Ask Stacy Blackman

Hi Stacy,

I am planning to attend b-school on fall 2007. I don't know if my application is competitive enough to get into the business school I want?
Please evaluate my profile. Pls.

Background:
Graduated in one of the top universities in the Philippines. I came to US in June 2004.

Academics:
Undegrad degree is BS Economics with 3.65 Overall GPA, 3.63 Major GPA.
1st Place, National Level, Econometrics Challenge, 1st Person to win Econometrics Challenge for my school.
Recipient of two-full scholarships: University Scholarship Award and Alumni Scholarship Award
Consistent Dean's Lister from 2000-2004; Graduated Cum laude

GMAT: to be taken on August 2006
TOEFL: 260

Employment History:
My supervisor said that I was the first person he had ever seen who turned away from money and stuck with my promise. My supervisor and the CEO of the company have commended me for my excellent and unbelievable job performance.

Here are some of my responsibilities:

Finance- Assistant- August 2004-Nov. 2004
Assistant Finance Officer- Dec. 2004- present
-Directly responsible for the management of bank accounts of all Intermediate Care Facility-Mental Retardation (ICF-MR) clients of the company.
-Collaborated with CFO and accountant in monitoring all financial transactions of six company departments: Human Resources, Compliance Office, ACT Team, Community Support Team, Group Homes Units and Corporate Office.
-Generated Consolidated Medicaid Cost Distribution Analysis Reports used by management for budget formulation and monitoring, project enhancement/development and other decision-making purposes.
-Made and presented recommendations to CFO and CEO to provide insurance benefits to qualified employees of the company resulting in the establishment of health and dental insurances.
-Worked with the finance team in the preparation and evaluation of 2002, 2003 and 2004 ICF-MR Medicaid Cost Reports.
-Initiated the reconciliations of Mental Health and NC Medicaid remittances. Realized $98,000 for the company in 8 months by discovering several unpaid invoices.


Significant extracurricular:
Undergrad - University Senior Representative to the National Economics Society, Member of the Debate Society.
Volunteer- Scholarship Committee Member, Philippine-American Club
Volunteer Tutor- Adult Reading Program sponsored by Fayetteville Urban Ministry

Long Term Career Objective:
To build and run my own import and export company. I am doing this because I have always been inclined with importation and exportation issues and also too, my brothers and sisters have been in this kind of business since I was in elementary. I believe that we can make a successful company by pulling our talents and knowledge together.

Reasons for choosing a school:
1. Affordability- My family is poor and I have responsibility to my family though I am the youngest. I am looking for a business whose fees I can afford to pay.
2. Competitiveness-

Choices of School:
Unv. of South Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill. What other schools should I be looking at?

I have thought about the connection between the industry I am right now and where I want to be? Here are some of my answers:

1. I have always been dealing with people of different ethnical, academic and social bacgrounds. And I have learned so much from them. I believe that the lessons Ive learned from them are valuable to the success of my future company.
2. My work has given me the opportunity to be analytical, to work with other people, to be aware of the employees' needs and be an employee with an eye for detail. I believe that the characteristics are the ones that I need to build and run a successful company.

As for my volunteer. Im sorry if I did elaborate my volunteer activities.
1. I am a volunteer tutor for people with reading and comprehension problems. I am dealing with people over the age of 30 and I am an english tutor. My students are from different backgrounds. I have Jamaican and I am American. This program has helped deal with people from different walks of life. It has helped understand our differences and our similarities.

I am one of the youngest volunteer tutors in this program. At the start, I was a little bit challenged because I had to tutor people who are more mature than I am. Ive learned to adjust, be patient and be sensitive. Since I am a filipino, my students looked at me as if I was the one who needed english lessons. I had to step up and prove them that i am capable of performing what i am supposed to do.

teaching them helped me realize that I am their teacher not because I am there to judge them, but because i am there to teach them and also to help them make their lives easier.

My students have achieved so much. They achieved things that ordinary people look as ordinary. They obtained library cards, they filled our application forms, they got hired for other jobs, they obtained their driver's license and other things. My students are people with reading and comprehension problems and to obtain simple things is a big deal for them.

My question: What other school should I be looking at? thanks.

Stacy, can I send you my essay and comment on it? thanks.