Harvard Business School's newly revised application essays for the MBA program are designed to focus on three key themes: business-mindedness, leadership, and growth-orientation. Here's an analysis of the new prompts, along with recommendations for applicants on how to approach them:

#1 Business-Minded Essay

Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)

Analysis: This essay is an opportunity to showcase your passion for using business as a tool for positive change. HBS is looking for candidates with strong business acumen and a vision for creating a significant impact through their work.

Recommendations:

Reflect on Key Experiences: Identify pivotal moments in your career that have shaped your professional journey and aspirations. Think about roles, projects, or challenges that influenced your career path.

Connect Experiences to Impact: Clearly articulate how these experiences have prepared you to make a meaningful impact on businesses, organizations, and communities. Be specific about the changes or improvements you aim to bring about.

Showcase Interpersonal Skills and Quantitative Abilities: Highlight instances where you demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and quantitative abilities. These could be through teamwork, leadership, or solving complex problems.

Future Vision: Paint a clear picture of your future goals and how the HBS MBA will help you achieve them. Explain your long-term vision and the kind of leader you aspire to be.

#2 Leadership-Focused Essay

What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)

Analysis: This prompt seeks to understand your leadership style and philosophy. HBS values diverse leadership experiences and wants to see how your past experiences have shaped your approach to leadership.

Recommendations:

Identify Key Leadership Moments: Reflect on significant leadership roles or situations where you had to take charge. These could be professional roles, extracurricular activities, or community involvement.

Investing in Others: Highlight how you have mentored, coached, or supported others. Show your commitment to developing and nurturing diverse teams.

Leadership Philosophy: Explain the kind of leader you aspire to become. Mention specific qualities you value in leadership, such as empathy, inclusivity, or strategic thinking.

Personal Growth: Connect your leadership experiences to personal growth. How have these experiences shaped your values and approach to leading others?

#3 Growth-Oriented Essay

Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)

Analysis: This essay is designed to assess your intellectual curiosity and how it drives your personal and professional development. HBS wants to see how curiosity leads you to seek new knowledge and experiences.

Recommendations:

Specific Example: Choose a particular example that vividly illustrates your curiosity. This could be a project, a learning experience, or an initiative you undertook.

Influence on Growth: Explain how this curiosity-driven experience has contributed to your personal or professional growth. What new skills or insights did you gain?

Creative Problem Solving: Highlight your ability to engage in creative problem-solving. How did your curiosity lead you to think outside the box or explore new avenues?

Active Engagement: Show how you actively engage with the world around you. This could include pursuing new interests, seeking diverse perspectives, or learning continuously.

Harvard Business School's new essays offer applicants a chance to showcase their unique experiences and qualities. By reflecting deeply on your past experiences and clearly articulating your aspirations, you can create compelling essays highlighting your suitability for the HBS MBA program. Remember to stay true to yourself and provide specific examples demonstrating your business acumen, leadership potential, and intellectual curiosity.