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Harvard
 

Grad School

prn927's picture
(Monkey, 64
 
Points)
 on 5/6/13 at 11:49pm

How difficult is grad school in terms of the rigor of the courses? I know I am asking a difficult question, so let me elaborate.
I specifically want to know the difficulty of elite mba programs and MFin programs. (i.e. Harvard mba and mit mfin). How do they compare to undergrad classes at, say, Michigan State or University of Florida?

Admit One - My HBS Success Story

cinnamontoastcrunch's picture
O
(Orangutan, 262
 
Points)
 on 4/2/13 at 4:08am
Admission Ticket

Since I found out I’d been admitted to HBS in R1, others have asked me how I did it, how I got in. Usually, I say I hit refresh on my application status every 3 seconds until it changed to “admitted”. I hesitate to answer seriously because I don’t want anyone to follow my path as a blueprint for admission.

My story started during my junior year at a service academy. I was taking my first classes as an econ major and went on a field trip to HBS where we did a mock case with HBS faculty. I still remember the case – a comparison of Coach K and Bobby Knight’s leadership styles. That’s what sparked my interest.

I’d always been pretty good academically, but the prospect of business school gave me even more reason to focus on my academics. I barricaded myself in my room the rest of junior and senior year, ultimately graduating with a 3.9.

Why Would Someone Get Two MBAs from Top B-Schools?

John Daggett's picture
 
Points)
 on 3/31/13 at 12:49pm

Why searching LinkedIn I came across this person's profile:

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexandre-perez-casare...

Why get get an MBA from Stamford and HBS?

Harvard, Ayn Rand, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament

mikesswimn's picture
O
 
Points)
 on 3/31/13 at 9:30pm
ayn_rand basketball star.JPG

Happy Sunday monkeys,

I came across a couple of interesting articles over at Bloomberg, written by Jonathan Mahler, one of their sports columnists, that touch on some peculiar happenings during the recent NCAA tournament: Florida Gulf Coast University's historic win streak into the Sweet 16, and Harvard's first tournament win since its inception 371 years ago. The author credits some interesting aspects of these two stories, FGCU's success is credited to none other than Ayn Rand, and Atlas Shrugged in particular, and the latter's success is credited to a rather shrewd move in attracting talent without the use of athletic scholarships.

How has HBS changed since the 1980's?

John Daggett's picture
 
Points)
 on 3/28/13 at 4:26pm

Is it mostly more mathematized?

How to spin I-Banking full time job in 2+2/GSB application?

walton12's picture
(Monkey, 47
 
Points)
 on 3/20/13 at 3:08am

For college seniors like me who are going into finance full time for two years, what are some ways to make an application to HBS's 2+2 or Stanford's deferred GSB program attractive and suitable enough for admissions? I don't intend on doing banking for more than two years but it's definitely a great experience for students fresh out of college. Should we mainly talk about the career paths we wish we could pursue (entrepreneurship, start-ups, etc.)?

What does a typical applicant at Harvard Business School look like?

mike50's picture
(Monkey, 45
 
Points)
 on 2/21/13 at 10:25pm

I'm taking a look at the HBS admission statistics. Last year 8,900 people applied. 900 were accepted. I was wondering since 8,000 people were rejected, what kind of stats would I need to be competitive? In your opinion, is this competitive?

- 700 GMAT
- 3.6 GPA
- Undergraduate degree @ University of Michigan Economics
- Summer internship @ Big 4
- Average extracurricular activities
- First generation college graduate

Ahead of the Curve (2 Years At HBS): A Monkey's Review

In The Flesh's picture
HF
(Neanderthal, 2,814
 
Points)
 on 3/9/13 at 1:00pm
ahead of the curve.jpg

“Absurdly profitable company seeks journalist with ten years’ experience and a Harvard MBA for extremely highly paid, low stress job in which he can wear nice suits and loaf around in air-conditioned splendor making the very occasional executive decision. Requirements: an acute discomfort in the presence of spreadsheets, inability to play golf, poorly concealed loathing of corporate life, knowledge of ancient Greek.” – The Help Wanted Ad I Sought But Never Found

We spend a lot of time on WSO talking about business school, wondering whether it is right for us. And it seems that for most folks, we don’t really know whether a business school like Harvard is a smart choice because we are unsure of what we ultimately want out of our careers.

