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Profile Evaluation Request

by Goodwill » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:46 pm
Hello,

I was hoping someone would assist me in evaluating my profile.

Target Schools:
Stanford
Harvard
Wharton
Columbia

Numbers
3.8 GPA, Phi Beta Kappa from top tier public school (think Michigan, UCLA, Berkeley)
Major: International Relations
730 GMAT (46 quant, 45 verbal)

Work Experience
2 years as M&A analyst at top tier boutique investment bank
4 years of private equity/concentrated public value investing (unique relatively large family office)

My perceptions of my own weaknesses:
-Lots of folks have backgrounds similar to my own. How can I distinguish myself? Work takes up a lot of time, so it is next to impossible to have genuine extra-curricular activities that ADCOMs seem to be looking for.

-Is my quant score (75 percentile) sufficiently weak that I should retake the test? I have done significantly better on quant on nearly every single practice exam I took.

Reasons for applying: enhance my network, take a break from the grind and have a good time/travel.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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by Tani » Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:10 pm
I have to say, I was really feeling good about your post until that last sentence. Seriously, B-schools are very leery of candidates who just want to "find themselves" or take a couple of years off. (By the way, it depends on the school and your prior job, but I never worked so hard and so long as I did in B-school!) You are talking about giving up two year's income on top of spending a solid six-figure chunk of money. You have to want it! Badly!

That said, your profile is strong. You are right that you will have to distinguish yourself but my experience has been that many applicants don't appreciate just what their differences are. A good admissions consultant could be a great help in understanding who you are and why you would be a great addition to someone's MBA class.

Your school list is a killer! Those schools have many thousands more exceptional applicants than they can accept. Your profile means you should be applying to schools of that caliber, but you must recognize that the odds will be tough. I always tell my candidates that if they believe they have to get an MBA now, they should include safety schools on their lists. On the other hand, if you are only willing to take off two years and spend the money if you get into a top five school then go for it, recognizing that there is always the possibility that you will not get into any (or that you will get into all four). There are people who have applied to all of the top ten and only gotten into...Harvard. In the end, your competition at those schools will be exceptional. You will need to work hard to show that you are the one they want. Killer essays and great references will be crucial. Be sure to allow several months to put together applications of the caliber that will catch the attention of the admissions committee.

Good luck!
Tani Wolff
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by Goodwill » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:25 pm
Thank you for the advice. I agree that an admissions consulting would be value-add.

I don't plan on applying until Fall 2011 (to matriculate Fall 2012), and have the luxury of some time. Do you think it is worth taking the GMAT over again, or is that energy better spent profile building? Either way, I'll probably follow your advice and engage an admissions consultant at the latest once the essays are out.
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by Tani » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:38 pm
Your GMAT score is strong enough. If you have reason to believe you can boost it 30 points or more it's worth a try, but you will do yourself more good by boosting your overall profile. See about taking on new challenges at work. Get involved in volunteer work - preferably in a leadership position.

Spend some time researching careers so you can build a stronger career goal. Identify industries of interest and network with people in relevant companies. Join a young professionals group and ask people about their jobs - the good, the bad and the rewarding. The clearer your goals, the better you will be at writing an engaging and convincing essay.
Tani Wolff
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