Leading MBA Admissions and Master's Consultant

The number #1 criticism against AI, apart from copyright infringement, is the lack of empathy for how the technology is disrupting livelihoods and economies. As a Harvard MBA Applicant, you don’t have much control over the direction in which your company is heading if you are not the Founder or an investor. I get that perspective. But you should be aware of the sentiment against AI and choose good examples.

A Harvard MBA Curiosity and Growth essay can have two to three themes. The best essays capture the themes without the reader even realizing the subtext. 

For the American Dream Harvard MBA essay example, I have captured three themes – risk-taking in cultures, entrepreneurship, and innovation in business models.

The challenge for me was in choosing one central theme.

Whenever you are trying to capture a cause that requires understanding the beneficiary, it is important to connect their experience with yours.

One of the classic examples is the narrative around addiction. 

I have read about fentanyl, alcohol, and other harmful addictions in the essay narrative. The ones where I suggested edit in the opening paragraph were essays that had no genuine motivation for associating with a cause.

Process innovation is the toughest to explain in a 250-word curiosity and growth Harvard MBA Essay. It took me a lot of iterations to finally find a balance in the backstory, the problem, the lack of resources, the innovation, the failure, and finally, a solution that combines process innovation with technology intervention.

The biggest challenge for anyone working in Private Equity, Investment Banking, or Technology is the lack of direct impact on a beneficiary that the admissions team could relate to. A lot of applicants overcome this challenge by quoting volunteering or entrepreneurial experiences that have a community as the beneficiary.

Some try to mention the secondary impact of an investment decision or a technology solution. 

Curiosity and Growth Harvard MBA Essay can be narrated with an exploration mindset, a change mindset or a courage mindset.

But rarely I have seen applicants use learning from peers as an example.

Acknowledging that peer to peer learning was essential for your growth is a subtle way to address the value of the Case Study Method at Harvard. 

Career transition or career switch is among the best examples of the curiosity and growth Harvard MBA Essay. But I see very few applicants venture into capturing the emotions and motivations behind the decision.

One reason why career change is the perfect curiosity narrative is because we typically change careers 2 to 3 times in our lifetime. Even schools have short-term and long-term goals to hint that you might start a venture in 10-15 years. That is a different career from what you plan to do in the short term with a Harvard MBA.

When I read a Harvard MBA Leadership Essay that requires influencing multiple stakeholders, I look at how the person is willing to compromise to achieve a target for the beneficiary. 

 One of the big criticisms against applicants obsessed with productivity and optimization is the impersonal nature in which they make decisions. A lot of applicants balance this impression by highlighting professional narratives where they are indeed obsessed with optimization and a volunteering experience where they show a human side to their thinking. 

There is, however, a third option. 

I have advised against using exploration of career through MBA as a narrative. One reason is that schools don’t like applicants who have not dedicated their time in exploring careers or finding a fit in an industry or a function. 

Your due diligence and commitment for career growth will be questioned if you are coming from a traditional background. But in our modern careers - a technology person can very well have a loyal following through YouTube or TikTok, or a travel enthusiast could have 1 million followers and a traditional career.