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Hi Everyone,

I'm at a bit of a cross road and am hoping for guidance towards the best path to a top MBA program.

A little background on me:

3.7/4.0 GPA from Top 20 US University
->Double Major in Finance and Accounting w/ honors
->All-American Athlete, lead a major campus organization, and received school and national recognition for my accomplishments (NCAA Post-Graduate Scholar, campus leadership award, etc.)

After school, joined a Big4 Accounting firm in Financial Advisory division. Was a top ranked associate w/ significant projects and client exposure and received CPA certification. Left after 1.5 years for a boutique strategy shop (primarily fortune 100 clients).

Now comes to the challenging section. Last December (after appx. 1yr at the strategy shop), I was laid off. I decided that my only logical next step would be to pursue and MBA. I spent December studying for and taking the GMAT (disappointing 660, but took it right before applications were due) and applied to four MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Northwestern). I didn't get into any of the programs and am trying to determine what my optimal next steps should be.

Afraid that I would burn bridges if I got a job and then left for an MBA program shortly after, I did not look for another position. During January and February - realizing that my GMAT score was likely too weak - I studied for and retook the exam (740) and applied to a non-profit fellowship programs, which I was accepted into. My issue is that I didn't realize the fellowship began in September and I'm afraid that is too long to wait without working. Currently, I am doing freelance paid consulting for small and medium sized business in the areas of strategy and process improvement.

My question is, should I (1) Reapply (and add new programs) this September (2)Hold off on applying until R2, once the fellowship has begun or (3) take a corporate strategy job at a fortune 500 (have received a few solicitations) and hold off applying for 1-2 years?

I apologize for the length of this message, but I thought the background would be necessary to form an accurate opinion. Thank you so much (in advance) for all your guidance and feedback.

TRC

Thanks, Jon. Just to clarify, I have almost 3 years of experience. 1 1/2 with the Big 4 and 1 with the strategy shop. I also had 3 3-4 month summer internships in finance during undergrad.

In light of the clarification, same verdict?

Hi TRC -

Fascinating discussion here. It's so enjoyable to talk about the different options available to you.

Bhavik and Jon have given you great information here. I'd like to add to the dialogue.

I would go with option 1, applying in September in R1 to previous schools and broadening your list to include a few more schools. You should include the Fellowship as an anticipated future item on your resume. It is unlikely to change and will remove the questions the admissions committee will have about gaps in your resume.

I would select additional schools based on the strength of match for your post MBA goals. You didn't mention your post-MBA goal, and that is a critical part of the application.

When I was the Director of MBA Admissions, it was relatively common to see instances where individuals were laid off. It's not a big deal. In fact, being laid off is just an event. How you respond to being laid off is what is most important (and a possible essay topic!). By pursuing MBA applications, freelance consulting, and the Fellowship, you demonstrate "mental toughness." This is a great skill for business, and probably a trait that originated during your athletic career.

I'd love to follow your choice and know how it all turns out. Let me know if I can help further!

Wendy