This post is on the third of four "Question 3" questions for the Harvard Business School MBA Application for Fall 2009 Admission. You must answer two out of four of these questions. All my posts in this series: Overall Strategy 1 2 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-4.
Question 3: 3.What area of the world are you most curious about and why? (400-word limit)
I really like this question. It is new for this year. And as far as I know, HBS is the first to ask it. It is so refreshing to see a question that is so open-ended and yet so potentially revealing. While many will assume that this question applies only to those with an international focus, it actually would apply to any location that you are curious about. Clearly the curiosity consideration is key here.
As with other HBS questions, the "why" is just as important as the "what." Since curiosity is about what you don't know, the overall focus of this question should be future oriented. That is to say, it would be wrong to write this essay about something you WERE curious about; instead it must be about something you ARE curious about.
But curiosity is not enough! What area of the world you are curious about must be something related to your future. Otherwise, why does HBS need to know about it? Most likely it will relate to what you want to study at HBS, what you want to do after you graduate from HBS, and/or to your values.
This question is not for everyone, but for those whose goals and/or values are connected to specific geographic location, it is an ideal question.
It also a question that one can use to focus on internationalism. This is the second year in a row that HBS has asked a question related to having a global perspective. To understand more about how a global perspective fits into HBS overall, I suggest taking a look at The Global Initiative.
Additionally, you should investigate the Immersion Experience. Future Immersion Experiences are being planned for China, India, the Middle East, and New Orleans.
If you use this essay to discuss your professional goals, please refer to my analysis of 3-4 as I discuss how to articulate a career vision there in great detail.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to.
-Adam Markus
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