Harvard MBA Class Profile: GMAT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and GPA
Admissions Statistic | Class of 2022 Numbers |
---|---|
GMAT Score Range | 620-790 |
Median GMAT Score | 730 |
Average GPA | 3.70 |
GRE Score Range | Verbal: 148–170 Quantitative: 145–170 |
Median GRE Score | Verbal: 163 Quantitative: 163 |
Average Work Experience (Years) | 4.7 |
Women | 322 (44%) |
U.S. Ethnic Minorities | 329 (45%) |
International Students | 242 (33%) |
Sources: Chart data from HBS website
Additional sources: Access MBA, US News, Beat the GMAT, Economist, Magoosh – What’s a Good GMAT Score?, LinkedIn, MBA Data Guru
How to Get Into Harvard Business School: Admission Requirements
GMAT Scores for Harvard: The Range
When you’re applying to business schools, shooting for a Harvard acceptance can feel like seeking the holy grail of MBA admissions. There are many factors that go into business school admissions. Getting your GMAT score to something nearthe average Harvard GMAT score may for some be difficult, but it is certainly possible. After all, the admissions office did accept more than 850 students to the class of 2022.
Editor’s note – The mean GMAT score is pretty much the same mean for all of the M7 schools.
Where does this leave you and your GMAT score? Take a look.
The average GMAT score for Harvard’s class of 2022 was 730. Furtermore, the median GMAT score for Harvard’s incoming classes of 2020 and 2021 were also 730. Therefore, to get a good GMAT score for Harvard, you need to score a 730…right?
Not necessarily! Average scores can be misleading. Score ranges are more telling. Harvard Business School has historically admitted students with a huge range of scores. In the class of 2022, students scored between 620 and 790.
Shocked? Surprised? Excited? Remember that 50% of students admitted to Harvard Business School scored lower than the median score of 730. In fact, in previous years, students with scores below 620 have gotten in, though in both cases we saw, the occurrence was so exceptional that it was newsworthy.
Remember that the GMAT is only one part of your application. At Harvard and other top ranked programs, even an 800 score may not be enough, on its own, to get you a spot in the class. Likewise, those scoring noticeably below the class mean on the GMAT have demonstrated they are exceptional candidates and earned admission to the class in other ways.
- Aiming for a 700 GMAT score is ambitious, but doable—this video outlines how you can reach it!
If your scores are in the “questionable” or “shot-in-the-dark” ranges, I highly recommend you do some serious GMAT prep or consider the GRE as an alternative, a test that is now routinely accepted at HBS. Although statistics show there is still a slight bias in favor of GMAT applicants, if you can score much better on the GRE, that is without a doubt the way to go. Your extra laurels may be able to get your foot in the door, but why not make their decision easier by giving them higher scores that will show them your capability for high level academic work.
Application
Harvard’s MBA application process is made up of three stages. In the first stage, you submit your written application. If you impress with this, you’ll be invited to an interview. Lastly, you’ll complete a post-interview reflection within 24 hours of the interview. You can get more info on how to approach this with Magoosh’s complete guide to the Harvard MBA application.
Harvard Business School Essays
Writing essays requires a lot of introspection about what you stand for, why you want to get your MBA from Harvard, and what you want to do with it.
The admissions committee at Harvard looks for three key characteristics in applicants:
- A habit of leadership
- Analytical aptitude and appetite
- Engaged community citizenship
You will want to demonstrate throughout your application that you possess these qualities. As well as introducing yourself and your achievements, you’ll also want to show a logical and well-researched career plan. Remember to be authentic and to focus on your story, rather than the story you think admissions officers want to hear.
Keep in mind that, across the spectrum of HBS applicants, a great deal of the cut-and-dry stuff will look similar: impressive GPAs at impressive undergraduate institutions, impressive GMAT scores, impressive recommendations, impressive work experience, etc. The folks working in adcom need something to give them a glimpse into the person behind the data. If you can balance unapologetic confidence with heartfelt compassion and sincere vulnerability, that is a combination that will open a great many doors.
Other Requirements
In addition to the long essays, your resume, your GPA, and your test scores, there are also short questions you’ll need to answer. You can think of these as short essay questions because a decent amount of time and energy should go into them. is not something you can come up with overnight. These shorter essays ask you about your post-MBA career plans, your employment, and extracurricular activities.
You’ll also need to choose recommenders who can favorably compare you to your peers and describe a piece of constructive feedback they’ve given you.
Harvard MBA Curriculum
Most MBAs will employ a similar core curriculum: subjects like marketing, business finance, and accounting, more specialized electives, and some exposure to entrepreneurship. What sets Harvard apart from the others is the caliber of its students and professors and the school’s approach to teaching business.
Harvard is not only one of the top MBAs in the world, but it is also the first MBA in the world. Harvard’s MBA is over 100 years old, and the school continues to be a pioneer in business education. The case method of teaching businessstarted at Harvard and is still a fundamental part of the HBS approach. The case method has the class analyze a case – an actual situation faced by a real company. The class then discusses different aspects of the company’s challenges and recommends how the company might best handle the matter.
Harvard Business School gives students a chance to apply what they’ve learned through an experience-based curriculum. The case method gives you a chance to put yourself into a business leader’s shoes. Just as in real life, the information in the case is often voluminous, nearly always complex, and the class must consider matters from many perspectives. One prominent advantage of the case method is that different students from diverse backgrounds can give their points of view. It is often said that you learn as much or more from your peers in an MBA program as you do from your professors. The case method encourages everyone to give their view.
Is an MBA from Harvard worth it?
Graduating with a Harvard MBA gives you access to 150 alumni career programs and an alumni network that includes Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Warner Brothers CEO Ann Sarnoff, and Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg. If that weren’t enough, a fair share of senators, ministers and even a US president, (George W. Bush), also graduated from HBS.
Harvard MBA Employment Outcomes
A look at Harvard’s 2021 employment data shows the median base salary for graduates is $150, 000. Over half of graduates get jobs in consulting or finance roles. The rest work in a diverse range of industries. Eighty five per cent of the class gets jobs in the US.
But the return on investment of an MBA is not only about your first job. The career benefits will compound over your entire career. Remember that having the experience, the friendships, and the transformational leadership lessons will also last a lifetime.
Set on Harvard but not the MBA per se? Here are some other Harvard programs that accept GMAT scores:
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Harvard Graduate School of Education
And if you want to explore additional options along with Harvard, our Magoosh’s Top MBA Programs article is a great place to start!
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