Author Philip Broughton (“P.D. Bizzle” to his b-school friends) was the Paris bureau chief of The Daily Telegraph before he decided to make the jump into this legendary New England institution, and by his own admission he definitely wasn’t exactly sure why he was there to begin with. But luckily for us fortunate readers, he had the time to write down his experiences and viewpoints after two years at this most hallowed of elite institutions, so we can see and decide for ourselves.

B-Schools And Why Harvard Is The Cancer of Colleges

GMngmt's picture
O
 
Points)
 on 1/6/13 at 3:28pm
Harvard Shield

Harvard. The name conjures up notions of Ivy League prestige, elite education, and wealthy students but what’s in a name? Apparently a lot, it seems over the generation’s colleges and universities have been chasing the pipe dream of competing with them. But what is so bad about their attempts to try and emulate them, isn’t that a good thing? In my article, College Rankings, Do They Really Matter? bonks shared with us an e-book titled, Harvard Envy by Andrew Rosen, CEO of Kaplan, Inc. He has about 40 pages of why such envy is eroding the purpose of colleges and universities and misallocating resources in an attempt to edge up in the rankings. Read more to find out what he has to say…

Move from Boutique Strategy Consulting to Corp Strat?

Independent Gestion's picture
EN
(Gorilla, 653
 
Points)
 on 12/27/12 at 12:10am

Hi Everyone,

I trust everyone had (or is having) a great holiday break. Since the last time I posted on WSO, I've been through a whirlwind of unexpected events in the past year and now I'm at a bit of a crossroads.

First Job Help?

Rizzoriot's picture
(Chimp, 2
 
Points)
 on 12/24/12 at 7:34pm

Where do I start...I'm interested in becoming a management consultant and I feel it's my calling. I also aspire to enter in the top 10 MBA programs (learn your favorite career from the best right?). I heard that there is also a credibility and prestige factor when it comes to work experience. What job opportunities should I be pursuing if I want to strengthen my chances into a top MBA program? I'm a second year student from CUNY Hunter College.

A Letter to the HBS Class of 2015

AndyLouis's picture
 
Points)
 on 12/26/12 at 3:30pm
hbs.png

Mod Note (Andy): This is a syndication from ryanallis.com

The admissions department at Harvard Business School asked me to write a reflection on my first semester for the Class of 2015 pre-matriculation blog. Here’s what I sent in. I hope it gives an insight into what I’ve experienced the last four months. In summary, I’m loving every moment. Come visit me in the Spring semester if you’d like to see HBS for yourself!

A Letter to the HBS Class of 2015
A Review of the First Semester of Harvard Business School
By Ryan Allis, Class of 2014, Section F

Harvard Kennedy School

Matrick's picture
PE
(King Kong, 1,328
 
Points)
 on 12/8/12 at 1:13pm

Is there anyone on here who is alumni or current student of Harvard Kennedy School? If so, can you please PM me, as I would like to ask a few questions.

Thanks

Career Choice Decision : End goal MBA

manas100's picture
(Chimp, 13
 
Points)
 on 11/27/12 at 1:46pm

Hi WSO Members,

Wanted your opinion on a career choice I am in the process of making.

A little background, state school grad, UTC rotational program grad. Planning to apply to MBA school Aug 2013.

I have the option of joining the UTC internal audit program and just interviewed at a small consulting group, E&Y(advisory), Fannie Mae (Finance Analyst), and Dell (Finance Analyst).

Just based 100% on my job selection - which one do you think would be the best path to a top 5 MBA school ?

1) Should I just stick with the UTC internal Audit group

or

2) Should I jump ship and get another company/ experience under my belt? and if so, would E&Y advisory, or a Financial analyst position at FM or Dell be best?

Application for semester at top tier school

all_in's picture
 
Points)
 on 11/21/12 at 4:37pm

Hey,

I'm currently enrolled in a MS in Management program at a top tier European university. The program is structured in three semesters, 2 spent at my university and one spent abroad. Therefore, I would like to apply for a non-degree program at top tier school (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.).

