years, interviews for candidates applying through the main application Round 1 and Round 2 cycles have been held in [foreign city near where BSer lives] (along with many other cities too). The adcom does not travel all over the world for Round 3 interviews, usually those are only held in the U.S.

So, yes you should try to apply in the earliest round if you can, however if you would be unable to travel to the Harvard campus for the interview, then you probably should NOT apply in the summer 2+2 round. It sounds like maybe the second cycle (the main Round 1 process with the October deadline) would be the ideal target for you.

Of course, the school might change their processes and policies again next year when it comes time for you to apply, so you’ll need to make all these decisions when they make those announcements. But that’s probably how it will work out next year.

A few links:

  • Here’s the current HBS 2+2 application info page; note that this is being posted when the application for HBS 2+2 Class of 2016 is active.
  • Here’s the standard interviewing info for Harvard – note that they also will do interviews via Skype however this isn’t ideal for you, the Brave Supplicant, so we didn’t discuss it above.

As we stated before, very impressed with this BSer’s motivation and all the planning-ahead. Good stuff! You’re gonna need it to be successful at this school. 🙂

And for those of you biting your nails in advance of the Rd 2 interview invites going out — GOOD LUCK!!

Filed Under: application rounds, interviewing, planning your strategy Bschools: HBS 2+2

« Previous: If you’re in NYC and you applied to Columbia, read this.
Next: Heart and hard data and the “which school??” decision »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Jan '22 intake Rd 1
    in 0 weeks, 2 days, 17 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 6 days, 17 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 2 months, 0 weeks, 3 days, 18 hours
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 3 months, 0 weeks, 1 day, 18 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 3
    in 3 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 17 hours
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Feb 11, 2021
by hopeful on MBA Interview Prep: Custom Practice Questions
Helpful

Just wanted to say thank you for these questions! A lot of them were really tailored to my profile, ... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: What did the Fed do with interest rates today, and why?
  • 2020: ($) "Will applying in Round 3 weaken my application next season?"
  • 2017: Success Story! Research and the right school targets bring results!
  • 2016: What ethics is not
  • 2016: ($) Why telling the truth in your apps is important.
  • 2015: Quiz Leaderboard
  • 2015: ($) Do bschools have quotas in admissions?
  • 2014: Extracurriculars and military applicants
  • 2012: "School X, or School Y with $$$?" (Part 1.5)
  • 2011: More reasons why a Round 3 application is not a good idea
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending