Hi,
Starting this fall I will be working in the investment banking division for a bulge bracket firm in NYC. My plan as of now is to apply to the 3rd round of HBS' 2+2 program to see if there's a chance to gain admittance (I attend an Ivy League, have a 3.9+ GPA, solid extracurriculars, 3 good academic recommendations...downside is my resume is business heavy and I am an overrepresented ethnicity); however, thinking ahead I wanted to ask about applying a couple years post-grad.
I initially wanted to do 2 years of finance and enter an MBA program, eventually with long-term goals of venture capital or non-profit in the education space. But recently I've read that top schools like HBS and GSB might like to see more experience since then the candidate can bring more to the table as a student in class discussions, networking, etc. So to have an optimal shot (assuming 3rd round of 2+2 doesn't work), is it a disadvantage to apply for admittance after 2 years of banking? I guess the lack of time due to the nature of the work doesn't allow for applicants to build a "story" of other interests, but let's say this is something I've taken steps to prepare for.
Since I'd be applying at the start of my second year as an analyst, I'd only have one year under my belt to ask for recommendations (though I could get one from a boss and one from a college professor). Especially if 2+2 doesn't work out, is applying to HBS (specifically) too soon? Its just I've always had the plan of doing 2 years of work and getting an MBA, but wanted some advice as to whether that might harm my chances.
Starting this fall I will be working in the investment banking division for a bulge bracket firm in NYC. My plan as of now is to apply to the 3rd round of HBS' 2+2 program to see if there's a chance to gain admittance (I attend an Ivy League, have a 3.9+ GPA, solid extracurriculars, 3 good academic recommendations...downside is my resume is business heavy and I am an overrepresented ethnicity); however, thinking ahead I wanted to ask about applying a couple years post-grad.
I initially wanted to do 2 years of finance and enter an MBA program, eventually with long-term goals of venture capital or non-profit in the education space. But recently I've read that top schools like HBS and GSB might like to see more experience since then the candidate can bring more to the table as a student in class discussions, networking, etc. So to have an optimal shot (assuming 3rd round of 2+2 doesn't work), is it a disadvantage to apply for admittance after 2 years of banking? I guess the lack of time due to the nature of the work doesn't allow for applicants to build a "story" of other interests, but let's say this is something I've taken steps to prepare for.
Since I'd be applying at the start of my second year as an analyst, I'd only have one year under my belt to ask for recommendations (though I could get one from a boss and one from a college professor). Especially if 2+2 doesn't work out, is applying to HBS (specifically) too soon? Its just I've always had the plan of doing 2 years of work and getting an MBA, but wanted some advice as to whether that might harm my chances.
