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Non-Traditional Applicant Evaluation

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DHokie2 Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
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Non-Traditional Applicant Evaluation Post Sun May 20, 2012 10:32 am
Good Morning,

I'm kicking the application process for my full time MBA into high gear as we're just about 4 months away from the first R1 deadlines. I'd love some feedback on my profile if possible.

GMAT:
- 760 (49q 45v). Two months of self-study with GMAC main book and the Manhattan/GMAC Practice Exams.

UG Degree:
- BA in Classical Studies (focus on Latin Language and Comparative Myth) from a top in-state public school (I assume you can guess), many additional classes in Computer Science and Mathematics.

UG GPA:
- 3.099 with a health consideration. I lost my kidney to a sports injury my sophomore year and spent about a year really recovering from the surgery.

Work Experience:
- Nonprofit volunteer recruitment (2 years), national bereavement nonprofit.
- Nonprofit expansion (1 year), founded the west coast operation of the above nonprofit and grew it to a sustainable level.
- Nonprofit business/operations management (3 years), I currently serve as director of one of the largest camping operations for a very recognizable youth organization. Our annual budget is approximately $4.5m (income), and we serve over 15,000 customers each year.

Target Schools:
- While Harvard and Stanford sit atop the list, I'm also looking at Sloan, Haas, Tuck, Fuqua, Anderson, and Yale.
- Ability to place in technology (from a non-tech background) and a collaborative atmosphere that is particularly welcoming for married students are important in the "fit" category. As is scholarship money.

Career Goal:
- I'd like to transition into the technology industry in either product development/management or M&A for a larger tech company and, later, take the entrepreneurial route.

Social Involvement:
- Working for nonprofits tends to consume more than just the professional side of life and, as such, I still volunteer for the various organizations I've been a part of. I'm also currently the Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Venturing Crew focused on Scuba Diving, and have volunteered as a one on one mentor for bereaved children.

I feel that I can make a strong candidacy for most programs, but I'm coming from such an atypical MBA background that it's really been difficult to assess my ceiling.

Thanks for any help or insight you can offer!

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Post Sun May 20, 2012 1:47 pm
If being in a collaborative/collegial place that is more married-friendly than others (all schools are, but some more than others), then look at the following:

Stanford
Kellogg
Tuck
Sloan
Haas
UCLA

All these schools are known for being super collaborative (read: less aspiring bankers/finance types, and more folks interested in industry/consulting/tech).

Also, Kellogg is the most married of the bunch - while most schools hover around 20-30%, Kellogg seems to be consistently around 40% (my theory is it attracts a disproportionate greater number of folks from the Midwest, who tend to marry younger, and unlike Booth it has a stronger rep in general mgmt/consulting/industry which tends to attract folks who are more lifestyle/family oriented).

Schools that are also good are Duke and Ross, but you want to limit your school list to 5-6 schools: 1 stretch, 3-5 sweet spot, and 0-1 safeties. Too many schools and you risk diluting your efforts (and your recommenders' efforts) across too many schools. Too few schools and you aren't playing the odds (because most folks need to apply to 5-6 schools to yield 1-3 acceptances).

In your case:

Stanford: stretch
the rest: sweet spots:
outside the top 16: safeties (as there are no real safeties anymore for just about any applicant these days since there are more students of a comparable caliber than there are seats).

Now, you may be asking about why not HBS. If you want to apply, go for it - just know that from what you wrote, these six schools are likely a better fit for you. Yes, HBS can be collaborative, but it's not to the same degree as these schools (and also not quite as married friendly than these schools). Now, if you have a real hard on for HBS go for it as a 7th school, but my hunch is that even if you were to get into say HBS *and* Stanford, you'd still choose Stanford. And if you got into Kellogg and HBS, your ego would choose HBS, but your heart will still feel that Kellogg is a better fit for you personally.

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DHokie2 Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
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Post Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:38 am
Alex,

Thank you again for your realistic analysis of my profile. I do have one follow-up question as I begin writing essays and preparing my full candidacy. With a 760 GMAT, but a 3.099 GPA (3.09897, but who's counting?) would you normally recommend directly addressing the GPA issue or simply being prepared for handling that in interviews?

Thanks!

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Post Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:18 am
Despite your lower GPA, I feel you have legitimate chances at Stanford and Wharton with all other schools being target schools and Fuqua, Anderson, and Yale closer even to a safety.

Your GMAT and mitigating academic circumstances (assuming a good optional essay explaining this) offsets the lower GPA. But your nonprofit experience is very attractive. I would recommend finding a way to tie this in somehow to your goals (either broaden or tweak these).

Good luck,

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PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal Really wants to Beat The GMAT!
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Post Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:42 am
Given your interest in tech, I would add Ross to your list as it will be more attainable for you as well vs Haas given your gpa. And Yale might also go on the list of more "collaborative" schools that my peer provided (and they have a history of social entrepreneurship).

In terms of your GPA, I, admittedly, do not know all of the circumstances, but I would encourage you not to blame it all on your health condition. Though clearly a serious setback, your organ issue should not be all you proactively address about your undergraduate record. Perhaps there were maturity issues, or poor performance in certain types of classes. Whatever it is, top school applicants do deal with setbacks and pull out with solid gpas. I think you get my drift here.

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DHokie2 Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
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Post Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:39 am
I completely agree about not blaming my GPA entirely on health issues. Is there a recommended way to address the many and varied reasons one did not achieve to their capability? For me, in particular, the reality was a little bit of everything: maturity, family focus (or lack thereof) on education, the health issue, and working a full time job to pay for school. My worry in addressing the GPA issue via essay is that the message is too easily muddled and it sounds like I'm working on excuses if I throw so many different things at the AdCom.

Is it better to address the GPA simply with an acknowledgement and then focus on the reasons I have been and will be successful, or to state the reasons for the GPA in a supplemental essay?

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Post Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:12 am
I think that a short 3-4 sentence explanation is the way to go in the optional essay. Whereas you can mention perhaps the two main reasons why you feel you did not perform what you would be able to now, it is best to take full responsibility and admit that circumstances can be surmounted and you have evolved. And yes you can briefly point to some evidence to support that---gmat, courses, analytical rigor of job...

It's not a deal breaker given your 760 gmat, but it does require some explanation so they do not draw their own conclusions.

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Post Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:24 pm
Hi DHokie2,

You are planning a big transition from non-profit to tech.People do make such career moves post-MBA but you need to address this well in your essays/ interview etc as it is bit drastic in your case.

All the best,

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