Harvard Business School MBA Recommendation Questions
The Harvard Business School MBA Class of 2028 application is now live, which means that the HBS MBA recommendation questions are available to recommenders. HBS requires two recommendations and suggests (but does not require) that one be from a direct supervisor. The other should be from someone who can speak about your professional performance, leadership skills, and potential.
2025-2026 Harvard Business School (HBS) Recommendation Questions:
Recommender Information
Do you know this applicant from a previous employer?
Are you a graduate of the Harvard Business School MBA program?
If yes, year of graduation:
Relationship Context
Relationship Type (drop-down menu):
- Current employer
- Previous employer
- University/Academic
- Extracurricular/Community
- Other
Relationship Context (drop-down menu):
- Direct Supervisor
- Other Supervisor
- Advisor
- Colleague/Peer
- Direct Report
- Indirect Report
- Other
Number of applicants you are recommending to the HBS MBA Program this year:
Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, their role in your organization (300 characters):
Candidate Evaluation
HBS asks recommenders to rate the applicant’s attributes using the following scale: No Basis for Judgment, Potential Area of Concern, Developing, Strong, and Distinctive. To assess the candidate’s strengths and areas of development, HBS divides attributes across several categories:
Business-Minded:
- Analytical thinking
- Professional maturity
- Quantitative skills
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
Leadership-Focused:
- Awareness of and respect for others
- Emotional intelligence
- Integrity
- Interpersonal skills with colleagues and subordinates
- Interpersonal skills with superiors
- Listening skills
- Teamwork: engagement and collaboration
- Teamwork: leadership and development of others
Growth-Oriented:
- Creative problem solving
- Curiosity
- Initiative
- Openness to others’ perspectives
- Receptiveness to feedback and willingness to change
- Self-awareness
Please comment on the ratings you have assigned, elaborating on relative strengths and opportunities for further development. (Required, 150 words).
Open Response Questions
Please respond to the questions below in a single document.
- Please provide specific examples of how the applicant’s performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles. (Recommended: 300 words)
- Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended: 250 words)
- (Optional) Is there anything else we should know? Please be concise.
MBA Applywire
Profile Review: Banking/PE Experience for INSEAD GEMBA (May '27) / LBS EMBA (Jan '28) – Consulting Pivot?
Hi all, looking for a reality check on my profile for top-tier EMBAs with a goal of pivoting into Management Consulting (MBB).
Background:
\* Age: 33 at enrollment
\* Current Role: Associate Director in a major Nordic bank (Corporate Banking/PE/Risk focus).
\* Work Experience: \~7+ years.
\* Current: Lead on liquidity strategy, PE value creation, and covenant restructuring. I manage high-value client portfolios day-to-day, though formal people management/team lead is handled by a Director.
\* Previous: Senior Analyst in Tier-1 US Bulge Bracket and Senior Consultant (Big 4, fast-track promotion).
\* Education: MSc in Finance & Accounting (Top Nordic BS).
\* The GPA Weakness: My academic GPA is on the lower side. However, I have a CFA Level I and have won some industry business cases while at Uni. I’m hoping my professional track record offsets the academic record.
\* Extracurriculars: Board member experience (Mensa/Non-profits).
Goals:
\* Target Programs: INSEAD GEMBA (Flex, May 2027 intake) or LBS EMBA (Blended, Jan 2028 intake).
\* Why MBA: Pivot from finance into Strategy Consulting (MBB) or PE (whom I advise daily).
Questions:
1. How much will a lower GPA hurt me at INSEAD/LBS if my professional trajectory is strong?
2. Does not having formal direct reports (but managing high-stakes client portfolios) hurt my candidacy for these senior-level programs?
3. Is an EMBA actually "consulting-pivot friendly" for someone already at an Associate Director-level in finance?
Appreciate any insights or past experiences from similar paths, thank you!
I’ve been in the cybersecurity space for about 5 years starting at a global Fortune 100 insurance firm before moving to my current org in the critical infrastructure sector. Currently a senior in incident response, I started as an intern. While the role is technical, my focus is on the strategic orchestration of response. Think stakeholder engagement, legal/PR/C-suite coordination, regulatory reporting, compliance, risk.
Outside of work I’m on the board of a non profit(not cybersecurity based), serving as the director of strategy and program development. I also volunteer to do pro-bono cyber consulting for NGOs, focusing more on the governance, planning, and strategic posture but also on other aspects of cybersecurity.
My academic path was non trad: BS cybersecurity from competency based program (pass/fail) then MS cybersecurity from NYU (3.6) working full time through both. Have a number of cyber related certifications, technical and non technical. Became more interested in an MBA last year.
Post-MBA, I’d like to transition into digital strategy consulting(MBB) and eventually move into private equity portfolio operations (focusing on tech strategy and value creation rather than the investment side). Given my professional and academic background which programs should I look into? Selected a few but don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m in test prep right now for the GRE, targeting 325+.
Domestic ORM Male
BA Econ (T10 Public) - 3.46 GPA
MS Info Systems (T10 Public) - 3.50 GPA
Passed CFA L1 (L2 in progress)
4 years in Financial Reporting at a large asset manager (A2A promotion)
1 year in Investor Relations at LMM PE firm (potential promo to Senior Associate by application time)
Working on joining a reputable nonprofit ASAP to start gaining volunteer experience + potentially gain a leadership position
Post-MBA goal: Investment Banking (preferably NYC but open to anywhere on east coast + Chicago + Texas)
MBA LiveWire
Called today at 5 PM ET
Interviewed in January. Received the call at 2 pm ET from the person who interviewed me.
Accepted with full-tuition scholarship (consortium fellowship)