• Business School
    • Admissions Help
    • MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Admissions Help
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Admissions Help
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Admissions Help
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Admissions Help
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

1 (310) 815-9553

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

December 26, 2016

Reading Time: 2 minutes

4 Traits That (Most) HBS Students Share

BUSINESS SCHOOL Find out what it takes to gain acceptance to HBS by watching this free webinar.

Harvard Business School admissions doesn’t just embrace diversity, they obsessively (and methodically) seek it. HBS sees diversity as essential to its learning environment—the renowned “case method” requires a wide variety of viewpoints to challenge and teach students.

But admissions is only one part of HBS’s diversity push. 900+ matriculating students are carefully sorted into 10 sections, with results that would make the Hogwart’s Sorting Hat jealous. Perhaps unsurprisingly, each section has a near-perfectly balanced composition of industry background, nationality, gender, military experience and dozens of other less obvious traits and experiences. These ultra-diverse super sections provide the opportunity to learn from (and network with) a rich portfolio of experiences and backgrounds.

Despite the differences, accepted HBS candidates often share a few common, noticeable traits. HBS admissions speaks to what they are looking for on their website, but I’d like to add to the list. If you’re a prospective student, here are 4 traits that may help you determine if you might fit into one of these super sections.

1. Confidence

Confirmed. Plenty of confidence to go around. The joke is that you spend your first week at Harvard thinking, “How did I get in here?” and the next two years feeling confident that you belong but wondering how everyone else was accepted.

2. Social Grace

You probably won’t be surprised (and it’s well-discussed) that there are more extroverts than introverts at HBS. This leads to a culture where extroversion is almost an expectation, and an extremely active social agenda among students is almost a given. However, minority introverts and majority extroverts alike have exceptional interpersonal skills. Sit down, grab lunch, and meet a new classmate; it’s likely that regardless of whom you’re speaking with, the conversation will be engaging and flow effortlessly.

3. Opinionated

If you visit a class at HBS, you’ll see 90 students sitting on the edge of their seats ready to passionately provide their viewpoints. I loved it. I hope you witness a heated argument! Without my classmates sharing their strong opinions, my education (and entertainment) would have been severely diminished. The case method motivates a deep and broad understanding of issues. People who form and articulate sound opinions, even with limited information, thrive.

4. Planner

HBS students love “treks.” A trek is simply traveling somewhere in the world with classmates, mixing fun with an optional set of business introductions or experiences. Whether you are mostly adventuring, or straight-up vacationing with your classmates, each trip comes complete with a published itinerary. You’ll probably have two or three information sessions beforehand to review the dense itinerary. It’s both overwhelming and fantastic. I still reach out to my classmates to get old itineraries for places I didn’t visit as a student but intend to go now.

What does this mean for HBS candidates? If you are ready for a calculated, highly social, argumentative two-year trek, then Harvard may be the perfect place for you. Do you think being suffocated by those traits for two years may kill you? Well, you can survive–no super section would be complete without two or three medical students to revive you.

Watch the webinar: Get Accepted to Harvard Business School!

Jaren Nichols is part of the HBS ’15 graduating class. Jaren currently heads up revenue at ZipBooks. Previous to InsideSales.com, Jaren worked for Dropcam, Nest Labs, and Google.

 

Related Resources:

• HBS 2016 Grad Reflects on Her Experience as a Harvard MBA [Episode 154]
• Harvard Business School 2017 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• What is Harvard Business School Looking For?

Article by Accepted / MBA Admissions / Harvard Business School

Get Accepted!

Choose your desired degree and then the service that best meets your needs.

Which program are you applying to?

What do you need help with?

Join the informed applicants who read Accepted's blog!

8 Popular Posts

1. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. How to Write About Your Research Interests

3. Sample Essay from Admitted HBS Student

4. How to Write a Goal Statement for Graduate School

5. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

6. When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?

7. The Personal Statement That Got Me a Large Scholarship to Cambridge

8. Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay]

Recent Posts

  • Should You Apply in Round 3? Let’s Find Out!
  • What a Law Career Is Really Like [Episode 401]
  • The 5 Essential Elements of a Winning Med School Application
  • Bring Your Personal Statement to Life With Vivid, Active Verbs
  • How Do You Create a Great MBA Application? [Video]
This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2021 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2021 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in