Dear James,

Thanks for your post.

Your profile seems fairly competitive overall. While your GPA falls shy of the 3.5-3.6 average for admitted students at the top schools, my hope is that your above-average GMAT result (740) can put you over the top in that regard. Your work experience, certifications and academic studies clearly suggest strong quantitative aptitude, so there will be little doubt as to your ability to survive the rigors of an MBA program. I also like the Oil&Gas angle, since this gives your candidacy a bit of specialization and may help to differentiate you from other applicants in your segment of the pool.

The one area of concern I have is 'rounding out' your candidacy. Do you have a track record (in school or since graduating) of pursuing outside interests (sports, volunteer work, the arts, etc)? How will you demonstrate to the adcoms that you aren't just a 'numbers guy' and that you have the charisma and leadership capacity that is often lacking in the world of accountants, auditors, etc?

As to your target schools, a lot of your chances are going to hinge on elements like career goals, essays, XCs, recommendations, interview skills, etc - items which I don't have information on at this juncture. Of course, going on the information I have here, I don't think we can really call any of the programs on your list a 'safety' in the true sense (at least not in R2, and not in this climate). Having said that, NYU will likely offer you the best admissions odds. Wharton, Chicago and Columbia will be a challenge - but certainly not unattainable. Yale will likely be somewhere in between. [Note: while Yale typically ranks as a top-15 MBA program, the very small class size actually makes it harder to get into than most applicants expect.]

Feel free to send along your resume to [email protected] if you would like to have a free 30-minute assessment with one of our counselors and share a bit more of your background.

Best of luck,

Graham