Dear Harby, It’s May and I still don’t have an internship for the summer. I’m getting kinda desperate. What should I do? – Procrastinator in Peabody Dear Procrastinator, That whole “get a job” thing really snuck up on you didn’t it? I mean if only HBS had a department — a “center,” perhaps — for…
HBS Rugby is the Second Best MBA Team in the World
The team reached the final in the 37th Annual MBA Rugby World Cup, outranking all US teams When the whistle blew to end the semifinal match between HBS and UC Dublin, it was clear that history was being made. After being down by 12 points only 5 minutes into the match, HBS dug deeper than…
The Great Indian Start-Up Dream!
What do you get when you have 500 million new internet users, a young and productive, burgeoning middle class and a workforce which defines global standards in technology? A vibrant and dynamic startup ecosystem i.e. India! Over the past 3 years, > $3 Billion was invested in startups in India. Leading venture investors like Sequoia,…
Guy Fieri to Open Restaurant in Spangler
On Friday, HBS announced that it had concluded its yearlong search for a celebrity chef to partner with on a new on-campus dining establishment specifically geared towards the needs of business school students. Beating out other finalists such as Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, and Wolfgang Puck was the star of the Food Network television…
The MBA Tax Deduction
One of the gray areas that the LCA curriculum does not cover is deducting the cost of MBA tuition for tax purposes. Every year in the United States, a select portion of MBA students deduct educational expenses including tuition and fees, books, equipment, software and miscellaneous school supplies on their tax returns. The result is…
International Immigration Advice for MBAs in the Trump Era
On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump took the extraordinary step of issuing an executive order suspending the admission into the United States of foreign nationals from seven countries—Libya, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—for ninety days. Refugees were banned for 120 days, while Syrian refugees were banned indefinitely. As the ban was implemented,…
Lessons on Empowerment
WSA CONFERENCE & THE 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL RACE SERIES: INTERVIEW WITH HEIDI CRUZ Editor-in-Chief Pippa Lamb caught up with the closing keynote speaker of this year’s WSA conference, Heidi Cruz (HBS ’00) to discuss her views on empowerment, a career on Wall Street, working for President George W. Bush, and her time on the 2016…
A Conversation with Professor Jan Rivkin
Professor Jan Rivkin, the Senior Associate Dean for Research and a Professor in the Strategy Unite, chats to Beth Peters about his views on automation, globalization, and why MBAs must play a role in creating shared prosperity for all. Recent political events like the US election and Brexit have made it clear that, while MBA…
Learning to code: MBAs alpha-testing new b-school feedback app
The last time you encountered something that your employer (or HBS) did that could obviously be better, what did you do? Probably complained to a friend, then moved on with your life. Sometimes the solution is simple and straightforward, but nobody seems to be listening, and even if you find someone to tell, are they…
New Student Association Presidents Elected 2017-2018
Kevin Ferguson (MBA ’18) and Angelica Castellanos (MBA ’18) have been elected as the Harvard Business School Student Association Co-Presidents for 2017-2018. The co-presidency, elected by the RC year, begins after spring break. Kevin and Angelica began their campaign by distributing Dum Dums lollipops across all ten RC classrooms, along with a small card containing…
Class of 2018’s Most Eligible Bachelors
Harvard Business School’s Most Eligible Bachelors 2017-2018 Matt Stansky, Section H What do you think is the most romantic spot on campus? Weeks footbridge at sunset, a quiet table for two in Baker, or the Shad basketball courts, it’s not where, but with whom, so wherever you are is where I want to be. What…
Personal Finances: What’s the right cell phone for MBAs?
Why a Mobile Virtual Network Operator could save you several hundred dollars a year Are you overpaying for your cell-phone plan due to inertia to switch providers? A recent consumer reports survey by ConsumerReports.org found that customers had been with their existing provider for an average of eight years, and more than half of consumers…
5 Questions with a Professor: Willy Shih and American Manufacturing
While many of us may know Willy Shih as a beloved professor of Technology and Operations Management in the Required Curriculum, fewer may know about his research on industrial competitiveness or the work he’s done advising the White House around American manufacturing. With 28 years of experience in industry at companies such as Kodak…
What Are the Elites To Do
You may wonder why this subject has anything to do with you as you work hard at school, try to find a job, and balance a hopefully fulfilling and busy personal life with everything else that is going on. For most of you, let’s not even talk about your current balance sheet and cash flows….
