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2004 FULL-TIME MBA PROFILE
Harvard University
Harvard Business School
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CLASS OF 2004 GRADUATE COMMENTS
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] This should not be a strictly money and prestige-driven decision. Instead, it is a huge opportunity to learn about the world all over again and to reassess one's personal viewpoints against a broader context. The HBS case method was a huge eye-opener for me, as I had only experienced lecture-driven engineering courses before this. I would recommend the program to anyone who is serious about working hard to think strategically and across functional areas. If somebody is instead interested in developing very deep technical skills in one particular area, this program is likely not optimally suited to their needs.--Consulting
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] You need to really understand why you want to get an MBA. If you go in with the idea that you will discover yourself, you will be in for a shock.--Entrepreneurship
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] Unfortunately, "who you know" is still much more important than "what you know." With the biggest and best MBA alumni network in the world, Harvard is the obvious choice. However, if you intend to pursue one of the very few career paths that does not require access to a stellar network, or if you desire an intensely quant-based career, Harvard may not be the best choice.--Venture Capital/Private Equity
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] Harvard Business School bills itself as an exceptional place -- and it more than delivers. HBS is more than a business school. It is a "life" school. I feel as though I have emerged from HBS knowing more about business, of course, but also knowing much more about myself and what I want out of life. I truly believe that I have emerged from HBS a better person.--Consulting
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] HBS's forced curve pressures you to work hard. Unless you have a particular subject on which to focus (finance, marketing, etc.), HBS is by far the best school to spend two years.--Marketing
I worked with a nonprofit organization on a volunteer consulting project and with a team from McKinsey and Company to explore service operations excellence. The nonprofit project helped me in learning about critical aspects of running a nonprofit, such as board development, fundraising, financial management, and grant writing. I also used the experience to explore summer internship opportunities. The project on service operations excellence complimented the elective course I was taking on managing service operations. The research project provided an opportunity to further explore the concepts that were discussed in class.--Consulting
Consulting opportunities provide a great snapshot of real problems that existing companies face. I had an opportunity to work in a warehouse and build a plan to scale a unique self-managed team workforce. It was extraordinary. The company was thrilled with our work, but I believe we gained the most from the learning.--Marketing
I helped a startup company establish its strategy in China. This was a helpful experience in applying some of the theoretical concepts into the professional world.--Investment Banking
I created a field study with three other students to help a firm to raise venture capital. We assessed the company as would a VC firm and presented the company with an investment memo. Given the diversity of the team, we were able to add real value to the company's process and actually perform the role of a real VC firm to some extent.--Venture Capital/Private Equity
I performed a consulting project for one of the largest banks in the world that has a long-standing relationship with HBS. I traveled to a number of sites within the bank and met with more than 60 employees of the company and, in doing so, was better able to understand real-world business practices that I had studied and the reasons the bank used those practices. Through the critique and recommendation process, I was able to gain an appreciation for the challenges facing the bank and any large organization that is growing.--Not Available
My wife and I were both consultants at McKinsey, students at HBS, and will now be going to work in strategic planning at Nike. HBS was a phenomenal experience for both of us, individually and together. The professors were particularly impressive, and far more committed to teaching than the professors I had as an undergrad at Stanford.--Marketing
The incredible diversity of students at HBS blew me away. My International Finance class had cases exclusively from countries outside of the United States. It didn't matter if the case topic was centered in Nigeria or Brazil, there was always a student in the class who had lived or worked there. That firsthand experience was invaluable to my learning.--Marketing
Before going to HBS I was skeptical about the "people" that everyone talks about as being such an important part of the HBS experience. However, after two years here I am convinced that the caliber of my classmates is what made a great program truly exceptional. The HBS classroom provides a platform for learning, however, it is the unique combination of professors, who make teaching excellence a priority, and students, who are knowledgeable, experienced, and truly interested in helping each other learn that springboards the classroom into something much more than any other classroom situation I have ever been a part of.--Consulting
I originally applied to business school because my employer at that time required (and would pay for) an MBA. Without the degree, I could not advance or become eligible for an overseas assignment. I had every intention of returning to my sponsoring firm after graduation and did return for my summer internship. Although I did not apply to any firms at all, HBS' reputation is very strong and an excellent firm found me. Now I am moving to a country I am eager to explore with a wonderful company, starting a whole new chapter. This is an interesting motto for HBS -- once you take the plunge, opportunities find you.--Consulting
[Did consulting project enhance learning?] The program was for one of my classes in which we performed a market analysis for a startup company with an innovative new product. The process of working through real-life business problems was invaluable in cementing some of the key learnings of the class.--Consulting
For all the fun that we had, HBS did help me grow up a little more. There is a certain magic to spending so much time with such an incredibly accomplished group. And while you may not see eye-to-eye with a lot of people, you will walk away with close friends, awesome memories, and a well-rounded education that one will only really appreciate 10 years from now. I would pay twice as much to do it again.--Not Available
I believe Harvard offers a truly exceptional and unique MBA experience. It has the best combination of high-caliber students, faculty, facilities, and alumni.--Not Available
[Did consulting project enhance learning?] It was a good opportunity to understand my summer internship employer's approach to improve sales force effectiveness.--Consulting
A consulting project for a nonprofit organization helped to give our group a more realistic perspective on organizational and management challenges that nonprofits face in day-to-day operations.--Consulting
HBS is one of the few places where the hype does in fact match the reality. You have to see it to believe it.--Not Available
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