Harvard MBA 2+2, am I the right profile?

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Harvard MBA 2+2, am I the right profile?

by et1992 » Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:38 pm
Hi,

I would like to apply to the Harvard 2+2 MBA this year, but I would like to have your opinion about my chances. Thank you in advance.

I am a 22 years old French student. Currently, I am doing an SM in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I have also a M.Sc. from Cambridge in Mechanical Engineering and BA from Toulouse University. In all this places I have been among the best students and with a GPA > 3.7.
In Toulouse I have been also one of the major rappresentative of my, big, university. During my life also before university I have been the leader of many activities, often sports-related. In these last year I have been member of many finance-consulting club. I have really strong recommendations letters where my abilities and my leadership skills are well highlighted, however, the letters come from Toulouse mainly because there I spent 4 years and in the other places 1 years so I didn't deeply known a Professor as I did in Toulouse.
My GMAT is 740.
I have many awards and scholarships and two award as Research Fellow of 80K at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I have been a research assistant for almost two years.

Honestly I think that I have two problems, the first is that I have never done an internship and the second is that I can't ask a letter to my current advisor at MIT because he doesn't like the fact that I am going to do an MBA, so it's risky.

Do you think that I could be a strong candidate or do you think that from your knowledge the probability that I will enter are low? How much in your opinion?

Thank you guys in advance, I really appreciate any opinion.

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by AdmitPitch » Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:16 am
Hi et1992,

HBS 2+2 is a great choice for someone straight out of under-graduation. You need to demonstrate good academics, leadership and team achievements during your studies, state clear post MBA career goals, and mention how prepared you are to achieve those goals. I think your academic credentials look impressive and so is your GMAT score. Extra-curriculars seem interesting as well. In fact, they can be detailed in the application.

Unfortunately, there is no probable number you can stipulate for an admission process. However, with all the positive points mentioned above, you can put your best foot forward - provided you get professional guidance on some of the areas mentioned above.

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by interviewbay22 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:03 am
Hello

Overall you have a good profile. Harvard encourages engineering and technology students to apply for the 2+2 program so it is a good thing that you have decided to apply for this program. You have good grades to show from all the degrees you have and having studied at some of the best schools in the world, you will definitely have leverage over other applicants. A good GMAT score further helps in strengthening your profile. Your awards, scholarships and grades, all show that you are an achiever.

Letters of recommendation are a very important part of your application. It is absolutely alright to take letters from your professors in Toulouse as long as they give you glorious recommendations. Taking letter from someone who has not known you for a considerable amount of time and writes a not so good letter will work against you. I advise you against taking a letter of recommendation from your professor at MIT.

Your extracurricualrs look decent. How was your performance as the captain of the teams you were part of? Can you also shed some more light on "major representative of the university"? How were you elected to this position, what were your responsibilities and achievements here? Your research experience can make up for your summer internships, so that's not a major issue. Did you work on any projects during the summer? Your major issue will be explaining to the admission committee why you want to pursue an MBA when you can probably get an excellent job as an engineer. Why the shift from research to MBA and what are your post MBA goals? You could probably quote your experiences from the finance and consulting clubs that you were a part of. Let me know if you have any doubts.

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by PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal » Sun Oct 05, 2014 10:45 am
In terms of HBS 2+2, this had indeed become a target for so many young people from all corners of the globe. In fact, the web has made MBA information access so easy that the world has become "smaller" and applications are coming in from countries that traditionally sent few folks to elite US MBA programs. So, bottom line, is that this program has gotten crazy hard to get into.

Your case is solid, and you have every right to apply. One of the initial reasons for 2+2 was getting STEM students, so don't fret about your lack of blue chip internships. And the recs are important but not the most critical aspect. Other professors can help you, not just your current one.

Please feel free to reach out for more specific help.

Good Luck!

Alex
Alex Leventhal
Harvard MBA, 1998
Prep MBA Admissions Consulting
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