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Profile Evaluation and Target Schools List

by mba28 » Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:41 am
Hi all,

I am at a very murky point in my MBA application process and would appreciate any insights you are able to offer.

Profile
GMAT: 740
GPA: 3.593
Undergrad: Top 50 State University, BA in Economics

Work Experience
- Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa for 2 years, Small Enterprise Development Agent, professionally proficient in French
- Business development and strategy for a employee-owned consulting firm that specialized in international development and socially-focused work, 2 years
- Government analyst working on international trade data and statistics, 1 year

Other
- Currently trying to teach myself basic programming, mostly through MOOCs and free resources
- Organizer/Assistant temple youth program
- Tutor for middle school students in transitional housing, Housing Up
- Volunteer mapping activities, OpenStreet Maps

Post MBA Goals
In a nutshell, I want to continue working internationally and in a data-rich environment. Specifically, I am interested in leveraging my current work experience to move into strategy and emerging markets. I would love to work with companies that are trying to break into new global markets, and are using data to inform their decisions.

I have an atypical background for a MBA, so I am looking to develop the business skills I have learned on-the-job and advance my career in the private sector. I am interested in programs that have a strong quantitative focus, and I am also looking into Public Policy masters programs. I would like to stay in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Are these schools an appropriate list of targets? Any others I should consider?

1. Tepper - Data Analytics track
2. Georgetown - dual degree with MPP
3. Darden - Business Analytics concentration
4. Fuqua
5. Wharton (stretch - unsure about my chances here, but love their quant focus)

Thanks in advance!
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by Donna@Stratus » Fri Sep 30, 2016 7:11 am
mba28 wrote:Hi all,

I am at a very murky point in my MBA application process and would appreciate any insights you are able to offer.

Profile
GMAT: 740
GPA: 3.593
Undergrad: Top 50 State University, BA in Economics

Work Experience
- Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa for 2 years, Small Enterprise Development Agent, professionally proficient in French
- Business development and strategy for a employee-owned consulting firm that specialized in international development and socially-focused work, 2 years
- Government analyst working on international trade data and statistics, 1 year

Other
- Currently trying to teach myself basic programming, mostly through MOOCs and free resources
- Organizer/Assistant temple youth program
- Tutor for middle school students in transitional housing, Housing Up
- Volunteer mapping activities, OpenStreet Maps

Post MBA Goals
In a nutshell, I want to continue working internationally and in a data-rich environment. Specifically, I am interested in leveraging my current work experience to move into strategy and emerging markets. I would love to work with companies that are trying to break into new global markets, and are using data to inform their decisions.

I have an atypical background for a MBA, so I am looking to develop the business skills I have learned on-the-job and advance my career in the private sector. I am interested in programs that have a strong quantitative focus, and I am also looking into Public Policy masters programs. I would like to stay in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Are these schools an appropriate list of targets? Any others I should consider?

1. Tepper - Data Analytics track
2. Georgetown - dual degree with MPP
3. Darden - Business Analytics concentration
4. Fuqua
5. Wharton (stretch - unsure about my chances here, but love their quant focus)

Thanks in advance!
First of all, congrats on some great accomplishments professionally and also on the GMAT side. I think your list is good, I don't see any school as a stretch for you with a 740. I think all on your list could be good. I'd also look at programs at MIT, UT Austin and Wash U (Olin)- I thought about this more and think a school like Tuck would value your unusual work experience so I'd look at that program also. Would love to learn more and see if we can help- would need more info so please reach out to us for a free consult so we can learn more: https://stratusprep.com/free-consult/
Last edited by Donna@Stratus on Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by 99Colleges: MBA Admission » Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:47 pm
Hi mba28,

You've a solid GMAT score, and a good GPA to go along with.

You may not necessarily need to have a 'typical MBA' background to be a strong contender in the application process. What you need to demonstrate is that the skills and knowledge gained in your pre-MBA work are transferrable to the business world.

As far as choice of schools is concerned, you may consider NYU's BA track. Kellogg too has a data analytics track, but it won't fall in your geography of interest.

You may find this post useful:

Non-Traditional Applicant? Here's How You Can Strengthen Your Application
Anil, MBA (Wharton)| MBA Admissions Consultant
--------------------------------------
Consulting| Contact at [email protected] for your queries on MBA Admissions
--------------------------------------
And if you couldn't make it earlier, get a free ding analysis
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by mcbMcK » Tue Oct 04, 2016 11:12 pm
A few thoughts on your profile mba28:
  1. The diversity of your experiences will instantly grab eyeballs. That is both a good thing and a potential burden. Latter because at least some of the changes do not have a clear rationale at first look - so you will have to articulate those well to ensure none of your work gets discounted.
  2. For reasons mentioned here, we do not speculate on the school selection. In general though, don't be too hung up on a Data Analtyics specialization. Be more cognizant of schools/programs that offer employment prospects in that space. Also know well what your post-MBA goals/roles could be within the Analytics world.
  3. The impact of your ECs/volunteer work is not very clear. That too will dictate how much they add to the overall profile.
Hope this helps some.

Cheers,
MG (Manish Gupta)|The MBA Crystal Ball Team

Website: https://www.mbacrystalball.com
Email: mcb at mbacrystalball dot com
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