Missed Class

While students can use limited excused absences for recruiting, the HBS Learning Model and MBA Honor Code require all students to consistently engage in class. Daily attendance is expected and required of every MBA student. Students should review Section 1.5 Attendance for more information.

Interview Cancellation

HBS expects all students who participate in HBS-coordinated interviews to cancel before the schedules “freeze.” After that date, students are expected to honor the interview unless they have already accepted another job offer. Students must notify both the Career and Professional Development (CPD) Office and the organization of accepted offers before withdrawing from a scheduled interview. Students who have received an offer are expected to attend all scheduled interviews.

Evaluating & Accepting a Job Offer

For the Class of 2024 Second-Year Students

Organizations are advised to keep job offers open for a minimum of two weeks from the date the student receives the written offer.

For the Class of 2025 First-Year Students

Organizations are advised to keep job offers open until Friday, February 9, 2024, or two weeks from the date the student receives the written offer, whichever date is later.

For Both Classes

If an organization does not make a written job offer, a verbal offer is considered open in perpetuity. It is permissible to offer incentives to students to accept offers early. The base offer (base salary, guaranteed compensation, job function, and location) must remain open until the decision dates noted above. For former full-time employees (including sponsored students), students and organizations may determine a mutually agreeable decision date.

Reneging on Job Offers

Reneging up to nine months post-graduation means that a student has accepted a job offer, either verbally or in writing, and then changed their mind and rejected the offer (for any reason). Reneging is an extremely serious recruiting violation and is inconsistent with HBS Community Values.

The consequences of reneging may include:

  • Loss of CPD and Alumni privileges. This includes the use of their hbs.edu email, access to alumni resources, and reunion attendance.
  • Notation of the violation on the student’s academic transcript.

If a student is seriously considering reneging, it is imperative that they contact the CPD Managing Director to discuss the situation before a decision is made. How a student handles the decision is critical. The CPD Office cannot stress enough how seriously HBS considers the violation of reneging. These actions will impact the student, their classmates, HBS alumni, and the HBS reputation.

Recruiter Standards

As with students, HBS expects recruiters to follow policies as they recruit at HBS. If a student is concerned with recruiter actions, they may view the Recruiter Policies for further clarification or contact CPD for advice in handling the situation.

Equal Opportunity Statement

In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, veteran status, or handicap in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. All recruiting activities, including but not limited to job descriptions, communications, events, interviews, questionnaires, and assessments, must be free of bias. Accordingly, the School makes its facilities and resources available to recruiting organizations whose practices are consistent with this policy.

Harvard Business School reserves the right to modify its recruiting policies throughout the year.