Laos Books

While Harvard provided the profile on its website, Poets & Quants analyzes the numbers in “Harvard Down on Finance Types”:  

• Individuals accepted from private equity and venture capital firms fell from 18% to 13%, and those from investment banking and investment management fields went from 14% to 12%.
• 39% of accepted applicants were women, up 3% from the last two years and the highest percentage of women EVER in a Harvard Business School class.
• The median GMAT score has hit a new high –a record 730.  Last year’s median was 724, and that score was a record last year.

While these statistics are striking, Harvard’s director of admissions and financial aid, Deirdre Leopold, sent an even more surprising e-mail to round 1 interviewed applicants a day before decisions were released.  This e-mail explained, “that the diversity of Harvard’s class was more important than the quality of the candidates in the admission process. ” Hmmm. Retrospectively, it’s clear Leopold was hinting that, “the times, they are a’ changing.”

Other observations in comparing the class of 2013 vs 2012:

• Applications to HBS declined approximately 4%. Every little bit helps, but it’s not a big deal when Harvard’s acceptance rate is 11-12%. See next point.
• Harvard’s yield increased 1% to an eye-popping 90%.
• The average age edged up from 26 to 27. My take on this stat and HBS’ announcement that it will not admit anyone straight from college and without full-time work experience: Harvard’s infatuation with the “early career candidate” is cooling. I predict other schools will follow suit.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.