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| Harvard University Harvard Business School |
OVERALL 1998 RANK: 5 BW corporate rank: 6 BW graduate rank: 13 BW 1996 rank: 4 |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: Harvard is often critized for lack of teamwork, individualistic focus, and nasty competition. However, nothing could be further from the truth. With the dynamic of the section and cohort experience and study groups, Harvard is all about teamwork, helping your classmate, and striving to compete with oneself to grow and develop. For example, you spend your whole first year in the same room with the same 79 people. These are not only classmates but your best friends. In the evening or morning, you and 3-4 study group members pour through 2-3 cases. All members depend on each other not only for casework help but also motivation. These study groups are formed upon students own efforts. This coupled with the case study learning method is the power of the Harvard experience. To say we might not have classes on teamwork or premade teams is superficial. To learn, grow, and survive hinges on not only one's own intellectual abilities but working, helping, cooperating, and compromising with your classmates. --Entrepreneurship Harvard is an amazing place! As a woman I felt very comfortable and nurtured! The other students are extraordinary and I felt as though I learned so much from them both inside and outside the classroom. Plus I have definitely made friends for a lifetime. --Entrepreneurship Harvard Business School community includes the finest collection of people I have met in my life; I say this after attending Harvard College for my undergraduate degree. The Institution and the community have indeed seen the name of the school associated recently with somehwhat unseemly events. There is no denying that the school must be improved in areas relating to admitting more women and making them feel comfortable in the business school environment. However, reports in many publications have blown the situation way out of proportion. While the offending section was way out of bounds when it came to sexually suggestive notes, jokes, etc., in all other sections that I know of issues like this were dealt with quickly through effective leadership, sometimes formal, but usually informal. In my section, there were sometimes situations where individuals were made to feel uncomfortable, but the parties responsible were quick to change their ways. Issues did not fester so that they became too sensitive to deal with. There is no place that I would have rather been for the past two years (as a matter of fact, I decided to stay for one more year to work in a research program). There is no place I could have met better friends. There is no place where I could have met more interesting people. There is no place where I could have been a part of a stronger more vibrant community. --Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurship/VC) The Harvard MBA is a platform from which you can pursue your dreams. The administration and faculty work very hard to help students achieve their goals. Once I realized that Harvard Business School is about following your dreams, I took the process to heart. I always wanted to start my own business. This year, under the auspices of a field study (a for credit course designed to allow students to pursue independent research), some friends and I started to develop a business plan. This is where I saw the benefits of Harvard: First, by being at Harvard, I met people with a similar passion. We were able to build a team of top talent from the school. Second, professors, whether we had them for class or not, were more than willing to help us refine our plans. They put us in contact with leading thinkers and potential customers. From market position to board governance, professors went out of their way to help us succeed. My Entrepreneurial Finance professor actually helped us in the negotiations with our investors. Third, our venture capitalists were Harvard MBAs. The connection definitely helped us get investors. The network of alumni support us on a daily basis. Fourth, the resources of Harvard allowed us access to publications, databases and thousands of dollars worth of data that we could not afford if we were not at Harvard. The infrastructure of the institution is outstanding. Fifth, the visitors to class and to the school put us in contact with potential customers and additional help. Today, two visitors to my classes are already assisting us in launching the business. --Unknown Basically, Harvard has served as an excellent incubator for building my business and pursuing my dreams. Even before I graduate, I will be running a company with 8 employees and $2 million in venture financing. Harvard basically provides the resources and support to launch this venture. I am very appreciative of the school for this reason. While I have detailed my experience, I know fellow classmates who are pursuing their dreams in nonprofits and other careers. --Entrepreneurship The Harvard Business School program is entirely subjective. Grades have no correlation with grasp of the material or overall intelligence, rather they reflect quantity of class comments, number of visits to professors' offices and general patronizing. It is so easy to game the system, it is pathetic. I don't say this as someone burned by the system. I am satisfied with my own grades. It is just reality. Students should come prepared to "play the game" or they will be unhappy. --Unknown Quality of class discussions falls considerably in the second year and even more so in the last term when the majority of students have accepted job offers. The power of the Harvard Business School name is incredible. It will get you an interview with any company in the world. The alumni network is unbeatable and the alumni themselves very helpful. Anyone with a business undergraduate degree or banking or consulting experience will be underwhelmed by the volume of "new" concepts and ideas learned. However, the two years are incredible opportunity to meet the next leaders of both the corporate and entrepreneurial world and have a great