Ask mbaMission

Hi Patrick, thanks for your inquiry.

First off, I believe a top 50 school is well within your reach and encourage you to apply to a range of schools. You have an interesting and unusual background and while it does present some challenges, there are elements in it that are distinctive and impressive.

While your initial undergraduate GPA is quite low, it will be clear to the AdCom that you are someone who does not give up, and in fact when you were ready, made the huge undertaking of a second undergraduate degree and performed quite well in a quantitative field. If your GMAT of 690 is evenly balanced (approximately 80% each in the quant and verbal sections), that is just further evidence of your ability to succeed in an MBA program. (If it's heavily skewed, or if you think on a second attempt you can improve it, I think you will feel easier going into the applications with a 700+ and having that score will remove all concerns about your initial undergraduate GPA).

I think your work at Ford is also distinctive. Since it was a rotational program though, be sure to focus on your accomplishments - which can be difficult to demonstrate when you have spent a short time in multiple divisions. So that would be my suggestion for the biggest area of focus for you - articulate not just what your job was, but the impact you have been able to make. You don't mention your career goal - the AdCom will like to see a logical flow from your past to your present (the MBA) to your future, and in your case getting that story right will be particularly important since you've had several jobs in different fields. You don't want the AdCom to think that an MBA is just another career change but rather that it is a clearly thought out step in your journey. (Download our free Personal Statement Guide from our website, the store section, for more guidance on this).

Finally, I like that your initial work experience at Karmanos ties with your volunteer activities which show depth and commitment.

Your age may be your biggest concern (aside from the career statement I mentioned above), but quite frankly, there's nothing you can do about it so don't worry about it. Discuss in your career vision how you've matured, what you've learned from your journey, and where you are going. Plenty of 31 year olds get accepted to business school, even though they are trending younger.

I don't know enough about what you're looking for in a business school to guide you to specific programs. Do you want a real campus feel, like a Ross, Duke, Darden, Emory? Do you want a completely flexible curriculum like at Chicago? Do you prefer urban or not? These are just some questions to ask yourself. But I do think that if you tell your story right, you will be an interesting candidate at many top schools and I would encourage you to select a range of programs - one or two top 10, a handful of 10-25, one to two safety schools.

If you have specific names of schools you've considered I'll be happy to weigh in.

Best of luck,

Jessica

Hi Patrick, yes, it comes down to cost-benefit but also to your own wishes regarding business school. Do you want the typical campus experience of building a community and getting involved in activities, or is the education itself of such dominant importance that the other activities are not a big issue. (There's no right or wrong answer by the way). Do you want to stay at Ford for the length of time it would take you to complete the part time program? Are you comfortable being pulled in multiple directions or do you thrive on being able to focus exclusively on school vs. work? (Again, no right or wrong answers!).

I hesitate to be overly confident without knowing how you write, what your recommenders will say, or how your overall package and profile will come together, but I definitely think you have a shot at a top 10 or top 15 school. The biggest two "black marks" are your original GPA - which you have totally offset - and your somewhat disjointed career path - which you have also largely offset.

Best of luck - don't sell yourself short! (But still put together a balanced list of stretch/competitive/safety!).