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Hi Heidi:

I'm desperately looking for a quick gut check on my chances at Haas PT program -- specifically because I am trying to assess whether or not I should (need to) enroll in an online extension course (Math for Management...and possibly Calculus) in order to develop an alternative transcript.

this is me (really quickly): half-japanese, half-american, bilingual, born/raised in tokyo, dual citizen. graduated from NYU in 2005 with communication degree; 3.7 gpa, magna cum laude. 8 years of w/e at leading global ad/marketing firms (ogilvy & mather, mccann, ddb-- in nyc, honolulu). been promoted three times and expecting fourth next month to account director level. i have some interesting professional stories to tell: helping turn around the hawaii tourism industry, working on the barack obama presidential center bid in honolulu; helping launch the IBM smarter planet campaign in japan; etc.

gmat 640 (q42,v35); not confident i can increase this score and i have decided to concentrate on other elements of my app that i can influence (i.e. quant classes). took it twice; second time i scored poorer.

strong extracurr: co-founder and cmo of online tech startup; board director of american marketing assoc - hawaii chapter; guest lecturer - marketing - at local community college. 2:50 marathoner and marathon coach for honolulu marathon. also director of high school alumni -- raised over $100k in donations.

why mba: broaden my foundational business skills in order to understand full P&L management; To hone my strategic and leadership faculties in a diverse and international environment; will augment my business education with a necessary global framework; Enable successful job transition to brand marketing; avoid getting pigeonholed in an exclusively Communications role in an organization.


short term goal: transition into CPG or Tech industry - in Brand Marketing or Product Marketing function. Companies like P&G or Google.

long term goal: Lead, as Chief Marketing Officer, global marketing for a Japanese multi-national technology organization that will play a vital role in a resurgent Japan. Concurrently, serve as an officer at Japan Association of New Economy (JANE) - advising political leaders, administrators, labor unions, and citizens on the future growth and prosperity of the Japanese people.

Based on tech & innovation prowess, its bay area location/strong asia connection, program anchored in general management fundamentals -- Haas PT is an ideal program for me.

do i have a shot at Haas PT? and, how significantly would an "A" in the Berkeley Math for Management ext course be with my chances?

Thank you so, so much -- I really appreciate it!!

basso25@,

Thanks for your post. You certainly have a compelling background which should help you in the application process. However, with a less quantitative undergraduate degree in Communications and a sub-45 Quant score on the GMAT, I do strongly recommend building an alternative transcript through an online course or two. Haas gives some specific guidance on courses they value: https://ewmba.haas.berkeley.edu/admissio ... ments.html.

Also, I suggest doing some additional career research and narrowing down your industry focus between consumer goods and technology. They are such different industries - in different geographies, value different backgrounds, have unique entry points for marketers, etc. The admissions officers are expecting refined career goals, so I suggest showing more focus in this area.

Good luck! And please feel free to reach out at [email protected] if you are looking for help with your essays or resume.

Best,
Heidi