Hi, I feel like I'm the unique type of candidate that doesn't get represented a lot in these forums: The nonprofit leadership professional going for an MBA. I'd love your insight, since there aren't many resources for us out there!
I'm targeting a mix of top schools with good nonprofit/social enterprise/public sector management programs: Stanford's MBA/MA in Education joint degree program, Harvard, NYU, Duke, Georgetown (potentially joint MBA/MPP) and University of Washington.
Caucasian, Female, 25 years old
Undergrad: University of Washington,
Majors: Journalism and Comparative History of Ideas
GPA: 3.68
Worked almost full-time all the way through undergrad. Lots of humanities-centric awards in college and leadership positions on the UW Daily (newspaper) and UW Board of Student Publications.
Internships at Starbucks Corporate, a tech PR company and a The Nation in Bangkok(Thailand's English language newspaper).
GMAT: 630 (verbal-38/83%; quant-38/50%; AWA 6/91%) I'm taking it again (although i'm dreading it).
Work Experience: 3.5 years
Resume Highlights: I started as an international reporter at an English newspaper in Shanghai, China, but for the last three years I've worked at a state education advocacy nonprofit in Seattle, WA that represents the Washington business community's views in education. I started as a communications specialist, but within 8 months was promoted for communications manager--the position I currently hold.
I've been selected for multiple state-wide policy task forces and legislative workgroups. I was also recently selected for a competitive regional leadership training program called "Leadership Tomorrow."
Extracurriculars: I'm on the board of two local nonprofits that benefit Seattle youth (two years of service, each) and work on fundraising and approval of budgets. I am also a math and reading tutor at local elementary schools and do some pro bono graphic design for local nonprofits
Awards: Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award, Washington High School Journalist of the Year, many competitive research grants when I was in college. Two research publications while at the UW in media studies.
I'm from Seattle, WA, but have lived in three countries (Thailand, China and Czech Rep) and traveled to more than 25 countries.
Ultimate Goal: to lead an organization that provides performance management, turnaround and human capital strategy consulting to large urban school districts.
Interim Goal: to participate in the Broad Urban Education Residency, which places outstanding MBA grads in director-level positions in large urban school districts in order to assist in district turnaround.
In order to minimize the fact that I have limited quant experience, I recently took an accounting class at a local community college and got a 3.9--not earth-shattering, but I feel like anything helps to supplement the fact that I'm definitely more on the Poet-side of the Poet/Quant B-school dichotomy.
Many thanks!
M.T.
I'm targeting a mix of top schools with good nonprofit/social enterprise/public sector management programs: Stanford's MBA/MA in Education joint degree program, Harvard, NYU, Duke, Georgetown (potentially joint MBA/MPP) and University of Washington.
Caucasian, Female, 25 years old
Undergrad: University of Washington,
Majors: Journalism and Comparative History of Ideas
GPA: 3.68
Worked almost full-time all the way through undergrad. Lots of humanities-centric awards in college and leadership positions on the UW Daily (newspaper) and UW Board of Student Publications.
Internships at Starbucks Corporate, a tech PR company and a The Nation in Bangkok(Thailand's English language newspaper).
GMAT: 630 (verbal-38/83%; quant-38/50%; AWA 6/91%) I'm taking it again (although i'm dreading it).
Work Experience: 3.5 years
Resume Highlights: I started as an international reporter at an English newspaper in Shanghai, China, but for the last three years I've worked at a state education advocacy nonprofit in Seattle, WA that represents the Washington business community's views in education. I started as a communications specialist, but within 8 months was promoted for communications manager--the position I currently hold.
I've been selected for multiple state-wide policy task forces and legislative workgroups. I was also recently selected for a competitive regional leadership training program called "Leadership Tomorrow."
Extracurriculars: I'm on the board of two local nonprofits that benefit Seattle youth (two years of service, each) and work on fundraising and approval of budgets. I am also a math and reading tutor at local elementary schools and do some pro bono graphic design for local nonprofits
Awards: Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award, Washington High School Journalist of the Year, many competitive research grants when I was in college. Two research publications while at the UW in media studies.
I'm from Seattle, WA, but have lived in three countries (Thailand, China and Czech Rep) and traveled to more than 25 countries.
Ultimate Goal: to lead an organization that provides performance management, turnaround and human capital strategy consulting to large urban school districts.
Interim Goal: to participate in the Broad Urban Education Residency, which places outstanding MBA grads in director-level positions in large urban school districts in order to assist in district turnaround.
In order to minimize the fact that I have limited quant experience, I recently took an accounting class at a local community college and got a 3.9--not earth-shattering, but I feel like anything helps to supplement the fact that I'm definitely more on the Poet-side of the Poet/Quant B-school dichotomy.
Many thanks!
M.T.
