EssaySnark feels this is a strong profile that could potentially be attractive to some of the top schools NOW (without more than a year of work experience, which you'd get in the time between now and matriculating in Fall 2011).

Some schools like Harvard are known to accept a lot of younger candidates. Chicago Booth is quite open to it too, as is to a lesser degree UCLA and some others. Having two or three years of work experience would make you more attractive for schools like Columbia. It depends on what you want to do with the MBA and how you articulate your career goals, but the basic profile here is at least as strong if not stronger than most of your peers in your age group, so if you were motivated, you might consider applying for the upcoming admissions cycle. Your trick would be in communicating why now is the right time for bschool. MIT and Kellogg both prefer candidates with some work experience, and the standard for almost all European schools including Said is about 3 years minimum work experience. So the schools named on your list might not be the best targets if you want to go to bschool sooner. Other top schools might be accessible though.

If you choose to work for a few years first, continue to build your profile by getting assigned for important projects at work, taking the initiative, looking for ways to add value, and otherwise making tangible contributions. The extracurrics will be important at some schools too but EssaySnark recommends focusing on producing quantifiable results on the job wherever possible. This will help the adcom say "yes" to you even more easily.

Good luck with it!

Thanks for the great advice. Ideally I would like to wait around 2-3 years until I apply. Although this might sound strange to a few people, I would like to experience the work life for a bit before I jump back into school. But ultimately I believe in pursuing higher education and continuous improvement of one's self.

The feedback I have received about Oxford's preference for more work experience makes me hesitant to apply there now, so I believe that I will apply to U Chicago instead when the time comes.

The one thing regarding my profile that worries me is the strength of my undergraduate degree. I have heard that schools like Harvard and Columbia prefer people with undergraduate degrees from highly reputable universities. The university I went to, although fairly highly ranked in Canada, has very little international recognition. Furthermore, I did so poorly during my first year of university that I failed two courses. However, I got my act together and my grades started improving dramatically over the next three years and I ended up graduating at the top of my class. I was wondering whether my poor first year of university and the fact that my undergrad university is not well known will hinder my chances of getting into a top 10 MBA program.

Thanks again for the advice, it is very much appreciated!

Guobert wrote:The one thing regarding my profile that worries me is the strength of my undergraduate degree. I have heard that schools like Harvard and Columbia prefer people with undergraduate degrees from highly reputable universities. The university I went to, although fairly highly ranked in Canada, has very little international recognition. Furthermore, I did so poorly during my first year of university that I failed two courses. However, I got my act together and my grades started improving dramatically over the next three years and I ended up graduating at the top of my class. I was wondering whether my poor first year of university and the fact that my undergrad university is not well known will hinder my chances of getting into a top 10 MBA program.

EssaySnark thinks that working before bschool is wise. What you learn is so much more relevant and you can apply it better. EssaySnark agrees with your strategy.

As to your follow-up questions: All schools are looking for diversity in their students, and this comes across a wide spectrum, including the undergraduate institution they attended. Not only do they like getting high achievers from a range of schools, they also have enough experience (data) on their admissions processes over the years that they will likely be familiar with the quality of your school and will be able to evaluate your transcript against candidates from very different schools. It is no weakness at all, in EssaySnark's opinion, that you didn't go to an Ivy League school. More important will be showing evidence that you took advantage of all opportunities available to you, you made a contribution, and you made something of the experience.

Second question: The rough start in college is also no problem. This is a very common pattern. The adcom will look for an upward trajectory in grades overall. The fact that you ended at the top of your class is the datapoint that matters here. Congrats on the strong performance there, the adcoms will appreciate it when it comes time for you to apply.

Good luck with it!