The World of Finance to Harvard: Harpreet's Journey to MBA Success

His age and extensive career history, while reflective of substantial industry impact, positioned him atypically compared to the traditional MBA applicant pool. Business schools typically show preference for younger applicants, as most hiring firms are looking for a very specific demographic when hiring MBA graduates (4 - 6 years of experience is the most preferred). From a career perspective, we were also worried about derailing his stellar career, and his pursuit of an MBA also came at a high cost as he was to forgo a substantial amount of stock options.

Recognizing the uniqueness of his profile, our strategy was to embrace and amplify the distinctive aspects of his experience. We engaged in a thorough brainstorming process to delve deep into his career trajectory—from losing a significant job opportunity after college due to the Global Financial Crisis to making a bold shift from engineering to finance and finally launching his own social impact enterprise in Education, alongside his corporate career.

By intertwining his professional experiences with his passion for social entrepreneurship, we identified Impact Investment as a compelling narrative thread for his applications. This approach not only highlighted his business acumen but also his commitment to societal improvement, positioning him as a candidate driven by both profit and purpose. It was also closely aligned with his career aspirations to join a leading PE fund like KKR post-MBA.

Facing the challenge of an unengaging initial essay draft for HBS, we proposed a novel solution: crafting a narrative through six interconnected short stories, each illustrating aspects of his long-term vision. This creative risk was a departure from traditional essay formats, but we successfully convinced him and moved forward, believing in the strength of authenticity and storytelling.

Our tailored approach and willingness to innovate paid off. Harpreet received admission offers from both HBS with a scholarship and Kellogg, and was waitlisted at MIT. More importantly, post-MBA, Harpreet secured his dream job at one of the world's most renowned hedge funds, which is partly owned by KKR. He proved that his pursuit of an MBA was right, and he has been highly successful in his new career since graduating.

Harpreet's path to HBS exemplifies the effectiveness of a carefully crafted strategy that leverages a candidate's distinct background, rather than adhering to conventional norms. By concentrating on tailored narrative development and embracing strategic risks, we guided him to admission at one of the globe's most prestigious MBA programs.