2+2 profile evaluation

Launched April 26, 2006
This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:38 am

2+2 profile evaluation

by jtwhite14 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:02 pm
Hello Stacy,

Hows it going? First time posting here, been lurking for about a two weeks. It looks like a great resource. I'm excited to use it to help my application. I have a couple of questions, and would be very appreciative if you could help me out.

First some background on me.

21
Male
Caucasian

I'm thinking of applying to HBS 2+2 program next year (2011). I am currently an Architecture Undergrad student at top 50 IT school located in new england. My GPA by next spring should be 3.5. I am planning on studing for the GMAT throughout the fall and then taking it at the end of my winter break which is 6 weeks long. I will have this 6 weeks to really focus on the GMAT and I feel that a score of 720-740 can be reached. In highschool I was the first employee of a start-up custom wood surfboard company. While I was employed the company grew from a 35k to 300k. Then in my first summer of college I interned at a boutique architecture firm. I had direct involvement in residential and commercial projects and interfaced directly with clients throughout all design and construction phases. I went through LEED certification for one commercial project and then in turn got my LEED G.A. Accreditation this past February. Currently I am in Beijing participating in a studio that does various design projects throughout the region. I am doing research for a project that aims to help China's urban migration problem by modernizing the rural villages. I have been here since the start of may and the studio ends early July.

My questions are:

I am aware that 2+2 is looking for candidates with non-financial backgrounds. Does my design background put me to far at the end of the non-financial spectrum?

I am having trouble gauging my application versus the other 2+2 applicants that I have seen here on BTG, is it a strong or weak application?

My school does not have a great reputation, will this hurt me immensely?

My studio ends early July but I have the opportunity to stay in Beijing. I can do two different things. I can get an internship at a local architecture firm here through contacts I have made, or I can continue to work on the rural village project, and possibly apply for a grant to get the project built. If I continued to work on the project I would also find a tutor so that I could get an basic knowledge of Mandarin. What would be the most beneficial to my application?

Thank you for your time!

JT
Source: — Ask Stacy Blackman |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:07 am
Dear JT,

I commend you for starting to think about your application in advance and what you need to do over the next year. In addition to earning top marks for your transcript and increasing your GPA, you also need to do well on your GMAT to demonstrate academic aptitude. A score that starts with a 7 will be ideal and competitive for the 2+2 program. In terms of your professional experience through internships and the like, you are gaining some interesting experiences, and I think your time in Beijing might be a differentiator for you. Architecture and design experience is not "too far" from business. Your undergraduate institution's reputation is also not a dealbreaker. As long as you have performed will in your courses, which it appears you have with a 3.5 GPA, and you do well on the GMAT, then you will show you can handle the work in the MBA program. Finally, you need to pick the option in Beijing that you feel is the best one for you. Which appeals most to you? There are advantages to both options and you can gain valuable experience from either the internship or the rural village project. Is one more in line with your future career goals? It is not so much about what you do as the quality of the experience and what you make of it, so you need to pick the option that you will maximize.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me