Who Gets Into HBS and the Stanford GSB? | Ep 36
Video Overview & Insights
Harvard Business School and the Stanford GSB are two of the most prestigious business schools in the world, and -- not surprisingly -- have some of the lowest acceptance rates among the top MBA programs. The Stanford GSB admitted a mere 6% of applicants for the class of 2026. Who are these admitted students, and what sets them apart from the broader applicant pool? In this episode of the mbaMission podcast, Harold Simansky talks with Gavriella Semaya and Jessica Shklar about the HBS/GSB "X factor" that gets applicants admitted to these incredibly competitive programs.
DREAMS: very good video....seems really HUMAN......TAKE THE SHOT............
00:00 Who gets into HBS and the Stanford GSB?
01:09 The HBS/GSB "X Factor"
Curious. Interesting.
I love the fact an "X factor" exists. I feel in most metrics, it doesn't account for the unknown.
Creating something people wanted but didn't have.
AND... I HAVE CREATED MY OWN OPPORTUNITIES. haha I WAS ABLE TO CREATE AND BRING AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY into an industry and work with businesses and studios where it was unheard of and completely new. Then, we helped create works seen globally by millions. Your kids probably know it if I said it.
God though, the sheer amount of friction I had... had to learn to trust my own perception instead of trusting people... all of it was a messy story. Had to grow as a person.
but I LOVE BEING ON THE VANGUARD OF POSSIBILITY.
I'm just looking at Stanford Business School vids because I do wanna learn how to create organizations officially to tackle creating supply to demand. I feel particularly talented in spotting someone's inner psychology to see what they truly want and the inate imagination ability. Admittedly I do get lost in my own mental miasma... its work in progress. Man, I wish to go to this school to be around this type of environment. Its not truly my vibe tbh, but its better than my current environment.
Anyways, I yap.
Lovely 2 ladies in this interview. I feel they get uniquely and particularly read into a person. Their motivations, there true emotions above the preformance and/or mask. Lovely to know.
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End of Yap
04:13 What type of applicant gets admitted to HBS and the Stanford GSB?
06:32 The importance of brainstorming before crafting your application
I am a Wharton grad and I was rejected at HBS and waitlisted at GSB
09:45 How to answer "What matters most to you, and why?"
11:43 HBS/GSB admissions statistics
Honestly, most people I know from both schools are very standard, no X factor at all. One of them is an heiress of a cement company in Brazil, and the others are just rich kids who happen to speak good English from studying in great schools their entire lives. There is nothing special about them.
16:13 How do applicants get into HBS/GSB?
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This was meant for my oldest sister, classy. “Cassy Fairth Hwang”!
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Fascinating. I graduated from Stanford (M.A., Political Science). One of the best experiences of my life.
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Who cares? MBAs becoming irrelevant very quickly when most of these graduates can’t find jobs and honestly the HBS / GSB grads at my company are underwhelming to say the least. We all know these woke liberal schools admit based on DEI vs actual skills.
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This is stupid
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I like how admission officers play into the marketing of mba programs, you have to have an “X” factor, not money, not someone in ur family who already went there, not that there are many questionable ppl graduating from there 😂
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Congratulations for your excellent video about what it is take to get into Harvard or Stanford Universities: the X Factor. Since I was accepted by both of them in 1986 and 2000, I agree proving we have the habilities to make good academic works and beeing transformational leaders in any organization...
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I’m sick and tired of the elitism!
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In my opinion, the stats are a lie. When you lower student qualifications by placing the most emphasis in admission on race, when you give passing grades to students who cannot even read or write effectively, when you decide who is admitted based on their BS life sob story rather than academic achievement, etc., then quoting stats that include the quality of students from many years ago vs just the last 5 years is a joke. How can any employer seriously consider hiring any of these students much less paying them a premium salary as we are rapidly approaching the point where university graduates are the dumbest, most entitled, and most brainwashed people out there.
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Enjoyed the authentic presentation. Started preparations for HBS today, five years before. My dream is to come back and like my comment five years later while at HBS.
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I don’t want to go to such university
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#mba #businessschool #mbaadmissions #HBS #GSB
Are business schools even relevant these days?
More User Perspectives
Lmao who cares
@DJjussi1Thieves and data miners if bring the analogies out!
@silverrajat13Sunder Pichai was a materials engineer from India. How did he get into Wharton?
@mnava4290It’s been said that a strong educational background and an ‘X factor’ don’t guarantee acceptance to Stanford or Harvard. Additionally, the 94% of applicants who are rejected are not necessarily unsuccessful.
But does graduating from these schools truly guarantee a successful career? Or are the 6% who are accepted more likely to succeed than the 94% who are rejected?
Graduate and then no job
@Barion88Bothered by the 2 women not letting the other finish her sentence before interjecting her own points...
@johndaviddasmarinas3397It's a business which prevents marginalized students from getting quality education and having high paying jobs. Why do only politicians' children of the 3rd world countries afford these schools regardless of the ways they get money to afford which can be corruptions sometimes. I think that the Harvard and Stanford should arrange entry exams similar to GRE instead so that real diamonds can get benefitted despite having lower backgrounds and educational disadvantages. It'll be a win-win for all.
@mr.veryknown___004Thank you.
@Carolline323😅😂 Harvard University also
anti Semitic
anti Isreal 😅
X factor of a high percent is LEGACY
@Sanskrit2016I love everything about this including the nail polish 💅🏽 ❤
@ItsmyopinionbooGreat stuff!
@JessicaS-o3zSuper insightful
@honestabe_9207The eroding American establishment peddling its own superiority. China is stealing your thunder.
@mamusichmilan7729Guys, not going to Harvard is the new genius 😎😎😎
Don’t miss the memo
These are actually phenomenal. Please keep inviting school admissions representatives like you did with MIT Sloan. Thank you.
@harshhparekhGreat podcast even though those aren’t my target schools. Where was the co host this time! Missed Jeremy 🥲
@agrimfirani7334