Anyway, I was wondering whether I should include that I would like to pursue an MBA in the future, or even consider doing a DBA/PhD? After having completed my master's I aim to start working at one of the MBBs (Bain, BCG, McK, etc.). However, I cannot tell if it would be worth it to go for an MBA with my background (BBA, MS in Management).

Canada vs USA Undergrad?

thefirsttimer's picture
(Chimp, 7
 
Points)
 on 11/20/12 at 8:14pm

Hello!

I am currently enrolled in a private school in ontario. I am in grade 12, and have a very good chance of being accepted into Harvard or Wharton, because of my connections (through private school), 4.00 GPA, IB (International Baccalaureate), and 2300 SAT, and great EC's.
I don't want to go through my application, but I had trouble on a decision I have to make soon.

Lets say I got accepted into both Harvard, Wharton, and Richard Ivey.

My parents paid $40k/year for my high school education, and they will for my younger brother too (who is in grade 6).

They are going to have trouble paying off the $60k/year for my university and $40k/year for my brother, since their business is going down anyway, but they'll do it (and go into debt) if I wanted to go to H or W.

Harvard or IBD?

hopesanddreams's picture
(Orangutan, 329
 
Points)
 on 11/17/12 at 9:13am

I'm currently at LSE studying Stats with Finance (undergrad) and am in my final year. I will get an upper second (2:1) at the very least. I have spoken to admissions at Harvard and they told me, given my background, I'm highly likely to get into Master's program for Management (with a track in Finance). I have also networked with several people at BB's/elite boutiques and the chances of me landing a summer internship in IBD are strong. I'm having some trouble deciding what to choose.

Internship situation:
- The UK/European market looks very bleak for me to land a FT role in IBD but an internship at a BB/elite boutique is very possible. Even if I land it there is no guarantee I'll land the full time role (they tend to take Master level students/European students more).

Is this Brady4MVP?

BoxerRebeller's picture
(Orangutan, 271
 
Points)
 on 10/31/12 at 10:08pm

I was surfing the grad forums just to check out a few things and came across this post.

Seems like he's switched his hard on from HBS to HKS.

http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/36253-are-my-sc...

Guys, The Woman had to have Read this website.

blastoise's picture
O
 
Points)
 on 10/8/12 at 7:39am

Also, Wall Street doesn't recruit the best of the brightest, they recruit the most privileged.

...go!

Harvard's Black Diamond Capital Investors club asks students to buy in: min. $1000

Financier4Hire's picture
PE
(King Kong, 1,117
 
Points)
 on 9/29/12 at 2:53am
Harvard_shield-University.png

If you go to Harvard and wanna join the Black Diamond Investors club, you gotta play with real money: min. $1000

Story: Black Diamond Capital Investors Club

Harvard and the politics of large-scale cheating

Dan Ariely's picture
(Monkey, 41
 
Points)
 on 9/5/12 at 11:00pm
harvard cheating.png

Harvard is known for many things, its rigorous academics, its crisp New England campus, its secret societies, and now, what may be the most extensive cheating scandal in Ivy League history. A total of 279 students are now under investigation for collaborating on a take-home exam, with the threat of a year’s expulsion hanging over their heads if found guilty.

Matthew Platt, professor of the course in question (Introduction to Congress), brought the tests before the school’s administration after noticing similarities on a few of the exams, and the investigation mushroomed from there. Students were not permitted to work together on the exam (officially), but now there’s a lot of talk about the instructions, the expectations, and the questions themselves being unclear. I would bet that there are a number of aspects to this situation that led to such a widespread web of cheating.

Bady4MVP - I have evidence Harvard is training grounds for Wall Street and Gov't

blastoise's picture
O
 
Points)
 on 8/31/12 at 12:52pm

http://news.yahoo.com/harvard-dozens-students-may-...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University is investigating whether dozens of undergraduate students cheated on a take-home exam last spring.
School officials said they discovered students may have shared answers or plagiarized on a final exam. They declined to release the name of the class, the students' names or the exact number being investigated, citing privacy laws.
The undergraduate class had a minimum of 250 students and possible cheating was discovered in roughly half the take-home exams, university officials said Thursday.
"These allegations, if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends," President Drew Faust said.

