Harvard 2+2 admission?

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Harvard 2+2 admission?

by HarshaDevulapalli » Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:39 am
Hey, I'm an Indian male. I'm a sophomore electronics engineering student and I wanna know if my profile's decent enough for an admit into HBS' 2+2 program Here's my profile.

Education :

School : 91 percent
Pre-University : 85 percent.
University : 3.3/4

Work Experience :

3D webcrafts : Technical writer.
Wrote over 70 reviews on several gadgets and was an A grade writer.
TheHotShot.Org: Photojournalist.
Intern as a photojournalist.
TheAnroidPhone : Technical writer.
Intern as a writer and looking forward to work full time.

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by HarshaDevulapalli » Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:47 am
Acheivements

Started a local Wikiproject meant to improve and update articles. Now currently has the maximum number of starred articles for a local project.

Designed the transit maps and signage systems for two BRTS in India.

Currently Working on Updating the public transit data of the 15 largest cities in the Indian Subcontinent to Google Transit.

Is a Group Editor for the College Magazine.

I'm a member of the oratory, literary and heritage clubs at college.

Managed to raise 70,000 INR for an event at college.

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by HarshaDevulapalli » Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:54 am
Organisations I am a part of

A member of the Right2Walk- a NGO that works for the protection of the rights of the pedestrians in India.

A co-ordinator for I AM - A group that gives the youth a chance to make their own movies and screen them.

A member of thecityfix.com - an online resource for news that features several transport specialists who explore ways to make cities more liveable.

Hobbies
Writing Travel Guides
Transit map designing
Hiking
History-enthuiast
Dravidianologist

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by HarshaDevulapalli » Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:06 am
Another thing I forgot to add.

Am working with a team of 4 on creating cheap GPS devices

and one of my letter of recommendations will be from an ex-harvard graduate!

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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:07 am
Dear HarshaDevulapalli,

You have many positives in your profile; however, you did not note your GMAT score so your profile is incomplete to comment fully. Based on what you did post, you appear to have the foundation for competitive application. To be truly competitive for the HBS 2+2 program, you will need a strong GMAT (700+) and evidence of leadership potential. While you note many activities and organizations you have worked with, you did not indicate whether you served in a leadership role with these groups. It is imperative you highlight your leadership experiences and show your leadership potential in your application. Likewise, you will need to present a solid plan for what you plan to do in the 2 years between college and matriculating at HBS, as well as why you need an MBA to achieve your ultimate career goals.

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by thedarkside » Wed Jul 06, 2011 12:34 pm
Hi,
I have a question on similar line.
I am currently an engineering student with bad academic record which is 55%/100 (Could be equivalent to 2.7/4) in undergraduate/ 63% in 12th(pre-university)and 80% in high school but I did do very good in engineering entrance exams, close to 99 percentile and hence got into good undergrad school.
I have done three internships and PPO from one of them which is tier two strategy consultancy firm.
I started my business in April which is being mentored by an angel investor and now hope to go live soon.
I am founder of TEDx conference in my college and have done three seasons till now.
Volunteered for NGO/ TiE / HPAIR(Harvard Asian Relation club)
Hold important positions in a college club and have worked on live projects with startups.

As for the recommendations I will have one from Harvard graduate of 1990 batch who is at senior position now and another from my mentor at internship.

Do you think this profile has chances of making cut based on my academic performance and other credentials?

I plan to give GMAT in December after good preparation and apply for HBS 2+2 in January, the last round. Would you suggest otherwise?

Thanking you in anticipation.

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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:15 pm
Dear thedarkside,

Your current academic record will be a concern and could hinder your chances at HBS. Successful 2+2 applicants generally have stellar academic records plus high GMAT scores, not to mention exceptional leadership experience through extracurricular activities. While there are positives in your profile, the question will be if it is enough to overcome your academic record relative to the rest of the outstanding applicants.

