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by logfra22 » Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:04 pm
I am writing in hopes to get a perspective on how competitive I may be for some of the top programs (Berkeley Haas, UPenn Wharton, UCLA Anderson, USC Marshall, and possibly even Stanford or Harvard)

I am a 26-year old Caucasian male with 2 years of work experience in the IT project management office of a large life sciences company and am the youngest project manager in IT at the moment. I've led non - customer facing system implementations on a global scale and have experience in process definition and reengineering, portfolio management, and add value in solving problems and connecting the dots across silos.

I double majored in Psychology and Info Systems at San Diego State with a 3.61 GPA and scored 710 on GMAT's. I have a lot of leadership experience through academic and service organizations on campus. I'm looking to get a well-rounded view of business outside of IT strategy (finance, branding, customer experience, supply chain, business dev) to help determine strategy and eventually to move to the entrepreneurial side of the equation.

While I've had informal leadership experience in projects and PM office initiatives, I worry that my lack of experience and differentiation put me at a disadvantage for admissions. Any thoughts on my chances? Any feedback is appreciated!

-Logan
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:50 am
Hi Logan,

It's great that you're thinking ahead and of your story in a holistic way so keep that up!

You raise some valid concerns. Your current experience set has some great experience, especially around global deployment of solutions, but the lack of direct management or leadership will definitely raise some eyebrows. Most of the top programs look for demonstrated experience and talent in leadership through your work experiences and your application. With 2 years of experience, you may be hard pressed to present that in a solid light.

Additionally, what has your extracurricular involvement been outside of work? Most programs look for experiences from the last 3 years which would limit you to your senior year. These experiences would also have to be unique and differentiating enough to help your application stand out. If they are too similar to other candidates, you run the risk of your application falling in the middle of the road.

Honestly speaking, your chances at the top 10 at this stage in your career are below average as a whole. There are certain programs where you have a better chance. For example, UCLA Anderson has a very strong technology program and you could definitely tailor a story unique to that program to improve your chances. So you could apply this year if you would like, but your chances may be improved by waiting.

I don't want to be too negative. Only 2 years in, you're asking the right questions, at the right time. Looking forward to the next year or two, I would advise you to aggressively pursue differentiating your experiences. From work experiences to extracurriculars, look for opportunities to enhance your leadership story while standing out from the others out there.

If you have specific questions, please let me know. Alternatively, we can discuss this in detail and, if you would like to do that, just sign up for a consultation and we can look forward a couple of years to see how best to help you stand out.

Good luck and, once again, you're ahead of the game so good job on that!

Bhavik
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by Jon@Admissionado » Wed May 01, 2013 5:17 am
Hey Logan,
Look, with a 3.6 and a 710 you are off to a very good start. Truly and truly. For the best of schools even. Only thing is your work experience is a bit too low for you to apply this year, and my feeling (although you didn't really elaborate too much on your work experience) is that you are not yet gonna have the strong stories and leadership you would need to have to get into the top of the top schools. If you want to get into schools like HBS or Stanford the great grades and the great GMAT are the minimum!!!

Beyond that what is your ace in the hole? What unique dreams and goals do you have? What unique leadership? What hobbies/interests/sports? What volunteer work? Where are the things that are gonna make me stand up and say "This is the boy we need!"???

This is the main thing you need to think about as you go forward: "What else can I do to boost my profile?"

So I'd say come up with a plan on how to get the most out of your next year or two so that you can apply when the apple is ripe.

Hope this helps!!!
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by logfra22 » Wed May 01, 2013 9:55 am
Thank you both Bhavik and Jon, very helpful!

I agree with both responses and my gut tells me I should get more experience in leadership and management to help build my story and connect my experience with long-term goals. And not only just to be more competitive, but to make sure that I get the most out of an MBA and that this education and experience helps me reach specific goals.

Thanks again!
-Logan
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Thu May 02, 2013 6:18 am
Good luck Logan!

As you look forward, sometimes it can help to chat about what that end game scenario is. A little strategy here goes a long way. You're still a bit away from applying but if you want to sign up for a free consultation below, I'd be happy to chat with you about where you're headed, what gaps you have, and what some good options to close them might be.

I'll leave that up to you but if you want someone to bounce your ideas off of or just talk things through with, I'm happy to help!

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by MBAAdmissionsCoach » Thu May 02, 2013 7:25 am
Hi Logan -

Great discussion here. I'm glad to hear that you're planning for the future. I agree with Jon and Bhavik that this year is too soon to pursue applications to MBA programs.

My observation of the recruiting process for MBA programs is that it is moving from an 12 month process to a 18-24 month process. This shift is being driven by candidates.

This means that there is a LOT you can be doing now to strengthen your MBA application in the future.

I encourage you to talk to your supervisor to see out managerial responsibilities or some other expansion of your duties. How can you improve upon and diversify your current experience?

Take a look at your resume and start thinking in terms of quantifiable results and accomplishments. Start building those accomplishments now.

Consider visiting schools now. It may seem early, but visiting 2-3 schools in person can give you valuable insights into what you like and what you don't like about MBA programs. Additionally, you can space out the trips (and the expense of the trips) to make it more feasible.

Speaking of expenses, start planning financially for your future MBA students if you haven't already.

How is your professional network? Create a plan to start cultivating a stronger network, and developing stronger relationships with those who you may want to ask for a recommendation letter in the future.

It's good that you are thinking early, Logan. This will allow you to be more proactive and strategic in evaluating schools and completing your applications.

Best of luck to you!

Wendy
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