Harvard published the initial profile of its 2014 class that embarks upon its studies within a few weeks. The number of submitted applications stands at 8,963, of which 13% were accepted and 925 registered for studies. Harvard’s percent-yield (the percentage of candidates who plan to study among those that were accepted) is 90%.

Among the general student body, 40% are women and 32% are foreign students representing 69 countries. The average age of those accepted is 27, their GMAT range is 570-790 and the median GMAT grade is 730.

In terms of academic background, 43% come from economics and business administration, while 34% have a background in engineering and exact sciences. In terms of career background, 20% come from consulting, 16% from VC/PE, and 12% from finance.

In another context, additional details and guidelines have emerged regarding the Post Interview Reflection- the new addition to this year’s Harvard application. Candidates who will be invited to interview will be asked to submit an additional essay within the 24 hours post-interview. They will be asked to write their experience of the interview and additional thoughts that arose as a result. Specifically, the question is, “You’ve just had your HBS interview. Tell us about it. How well did we get to know you?”

This essay has no word limit, and Harvard emphasizes that this is not an essay, but rather something similar to an email written after a meeting. They add that they will not be stringent regarding spelling or grammar mistakes, and that it is very important that it not look like an essay written prior to the interview.

The reason for these guidelines is that in the real world people are often required to write an email within a short time period to summarize the meeting they attended, and therefore Harvard is trying to bring the candidates as close to reality as possible.Harvard emphasizes that the candidates do not need outside help in writing this section, and that there is no reason to plan and prepare an answer ahead of time before the interview. This is also not the space to fit additional achievements or write an extra essay.

Put Me in Business (applying in less than a year)
Put Me in Business (applying in more than a year)