The new managing director of admissions and financial aid at Harvard Business School, Rupal Gadhia, has announced the application deadlines for the MBA Class of 2027. Despite some speculation that the essay prompt would change, Gadhia decided to keep the same prompt that has been used for over a decade. Applicants must provide information in 900 words to help the admissions committee consider their candidacy for the program.
Harvard’s MBA program is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of just 13.2% in the previous year. However, application volume at HBS has decreased over the past three years compared to previous cycles. This decline is not unique to Harvard as MIT Sloan has also experienced a decrease in application volume during the same time frame. Despite these challenges, Harvard remains one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the world.
Gadhia did not make any changes to the application process as some had expected. The deadlines for round one applicants are set for September 4th with final decisions expected by December 10th. Round two applicants have a deadline of January 6th, with final decisions out on March 26th. Harvard typically notifies round one applicants of interview invitations or rejections in early October and round two applicants in late January.
Although there was no official blog post from Gadhia, Harvard posted the new deadlines on its website for the upcoming application cycle. The school also plans to update its dates for the 2+2 deferred admission process in late summer of 2024. As with any top business school, it is important for applicants to adhere to these posted deadlines and submit their applications accordingly if they hope to be considered for admission into HBS’s Class of 2027.
