My comments are in red below.

HBS Deadlines 

    * Round 1      October 11, 2006
    * Round 2      January 3, 2007
    * Round 3      March 7, 2007

Essay Questions for the Class entering 2007

Essays should be single spaced.

1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience? (400-word limit)

This question is a repeat from last year, when it was new.  At the time, I thought it was going to result in predictable and boring essays. To my pleasant surprise, I reviewed several HBS #1 essays as part of our quality control program, and they were revealing, excellent essays. So kudos to HBS on developing a good question.

This question reflects Harvard's interest in early career applicants and really gives them a chance to shine. But whether you are still in college or several years from the Ivory  Tower, this essay represents HBS' attempt to see patterns over time.  What you choose to include here will obviously vary depending on your experience and the rest of your application, but my ideal answer will discuss  a leadership experience from your undergrad career to show that you are a natural leader with a history of leadership -- even if you are several years out of school. Remember: HBS wants to develop leaders, not create them.

2. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)

Harvard's perennial favorite. They've been asking this question for as long as I can remember. At least one and probably two of the three accomplishments should show leadership/and or teamwork skills, with the emphasis being on leadership. I also like to have this essay show some breadth. My ideal would be to have one professional, one community, and one personal accomplishment in this essay, but that breakdown is neither set in stone nor imperative.

3. Discuss a defining experience in your leadership development. How did this experience highlight your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? (400-word limit)

This question is very similar to last year's #3, but this year HBS gives a little more direction and essentially combines last year's  #5 ( a discussion of strengths and weaknesses as a leader) and #3 (defining leadership experience).  I will be discussing flaws and weaknesses in another blog post, hopefully later this week.. For this question, anecdotally and briefly describe the leadership experience showing the impact you had as a leader. Explain how it highlights both your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. In defining your leadership style, you also should strive to show how it has influenced you in later situations. In those you also want to reveal how you have built on your leadership strengths and mitigated your weakness. That's a lot to do in a 400-word limit. You need to write very succinctly.

4. In your career, you will have to deal with many ethical issues. What are likely to be the most challenging and what is your plan for developing the competencies you will need to handle these issues effectively? (400-word limit)

This too was new last year.  Demonstrate knowledge of your future career path to answer this question well. The key here is  research --  into ethical challenges common in your field and your plan for developing the character strength and competency to respond to these challenges. Don't try to come up with superficial drivel and fool the committee with grandiose but empty hyperbole. And don't choose situations that would only tempt those currently sitting behind bars. The strong response will reveal how HBS  will help you handle such issues and also demonstrate a knowledge of the HBS program, the case method, and its penchant for looking at situations from multiple perspectives. Clearly you need to look well beyond the brand name and rankings. Finally, the grandslams for this essay will even show that you have dealt with ethical issues in the past.

5. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you? (400-word limit) NEW FOR 2007!

This question is as close to a classic goals question as Harvard comes this year. But it's a little different from the typical "What do you want to do and why do you want to do it?" The interesting twist to Harvard's question is "career vision." With Harvard's focus on strategy, Harvard is asking you to develop your career strategy and discuss it's importance to you. But don't leave you answer on an entirely theoretical plane. Bring it down to earth with your plan for implementing that vision. In other words writing that you seek "a career leading an innovative enterprise, providing work-life balance, and allowing me the opportunity to contribute to my community" sounds great. But it will also sound a lot like other people's vision. You need to have some idea of how to achieve that vision and write about that plan as well as why it resonates with you.

6. What other information do you believe would be helpful to the Board in understanding you better and in considering your application? (400-word limit)

Very similar to last year's #7, this essay is a great place to highlight  a side of you or experience not discussed elsewhere in the application. This wild card question is a gift to you from the kindly folks serving on the HBS adcom so you can show another area in which you shine. And yes, if you can demonstrate leadership, do so. Do not waste in on a summary or closing sales pitch.

Keep in mind that as you answer all these questions,  even as you respond to Harvard's obvious emphasis on leadership,  you want each essay to disclose a different facet of your background, experience, and interests... of you.  Your application mission is to write  so that each individual essay compellingly answers the given question and when combined with the other essays and information found on your application adds to the portrait of  you as a up-and-coming leader and star.

For more free tips on the completing the Harvard application, please join Maxx Duffy and me for our teleseminar "MBA Admissions BlastOff Secrets for H/S/W" on July 28. If you would like professional advising for your HBS applications, please consider:

• MBA Admissions BlastOff seminar and workshop
• MBA admissions consulting and essay editing. 10% off through July 31, 2006.

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