It's been quite a year for HBS students, and as 2019 comes to a close we wanted to share some of the highlights from the MBA Voices Blog. In no particular order (since we love them all) here are the top 10 posts from 2019:
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At first glance, it may seem that students in business school, and leaders in the broader business world, skew heavily towards being extroverted. As I approach the end of my time at HBS however, I realize just how many other introverts I’ve met (a Harbus article estimates that 35% to 55% of HBS students are introverts).
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Each student that attends HBS has a different story. They are from big cities, small farming villages, and everything in between. Some students have a passion for mathematics and others for sports and music. Harvard Business School students share their interests, their admissions fears, and their goals in our Class of 2020 student profiles.
What to Expect from Your First Week at HBS
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By the time classes started, and before we even knew which sections we would be in, I’d already met a significant number of classmates simply by participating in activities organized entirely by incoming students. They range anywhere from walking tours of Boston to skydiving! Even the section reveal itself was a suspenseful social experience.
Applying to the MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Program
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I did not expect myself to become interested in biotechnology. Growing up in Vancouver, Canada, with Taiwanese immigrant parents, I considered the path of becoming a medical doctor. However, a volunteering experience at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania drew my attention to clinical research and, in particular, the significant impact translational science has on patients’ lives. I became fascinated by the challenges and immense potential that sit at the intersection of life sciences and business.
How Financial Aid Can Help You Meet the Cost of Your MBA
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As a first-generation college student, Katie Kelsall in MBA Financial Aid, understands firsthand what it’s like to have to figure out how to pay for school. Education is an investment, and Katie is here to tell you that it IS possible to afford an HBS MBA. With generous support from our alumni, we are able to offer need-based financial aid that considerably reduces the price of our program.
The Life and Role of a CEO
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Everything the CEO does is visible, and therefore requires an awareness around the potential signals his or her actions/ inactions are sending. To navigate these tricky situations, CEOs need to have situational and self-awareness, adapt when and how they need to, and make sound judgments– none of which are possible using only pure intelligence.
MBA Curriculum Spotlight: Short Intensive Programs
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SIPs are open to first and second year MBA students. They offer a great opportunity for students to think about career choices, gain practical skills, and explore topics they might not otherwise get to study. SIPs run all day over the course of the four days and will typically include programming over dinner on one of the evenings. Here are brief descriptions of this year’s SIPs.
Entrepreneurship and Global Capitalism - Discovering the Business of Storytelling
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I’ve been drawn to media since I was little. During a traditional Bengali ceremony for babies when they can eat their first solid food, they are presented with three choices on a tray: grain, a pen, and a gold coin. Grain represents a love for food. The pen, a love for learning. And gold, a love for business. My mom told me I picked up the pen with one hand and the gold coin with another.
Leadership that Defines You - Reflecting on My Time at HBS
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After 500 cases over two years though, I’ve realized that the most important thing for me is the idea of service driven leadership - those are the types of case protagonists I vividly remember and admire the most. It’s the idea that effective leadership can be measured by the impact you have on others and is exemplified by serving with integrity and having empathy and compassion. It is about inspiring people to be their very best, with or without your presence.
Coming Home to HBS
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My son Francesco was 3 months old when I started at HBS in August 2014. In the winter break of my EC year, my little daughter Giulia Maria was born. Francesco was 2 and a half and Giulia Maria was 8 months old when I started my job at Microsoft in Silicon Valley right after graduation.