Saved by the bell - Harvard - Free sample business school statement
Free sample business school statement
My highest career aspiration is to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ as my company celebrates the successful completion of its initial public offering. My experiences have prepared me to build market-disrupting technology companies fit for public investment, but they have also exposed me to the intangible qualities of successful entrepreneurs. These qualities include the ability to manage, presence to inspire, charisma to lead, and fortitude to persist in the face of challenge. These virtues are represented in the bedrock of Harvard’s MBA program. My desire to internalize these qualities is the catalyst that drives me to pursue a Harvard MBA with such conviction. The timing of my application coincides with both my developmental needs and the natural termination of my current position in July 2006.
To achieve these goals, I have focused my academic and professional pursuits in the areas of finance and technology. In addition to my undergraduate majors, my work in the technology group of a San Francisco–based, middle-market investment bank has given me a first-hand view into Silicon Valley’s technology incubator and the lives of successful technology entrepreneurs. I have learned revolutionizing technologies ranging from enterprise software applications to price-per-click Internet advertising services. The experience has placed me in close contact with senior executives who share the story of my career aspirations as their own reality. The opportunity to interact with such innovative individuals has been an inspiration, and provided me a first-hand account of what qualities today’s entrepreneurial leaders possess.
While these experiences form a solid foundation, an MBA from Harvard is necessary for developing the managerial skills, leadership ability, and influential network necessary to achieve my goals. This assertion was confirmed during my campus visit to Bill Sahlman’s entrepreneurial finance class where I observed the case method in action as debate raced from eager hand to eager hand, with each comment seeking to improve upon the discussion. The collaborative energy was tangible, the environment exciting, and the effect impressive. A visit to the Arthur Rock Center revealed a collection of memorabilia from companies founded by Harvard alums, foreshadowing the addition I hope to make. A student lunch with a former tech-start-up CFO ensured me other students will share my goals and enthusiasm, adding vital energy to the MBA experience. I left my campus visit knowing that Harvard Business School is where I want to build the next layer upon my foundation.
Analysis
From the “opening bell,” the author’s essay grabs the reader and brings him along for the ride, setting a quick, consistent tempo for this essay response. Within the first paragraph he addresses all three critical elements of the essay question: What are your career aspirations? Why do you need an HBS MBA? Why now? Additionally, the pace of the essay and the clarity of the vision demonstrated in that first paragraph give the reader insight into the author’s personality.
He appears to be someone on a mission with clear goals and the energy to achieve them.
In the second paragraph, the author cleverly distinguishes himself from other banking applicants. By drawing on the lessons he learned and the role models he met in his professional career, the author portrays himself as a thoughtful team player that would contribute unique experiences to a classroom environment.
The remainder of the essay is spent explaining why an MBA from HBS is vital to the author’s career development. In discussing his interactions with HBS, the author demonstrates that he has gone beyond merely visiting campus and witnessing the case method. Rather, he projects sincere enthusiasm for the HBS experience and understands what he hopes to contribute. By doing so, the author puts an exclamation point on an exceptional essay.
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