Who can really say what the best school in the country is? Who can say one school is the best school for all students? Maybe Stanford is better for one thing and HBS is better for another. Maybe Stanford is better for certain types of people and HBS is better for others. Ultimately, there’s no objective standard by which a school can be called “the best” school unless you narrow the perspective to one slice of the available criteria, such as “fastest payback” or “highest post-salary vs. pre-salary ratio” but does one stat or even a slew of stats make one school the best? While such stats should be taken into consideration when choosing a school, one cannot say that a subjective statement such as “I like XYZ school better” is not just as important, and is perhaps more important since I would guess most students would get more out of an education from a school they’re excited about attending.

My primary reasons for wanting to attend HBS are not based on rankings, reputation, or pumping my ego. It’s because based on what my ambitions are in life, I see HBS as providing something unique that I don’t see at other schools. If I want bananas and only one grocery store in town sells bananas, why would I go to another grocery store? It doesn’t matter what qualities other grocery stores may have. They might win more awards, be cleaner, have more variety, donate more to the poor, have nicer employees, etc., but if they don’t sell bananas and that’s what I’m looking for, there’s no point in my visiting them.

I’m sorry for being blunt as well.

HBS or bust? You sound like a teenager. HBS isn’t even the best school in the country. That distinction is held by Stanford. It sounds to me like you just wanted to impress your friends & family by saying that you were a Haavad Man. Unless you are tied to Boston for some significant family reason, anyone who applies to HBS but not Stanford deserves to get rejected from both.

Did you reapply this year? And make it too? Could I have a look at your application and the essays? Am planning to apply next year in similar colleges.. Could you mail me at nitin.gk@gmail.com ?

Thanks!

Another factor to keep in mind is that recommenders play a big role in admissions to HBS. They do not usually expect stellar recommenders, but a poor recommendation can destroy an application. At the same time, stellar recommendations can make up for the applicant’s poor essays here and there, but obviously not all.

You have to answer:
1. Why do you want to be CEO of Intel? What is it that you are offering which current and past Intel CEOs don’t? What is your vision, how do you intend to lead Intel? What direction do you want to take Intel? How will this benefit the company and its shareholders? You have to identify gaps in current thinking and fill those gaps.

2. What drives you to do this? What is burning within you that tells you that you must do it? It can’t be for the cash or for the glory. It has to be for the benefit of the organization, the shareholders and ultimately society.

3. Don’t rattle on with some bs about making the world a better place by giving time to charitable sidetracks as a CEO. You don’t have the words for that. You need to focus on your competitive advantage and your direction.

4. Your vision has to be supported by the rest of your application. You have to have studied something about it in your undergrad, your leadership defining moment has to point you to it, it must be supported by your life’s achievements and lastly, your ethical musings must be a part of the whole plan. I’m sure you must’ve read it a thousand times, but all the essays have to fit together like a puzzle.

My question to you, or anyone else, would be how detailed do I need to get? Is saying “I want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 technology company” specific enough or do I need to say “I want to be the CEO of Intel”?

If you persuaded several hundred others to commit to your same moral standards and started some sort of grassroots movement. That would be an achievement.

Also, although your service to the LDS church for a couple of years in South America is admirable. It really doesn’t show that you’re a star. Dude, you would’ve had to convert maybe 10% of the population, completely reshape the attitudes of locals and formularised the process for missionaries in order to be a star.

Take it from me, you really need to talk up your application and your achievements.

Furthermore, your ambitions were vague. Sorry to be blunt, but you really needed to show a sharp planned direction. They want people that know what they want to do and are planning for it. It sounded to me like you were undecided and had a few things in mind. They’re looking for action plans, short term, long term and most importantly, why?

Lastly, you failed with your ethics question. 50% of the essay really has to be about a “plan” to manage future ethical problems that are specific to you. You didn’t really answer this at all.

Better luck next time, I think you should apply again; but you should really sell yourself stupendously.
Essay 1 - What did you do academically that was against all odds?
Essay 2 - What 3 things did you do that changed the world in some way? Why couldn’t anybody else but you do them?
Essay 3 - Your defining experience has really got to be something that has shaped your life. What happened that you remember and use everyday?, and if you didn’t have that, it would’ve made your decisions different.
Essay 4 - You failed here. You really have to answer the question.
Essay 5 - You have to have a very specific vision. Something that will guide you for the next 20 years. Also, it has to be better than other applicants’ visions. It has to be something that HBS wants you to do. For example, if you were going to start a company that focussed on Solar power that was going to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas production, etc. If you say that you want to be a CEO & that you will serve the poor and make life better, etc. its just all bs. You have to be very specific and most importantly, you have to explain why.

Anyway, better luck next time and try again, no matter what anyone else tells you.

In short, the reason it’s Harvard or bust for me is because what I’ve learned about HBS over the past ten years gets me excited about going there, and what I’ve learned about other schools doesn’t get me excited enough to drop what I’m doing.

I’m not sure what you’re talking about when you mention “that give up attitude.” The only reason I’ve given as why I might not reapply is if I find out there’s something about my background that disqualifies me from getting into HBS and it happens to be something I can’t change. However, the feedback I’ve received in the last week or two seems to indicate that what kept me from getting an interview had more to do with things I can change, and therefore I am planning on reapplying.