Taiwanese-American heads Romney campaign's policy division

sadboy's picture
IB
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 5:58pm

A politician with a strong academic background, Chen holds four Harvard degrees -- one bachelor's, one master's, and two Ph.D.s in law and politics.

34 years old

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx...

CORNELL AEM: Are Transfers discriminated against?

thenba's picture
(Monkey, 33
 
Points)
 on 7/18/12 at 12:07am

I was accepted into Cornell AEM and a few other targets as a transfer. My problem is that we all know that Cornell is pretty lenient on transfer admissions, and I'm wondering if I'll encounter problems when interviewing about it. If they know I'm a transfer, would that hurt me? I ask specifically for Cornell, because I feel like the kids interviewing me are AEM alum's and have a negative view toward the transfers who come in since they know the program and how difficult it is to get in. I'm seriously considering attending another school (Top 25) instead of Cornell just for this reason. Thanks!

Do you use your MBA every day?

Thomas Ausart's picture
CF
(Baboon, 149
 
Points)
 on 7/9/12 at 5:30am
science-po-paris-mba.jpeg

A canadian investment banker talked about MBAs here. Most of the interview is a bunch of obvious truths about "Ivy league MBA being better than the rest" etc. One of the statement got my attention though:

I have used what I learned in my MBA every day: while serving clients, as a manager (and prior CEO) of our firm and within all of my not-for-profit and teaching roles.

I don't have a MBA, so maybe i'm just jealous but how can you use your MBA every day?

If I took Adderall in HS I wouldve gone to an Ivy

everyman's picture
EN
 
Points)
 on 7/7/12 at 1:00pm
adderall ivy league school?

I'm 26 and was recently legitimately diagnosed with ADD and after taking Adderall now for a couple months I am getting projects done 3x more efficiently than before, my concentration bursts are 5x longer (used to get distracted every 5 minutes, now I can sit and focus on the thought process of a project for ~45-60 consecutive minutes no problem).

Now I may not have gotten into Harvard, but if I had had this diagnosed sooner and started taking something back in HS I wouldnt have ended up at no-name state U.

Yes hard work is a HUGE part of getting into a top school, but having a clinically diagnosed problem (some form of ADHD) does put one at a proven disadvantage, imo.

I've still done pretty good for myself, but shit wouldve been a lot of easier and there's probably a few more BIG projects I couldve accomplished by now.

I think when prescribed / used properly - Adderall can work wonders.

**Update: Please read further as I've clarified some things in the comments below**

Ask Sandy about HBS

hbsguru.com's picture
(Monkey, 35
 
Points)
 on 7/9/12 at 5:00pm
hbs q&a.jpeg

Andy note: Sanford Kreisberg is the founder of hbsguru.com, a business school consultancy specialing in HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia and Chicago.

He has master's from Harvard in English and was the Director of Communication at MIT/Sloan Business School for a very short time before realizing he would rather tell the truth about business schools than write Twitter spam, even though Twitter had not yet been invented.

If You Want To Succeed, Don’t Work With Your Friends

chabo11's picture
(Orangutan, 310
 
Points)
 on 6/19/12 at 6:30pm
friends.jpg

That’s what a new study from Harvard suggests, at least.

Most of us appreciate working with a good friend we can relate to. If we’re going to work long hours for months on end, of course we’ll want a coworker with whom we can connect and decompress. While that may be good for our morale, this Harvard study finds that working with friends is actually bad for business.

Duos who shared a lot of personal characteristics were generally much less successful on their deals than teams that got together based on talent. For instance, if two members of the same ethnic minority collaborated, their likelihood of success fell 25 percent. Deals involving two investors who got their bachelor's at the same school were 22 percent less successful.

In your experience, what are the pros and cons of working with your friends? Here’s what the folks at Harvard have to say about it, followed by why I choose to ignore their results: