profile evaluation.

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GMAT Score:680

profile evaluation.

by perseus » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:09 am
Hello,
Thanks very much for reading my post.

I am a 32 yr old and work as a Business Systems Analyst/ Web Administrator for a medium size high-tech company in the SF Bay Area. I have been at this company for the last eight years (Aug, 2000 to present)

I have taken the GMAT exam twice already and got the following scores:
Jan, 2005: 560 total (Dont remember the breakup)
Feb, 2007: 680 total (89 Percentile) Quant: 44, Verbal: 39, AWA: 5.0

I completed my undergrad in 2000 (B.S) double majored in Physics and Computer Science (GPA: 3.2)

I am interested in getting an MBA because I would like to make a career change into either Product Management or Marketing Research after completing the degree.

I have already gotten admission and have taken 3 classes towards a part-time MBA degree at a local university in the SF Bay area but now I am thinking that the degree I am working towards is not going to give me a competitive edge in today's market. From what I have heard from others and seen around me, it takes a degree from a reputable full-time program to be able to change careers.

Towards that goal, I have enrolled to take the GMAT again and am hoping to get a better score than 680.

I am interested in the following MBA programs:
1) NYU - Stern (my second choice)
2) CMU - Tepper (my first choice)
3) USC - Marshall
4) UT Austin - McCombs
5) Indiana - Kelley

With my background (and without retaking the GMAT) which universities (from the list above) do I stand a chance of getting into? Are there Top 20 programs that I can get into which offer competitive programs and I have not considered?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.
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by Lisa Anderson » Sat Nov 15, 2008 7:57 pm
Dear perseus,

First, your courses you have already taken will not transfer to any MBA programs, so you will be starting over. I get the sense you are fine with that, but wanted to let you know this upfront. Likewise, some schools will not consider your application if you start a MBA program somewhere else; so be sure to check the requirements of each of your target schools to make sure you can apply.

Congratulations on your 680! While a higher score will not hurt you, I'm not sure you need to retake the test. It is critical you present a strong application in the second round to these schools, so your time might be better spent on essays at this point. I think you have a chance at all of these schools assuming you present a compelling case for admission. Demonstrating leadership potential, teamwork skills, and career progression is critical to your evaluation.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
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