Case Study | Breaking Barriers: Hàoyú's Journey from Energy Sector to Harvard Business School

Chinese male applicant with big goals

Application Round: Round 1
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With six years of experience in the energy sector, including significant roles at two major oil companies and specialization in LNG, Hàoyú had been referred by a friend of his, whom we’ve helped secure an admission offer at HBS the previous year. Hàoyú approached us with a clear objective: gain admission to Harvard Business School. As an active LGBTQ advocate in a traditionally conservative industry, he presented a distinctive profile, and his commitment to promoting diversity spoke volumes about his unique influence and leadership.

Challenges

We knew that we had a guaranteed M7 admit: great academic background, good career progression and a strong personal story. However, securing an admission offer at HBS presents unique challenges. The primary obstacle was differentiating his profile from the highly competitive group of typical Chinese engineers. Another challenge involved crafting a narrative that authentically integrated elements of his personal life, ensuring it enhanced rather than overshadowed his professional achievements, without becoming overly dramatic. Additionally, Hàoyú struggled with his GMAT prep, and took much more time than anticipated to score his 760. We provided support and guidance throughout this difficult period, helping him to successfully navigate through these ups and downs.

Strategic Approach

Over two years, we developed a deep trust with Hàoyú, allowing us to thoroughly understand and articulate his story. We spent a lot of time getting to know him, looking at every detail of his life. For instance, he wrote us a 5,000-word essay on his value system, blending important life anecdotes, that was instrumental for us to better prioritize his achievements. Building a high-trust relationship with him was crucial in developing a multifaceted narrative that aligned with his long-term goals and demonstrated his potential for impactful leadership.

Vision Crafting

Having spent his early career in the Oil & Gas sector - known to be a natural career for engineering students, we wanted to demonstrate to the admissions committees that his career path was deliberately chosen and not imposed. We highlighted his childhood experiences growing up in a highly polluted environment in an industrial city in China to frame his commitment to transforming the energy sector. Additionally, we emphasized his efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion within the oil industry, underscoring his bravery in openly embracing his identity in a challenging corporate culture. This dual-focused narrative showcased his unique angle and dedication to initiating change. 

Unrivalled Support

Our journey with Hàoyú included navigating various challenges over two years. We provided extensive support throughout his demanding GMAT preparation spanning over a year, and remained a constant source of encouragement. Our team also conducted over 10 mock interviews to ensure he was thoroughly prepared for the rigorous HBS interview process. 

Results

Hàoyú's well-crafted application and our strategic guidance culminated in admission offers from HBS, MIT, Booth, and Kellogg, marking him as one of our most successful clients. While we’re proud to have delivered on our commitment to send him to HBS, we are the proudest of his unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world, and legendary humility.

Conclusion

Hàoyú's admission to several top MBA programs, including HBS, is a testament to the effectiveness of a personalized and strategic approach in navigating the complexities of MBA admissions. His story highlights our commitment to leveraging unique personal experiences and industry involvement to enhance candidate profiles and achieve exceptional results.

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Words from Dorina:

My friend W. (HBS’23) referred me to Jonathan, and I can literally go on for a whole day talking about how amazing he is. As a foundation, his fun nature, support, and encouragement from the first day I met him carried throughout my application process. When we were constructing the narrative, I appreciated his efforts going through my 5000-words first draft to form a solid understanding of my life story. His solid knowledge and vast experiences really translated into tangible advice on what works and what doesn’t - he was also very straight forward in answering all my questions, which saved a lot of time. When we got the HBS interview, his efforts and specific advice during the 4/5 mocks helped build my narrative and confidence even further. Jonathan’s empathy, patience, critical-thinking and knowledge made him an absolute pleasure to work with.”