Harvard Business School Expands Peek Program for 2016

Harvard Business School has announced the initial details for its 2016 Peek Weekend, an educational experience designed to give current college sophomores, juniors, and seniors insight into the Harvard MBA program.

From Friday June 10th to Sunday June 12th, Peek Weekend participants will visit the HBS campus in Boston to develop a broader understanding of the challenges leaders face, the many dimensions inherent in the business world, and the impact participants can have on their community and the world through organizational leadership.

Peek, which began in 2015 focusing on candidates from women’s colleges, will expand its applicant pool this year. The 2016 Weekend will include three cohorts, with each cohort having its own specific curriculum in addition to joint sessions for all Peek participants. Students should be in the Class of 2016, 2017 or 2018 and meet one of the following criteria to attend the Weekend:

• Be enrolled at a women’s college
• Be majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (the so-called STEM subjects)
• Come from a family-owned business background

“These groups can be underrepresented in business school applicant pools,” says Dee Leopold, managing director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at HBS. “We want to do all we can to ensure that our admissions process reaches as many qualified students as possible and help them understand the many different options and opportunities a Harvard MBA can lead to in a graduate’s life.”

Peek participants will learn from faculty members who teach MBA courses at Harvard Business School during the academic year. Using the case method of instruction that HBS pioneered in the teaching of management and leadership, professors will lead participant-based class discussions on current management challenges and opportunities.

Peek students will spend their evenings preparing for class by analyzing cases based on real companies and situations. In the mornings before class, they will form small study groups to discuss their ideas before joining the rest of their classmates. The Weekend experience will also include sessions with staff as well as current and former HBS students.

The 2016 Peek Weekend costs $500, which includes case materials, weekend accommodations in the school’s on-campus dormitories, and all meals. A limited number of need-based fellowships will be available. Students will learn about available financial aid awards after their acceptance to attend the Weekend. Applicants are encouraged to inquire about the possibility of additional funding from their own college or university.

The application for Peek 2016 goes live online at the beginning of March and will require eligible students to supply a resume, an undergraduate transcript, and an essay on a topic to be announced at a later date.

Materials will be due no later than noon on Thursday, April 21. There is no application fee. Decisions will be released at noon on Thursday, May 5.

Interested students can receive updates on the Weekend by joining the Peek mailing list: https://apply.hbs.edu/register/PeekInquiryForm