Harvard 2+2, 2 year hiatus too short?

Hi, i'm currently a college junior majoring in Computer Science who is thinking about applying to 2+2. I probably want to end up in finance later in my life, but I know that they don't want to hear that so i will leave that out of my app. But the thing i'm concerned about is that the break from college and mba is only 2 years. Is that even enough time to build a resume to be competitive when entering the job market (i.e. private equity, hedge funds, ib, etc.) after HBS?

8 Comments
 
Best Response

Depends on the kinds of post-MBA jobs you're looking for.

The way the 2+2 program works is that should you get accepted via 2+2, HBS will provide resources to help you find jobs (but by no means can you just depend on them as your sole source of job leads). The job or jobs you decide to take on for those two years is entirely up to you.

The thing is the adcoms don't want to know that you'd be going into finance/consulting anyway in the application process (so don't mention it), but that should you get accepted, there's nothing to prevent you from going after those jobs as far as I know. In fact, I'm sure that firms like McKinsey will be knocking on your door and others who were accepted into 2+2.

Post-MBA, if you're looking to get into banking or consulting, it won't matter that you have two years only. For private equity funds and hedge funds, it'll come down to the kind of experience/exposure you had pre-MBA (i.e. even if you did IB pre-MBA, they traditionally prefer folks who worked in specific product groups or industry groups that fit the fund's needs).

In any case, just apply to the 2+2, and worry about the rest later.

Alex Chu www.mbaapply.com
 

I'm confused about this 2+2 program - do you apply in Juniour year (2nd year for UK students) or senior year (3rd year for UK students)?

 

Est facere autem quis consequatur aut et ullam. Ipsum accusamus qui nemo unde nulla cum. Explicabo voluptatem eius repudiandae delectus.

Placeat commodi neque omnis aperiam cumque maiores. Error veritatis ea dolore quo et dignissimos commodi occaecati. Temporibus et minus molestias provident eius. Exercitationem dolorem aut distinctio sit eligendi sed adipisci.

Molestias in fugiat dolor. Consequuntur ratione voluptatem quidem sunt eos beatae voluptas pariatur.

Aliquam omnis voluptas explicabo qui similique ut. Aliquid voluptas harum optio expedita deserunt sint. Eos fuga cumque provident. Vel delectus recusandae quibusdam voluptas possimus sit fugiat quia. Qui rerum non atque odit fugit a voluptas. Mollitia asperiores voluptatibus eius sit autem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”