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Hi all!

I've decided to apply to an MBA program, and was aiming at the following schools: USC, Georgetown, Emory, Duke, and Vanderbilt.

I graduated from The George Washington University with a 3.20 GPA in International Affairs, concentrating in East Asian Relations and having studied abroad at Tokyo's Sophia University. I am proficient in Japanese.

By the time I apply, I will have had 2.5 years of experience. After interning during college at The Ritz-Carlton, I started as a hotel manager for Disney and was part of the re-opening team at The Plaza hotel in New York. Now I am working for a real estate company hoping to acquire the skills necessary to build my own hotel. Outside the office, I have a role on a nearby condo board, representing my company's investors in property issues.

I feel and MBA will help me gain a better perspective on the global economy and the proper quantitative/financial skills necessary to start my own company.

My practice GMAT's have been between 640 and 690...do I have a shot at my schools of choice?

In advance, thank you for your assistance!

Hi Brian,
Thanks for you post. As you probably know, its hard to gauge your candidacy based soley on your GPA, GMAT and work experience, as much of the decision is also dependent on your essays, career interests, LORs, extra curricular, etc.

That said, I think you have a good selection of schools. Georgetown and USC might be a stretch, as your GMAT and GPA are about average (maybe slightly low) for those with real estate/finance backgrounds.

I would strongly encourage you to apply in R1 for those schools.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Regards,

N

Thank you so much for your response!

Is it more difficult to gain admission to a school strong in the specialty one is interested in?

Are there any other programs you would suggest? I feel Emory and Vanderbilt are good bets, while Georgetown, USC, (and Duke) are probably a bit harder to get into...as you said. I feel I probably need a safety or two as well...

Again, thank you so much!

I was extremely involved in college, taking on leadership roles on both a University level as well as with my local Knights of Columbus group. Through each, I put together a number of fundraising concerts and breakfast events, in addition to always having an internship. So while I was excited about and interested in my classes, they were not my only focus.

To combat my somewhat average GPA, I was thinking about taking an accounting or finance class this summer. While I took and scored well in a number of economics classes at GW, my accounting background is weak.

University of Southern California is particularly intriguing to me, with it's PRIME program (work abroad in Asia), strong real estate development program, and heavy recruitment by companies I admire. It just seems right. I know it's not an easy program to gain admission to though, so hoping to gain any advantage I can.

Thank you again!

Thanks for your response,

To your first question - I would argue, yes - it is 'more' difficult to get into schools if you are interested in their 'specialty' For example, a school like Kellogg seems to attract those who are interested in Marketing, therefore you are competiting against a bigger pool of similar candidates. The school can be more selective in their candidates. Same thing for Wharton and Finance.

Now, (1) that doesnt mean its any easier than another top ranked school (2) doesnt mean you shouldnt apply to those programs.

B - I think its a great idea to take an analytical course to help pad your GPA. To be honest, it will not make a huge difference, but will show your commitment to strengthening your analytical skills and good performance (make sure you ace the class!). I would consider statistics or calculus and maybe even acct over finance.

Sounds like you have great leadership experience. That will definitely help in your applications.

Regards,

N

B - sorry for the multiple posts!
I just realized you haven't taken the GMAT yet. As you probably know, I would make that your priority over taking a class. Having a GMAT score of 30-40 points higher is much more valuable than taking a statistics class. And esp since your GPA is about average, scoring high on the GMAT can really help your candidacy.

Best of luck!

All,

Just to update- I signed up for a graduate level financial accounting course at SUNY: Stony Brook today. Hopefully, I'll get an A and, considering my average undergraduate GPA, improve my candidacy.

What do you think?

Thanks again!

Hi Brian,
I think its a good idea. Per my previous post, I dont think it will have a significant impact on your candidacy but will help pad your academic capabilities.

Good luck with the class!

n