The head of admission at Harvard Business School (HBS) took to his Director’s Blog today to assure applicants that President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries will not impact the school’s admissions policies or practices. The immigration ban has currently been suspended while a federal appeals court debates its legality.
Chad Losee, who took over as managing director of admissions and financial aid at HBS last May, noted that the school’s mission—to educate leaders who make a difference in the world—keeps the admissions team focused each year on crafting a class of leaders from around the globe. “We welcome applications from all people, everywhere, who share a passion for learning and making a difference in the world,” he wrote.
Having last week welcomed Round 1 admits to campus as part of Admitted Students Welcome, Losee was reminded of the importance of diversity. “This is especially true at HBS since the case method thrives on diverse perspectives,” he wrote.
Indeed, the case method is designed to help HBS students develop good judgment—requiring them to put themselves in the shoes of business leaders facing challenges while debating with classmates which course of action is best. “The case method works because students bring different perspectives to the classroom every day—perspectives shaped by their individual experiences, upbringings, world views, and aspirations,” he wrote.
An HBS alumnus himself, Losee recalls that the most meaningful case discussions he took part in at the business school were those in which class debate swayed him from his own initial strong opinions.
“So this post is a (long-winded) way of reaffirming our commitment to assembling a class of remarkable leaders who will make a difference in the world, wherever they come from,” he wrote. “The recent U.S. executive order restricting travel to America for citizens from certain countries does not change this, nor are we changing our admissions policy or practices as a result.”
Of course, HBS as an institution must ultimately abide by the visa and residency laws set forth by the federal government, but Losee pledged that the school is committed to doing all that it can to ensure that all admitted student can attend HBS. “The case method, our community, and the HBS mission depend on it.”