From Downing Street to Harvard Business School: Former British Cabinet Minister Tessa Jowell DBE, reflects on her experiences at HBS
At the end of President Donald Trump’s first week in the White House, Deputy-Editor-in-Chief Pippa Lamb caught up with British politician the Baroness Tessa Jowell of Brixton DBE, former British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister for the London 2012 Olympics, and cabinet minister under both the Blair and Brown governments…
HBS to DBS: Larry Culp’s General Management Journey
“If you were the CEO of an airline, could you be as engaging with the baggage handlers as you are in the boardroom?” – Larry Culp The case method, which is used across all HBS classes, places students in the tough position of the decision maker. Often operating from the perspective of the CEO, students challenge…
Student Loan Refinancing
From The Harvard University Employees Credit Union What Is Student Loan Refinancing? 6 Fundamentals Everyone Should Know If student loans are making you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone. An estimated 44 million graduates across America owe a combined $1.3 trillion in student loans, and the average 2016 graduate will leave school with $37,172 in debt….
The Politics of Free Speech
A group of friends sits safely in an apartment overlooking The Charles river. It’s a week until one of the most divisive elections in US history. The HBS MBA students are from all over the world, different ethnicities, different nationalities and backgrounds. The discussion that follows is illuminating. The candidates and their statements are hotly…
What Might Have Been: First 100 days of Hillary
After the election results are finalized and the Champagne bottles are recycled, the Clinton campaign’s transition team will accelerate immediately. Every donor, public official, political thinker, and surrogate will be jockeying for senior positions, and favors will start being called in. But awaiting our next president is a divided American electorate whose collective trust in…
The Trump Card
HBS Students React to Shock Election Result As the world reels from the shocking result of the US 2016 Presidential Election, HBS students have written to The Harbus with their reflections. The mood on campus this morning is somber and perplexed, no one expected this. Sitting in class on Monday morning only three people raised…
A Teachable Moment
Every once in a while something happens in the business world that compels us to stop, take notice, reflect, and learn. Enron’s collapse, the financial crisis, the VW diesel emission scandal, and BP’s Macondo oil well explosion come to mind. The Wells Fargo reputation implosion unfolding now is another example, and it is full of…
How to Rule Like a Woman
If there is one rule to rule like a woman, it is that there is none. Stateswomen around the world have shattered the glass ceiling in more ways, where both an Iron hand and a nurturing approach have been effective. The term “stateswoman” entered popular press lexicon in 1960 when Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the Prime…
Missed Connections Near 02163
I saw you in an Aldrich alcove (south side, bottom floor) drinking Peet’s Coffee at 5:30AM last Monday morning. Not many people are up that early. You must’ve been saving the spot for your discussion group. I knew you were a thoughtful soul. I popped by and asked if I could sit down. You said…
Trump, Brexit and Political Overhaul: It’s about time we build Government-as-a-Service
Can we just take a minute to talk about what happened this summer? I was surprised (and disappointed) when Britain voted to leave the European Union. How could more than 17 million people decide to take the risk of quitting the world’s largest common market, potentially compromising their own future? Having lived and studied…
To Buy or Not to Buy a Section Fleece
A month into your first year at HBS, you will receive a note from the Student Association in all caps, prompting you to “Order your section fleece today” followed by an endless stream of exclamation points. This email will use all available marketing tactics we have been so well-taught in the Required Curriculum to suck…
Trump, Brexit and Political Overhaul
It’s about time we build Government-as-a-Service Can we just take a minute to talk about what happened this summer? I was surprised (and disappointed) when Britain voted to leave the European Union. How could more than 17 million people decide to take the risk of quitting the world’s largest common market, potentially compromising…
Insider’s Guide to RC Orientation
RC’s, welcome to HBS! My name is Andrew O’Connor and I’ve been helping coordinate RC orientation week. Look no further to find a guide to highlights of RC Orientation, the week of activities planned by the HBS Student Association to help you get settled on campus, and get to know your section and fellow RC’s….
Protecting the American Innovation Ecosystem
As he was driving to meet a schoolmate acquaintance with an intense and deep experience base in politico-military affairs, he wondered what to talk about. They had met a few times, had friends in common, but no deep shared experiences or obvious common interests. Maybe the meeting was about fundraising given the new person’s position….
Brexit – A Geopolitical Perspective
The nail in the coffin for “Great” Britain? On June 23rd, the British people will vote in a national referendum and will answer the following question; “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave?” Whilst a seemingly straightforward question, if the British people vote through simple majority to exit the EU (dubbed…
How to Expedite the Garland Nomination
Since President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court on March 16th to fill the seat left by the sudden death of Antonin Scalia, Republican legislators have summarily refused to consider the nominee. Unprecedentedly, they have said that the current president should not fill the Supreme Court vacancy, but that the decision should…