HBS Names 2018 Goldsmith Fellows
Every year, Harvard Business School draws a small but significant portion of its MBA students from the non-profit sector. This year, for example, 8 percent of students gained their pre-MBA work experience in government, education or non-profit.
For up to ten of those students, HBS provides a little extra incentive to bring them into its MBA program: a $10,000 fellowship, known as the Goldsmith Fellowship.
The fellowship, created by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and HBS alum Richard L. Menschel, recognizes incoming MBA students whose leadership in the non-profit sector has stood out.
Providing $10,000 for the first year of study, the fellowship is awarded in addition to any need-based aid. All students who have held full-time leadership positions in the non-profit or public sector, and who intend to pursue careers in that sector, are eligible.
If you think those eligibility criteria sound general, you have a point. The Goldsmith Fellowships go to people with a broad range of backgrounds and career paths – the factor that unites them is simply that they’ve made an impact in the non-profit sector.
This year’s fellows, which HBS has just named, are a good example. They include MBA students from around the world who have held leadership positions in education, health and government.
For example, 2018 Goldsmith Fellows whose experiences have been focused in education include a charter school principal, the founder of an organization that provided learning support services to thousands of students in Nairobi, and the Chief Strategy Officer of an organization that partnered with Thailand’s Ministry of Education to increase access to education.
On the health front, there is a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as two members of the Clinton Health Access Initiative who led efforts to fight malaria and tuberculosis respectively.
Government and public policy are represented, too, with an Applied Research Mathematician at the National Security Agency and an Assistant Vice President of Strategy at the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Finally, there are several fellows whose work spans multiple areas. These include the COO of a social enterprise incubator in Beijing and someone who led work supporting non-profits for a philanthropic foundation based in India. For a full list of fellows, see HBS’s announcement.
Looking over the bios of the Goldsmith Fellows is like reading a case study on the importance of having a compelling personal narrative as an MBA applicant. Having a personal brand that stands out isn’t helpful only in making a case for admission, but in getting in the running for fellowships.
If you aren’t sure whether you’re presenting your unique story in the most engaging way you could, we can review your profile and give you feedback on how your application will come across to adcoms. Contact us for a free MBA assessment!