Question about Harvard and grades

[robertpatrick]

I know having an MA would help out on the resume portion of the application, but my question is - apart from that, does the adcom at HBS compare candidates only on the undergraduate transcripts when it comes to GPA?

I just found out that I might not be able to graduate with my MA in May as I had planned, and so I'm trying to assess the impact of this on my HBS round 1 application.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear robertpatrick,

The GPA measure is purely based on the undergraduate transcript. Graduate courses and degrees are evaluated, but are not part of the GPA measure in the class profile. The main thing you need to do is give HBS an idea of when you will complete your MA and make sure it will not interfere with your business school studies.

Regards,
Lisa

[robertpatrick]

Thanks Lisa,

The life crossroad that I'm facing right now is whether to stay in a low paying project management role while finishing my MA or withdraw from the program and pursue work opportunities elsewhere to bulk up that portion of my application (and potentially save up for HBS) which is the weaker area of my application.

My rationale is that if I can find a good opportunity to pursue it would help my application more than finishing a Master's degree which I'm not that interested in anymore anyways. My feeling is that the adcom will see my 4.0 GPA and 710 GMAT, and come to the conclusion that I'm academically strong - therefore, finishing the MA won't boost my application as much as say a year or two of experience working with Accenture as a Business Analyst or a year or two abroad working for the Italian National Service Program or Teach for America or something like that.

[robertpatrick]

Would you agree that my math is correct? That is, leaving the MA program to pursue a corporate position is a smart or at least logical choice given my situation?

[Lisa Anderson]

Hi robertpatrick,

I would have to agree with you. If you are not interested in finishing this MA, then it is probably not worth finishing when it holds you back from other opportunities. Follow your heart (and head)--that will always serve you well.

Best of luck,
Lisa