Applying to HBS 2+2, need urgent assessment, please reply

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Dear MBA admission consultants,

I am writing this message to ask any consultants here in Beat the GMAT forum to comment on my HBS 2+2 application profile and my chances of being admitted to the same program. I would be very grateful for any honest, realistic and constructive feedbacks.

I am a Filipino college junior studying in the University of Asia and the Pacific (which is based here on the Philippines). I am in a 5-year program which will lead me to a Master of Science in Industrial Economics. I plan to graduate at 4th year on June 2010 to get a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with specialization in Industrial Economics. I plan to graduate immediately to get a degree BA degree in Humanities so that there is more chance at 2+2. The strength of my application packet is centered on my academic record.

Academic record:
1.) With humility and honesty, I am currently the top of my batch (approximately 200 students) in terms of academic record. I have a grade weighted average (GWA) of 1.28 (with 1.00 being the highest and 3.5 being the lowest). According to MBA.com, 1.28 translates to a 4.00 in the American GPA standard.
2.) I’m a merit scholar in my university. As a 50% merit scholar, I have to maintain at least 1.75 GWA in exchange for getting a 50% discount on my school’s tuition.

Extracurricular involvement:
1.) Secretary for ISKO (my university’s one and only organization of scholars)
2.) Tutor for ACE (academic committee for excellence  the only committee under the student executive board who tutors any student in need of academic assistance)
3.) PEER facilitator under the supervision of my school’s CSA (center for student affairs)
a. As PEER facilitator, I manage a class of incoming freshmen for three days under the “fresh start” event
4.) Marshall Assistant in conducting the “fresh start” which is an event welcoming incoming freshmen to our university
5.) Assistant project manager for business economic association newsletter which is the sole organization of my course
6.) Part of Commission on Election (COMELEC)
a. I ended up resigning for this because it conflicts with my academic demand
7.) Ushered twice in a competition called “Ecolympics” inside my university

Community involvement:
1.) I am also active as a basketball player both in my village and in my school
a. My team won a championship in an inter-village competition before
b. I was also recruited by a college coach for varsity but declined to join because I want to prioritize my studies

Work experience / Internships
Very unfortunately and very regrettably, my university does not offer any internship. This is the major downside of my application packet. However, since I was already thinking about this program since July, I started searching for possible jobs available to me even if I am just a college junior. Here are my only two work experiences:

1.) Research assistant for my college professor
a. Researched about renewable energy
b. This is a pro-bono
2.) Registration assistant for a staff in academic and curricular affairs
a. This does not have any salary
b. It only has enrollment benefits

Can you please comment on my chances of being admitted to the 2+2 Program? Honestly, I do not have the confidence to apply to Harvard if not for my undergraduate grades. I’ve always thought of Harvard as something very high on top of the mountain for me to reach. I just gained confidence in applying because of my undergraduate grades.

Currently, I am struggling with the application process. The deadline for HBS 2+2 is on July 1. I only have one and a half months left. Most of my preparations have been spent for the GMAT. Unfortunately, I haven’t done anything for the 2+2 applications apart from studying the GMAT and reflecting on my essays. I only have scratches of potential essays and have weeks of preparation for the GMAT. Is one and a half months sufficient to complete my 2+2 application given that I already know what I should write on my essays?

My main difficulty in the application process is the GMAT. I have only managed to score a devastating 480 in my first GMATPrep simulation last April 19. Since then, I have been prepping hard for another simulation this coming May 18. You can read this thread with regard to my GMAT problem https://www.beatthegmat.com/not-giving-u ... tml#143636
Given my profile, is a 700+ GMAT score the main thing I need to have a fighting chance in the 2+2 application?

I am hoping for any prompt response from any MBA consultant here in Beat the GMAT.

Thank you very much and God Bless,
Gabriel M. Ignacio
Do the very best that you can and God will do the rest :)

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by Graham » Mon May 18, 2009 3:33 am
Dear Gabriel,

Thanks for your post and extensive profile information.

The short answer to your question about HBS 2+2 is that you could be competitive - there are indeed many aspects of your profile that are interesting. Of course, in order to secure a spot, you'll need a strong set of application materials (recs, essays, etc) and your GMAT result will ideally need to be near their average (700+).

Keep in mind that Dee Leopold, the HBS director of admissions, has stated that the 'academic bar' that is set for 2+2 applicants is by nature higher than it might be for the standard applicant pool. This is because with 2+2 the admissions board has fewer data points in other areas like employment history. In your case in particular, this seems to be particularly true - given your lack of professional experience.

Please note that one's academic profile is a combination of many factors:

1) GPA
2) Caliber of ugrad
3) Rigor of coursework pursued
4) Trend(s) in GPA
5) Relative performance to classmates
6) GMAT overall score
7) GMAT section by section percentiles (ideally at or above the 80th percentile in both math and verbal)

Finally, as to your point about how your "university does not offer any internship," I must admit that I am confused. In most cases it's NOT the university that sets up internships for college students - it's the students that go out and secure them. Perhaps you mean to say that your school is in session year-round and that there is no 'summer break' during which to pursue an internship? In any case, this is puzzling to me...

My near-term advice is that you study hard for the GMAT exam, since the GMAT is the best way for the schools to measure your academic aptitude (and by extension the strength of your ugrad) when competing against other applicants from various schools across the globe.

Best of luck,

Graham
Graham Richmond
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215 568 2590

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Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
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by Gabriel Ignacio » Mon May 18, 2009 7:25 am
Hi Graham,

I am very pleased that you replied to my post at the very right time. Thank you very much. Currently, I am contemplating whether I should drop my application to 2+2 program. I just finished my stressful summer classes during which I was also preparing for the GMAT. I had received a lot of emotional anxieties and breakdowns in preparing for this exam primarily because of my inability to follow my own GMAT study plan. I initially began studying for it last February and ended up revising my schedule for more than five times because I could not study everyday due to school requirements. I only have one and a half months to finish studying for the GMAT and finish all the other parts of my application packet. At the same time, I already feel a little burned out from my ugrad studies. I am discerning whether to drop the GMAT and hence, drop my venture to the 2+2 program because I might end up too burned out at the start of my regular semester this June. Your insights to my profile can be of great help in my decision process.

Regarding the idea that "my university does not offer internship," I didn't know that "in most cases, it's NOT the university that sets up internships for college students - it's the students that go out and secure them." I live in the Philippines. Normally, universities here are the ones who offer internships to college students (normally the college seniors). So, I initially thought that I am at a great disadvantage since other 2+2 applicants might have had many internships due to the help of their ugrad universities. When I said that "my university does not offer any internships", I was speaking at the Philippine setting. I apologize for confusing you.

Once again, I am very grateful for the evaluation.

Thank you very much,
Gabriel M. Ignacio
Do the very best that you can and God will do the rest :)