HBS Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold has been up to her eyeballs in applications for the school’s new 2+2 Program, which reserves a spot in the HBS class for qualified undergraduates upon their graduation from college and completion of two years of approved work experience. “The applications are simply great,” writes Leopold on her blog. “Everything we hoped for and plenty of them.” So, does the launch of this new early admissions program suggest that HBS is looking for a younger class? According to Leopold, that’s a question they are frequently asked. In response, she maps out this fall’s incoming class. In September, 912 students are expected to matriculate. Of these, 371 are “within three years of college graduation,” meaning that they graduated in 2008, 2007, 2006 or 2005. Of this subset, about a dozen are coming directly from undergraduate school. Many of these students have worked full-time already, and all have held significant roles on campus or have entrepreneurial experience. Another dozen were admitted directly from college but elected to delay matriculation to get some – or additional, says Leopold – full-time work experience. She also notes that all directly admitted seniors are welcome to postpone their matriculation date. So, what does this all mean? For starters, it means that 541 members of the HBS class of 2010 have been out of college for more than three years. “That’s more than the total enrollment in many business schools,” Leopold points out. So there is certainly still a place at Harvard for applicants with plenty of work experience under their belts. At the same time, more than a third of the entering class will not have gained the four to five years’ work experience that has long been considered the golden rule for business school applicants. It can be drawn from that, Leopold writes, “that we think you can come to Harvard Business School and thrive earlier in your career than you might have heard via the grapevine.” That said, those with more experience certainly shouldn’t be discouraged, Leopold says. “Apply when it’s optimal to you,” she advises. As guidance, Leopold shares the questions that the admissions committee asks about every candidate it considers for admission: 1. Is this person a leader?
2. Does he/she give evidence of ability to engage enthusiastically in serious intellectual and analytical work?
3. Will this person invest as much in the educational experience of others as in his/her own? “When you can look at the questions we pose and feel eager to respond, that’s a good indication of readiness,” Leopold says in conclusion. | 
