According to the Harvard Business School (HBS) website, the school is not looking for an "ideal" candidate. Rather, it chooses to assemble a student body with diverse people who show certain characteristics, including displaying a habit of leadership. You can do this through college extracurricular activities or academic or business achievements. The school is also looking for students who show a capacity for intellectual growth. Whether you fulfill this criterion or not is decided based on your previous academic record, including your GMAT or GRE test scores, and the nature of your work experience. Finally, the school wants a potential student to show engaged community citizenship. You can display this through community volunteering. There is no minimum work experience requirement for admission.
Your application will be composed of several documents: a response to four essay questions, available on the HBS website; current resume; three recommendations; transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate academic institutions attended; GMAT or GRE scores; signed copy of the HBS community values statement; signed statement of application integrity; and a $250 nonrefundable application fee, as of 2010. You must submit your application online, and your application fee will be accepted only via credit or debit card. College seniors get a reduced fee of $100, as of 2010. Also provided on the HBS website are questions to act as prompts for those who will write your letters of recommendation.
In addition to the paperwork required for HBS admission, you may be asked to come to the school for an interview. This interview is indicative of interest, but is not a guarantee of admission. All interviews are by invitation only; if you are invited and do not come, your admissions process will be considered incomplete. The interview will either be conducted by the MBA admissions board or a member of its alumni interviewing network.