Applying to a deferred MBA program can be a wonderful opportunity. While there’s no shortage of blog posts claiming to share tips on how to get accepted (these “tips” usually being pretty vague), I haven’t (yet!) found one that really digs into the core DNA of the deferred programs.
I believe that the best way to think about what deferred MBA programs are looking for now is to look back on their past and why they were even established to begin with.
I was a volunteer at the admissions office at Harvard Business School between 2003 – 2005, a couple of years before they rolled out their deferred program “2 + 2” (two plus two), and I participated in conversations about why they were launching it, what they were hoping for, and what they were looking for. While the composition of accepted candidates has shifted over the years, its core purpose has stayed pretty true.
To learn more, read this article that I wrote for MBA Crystal Ball:
