The HBS 2+2 program is a deferred admission process for current students in their final year of study, either in college or a full-time master’s degree program. If you are admitted through 2+2, you work for two to four years in a field of your choice before enrolling in the regular HBS MBA Program. This spring we’re speaking with current MBA students who were admitted through 2+2 to learn what they did during their deferral years.
Here’s an interview with Kelly Ogiesoba (MBA 2022).
Why did you decide to apply to HBS via the 2+2 deferred admissions process?
I was encouraged to apply by faculty and staff in the Michigan College of Engineering program. Also, I attended an HBS 2+2 presentation on campus and thought it was a good fit after listening to the HBS representatives speak. It sounded like a low-risk argument with a very high upside. I was a business-focused engineering student pursing a joint program with both the College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business and I knew one day I’d love to get an MBA, so I thought it was a no brainer to apply!
How long did you defer your 2+2 admission?
Four years. I originally thought it would be two years, but then I realized a few months into my first job in Chicago that I wanted another work experience before enrolling at HBS.
What job(s) did you have during your deferral?
BCG, Associate, 18 months: I worked mainly in heavy industry and industrial goods across the rust belt out of the Chicago office. The type of work spanned across pricing, revenue growth, strategy, and M&A (merger and acquisitions) deals.
NextEra Energy, Project Manager, 30 months: Part of my work here was centered around the traditional work of a renewable developer as I worked to purchase land for solar power plants. But I also got to work on bleeding edge ideas and concepts for the business that had never been done before, such as deploying a residential storage virtual power plant to test the value of aggregated storage, laying out the ground work for a future Florida large scale distributed generation program. I also got to aid in the execution of world largest solar and battery system (409MW, 2hr.) to test the ability of storage to replace an old fossil unit. Finally, I got exposure to EVs (electric vehicles) by helping to manage the execution of a utility scale EV bus fleet in Florida to test concepts of both V1G (managed charging) and V2G (vehicle-to-grid).
Did 2+2 change your path or alter your post-undergraduate plans?
Yes, honestly, I wouldn’t have come back to school for an MBA if not for 2+2. But being at HBS now is a great opportunity for me to explore new avenues such as Venture Capital and Private Equity. I plan to work in this space post-graduation as I’ll be going back to NextEra to join their Venture Capital and Private Equity team.
What advice do you have for prospective MBA students considering 2+2?
Use this time to think about what you really want to do with an MBA. This idea may change after you’ve been admitted. Try out a few jobs, take it slow, and work for 3+ years. You’ll find out what you want and don’t want, what you’re good at, and what really matters to you and why. Then, after you’ve done your homework, you can be more laser-focused on getting what you want once in the MBA program. This is much better than being open to literally any opportunity, as there are just so many and it can get very distracting. It will also save you lots of time when it comes to full-time recruiting—companies will see you’ve thought things out!