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Evaluation for candidate with unorthodox background

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Evaluation for candidate with unorthodox background

by thompsondr1 » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:30 pm
Hi Stacey or Lisa,

Upon graduation from college I worked at a law firm for a year (thought that was what I wanted to do) then moved to Europe and taught English for a year in Spain and the Czech Republic. After that, traveled for about 2 years through Africa, Asia and Europe. Since getting back I worked at KPMG in small non-profit division for 6 months and now have been at niche (we do due diligence for private equity portfolio firms) insurance brokerage for about 6 months. I want to go back to school to start a career in finance (which I have been trying, albeit unsuccessfully, for the last year and a half to do).


Basic Facts:
GMAT: 740 (49 quant, 41 verbal) AWA: 5.0
undergrad: UT Austin
major/minor: Philosophy/Business Administration
GPA: 2.8 (no real trend) but worked though 2 years of college
Age: 27
Race: Caucasian
Some extracurriculars - nothing exceptional.

Schools I am looking at:
(Long-shots)
UC Berkeley
Columbia (Early Decision)
Dartmouth
Yale

(realistic)
UVA
North Carolina

Am I wasting my time applying to the "long-shots" (I would probably define wasting my time as having less than a 20% chance of getting in). Obviously, I have already taken the GMAT so I will be able to apply at the ideal time and although I am not an incredible essay writer, I have plenty of friends who are and are willing to help.

Thank you
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forgot to mention

by thompsondr1 » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:38 pm
I forgot to mention that I am taking an intermediate finance course at Berkeley and will make an A in it. I realize it's not much of an "alternative transcript" but I figured that it couldn't hurt me.
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:15 am
Dear thompsondr1,

I think you are a competitive candidate for your long shots. However, it is important that you spend the time to craft the best applications possible, customized to each program. I would encourage you to get started now as many of these schools have already released their applications and essay questions for fall 2009 entry. I'm glad to read you have some folks willing to help you with your essays as the essays and interview are what makes the difference in terms of your decision. You will want to practice your answer for "tell me about your career path to date" as you want to show the logic and progression behind your job choices. Lastly, don't forget to spend time on your resume--make sure it highlights your accomplishments in each job, rather than a bulleted task list.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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Rejected candidate - next steps

by thompsondr1 » Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:32 pm
Hi,

I wrote the post below a few month ago but only ended up applying to Chicago and UVA. I was recently rejected by both with no interview invitation. Would you say that not even being invited for an interview is a good indication that things wouldn't work out next year? Before this fall, when I plan to reapply, I will be promoted again and plan on making A's in 3 classes (Prob/Stat., International Finance and one yet to be determined) to help out my less than stellar GPA (2.75). I also plan to get involved more with a local community service group. Are re-applicants looked at as "last years rejects" or if I have made a lot of gain and put in a lot of effort in the interim, could it almost be a positive?

Is there anything else I should be doing?

Other than reapplying to UVA (I think I'll skip out on Chicago) I plan on applying to UNC, Georgetown, Texas, Yale and Cornell. Do you think I stand a reasonable chance at these schools?

Thanks a ton,

Ryan
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by Lisa Anderson » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:38 am
Dear Ryan,

I'm sorry to hear UVA and Chicago passed on your application this year. Being rejected is not necessarily going to hinder your candidacy for the next year, but you do need to try and get some feedback as to why your application was not successful. If you can speak with both schools to find out what the concerns are, then you can address them in your re-applications. Demonstrating that you have taken the year between to work on those concerns and strengthen your application are positives that will help your re-application.

Likewise, the feedback can help you in your applications to other programs. Since you were not interviewed, I would assume your essays, recommendations and resume were not as effective as they needed to be. It is critical these aspects highlight your leadership potential and provide a solid rationale for getting your MBA in relation to your career goals. I agree that continuing to build a strong alternative transcript will also be helpful. Finally, I would suggest trying to visit the schools are you considering to really gain an understanding of the schools' culture and what they seek in applicants.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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