BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Looking for advice on other MBA programs to apply to

Share tips as you apply, write essays, interview...
This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:38 pm
Location: Boston

Looking for advice on other MBA programs to apply to

by dmrudy42 » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:17 pm
Hi guys,

I submitted to the following schools (full-time) during round II:

UCLA (Anderson)
UVA (Darden)
UNC (Kenan-Flagler)
Emory (Goizueta)
UW (Foster)
Babson

I should hear back from these soon, but I'd like to apply to a few others before the final deadline to give myself more options if I'm not fortunate with those above. Here's a shorthand list of those I'm also considering, but know less about:

CMU (Tepper)
Yale
Georgetown (McDonough)
USC (Marshall)
AZU (Carey)
U Maryland (Smith)
GTech
Texas Austin

ANY OTHERS I SHOULD CONSIDER? Am I blatantly overlooking anything?

My preferences (not requirements) in an MBA program:
1. Top 35 national ranking
2. Competitively affordable (state schools)
3. Warm weather, coastal region, within range of major city

My profile:
Age: 27
Undergrad School: U Rochester
Undergrad GPA: 3.8
GMAT: 630 (taken once)
Work Exp: 6 years total. 2 in Film, 4 in Tech PR/Marketing

My lack of experience using any quantitative skills, average GMAT and the crumbling economy (generating more applicants) have kept me from applying to top 15 schools. Am I selling myself short?

Thanks in advance for your insight - I appreciate it!
Top
Source: — The Application Process |
Legendary Member
Posts: 1018
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm
Thanked: 86 times
Followed by:6 members

by mayonnai5e » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:27 pm
Sticking with all safety schools means you may significantly reduce your lifetime earnings potential since the best schools usually result in the highest average salaries and subsequent pay will be based directly (or indirectly) on the first salary you come away with after b-school. Why would you give up the possibility of additional hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime so willingly?

I focused on a spectrum of schools starting from dream schools to safety schools. LBS/Columbia being the dream schools, Haas being a reach, and UCLA/USC being safety schools. If you only go for safeties then you're selling yourself short and in the best case you'll be accepted to several safety schools. I'd reevaluate the list you've applied to, determine how many are safeties and if apply to at least one or two reach/dream schools.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-blog-erro ... t4899.html
550 =\ ...560 =\... 650 =) ...570 =( ...540 =*( ...680 =P ... 670 =T ...=T... 650 =T ...700 =) ..690 =) ...710 =D ...GMAT 720 DING!! ;D

Learn more about me
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1018
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm
Thanked: 86 times
Followed by:6 members

by mayonnai5e » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:31 pm
<moved to more appropriate forum>
https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-blog-erro ... t4899.html
550 =\ ...560 =\... 650 =) ...570 =( ...540 =*( ...680 =P ... 670 =T ...=T... 650 =T ...700 =) ..690 =) ...710 =D ...GMAT 720 DING!! ;D

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:38 pm
Location: Boston

Looking for advice on other MBA programs to apply to

by dmrudy42 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:33 pm
"Sticking with all safety schools means you may significantly reduce your lifetime earnings potential since the best schools usually result in the highest average salaries and subsequent pay will be based directly (or indirectly) on the first salary you come away with after b-school. Why would you give up the possibility of additional hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime so willingly?

I focused on a spectrum of schools starting from dream schools to safety schools. LBS/Columbia being the dream schools, Haas being a reach, and UCLA/USC being safety schools. If you only go for safeties then you're selling yourself short and in the best case you'll be accepted to several safety schools. I'd reevaluate the list you've applied to, determine how many are safeties and if apply to at least one or two reach/dream schools."

Hi Lee,

Thanks for your response.

Of the schools I applied to, here is how I have defined them for me:

UCLA: dream
UVA, UNC: reach
UW, Emory, Babson: safety

As this is my first experience applying, I don't have any indication how competitive my profile is, if my dream/reach/safety classifications are accurate, and thus if I should be aiming higher. How do you advise I handle the programs I know less about:

CMU
USC
Georgetown
ASU
UMD


Best,

D
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1018
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm
Thanked: 86 times
Followed by:6 members

by mayonnai5e » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:57 pm
I don't know some of those schools you listed, but you can look at their numbers that are available various source (BW, MBA rankings, MBA data books). You can compare your hard numbers against theirs to get a sense of where you fall stats-wise, but that doesn't mean you can't apply to dream schools.

In addition to that, you should learn more about the different programs and get a sense of what they are looking for in a business leader - that can help you determine whether you "FIT" at a particular school. You can have terrible numbers, but with a good background, story and the right fit you can still get in.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/my-blog-erro ... t4899.html
550 =\ ...560 =\... 650 =) ...570 =( ...540 =*( ...680 =P ... 670 =T ...=T... 650 =T ...700 =) ..690 =) ...710 =D ...GMAT 720 DING!! ;D

Learn more about me
Top
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 690
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 12:51 pm
Thanked: 39 times
Followed by:3 members
GMAT Score:750+

by VP_MBA_Guru » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:36 pm
D -

As you evaluate your schools, check out Veritas Prep's School Selector Tool. Its a fun way to get a sense of what schools you might be competitive for.


https://www.veritasprep.com/selector/


Regards,

N
Nikhil P. | Admissions Consultant | Veritas Prep
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:30 pm
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:670

by Vitalina » Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:58 pm
VP_MBA_Guru wrote:D -

As you evaluate your schools, check out Veritas Prep's School Selector Tool. Its a fun way to get a sense of what schools you might be competitive for.


https://www.veritasprep.com/selector/


Regards,

N
LOL, this made me laugh out loud, the result I mean. ))) No disrespect, it's just that I make a more realistic estimation of myself and my chances, I guess. I got the following results:
Optimal Schools
School
Stanford University (CA)
Harvard University (MA)
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)

))))) The only 'unreal' thing i entered is GMAT, which 700 score. I am beating around 620 for now. But I CAN'T be that good! ) :roll:
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1