Rafa didn’t grow up dreaming about Harvard.
She didn’t even know what an MBA was.
As an agronomist working in sustainability in Brazil, the world of business school felt like it belonged to someone else: consultants, bankers, people who knew how to talk about “impact” in just the right way. “I never felt like I was MBA material,” she told me. “Definitely not HBS material.”
But then came a conversation that changed everything. A friend named Marina saw what Rafa couldn’t yet see in herself: a powerful story already unfolding.
What followed was seven intense weeks studying for the GMAT, writing her essays, and learning how to tell her story with honesty and conviction. The result? An admit to Harvard Business School, with scholarships to match!
In this episode of The MBA Golden Buzzer, Rafa shares how she went from self-doubt to HBS, and why believing in your story might just be the most important step of all.
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Finding Confidence in the Chaos
When Rafa got her interview invite, she cried.
Not because she was nervous, but because it finally felt real.
Everything about the MBA process was new to her. She didn’t come from a community where MBAs were common, and applying during COVID made things even harder. “I had never taken a marketing class. Never done a consulting case. Everything was new to me,” she said. “But that just meant I had more to gain.”
Applying to an MBA is a long and demanding journey, and it often comes with real sacrifice.
Rafa studied four hours a night while working full-time. She tracked every essay version, every score improvement, and every to-do. “It became a full-time job on top of my full-time job,” she said. “But I had committed. And once I commit, I finish.”
Magic Happens When You Commit
This became Rafa’s mantra, and the lesson she wants every applicant to hear.
“You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be all in.”
She didn’t get everything she wanted. Stanford said no. MIT waitlisted her. But when HBS said yes, she said yes back—despite real fears about the debt. “I actually sent them an email saying I might not go. I was terrified,” she recalls.
It took another HBS alum telling her: “If you got in, you’ll figure it out.” That was the reassurance she needed.
The Reality of HBS and What Surprised Her Most
Rafa arrived in Cambridge expecting to find “a thousand people who wanted to change the world.”
What she found instead was… more complicated.
Yes, there were idealists. But there were also students who were there for different reasons. “It was a wake-up call,” she said. “I realized I was living in a rainbow wonderland.”
The biggest surprise? The emotional growth. “I thought my life bucket was small,” she shared. “But HBS showed me it could be so much bigger.”
She walked away not just with a degree, but with a new sense of what she was capable of. That didn’t mean everything came easy. “I wasn’t top of the class anymore. I was in the middle, struggling to keep up.” But she also learned how to let go of being the best and embrace being better.
On Friendship, Therapy, and the Real MBA ROI
Some of Rafa’s most powerful advice didn’t come from class at all.
She recommends therapy (“start before the MBA, not during”), holding onto real friends instead of networking up, and making time to simply walk alone on campus. “There’s beauty here. You just have to step outside the pressure to see it.”
Her Golden Buzzer Advice?
“Your story has to make sense. Your past, your present, your future—it should feel like one arc.”
And most of all: Don’t wait to feel ready.
Rafa wasn’t. She applied in seven weeks and got into Harvard. Not because she knew what she was doing but because she committed.
Ready to Turn Advice Into Action?
If Rafa’s story resonated with you, chances are you’re serious about getting into a top MBA program but knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are two very different things.
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we don’t just hand you a checklist—we partner with you to craft a compelling, personalized application strategy that highlights what makes you stand out. This is exactly what we did with Rafa to get her into HBS!
With a 98.9% success rate, our proven process is designed to help you navigate every part of the application journey, from choosing the right schools to acing the final interview.
If you’re ready to turn insights into admits, work with us!
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