Getting An MBA from Harvard: ReachIvy’s Founder Shares Her Experience

Harvard is one of the most esteemed Ivy league institutions around the world. This global symbol of prestige was established in 1636 and is one of the oldest and most profound institutions in the realm of education. And through all these years, one word that Harvard has been coupled with is Business. When one thinks of business, the mind inevitably flits to Harvard.

Business is one of the most coveted courses at Harvard University. There are a plethora of business courses available, from undergraduate, graduate, certificated, Ph.D., master’s, etc. courses. Business courses essentially can be pursued by students from a wide range of backgrounds and it churns out experienced, polished, and illustrious individuals who will excel with their well-honed business minds in the professional world.

In this blog, the founder of ReachIvy shares her experience as Harvard alumni by answering some of the most commonly asked questions.

I am a Harvard Business School graduate and founder of a boutique study abroad and career advisory, ReachIvy. Two years at business school made me dismiss any doubts I had about the efficacy of a global MBA, given the high monetary investment, opportunity, cost, and time involved.

How was my Harvard classroom experience and student life?
First, at school, I had access to some of the finest minds in the world. My classmates came from various parts of the world spanning over 100 countries including Haiti and Latvia. I had an Olympic silver medalist as a teammate on a business plan competition team, who drove us crazy with his zeal to win! The diversity of classmates was baffling; not once did we experience ‘group think’, making each discussion challenging and engaging. Only an international MBA program brings such an eclectic mix of people together.

This diversity makes for an outstanding cultural and learning experience – a necessity in today’s ‘flat-world. A globalized world also mandates an understanding of how business is done globally. Global B-schools organize trips across the world for students to learn firsthand from industry leaders and experts. I joined several such ‘learning trips’, joining my classmates in Japan, Mexico, and California building strong cross-cultural expertise.

Top global schools become hubs for top global talent – be it students, academicians or guest lecturers. My Professors came from different parts of the world – we had a Chilean Professor who taught us about the debt crisis in Latin America and a Russian Finance wizard who taught us the nuances of building a robust financial model. The guidance doesn’t end at University. During my 5 year reunion in Boston, my professor helped me address a critical professional problem and connected me to another faculty member who is currently advising me on my business. Professors and even Dean have been very accessible; it is quintessentially American to have no barriers between students and faculty.

Moreover, in India, the average age for an MBA is between 21-23 years, whereas in the USA it is 27 years and in Europe, it is 29. Naturally, my classmates came with rich professional experience, adding significant value to classroom discussions. They were also clear about their career goals by this stage and hence very focused on their industries. My classroom had experts on Private Equity, Consulting, Energy, Retail, Media, Fashion, etc. exposing us to a wide range of perspectives.

I had an accounting background, so Accounting 101 class seemed very basic to me and I was fairly relaxed and finally, when the exam came along, I got my grades which were in the 90s. I was fine with it, for the amount of effort, I thought I had done well. Then the professor puts out a chart of all the scores of students in the class. And the 90% score was the mean score! And I was used to being a topper in a class all my life. I was in a class full of engineers, non-accounting background people. That was a reality check for me!

The relationships you cultivate on campus continue to strengthen over time. Post graduating, each time I confront a business dilemma or consider tapping into international markets, I quickly ping a classmate and immediately reach a resolution. I have access to the world’s greatest minds as they are only an email away. The MBA has equipped me with an extremely supportive professional network in almost every corner of the world. Even on a personal level, it is terrific to have friends you can reach out to when traveling abroad for pleasure. I have explored the tiny lanes of Kyoto, sipped the bitterest tequila, visited offbeat historical relics and spent several memorable evenings with classmates across the world.

Aiming for Harvard University? REACH out to us now!

Are you planning to study abroad? Your support system is only one call away. Schedule a call with our advisor and start making your dream come true!

Get admitted to not only the right MBA program but the top one with “https://www.reachivy.com/team”>ReachIvy’s experts

You can contact us, Reachivy.com, for further assistance or questions, and take advantage of our wide range of services for students in destinations such as Universities in the United Kingdom, studying in the United States, a study in Canada, a study in Singapore, and many other countries. Contact us today!