Hey Dad, I finally made it to Harvard Business School

More than 15 years ago, I was rejected for admission to Harvard Business School.

Based on the fact that I was more interested in partying at Kenyon College than earning great grades, I don’t blame the admissions officers at HBS. Even my legacy status (my father is HBS 1958) didn’t help.

So it was with great excitement that I finally made it to Harvard Business School.

Hey Dad – here’s the video proof. Direct link here.

Of course, I didn't come to HBS as a student. Instead, I presented The New Rules of Marketing & PR on January 7, 2010. The event, sponsored by the HBS Boston Alumni Association, was in Aldrich 112, the largest classroom. The event was over-sold so people were sitting on steps and standing in the back.

Thanks to Matt Kaplan at Visible Gains for producing this video and to Tim Washer for co-presenting with me.

Comments

[Tyler Durbin]

I love this! While my dad is more than happy with the college I attended (Miami University), I work to be in the same position as you for schools such as Duke and Chicago U laughing at my ACT scores.

[Maggielmcg]

Love this! Now you just need to get Harvard to award you an honorary degree!

[DebCE]

I am confident your Dad is very impressed with your success!

[dan@ingenesist.com]

I always get a kick out of speaking at schools that would never have admitted me as a student. The best is returning to speak at a company you quit to executives who would never have listened to you when you were their employee. great post

[David Meerman Scott]

Thanks for the comments. I'm waiting for a few more views and comments before showing dad.

Dan - even better - how about returning to a company that fired you!! That's the sweetest of all.

[twitter.com/MaryAnnHalford]

David, congrats to making your appearance at that "trade school on the Charles"! I will say I was fortunate to have gotten in there more than 15 years ago, but look more to leaders like you for what it means to do marketing right!!!! So, hopefully HBS is learning a bit from you - or at least the students are in Aldrich Hall!

[Lindsey]

Congratulations!
Having GONE to HBS, I can definitely say that your accomplishment is way more impressive - also a much more fun way to "get to" HBS, probably.
xo

[twitter.com/mpkaplan]

It would be great if you could share with us the ROI of NOT going to Harvard Business School and instead focusing on writing books and blogging.

[David Meerman Scott]

Hey Matt - Interesting one! Now THAT is a positive ROI

[Ricardo Bueno]

Hi David,

I remember this from our discussion the other day... I thought I'd stop by and say congratulations! It must have felt pretty good to be standing there in front of a sold-out crowd, talking about your best-seller! Needless to say, I'm sure Dad is going to be very proud...

[Liz Wainger]

Thank you for this Post. As someone with a child going through the college admission process, I needed some ammo to show my daughter that the race is not always to those with the best grades but those with the smarts to make their way in the world and solve problems. Great stuff.

[Charlie L.]

How about ROI of quitting Ivy League? A survey to Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and other less fortunates? Better yet, quitting college, that would include Steve Jobs, and Larry Ellison. It would be really interesting to compare the results.

[Sparklingruby]

Great event David- well worth the drive from Westchester! Here were some of your best nuggets of the night that I recorded:

"If I were starting a company right now- I would hire journalists- they are great storytellers. I call it brand journalism" @dmscott

"Be honest & open. If you have a customer who is negative- engage with them- you can turn it around." @dmscott @harvardbiz #HBS #socialmedia

PR Crisis Communication TIp- "The whole world knows you've screwed up- say something, be human- stop hiding" @dmscott @harvardbiz #HBS

"Social media marketing is similar to the venture capital model- you dont invest in 1 firm & hope for the best, you invest in 50." @dmscott

"Lose Control of your Marketing- If you want people to spread your ideas, you have to let them do it in their own language" @dmscott

"On the web, you ARE what you publish. Are you publishing great information? Encourage sharing-word of mouse" @dmscott #HBS #socialmedia

[Amelia Vargo]

I'm sure your Dad is very proud of you. Dad's usually are - even if they don't say it!

[David Meerman Scott]

Kris - thanks for the tweets!

[kathy heil]

I was just bummed that you didn't include the whole presentation!

[David Meerman Scott]

Kathy. Here is an entire presentation but from a different gig - BMA annual conference 2009 http://www.vimeo.com/6955359

[Tyrone]

Great! Well, we are glad for you too that HBS already honors you as a successful business image even if you haven't even made it there during college. I can say it's really about your power of passion and I would love to learn that from you.

[BlogDudes]

Love it, David! Being of a similar age, I can relate to the partying aspects of university life. One of our professors used to say that if you earn more than a 2:3 (under the British system, that's a fairly mediocre pass), you were doing it wrong! Of course, those were the days when only 3% of the population went to university, and any kind of degree was acceptable to an employer. Nowadays, if you don't get a 1st or a 2:1 a degree is not worth the paper it is written on! Personally, I think the experience is more important than the results, but I guess it depends on what you are trying to do.
Love your prolific use of the Flip camera - I always point people to your blog as an example to others. Great stuff!

[Jose│Internet Marketing Coach]

Inspiring David!

Am a late bloomer in business and am learning that in business people don't care about your academic degrees. They care about the degree you can help them.

Jose

[Toni Anicic]

David,

I just wanted to say that your line "What is the ROI of spending a week on calculating the ROI?" is currently my all-time favorite marketing quote :)

[Arturo Preciado]

I literally want to be like you some day. Congrats about that David.

[Mary Ellen]

I love this post!! I can totally relate, it is not about WHERE you went to college, but WHAT you take away from it :) I loved my little state school, Shippensburg University.

[Bob Jain]

Nice article! It's truly influential and inspiring. Thank you very much for the share and keep it up.