With RCs now gearing up for their first exams and ECs still plugging away at the job hunt, the arduous process of actually applying to get into HBS may seem but a distant memory. But it wasn’t so long ago that we were contemplating such nerve-wracking questions as — Are my GMATs high enough? Who should write my recs? Do I sound cheesy in these essays? Is anyone really going to read this? With the Round One deadline already passed and Round 2 fast approaching, Dillon House is a buzz of activity and admissions officers’ desks are piled high with applications.
Fall Outreach Program
Before they began reading thousands of answers to, “What are your three most substantial accomplishments, and why do you view them as such?” the admissions team was busy traveling the globe, conducting the HBS Fall Outreach Program. Events were held in 38 cities, 19 countries and 43 college campuses, including eight minority events and five women’s events.
While it’s difficult to have student representation at the presentations outside of Boston, the admissions office strives to have four to five area alumni attend each presentation to share the student perspective.
Admissions will be soliciting volunteers around graduation time, so be on the look out if you are interested in representing HBS at future events post-graduation.
Student Involvement
The admissions officers aren’t the only ones busy reaching out to prospective students — there are many students and organizations on campus that volunteer their time as well. One of the numerous positions elected in each section is the Admissions Representative and this year there are 20 RC reps for the ten first-year sections.
These volunteers facilitate the class visit program and just recently initiated a daily lunch program held in Spangler 277 so that prospects can have a chance to interact with current students in an informal setting. In addition to RC reps, there are also twenty EC Ambassadors (like myself) who conduct the daily information sessions for prospective applicants and who manage projects such as the Admitted Students phone-a-thon.
Other projects Ambassadors are working on include creating and shooting a welcome video to be sent to admitted students along with their acceptance letter and expanding the student resources available for international applicants. Also on the admissions team are admissions representatives from AASU, HOLA and the WSA, who help with events, prospective student outreach and connecting with students once they’ve been admitted.
Class of 2005 Update
The round one deadline has already flown by and the admissions committee is in the process of reading applications and interviewing candidates. For the first time, all applicants applied online this year. As with this year’s RC class, the admissions committee’s goal is to interview 100% of the admitted class. While it is not a guarantee, the invitation to interview is considered a good sign.
All round one applicants will be notified of their admissions status by January 22th 2003. The submission deadline for Round 2 is January 7th 2003. Many of you with friends and colleagues applying may be getting peppered with all sorts of requests for tips and advice.
One popular question is whether to submit additional letters of recommendation. And the real answer to this question is that the Admissions Office only reviews the three required recommendations as part of the review process. Also, to dispel another myth and ease the minds of worried friends who may not have been invited to interview yet, applicants may be invited to interview up until the decision notification date (January 22nd for Round One) – so if friends haven’t heard yet, tell them to hang in there.
Upcoming Events
There are plenty of ways you can help prospective students. Once the first acceptances roll in for the Class of 2005, there will be several events held on-campus to welcome admitted students and help answer any questions they might have about HBS.
The first one will be the Admittted Students Contact program, starting at the end of January, with the goal of having every admit receive a congratulatory phone call from a current student.
The largest events, requiring the broadest student participation, will be the Admitted Students Weekends, which will be held on February 21st – February 22nd and April 25th – April 26th. RC Admissions Reps will be seeking volunteers from their sections but feel free to contact them in the meantime if you have suggestions or want to get involved. EC students looking to get involved in either of these activities should check for announcements on myHBS.
Lastly, if you’re too busy to help now, consider lending a hand during your time away from HBS. The Admissions Office is encouraging interested students to host events for prospective students in their home city or country during the breaks – they will happily provide the materials for either formal or informal gatherings and will advertise the event. Contact James Liu if you are interested in hosting a session (fliu@mba2003.hbs.edu).
The bottom line is there are lots of fun opportunities to get involved with Admissions activities, so don’t forget to check with your friendly Admissions Ambassadors to find out how you can contribute.
If you have any questions, please contact Michele Biamonte (mbiamonte@hbs.edu) who oversees student involvement with admissions activities or stop by Dillon House.
MBA ADMISSIONS REPS
&
AMBASSADORS
RC Admissions Reps
David Rodriguez-Fraile
Shuhrat Kuziev
Richard Lewis
Shibani Joshi
Phillip Shellhammer
Monique McCloud-Manley
Cindy Brea
Linda Griffith
Shaan Kandawalla
Laurence Wasserman
Emily Hoffman
Thomas Lienard
Aaron Barlow
Benjamin Wright
Stacey Moore
Danielle Hootnick
Javier Bordes-Posadas
Andrew Medvedev
Bradley Smiedt
Ranwa Sarkis
EC Ambassadors
Amy Rabinowitz
Bevin Jackson
Dan Goldenberg
Deana Menkes
Eric Yau
Erika Olson
Euvin Naidoo
Florian Muth
James Liu
Jeff LeBlanc
Jessica Lutzker
Jodi Burns
Julian Swearengin
Lori Rudge
Matthew Barlow
Michelle Graham
Raquelle Thigpen
Susan Thaxton
Suzanne Ranere
Tom Leung
AASU Ambassadors
Jaime Irick
Mishka Pitter
Rob Sundy
Elliott Rodgers
Mark Price
Carole Gardner
Susan Lee
Rachel Saget
Shauna Rucker
Tonika Cheek-Clayton
HOLA Ambassadors
Lee Rivas
Delia Vallejo
Mina Pacheco Nazemi
Monica Santana Rosen
WSA Ambassador
Eileen Riley