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Lisa
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by Kamranga » Thu Jul 07, 2011 8:30 am
Hey Lisa,

I was wondering if you can help me out. I've been wondering about applying to Harvard 2+2 myself, but I want to know if I have the necessary and basic qualifications.

A little about me:

Indian female, 20.
Engineering major, currently in senior year, CGPA is 9.05, ranked 2nd in my department. GMAT score was 740, full in essays.

I have pretty good co currics with demonstrated leadership, plus into sports and music too.

My interns have always had a social touch to it. The thing is, it has absolutely nothing to do with my major, and I intend to continue along these lines(social entrepreneurship). Will that make a difference, or become a disadvantage in any way?


Please let me know about your thoughts, and do help me out. I'm confused!

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by Lisa Anderson » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:44 am
Dear Kamranga,

First, you need to check the requirements for the HBS 2+2 program as there is a specific window in which you can apply. Be sure you are still in that window as a college senior before you expend any resources on an application. Likewise, be sure you meet all the other requirements specified and familiarize yourself with the program structure to ensure it is a program that makes sense for you. If you are still eligible and believe it to be a good match for you, then I see many positives in your profile for a competitive application. Your CGPA and GMAT are both high and thus in range. You also note leadership experience in your activities and some internship experience. It is not a negative that you have pursued internships outside of engineering, or that you wish to work outside of engineering when you graduate. However, it could be a negative if you do not effectively explain your reasoning for your choices. In other words, the admissions committee will want to know why you are studying engineering, choosing these internships/jobs, and how those two pieces will fit with an MBA towards your future goals. If you can present a solid plan showing how all these pieces complement each other, then you will be a competitive applicant.

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by Prashant.Kumar.HBS2+2 » Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:10 pm
..
Last edited by Prashant.Kumar.HBS2+2 on Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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by Lisa Anderson » Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:06 pm
Dear Prashant,

You have several pieces to build a strong foundation for a competitive application to HBS 2+2. You are still missing a key piece in your GMAT score, so you will need to score well to remain competitive. I also suggest you ask one of your supervisors from Shell to write one of your letters of recommendation rather than a professor. Having a professional perspective of you will add value, especially since you have interned with Shell for 3 years. I do think you should try to make the R2 deadline if you can. Applying in a late round is always a risk as the number of seats remaining gets lower with each round.

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by Prashant.Kumar.HBS2+2 » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:19 pm
Thanks a lot for the reply. It definitely proved helpful.

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by isiddhant » Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:50 am
I plan to apply for HBS 2+2 program this year.I am in my senior year and have recently taken the GMAT . I scored a meagre 660 and planning to give GMAT again.

Now I am confused as to when should I apply-should I apply in the 1st round(3rd Oct )(which means I have to retake GMAT in coming 20 days) or should I go for 2nd round(january)
Also I have come to know that applying in 2nd round is useless as your chances are almost negligible.Please help in this regard ...I am really confused.

Secondly I want to ask about the conversion factor for CGPA from 10 scale in India to US 4 point system.

Please also clarify which score is considered if an individual has taken GMAT twice.(I mean is it always the later one or the higher one?)

Can you also tell what are other options apart from 2+2 which offer similar kind of programs.

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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:29 am
Dear isiddhant,

It is always better to apply in R2 with a stronger application than R1 with a weaker application. If you believe you can increase your GMAT score, then it is best to wait. Most schools use your highest GMAT score in your evaluation, regardless of which attempt it is for you (first v. third). Some schools post their own conversion scales for GPAs, so you might check to see if HBS has one available within its application. If not, then the most accurate conversion would be from a credentialing service for a fee. The HBS 2+2 program is fairly unique, but some programs do offer a deferred entry for college seniors. Schools have been known to add or subtract that offering in years past, so you will want to verify if it is an option with the school directly. You might try doing a search on www.mba.com as a place to start for identifying those programs.

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by isiddhant » Fri Sep 09, 2011 10:30 am
Thanks ,I think this would help me in this process.