Committing to the HBS/HKS joint degree

[hcueva]

I'm going to send my HBS app next week, and I really, really want to do the joint degree with HKS.

The problem is that HKS has not released essay topics and, in general, the app hasn't gone live, so I can't ask my recommenders to write the letteres yet.

The question is: what happens in the remote scenario in which I apply to HBS next week INCLUDING the additional "why do you want to joint degree" essay, and then it happens that in November I decide that I do not want to go ahead with the joint degree, and do not apply to HKS? Do I look bad in the eyes of HBS for having told them that I was going to apply to HKS too and then I didn't, or do they simply evaluate my MBA admission as usual?

You may ask why my mind would change in just a few months. It really has to do with recommendation issues that are difficult to explain, but just trust me, my recommenders' availability in the future is somewhat uncertain, so I want to be prepared for a scenario in which I cannot apply to HKS.

[Jon@Admissionado]

If you want to apply to HKS, go for it! Also, yes it would not look good for you to chance your mind in the middle. It would make your choices seem wishy-washy or arbitrary at best.
As for your recommender, I believe you. But whatever problems you have with your recommender, there is likely a solution that can be strategized. And if everything else is strong, a problem with one recommender is not likely to be an app-killer.