MBA Essay Collection Released for HBS: MBA News

By Tim Dhoul Updated Aug 14, 2014

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Introduction
The Harbus points to variety within HBS essay approaches

The Harbus releases a collection of MBA essay responses from admitted HBS students

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Harvard Business School’s admissions switch to just one optional MBA essay question has been known to mystify a number of applicants. Just what is the US school is looking for when it asks: “What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?”

Valuable tips on tackling this HBS essay can be found in a blog post from MBA admissions consultant, Paul Bodine, here on TopMBA.com. But, if you’ve got US$50 (plus US$1.30 tax) to spare, you can now purchase an MBA essay collection put out by Harvard Business School’s student newspaper, The Harbus.

The 55-page book contains 23 HBS essay responses that formed part of a successful application to the school since the new optional MBA essay format came into force – including those starting this year as part of the class of 2016.

The Harbus points to variety within HBS essay approaches

The Harbus’ editor-in-chief, Nabil Mohamed, says the book’s attraction lies in the great variety of approaches taken in these HBS essay responses.

“The absence of a word count makes things more interesting. Essays might have looked more similar to each other when there were word counts. They are very, very different and part of why we want people to see them is that they demonstrate there is no secret formula for the perfect essay,” The Harbus editor told Poets & Quants.

Of course, we don’t know how much of an impact these Harvard Business School MBA essay responses had for the individuals concerned – all we know is that they were ultimately admitted onto HBS’s MBA program. Plus, The Harbus has made changes to the entries to protect the anonymity of its authors’ name and background.

However, The Unofficial Harvard Business School Essay Book could serve as a useful point of guidance over the type of material prospective students have covered and whether they decided to strike a more professional, or personal, tone in their responses. It might even be worth reading through them just to reassure yourself that a classic work of literature isn’t required!

Written by

Tim Dhoul

Tim is a writer with a background in consumer journalism and charity communications. He trained as a journalist in the UK and holds degrees in history (BA) and Latin American studies (MA).