time while doing it. Harvard students work and play very hard. All said, I would definitely do it again. --Finance Much of the learning experience of the MBA is provided by the students who have worked in a diversity of areas and achieved incredible accomplishments. That said, the school is enhanced not only by the professors, but by the students in your class. The admissions office did an outstanding job in that respect, and that is where I take out much more from the school. Also, the quality of the courses is greatly given by the quality of professors. A good professor can make an average course great, and a bad one, make a terrible course out of a great one. The correlation of course satisfaction is therefore directly proportional to professor satisfaction. And their enrichment is directly proportional to the amount of research and current connections they have in the actual business community. Finally, I believe the school has its best professors in Finance, although there are some outstanding professors in other areas. --Finance I am surprised that Harvard Business School admits students with merely 1 or 2 years work experience. I met a number of such students, and while they were obviously bright, I feel that they hardly added to my learning process because of their relative immaturity (in both age and experience). --Finance There is no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice by attending Harvard Business School. It's an investment that it's well worth the time, money, and effort I devoted over the past 2 years. I was particularly impressed by the outstanding faculty and the overall quality of the finance department at Harvard Business School. There is an erroneous general belief that Harvard Business School does not teach the quantitative skills necessary to be an effective manager. The reality is that while quantitative skills are not stressed just for the sake of doing math, they are stressed to the level necessary to develop critical analytical skills (this is coming from an electrical engineer). In the end, it is ANALYTICAL skills rather than QUANTITATIVE skills that are critical to becoming an outstanding business person. Those are the skills that Harvard Business School helps develop. --Finance Harvard Business School suffers from two fundamental ailments: the arrogance of its students, and the conformist environment of its community. In completing the program, I can say with great certainty that my analytic skills are honed, that my exposure to a broad array of accomplished people with fascinating backgrounds was tremendous, and that my brand equity is superb. --Unknown However, the school has done NOTHING in the way of teaching leadership SKILLS. Teams, when they do exist, are not supported in any tangible, academic, or consultative way. For example, there is never any formal feedback given on one's ability to work within a team, relative to any particularly positive or negative skill set. In fact, as many people already believe, I would confirm that the grading curve combined with the self-absorbed and arrogant nature among students works against any investment in teamwork. Furthermore, I would argue that the community fosters a fraternity-like atmosphere where 'keg parties' are common, most social events involve alcohol and nondrinkers are labeled 'antisocial'. --Unknown As a woman, I feel that the learning environment has been a hostile one, where sexist jokes and behavior are often defended under a rubric of 'free speech' by participating students. Meanwhile, this idea of free exchange and criticism of ideas is somewhat of a fallacy, as many academic discussions are superficial and manipulated, where students usually strive to say what they think the professor wants to hear, and true divergence of opinion is in fact shut down. --Unknown I am glad I went to the school, the brand equity does wonders. I would encourage others to go for the same reason. But I think learning opportunities are compromised amidst the arrogence and conformist nature of the participants and the program. HBS says that it is creating leaders. I think what they really do is take proven leaders, give them some additional analytic tools, some false sense of rightness taken from the brand, and send them out to make lots of money. --Finance This was a truly outstanding experience. I came to Harvard Business School with trepidation -- I had heard horror stories about arrogant students with an unresponsive administration. This could not be further from the truth! Either the school has completely turned itself around or all the stories were false. I have had one of the best times of my life -- both academically and socially. I would spend double the money to have the same experience again. I am saddened as I graduate that I will be leaving this incredible environment. --Finance I think the administration is not in touch with reality. They try to impose their "morality" on the students. They hope that the problems that exist at the school will go away just by wishing it so. I am very disappointed in the way that the school handled some of the problems that materialized over the past two years. The student body is top-notch, and offered a lot of value to those other students who truly wanted to learn -- and I wish the administration measured up to the standards of the students. --Finance My classmates at Harvard Business School were much more knowledgeable and FRIENDLY than I expected. All of the recent hype around women's issues (i.e. sexual harrassment) is ridiculous. I am a female and I have had a phenomenal experience at Harvard Business School. --Finance My experience at Harvard Business School has been filled with many unexpected benefits. The willingness of the professors to meet outside of class is unparalled (including Nobel laureate R.C. Merton). In addition, they are willing to share their insights on specific ideas that I have brought to them unrelated to topics raised in the classroom. Moreover, some of the younger faculty (such as Ken Froot, Paul Gompers and Peter Tufano) are leaders in their fields. This assures me that when I call back several years down the road in search of new academic thinking, I