While the Admissions team always hosts information sessions on campus throughout the year, we also travel around the globe to meet prospective students and spread the word about HBS. Summer is a particularly busy time for us, so be sure to keep checking our events calendar to see where we’ll be heading next.
This May, members of our team traveled to Europe to host HBS information sessions in Zurich, Warsaw, and Istanbul.
In case you’re wondering, these international information sessions usually include an admissions presentation and the chance to meet current students and local alumni.
So what did Dana and Rachel enjoy most about their latest trip to Europe? Here’s what they had to say.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
We had a great time exploring all three cities learning
about the culture, history,
and culinary specialties in each. We were
especially fortunate to spend a whole day in Warsaw with Krzysztof Daniewski,
HBS ‘99 and President of the Harvard Club of Poland. We explored Old Town, spotted peacocks in
Lazienki Park, tasted our way through Hale Mirowskie food market and ended the
day meeting over eighty prospective students at the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Anywhere you would recommend people traveling in the area should check out?
In Zurich: take a trip up to Uetliberg Mountain. Enjoy a scenic train ride, a short hike, and great photo opportunities!
In Warsaw: stop by Slodki Slony to grab a sweet treat (or two or three!).
In Istanbul: stay at Mama Shelter, a trendy hotel near Taksim Square and don’t forget your walking shoes for the forty minute walk to the Sultanahmet district.
What is one of your travel essentials that you always make sure to pack?
Comfortable walking shoes! And for our next trip we won’t forget a selfie stick!
Any recommendations for good books to read or movies to watch while traveling?
Because we were traveling to three cities in six days, it was essential to have good travel entertainment material. Our book choices were: Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. We both enjoyed watching the movie Boyhood on one of our longer flights.
What were some of the topics discussed/questions asked during your information sessions?
A question that we heard across the events was around the value of an MBA degree, especially for prospective students who already have an undergraduate or master’s degree in business. “Is the HBS MBA still valuable for me?”
The alumni reflected on their own experiences and provided the following views:
The HBS MBA is more than a credential. It is a transformative two year experience that teaches you how to confidently make decisions and how to ask the right critical questions. Over the course of the program, you will study over 500 cases presenting the greatest challenges confronting leading companies, nonprofits, and government organizations—complete with the constraints and incomplete information found in real business issues.
You will be in a dynamic environment that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. You will have the opportunity to be surrounded by a diverse group of peers that will challenge the way you think and change your world view. And you will be a part of incredible worldwide community for the rest of your life that will support you throughout your career and personal endeavors.
What was the most valuable piece of advice offered by the alumni panel?
The alumni gave countless pieces of advice to the prospective students. But the most important was: “Don’t self-select yourself out of the application process. If this is something you want, you need to go for it.” We could not agree more!