The Harvard MBA application essay is an important part of applying to Harvard Business School. With an acceptance rate usually around 10-15%, the essays can help distinguish an applicant from the thousands of other accomplished candidates. Applicants are advised to devote significant time to crafting compelling, well-written essays that showcase strengths, accomplishments, and fit with Harvard’s culture and mission.
Due to the significance of the essays, many MBA books and guides focus on helping applicants write and improve their submissions. One well-known resource is the Harvard MBA Essay Book. Published annually, the book provides real, anonymous essays from past successful Harvard applicants. These model essays show things like theme, structure, voice and storytelling elements that resonated positively with admissions officers.
In addition to dozens of sample essays from each application topic, the Harvard MBA Essay Book offers breakdowns and analysis of the essays. It identifies key strengths and discusses why certain essays were likely well-received. The analyses aim to teach lessons that applicants can apply to writing their own compelling stories. By deconstructing real, winning applications, the book elucidates the types of narratives and themes that resonate at Harvard and help applicants stand out.
Beyond models and analyses, the book also includes tip sections and guides to each essay question. It advises applicants on tone, content, organization and other writing elements that increase essay quality. The guides demystify the sometimes vague essay prompts and give a sense of the caliber and focus of responses the admissions staff finds most thought-provoking. This contextualization of the prompts helps applicants better understand what type of stories, examples and personality traits will shine through in strong submissions.
Overall, the book is designed not only to show applicants examples but also to coach and mentor on crafting standout essays. Readers get an insider’s view into how highly accomplished candidates successfully addressed the essay questions in past years. In addition to models, readers gain an understanding of how to select meaningful experiences and anecdotes to highlight their own strengths and fit narratives. Perhaps most importantly, it helps applicants avoid common essay pitfalls and understand how to tell their unique stories in an engaging and persuasive manner.
For the “Why Us” essay in particular, the book offers additional value beyond standalone sample responses. This essay requires applicants to articulate their genuine interest in and fit for Harvard specifically. The sample essays and analyses provide real insight into the factors and aspects of HBS that past students highlighted as important and compelling reasons for their interest. By understanding what resonated with admissions in past “Why Us” submissions, current applicants can better position their own applications in areas that matter most to the committee.
Many applicants report that reviewing the real responses and analyses in the book significantly improved their own drafts. By learning lessons from essays that succeeded in landing coveted spots, applicants gain confidence and clarity on how best to highlight their strengths and fit within their own submissions. Even for applicants with top profiles who may have previously struggled to find their unique narrative angles, the book can provide fresh ideas on how to differentiate in a meaningful way.
As with any resource, it’s important for applicants to thoughtfully consider their own experiences and stories rather than directly copying models. But by incorporating lessons and showing peers drafts for feedback, utilization of the sample essays has helped many applicants strengthen and polish their message. Considering 90% of applications are read by only one admissions officer, powerful storytelling through essays is crucial for standing out from the pool. The feedback of those who credit the book for an acceptance underscores its value for aspiring Harvard students.
Overall, the anonymous yet authentic perspectives provided by the real Harvard MBA Essay Book give current applicants an invaluable behind-the-curtain look at factors beyond metrics like test scores, work experience or extracurriculars. Weaving together substantive samples, insightful analyses and strategic guidance, it remains one of the most comprehensive and effective resources for crafting compelling submissions to one of the world’s most selective graduate programs.