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Please advise on my profile!

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Please advise on my profile!

by holly » Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:26 am
Here's my profile:

UG - 3.7 from an Ivy, history major
Fulbright scholar
Law school - graduated top 10% from a top ten school
5 years work experience as litigation attorney (corporate litigation) at top tier law firm

GMAT - 760 - 47Q, 48V

My main concern is with the lopsidedness of my GMAT and the general lack of evidence of quant skills. My math skills are very rusty, and although I did some basic test prep, I wasn't able to score as well on the quant as I would have liked. Is there something I should do to allay any concerns about my quant abilities? I'm pretty pleased with my overall GMAT and with my verbal, so I hate to take it again and give myself a chance to mess it up.

I only took one math class in college - multivariable calculus (I passed out of regular calc with AP scores) - and I got a B-, my lowest grade in college. But that's probably the last time I used math at all seriously. Should I address math skills in an essay or something?

Also, in terms of extracurriculars or hobbies or whatever, do I report stuff from college, law school, now, a mix, or what? I have plenty from school, but don't have that much time for anything but work nowadays.

I'm 31 years old - is this a problem?
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by Lisa Anderson » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:14 am
Dear Holly,

You definitely do not need to retake the GMAT--congratulations on a great score! I do not think you need to specifically address your quant skills in your application. However, if you would like to refresh your knowledge and prepare for business school, I would suggest taking a finite math, college algebra and/or a calculus class through a local university/community college. Much of the material in your finance courses will assume you are "up to speed" on your algebra and calculus.

Your overall profile is quite competitive. Your age is not an issue, but you should know that you will be older than the majority of the students in a full-time program. Generally speaking, the middle 50% fall between 25-29 for most full-time programs. That is not to say your age is a negative, but you should be prepared to work with other students with less experience than you have.

Most applications will ask you to identify your extracurriculars in college and then since college. So, you can offer up law school in whichever place you desire. If you do not have much post-college, then I would put the law school activities in the post-college section. As a litigator, it is understandable you would not have much time for outside interests.

My final "two cents": be sure to explicitly convey why you want your MBA and your overall career plan. The first question in the minds of the admissions committee will be why you want to go to business school after getting a JD and working as a litigator. As long as you can present a rationale for your decision and it all makes sense for your career plan, then you will be fine.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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