will actually have first-hand knowledge of who these people are and their areas of expertise. --Unknown I feel the structured First Year environment is an added benefit. I was exposed to courses I would not have taken if I had the choice myself. Thus, I was able to garner a well-rounded education. Further, the Section structure allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with a large group of people that will last a lifetime. In fact, I was induced to take a class I probably wouldn't have (Service Management), had it not been for one of my Sectionmates who knew I was focusing (maybe too heavily) on Finance. I feel it is these types of relationships that make the Harvard "network" so strong. --Finance I came to Harvard Business School as an older student (age 35), with a wife and two kids. Previously, I had spent 13.5 years with a large chemical company. The opportunity cost to attend Harvard was huge. Besides walking away from about $200,000 in salary, I incurred tuition and living expenses of over $150,000. My decision to work for a different employer upon graduation, also means that I will walk away from $120,000 of tuition and living expense reimbursement and about $30,000 of deferred stock and stock options. Do I regret my decision to attend Harvard Business School based on the opportunity costs? No way. The network and job opportunities that are afforded a graduate of HBS are unbelievable. It has also been a memorable experience going to HBS while my children were old enough to appreciate the importance of a good education. I took them to class with me and they will never forget that experience. They now save their allowance and birthday money so that they too can go to college some day. --Finance Harvard Business School was an incredibly worthwhile experience from an overall "life" perspective. The program delivered great insight into the abilty to assess situations and develop effective action plans. The students are absolutely top-notch. The program treats students a little too immaturely (attendance, exams etc.) The administration should be more understanding of other obligations. --Finance Although I had no business classes prior to entering this school, the curriculum was presented in a fantastic manner giving lessons that really stay with you. I feel very comfortable in all types of business situations that I have encountered as a result of the lessons I have learned here and feel very assured that I have a solid quantitative and qualitative background to enter the business world in any way I choose. The extensive amount of classroom discussion is an essential part of the process which allows for much more meaningful learning experience and the chance to fully develop presentation and interpersonal skills in a professional environment. --Finance In my 2 years here I did not receive one lecture from a professor spouting on about some obscure concept. The interactive case method is the only method of teaching here and it works. The school has forced me to express and defend ideas in front of a group of 90 peers on a daily basis. --Finance The MBA program at Harvard is clearly among the top schools at Harvard University, with an unusually high caliber of students and professors. The rigorous case study method provides students with practical insights into problem-solving for the entire spectrum of business problems, from organizational behavior to finance. The diversity of the student body is well-complemented by the diversity of backgrounds among professors, some of whom are practioners, and some of whom are academics. Recruiting efforts coordinated by the school are excellent -- many of the firms I spoke with recruited only at Harvard, and nowhere else -- not Stanford, and not Wharton. I cannot imagine having attended an MBA program with a better-designed curriculum, a better student body, or a better pedigree: my Harvard MBA will open doors for me years down the line. --Finance Harvard should increase the funding of financial aid to needy individuals. The business school does not provide the same funding levels as other institutions of its caliber (i.e. Stanford and Wharton) and loses many qualified candidates. Because many of these candidates are minoriites, Harvard is missing out on a chance to have a more diverse student body. --Finance The physical facilities at the Harvard Business School alone put it into a class by itself. Add to that mix professors who are true teachers as well as being at the top of their respective fields--in my time here I had both a Pulitzer Prize winner, Thomas McCraw, and a Nobel Prize winner, Robert Merton. And while the workload can certainly be onerous, the case method employed at HBS is an incredibly effective learning tool and encourages both critical thought and teamwork. --Finance I wish there was more emphasis on getting students out into the workplace to do entreprenuerial ventures of their own. I worked in two startups while I was at HBS, but there weren't really programs there to help me do it and still get credit. I had to create opportunities on my own through faculty-sponsored research projects. In general I was pleased with the information technology infrastructure and it made great strides in the two years I was at HBS. I think the whole sexual harrasement story got completely blown out of proportion. The quality of students and the quality of discussion in class was excellent, though there were a few students that I wondered how they got into school in the first place. Too many people at HBS are trying to get the consulting gig, and the rest are trying to get into venture capital. --Information Technology HBS does have areas in which improvement is needed, specifically, integrating international business practices in the core curriculum. However, no other school prepares its graduates better or more practically. Whether advising top-level management or starting your own venture, HBS provides you with the opportunity to excel in each endeavor. --Information Technology In investigating schools over several years, I witnessed Harvard's transformation with Dean Clark's appointment. His initiative for change not only in information technology