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Please evaluate! Thanks!

by peter.hsu » Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:02 am
Good afternoon!

I'm a fourth year finance major at The Ohio State University who is planning on graduating in the spring and then entering full time work in the summer. Last fall I wanted to apply to B-schools straight out of undergrad but was told, given the schools I was looking at, that I had a better shot at getting in and would have a better experience if I got some real world experience. I just hoping someone could evaluate my credentials and see where I line up with these schools that I had in mind. Thanks!

GMAT - Sept 2010: Q: 48 V: 41 Essay: 6.0
Undergrad GPA - 3.63 - 3.65 (depends how I finish the final quarters)
Finance major @ Fisher College of Business - Ohio State
Internship experience: One year part time wealth management, two summers B2B Marketing/advertising
Full time experience: Will start work for a top 5 Consumer Products company after graduation as part of their Finance Rotation program.

Interested Schools (Fall 2010, no particular order)
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. U Wash
4. Stanford

Schools currently interested in
1. UCLA
2. USC
3. Harvard Business
4. Stanford
5. NYU

So in the Fall I wanted to go straight out, but now that I have a decent job lined up I figured it would be a good idea to get that work experience that everyone talks about and then reassess my options after a few years. I was just hoping someone could help me with the following questions:

1. Given my numbers, what are my chances at getting into some of the schools listed here?
2. Is there a tier of schools that I'm ignoring or not considering, but should be considering?
3. How many years of work experience should I get under my belt before applying to grad school?

I think I have a good GMAT score and think I could go to a top 10 school, but maybe i'm way off with that assumption. That's where I'm looking to you for guidance. Thanks!
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by Tani » Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:34 pm
Hi Peter,

1. Given my numbers, what are my chances at getting into some of the schools listed here?

Your stats certainly qualify you for admission to a top-ranked school. However, your advisors are definitely correct when they say you will have a much stronger chance with a couple of years' work experience under your belt. There are basically three reasons.
a. your work experience gives the admissions committee an idea of your potential to succeed in a business environment
b. classroom learning for all students depends on the contributions of every student. Without work experience your contribution and the class learning are both diminished.
c. you will benefit far more from the experience once you have a solid work background to compare the course material to.

2. Is there a tier of schools that I'm ignoring or not considering, but should be considering?

You have a great list, but you should definitely look around the Big Ten. All of their schools have top 50 rated MBA programs. Fisher, Kellogg and Kelley in particular are strong in marketing and have a great consumer products focus.

3. How many years of work experience should I get under my belt before applying to grad school?

It varies by individual. You have the best chance once you have at least some experience managing others or leading groups. That takes longer in some specialties than in others. Your GMAT score is good for five years, so you have a reasonable window of time in which to decide.

Go Bucks!
Tani Wolff
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by peter.hsu » Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:12 pm
Tani thanks for your prompt evaluation.

I'm curious if there is any one thing that you might recommend for me to do to improve my resume in the eyes of the admissions councils. Certainly getting professional experience in leadership roles and conveying myself appropriately through the essays are important, but is there anything I may have overlooked in the process?
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by Tani » Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:17 pm
A solid volunteer record can be a great help. Look for a non-profit for which you can contribute professional or leadership skills. Offer to help with a strategic plan or lead a planning team. Start an event or chair a fundraiser. Even start a not-for-profit that fits your interests. The point is not to simply add hours to your resume, but to show that you can make something happen outside of your work.

Also, keep an eye out for mentors - people who can guide you in your career and who will be great recommenders when the day comes. Too many applicants have trouble finding professional recommenders who can talk to their performance on the job. And by the way, if your dad's golf buddy's third cousin is Bill gates former neighbor, don't get Bill to write a recommendation. The quality and depth of evaluation are important, not the title, or even the literary skills, of the recommender.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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