Profile Evaluation, Please - Fall 2010

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Profile Evaluation, Please - Fall 2010

by CA_Architect » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:25 pm
Hi Lisa,

I am preparing to apply for Fall 2010 admission and I would like to get a realistic understanding of my chances.

White male, US-born, 30 years old (31 at matriculation)
GMAT: 720 (Q: 48, V: 41, still awaiting AWA results), Sept 2009

Undergrad (graduated 2001): B.A., 3.06 GPA from a small Jesuit liberal arts university, Economics major. Worked full-time (insurance industry) during college and managed my own real estate investment properties concurrently.

Grad (graduated 2005): M.Arch (masters of architecture), 3.22 GPA from a Big-Ten university.

Work: During college and for the year after, I worked for an insurance company (Fortune 500 corp) in a variety of roles, starting in a call center (at 19), becoming a supervisor/quality analyst in the call center (at 20), and then becoming a marketing analyst after completing my BA at 22. Decided I was more interested in working in a field that dealt with the built environment than dealing with just financial services, and went on to pursue architecture (grad school). Worked as an intern for a small architecture firm during part of grad school, and have worked in 3 other architecture firms of varying sizes and types since completing the M.Arch. Became a licensed architect this year.

References: Will have very good references from my current supervisor and a principal of my current firm, which is a highly regarded international firm with 7 offices around the world.

Other: involved in community and professional organizations such as the AIA (American Institute of Architects), SPUR (San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association), LEAP for kids (an organization of architects/builders promoting arts education in Bay Area schools).

I want to enroll in an MBA program as an avenue to transition my career toward the direction of real estate development and/or asset management, building upon my experience in architecture. I realize that my background is certainly much different than the backgrounds of the majority of MBA program applicants, and I am not sure if this will be a huge hindrance that will keep me from gaining admittance at reputable schools.

I would love to get into UC Berkeley (Haas), NYU (Stern), or Cornell (Johnson), but maybe those schools are totally unrealistic given my grades and demographic profile. I am also considering USC (Marshall), Georgetown (McDonough), and UT Austin (McCombs). Are there other schools that I may be a good fit for that I have overlooked?

Would greatly appreciate any advice or feedback you can offer. Thanks!
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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:34 am
Dear CA_Architect,

I think you have a competitive profile for all 6 schools you mentioned in your post. You have a good mix of reach and appropriate choices. As long as you have a solid rationale for why you want to go to business school, then your architecture background might help you to stand out and be an advantage for you. Your GMAT and GPA are close to/above average for your target schools, and you appear to have good work experience. Presenting a compelling case for admission through your essays, recommendations, resume and interviews will be key.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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