Still in College? HBS 2+2 and Other Deferred MBA Programs May Be For You

 

As a college senior, you may wonder if your initial career choices will impact your grad school prospects. If you are seeking flexibility, a deferred admission MBA might be the ideal path to ensure you are appealing to top programs while gaining professional experience.

These questions are difficult to answer. After graduation, your career can take many paths you may not yet imagine. Your post-graduation startup might even IPO next year and accelerate your career. A Peace Corps assignment could also expose new global problems for you to solve. Your first job might also show that banking or marketing is not the right fit. If you want freedom to take risks after graduation, a deferred admission MBA may be a good option.

Deferred admission MBA programs have grown significantly in recent years. This trend began at Harvard Business School with the 2+2 program. Now many schools offer similar options.

Does this make sense for you? Here’s what to ask yourself:

1. Are you a college senior (or, for some programs, are you in a law, medical or one year master’s program)?
2. Are you reasonably confident that you’ll want to go to business school in the next 2-5 years?

If the answers to those two questions are “yes”, then there isn’t much of a downside of applying if your overall profile is in the running (scores, GPA, etc); and a lot of upside if you’re among the few admitted each year. 

What are the requirements?

• GMAT: For most programs, you need to have a GMAT or GRE score to apply (the exception is MIT where you can bypass the GMAT if you have over a 4.25 as a current MIT undergrad). 720+ is going to be the score you want to shoot for. HBS 2+2 average GMAT tends to be in the 740 range, as a reference. 
• GPA: Strong undergrad performance is key. Without strong grades, deferred admission will be difficult. However, you still have time to take courses and strengthen your academic profile.
• Essays: In order to write strong essays, you’ll need to be doing a lot of self reflection and seeking advice from mentors. You’ll need to have a vision as well as a sense for your strengths and weaknesses at this stage of your career. 

For some schools, there are particular applicant qualities or focus areas they are looking for. HBS 2+2 admits are over 60% STEM majors, and this year HBS has stated a preference for those 1) planning to work in an operating company (tech, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, industrials, etc.); 2) from a lower socio-economic background (first generation in college, lower income family background, less family exposure to graduate school); 3) going into a technically demanding role; or 4) pursuing entrepreneurship. 

And some programs provide scholarship incentive to early admits, including Wharton ($10,000) as well as Darden ($15,000).

So, should you apply? 

These programs are incredibly competitive. If your scores and stats are in range, then we encourage people to apply if it feels like the right program for them. Many applicants worry that rejection will hurt future chances. It will not. Reapplying later can actually show strong interest in the program.

Vantage Point MBA Consultant and former Director of Admission at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business Gretchen Athas says, “When the admissions committees see someone who is back ‘at bat’ and with an even stronger profile, it’s viewed very favorably. It demonstrates commitment when we can see that someone took an unsuccessful result and turned that into personal and professional growth so they could apply again down the road.”