July 27, 1989, twenty years and one week after the first lunar landing, was the day I decided to fly to the moon. The impetus for that decision was a chance encounter at Space Camp between nine-year-old me and Apollo XVI astronaut Charlie Duke, one of only twelve men to have ever voyaged to the lunar surface. I will forever remember Charlie’s speech because it instilled in me a fascination with exploration that continues to fuel my career aspirations.

Today, I am a systems engineer on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) program, which is chartered with returning astronauts to the moon and, more importantly, with rejuvenating interest in space exploration. The work is inspiring, though not for the reasons I had anticipated. In fact, over the last year, I have realized that what intrigues me is not the development of technical solutions, but rather the loftier ideals, such as making exploration relevant to the average person.

I believe that to be sustainable in today’s dynamic, global market, where competing interests vie for every dollar, any major initiative must consistently show value and demonstrate tangible, relevant benefits to its market. Specifically, I think that to survive, the CEV Moon-Mars program must be strategically marketed.

Equipped with an MBA, I hope to lead that effort. In fact, my near-term career aspirations are to work in business development for a CEV contractor and sell the benefits of space exploration to both the American people and international partners. Ultimately, my goal is to lead a firm that develops technologies that enable both government and private space exploration.

I believe that an MBA education from Harvard Business School, where I would learn the science of marketing sophisticated technologies and develop a solid general management foundation, will help me achieve my goals. I am especially interested in classes such as Commercializing Science and Technology and in learning from technology management experts who have tremendous real-world experience. Finally, because I believe that free exchange of ideas is the catalyst for progress, I am excited about collaborating with talented classmates whose passions differ from mine.

If I were to become a member of the HBS Class of 2008, I would return to aerospace just as increasing resource demands will require the exploration initiative to have a champion who understands how to sell big ideas. The timing could not be more perfect.

Analysis

This is a tight, well-structured, and fast-paced essay that encourages the reader to keep reading on. The author grips you with vivid imagery and builds her story in chronological order. She clearly explains the context of her career vision and then specifically articulates what she hopes to do after business school (lead the strategic marketing effort on the CEV program).

She has strong views and is able to convince the reader of her enthusiasm and passion for aerospace. She couples a coherent vision with research on HBS classes and an understanding of the HBS culture. She makes the case that by attending HBS, she would be able to exchange ideas, learn the art of marketing, and interact with peers and experts.

One critique of this essay is that the author could highlight why she wants to do an MBA “now.” She mentions that the timing could not be “more perfect” but does not elaborate on why the timing is right. She could also have talked about what she would contribute to the HBS community. A sentence or two in this regard would have shed further light on what kind of person the author is.

From 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays edited by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson. Copyright (c) 2009 by the authors and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group