and international focus but also in student experience and community life, have truly been felt. The full impact of this change will take a few more year to truly take root but being here during the process has been tremendous. Responsiveness from the administration and faculty have been much greater and continually improving. Their's is a true desire to promote an integrated community and build upon the strenghts of the school. The case method is truly invigorating. Coming from a more classical approach, I found the classroom discussion to be alive and very relevent to current business problems. I hope that the changes from the past few years will continue to shape the institution going forward. Given its unique blend of teaching method, real world context, and access to some of the most powerful business leaders, I would strongly recommend this program to aspiring business students. --Information Technology (Financial Industry) To make the case method formula work successfully, all aspects have to gel correctly -- the students, the professors, the guests, the cases, and the educational infrastructure. Hats off to the HBS administration and faculty for achieving the right balance. --Information Technology Harvard clings to the case methodology when in some courses, such as accounting, a combination of case/lecture may be more beneficial. By the end of the 1 1/2 years much of the case content feels redundant/repetitive. The program should offer more structured support for public speaking, a key necessity for success in the HBS program. --Marketing My career interest is in Internet and software marketing. Harvard has done a superb job at shaping the curriculum to deal with these emerging fields. From courses in Internet marketing and product development as well as a healthy integration of technology cases into most other classes, Harvard has managed to prepare me well to begin my next job. Many of these cases were written only weeks before they were taught and in the majority of classes, the case protagonists visited for our discussions. In one class, Harvard sponsored a weekly breakfast with the case protagonists visiting our class. As I prepared to leave HBS, the recruiting process worked wonderfully. In the fall, I decided that I wanted to work for an enterprise software company. In January, I joined 200 of my classmates for a trip to Silicon Valley to visit companies and meet with executives and entrepreneurs. I interviewed with only three companies (all 3 came to campus) and received three offers (plus an offer from my summer employer). --Marketing Although I am convinced that my business school is the best, and that it has the most impressing faculty staff, and students; I would only decrease the amount of work and reduce it to 4 days a week instead of 5, in order to have more time to increase the networking and to organize even better events and speakers. --Marketing It is extremely surprising that so many people say that Harvard MBAs are cutthroat and aggressive. We do have team projects at at HBS and we know how to work in teams. Both the case method and the forced curve grading system which gives about 75% of people in the class the same passing grade emphasizes learning and cooperation and deemphasizes the need to compete individually. --Marketing Many people perceive HBS as a cutthroat place in which students compete ruthlessly for grades and jobs. This is bunk. The only real internal competitions at HBS are in intramural sport leagues. (Admittedly, the basketball games can get ugly.) I never felt in my two years here that anyone was working to undermine my academic or professional performance. In fact, the most productive study sessions I went to were organized by students for the benefit of their own sectionmates (the same people with whom they were supposedly "competing" in our forced curve grading system). Similarly, I was never refused help in my job search, even from students who were trying to get the same jobs I was. --Marketing HBS has an outstanding IT system. Schedule, class events, exams, and even some cases are handled by computers. One of my favorite classes called Managing Marketspace Service Interface taught by professor Jeffrey Rayport gives a brilliant insight into the future of the Internet. --Operations HBS is in the midst of working out some serious problems related to some students making the environment seem quite hostile to other students. The administraton's leadership in dealing with this issue and other issues was quite weak. Apart from this problem, which was invisible to most students most of the time, my HBS experience was excellent. --Operations It seems to me that Harvard Business School depends too much on its case-method teaching and forced-curve evaluation system. I sometimes had very bad experiences working with self-centered people, who probably had no other choice but to behave so because of the combination of case method and forced curve. HBS relied too much on its brand equity and failed to make improvements in its teaching method and evaluation system. --Operations The case teaching method combined with the incredible breadth (and caliber) of student body creates a powerful, personally transforming MBA program. The loyalty of the vast HBS alumni network aided in team project field research and will likely assist in my future endeavors. I compliment the students, faculty and staff for their responsiveness to my special needs as the father of three children. --Unknown Concerning recent press about sexual harassment: it's bunk. HBS is a place governed by students. The school rightly assigns the task of establishing social norms to the capable students. I found my first year sectionmates and second year classmates respectful of the diverse backgrounds among us. Any encroachment into offensive territory met with decisive retribution by the group. The administration has provided ample recourse in the case of failed section controls. I laud the process and abhor the idea of modifying it to mollify those unwilling to utilize resources available to them. --Operations Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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