Profile Evaluation please

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Profile Evaluation please

by GoodBull2006 » Sat May 23, 2009 6:26 pm
Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Here are a few of my credentials up front:

-Goal is a school in the 5-10 range (NYU, Columbia, MIT)
-Male Caucasian
-26 years old
-3 years full time work experience
-Electrical Engineering degree from Texas A&M University
-GPA: 3.26 (If you ignore my first year, I averaged a ~3.5)
-GMAT: 700 Q47/V38 (first attempt) 690 Q48/V36 (second attempt)
-I currently work for a large engineering company that focuses on United States defense work. My responsibilities are above and beyond the typical engineer at my level and I feel I could leverage this into a quality part of my application.
-Volunteer/extra curricular experience is average, I have led a few volunteer efforts as part of a Volunteer team within my company but I am not sure that this is above the average for people applying.

My first question relates to which program rankings might be reaches for me and which are shoe-ins. My initial guess is that 5-10 is a reach but still attainable (30% chance), 11-15 is 50/50 and 16-20 75% or greater. Am I selling myself short here or am I perhaps being overconfident?

My second question focuses on taking the GMAT multiple times. While taking the test at home, I have been able to score 720/730. Should I take the test a third time and attempt to replicate these results? Also, how many times is too many for taking the GMAT? I'm worried that taking the test 3 times would look poor but I simply want to achieve a score that is the upper most of my potential.

Thanks for your time.

-Goodbull
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by Lisa Anderson » Sun May 24, 2009 5:34 pm
Howdy Goodbull,

I think you are within range for a top 20 program. Your 700 is close to the average for most of these schools (above for some, below for others) and your GPA is average. You can always take it again, but you probably won't do significantly better than a 700. A higher score certainly won't hurt you; however, raising your score 10-20 points might not impact the ultimate decision. There is nothing negative about taking the GMAT multiple times, but there are some schools in the top 10 that prefer you stop at three. I think you need to weigh the cost of taking it again (your time & money) versus the potential benefit to determine if it is worthwhile.

Since admissions decisions are based on more than the numbers, your essays, recommendations, and interviews are critical to the ultimate decision. These components give you another chance to shine and make your case for a seat in the class. Be sure to convey your successful leadership and teamwork experiences in your essays as well as a solid rationale for getting your MBA in relation to your past experiences and future career goals.

In admissions, it is impossible to assign probabilities on your chances with any school as there are many factors at play. I believe a top 10 is reach for anyone no matter what the application looks like as these schools are highly selective. I would suggest applying to 2-3 in the top 15 and applying to a couple others in the 16-30 range as well.

Best of luck,
Lisa ('94--whoop!)
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