Dear Alexander25,

Thanks for your post!

I have the following thoughts/comments:

1) Your ugrad experience sounds very interesting in terms of the extensive study-abroad you completed. Did all of this take place during a single academic year or were you away longer? Are you referring to 'study' or travels as well (that seems like a lot of countries to have studied in)... Do your grades include the study-abroad courses (often perceived as easier coursework).

2) A 3.60 GPA is clearly competitive at the top MBA programs like Stanford and HBS. Of course, I'd be curious to know more about the school you attended. Is it a top-20 liberal arts program? If not, the adcoms may use your GMAT to 'benchmark' the caliber of your ugrad institution.

3) Your GMAT is about 60-70 points below the average of the two target schools you mention. What were your percentile results on the math and verbal? Did you not cross the 80th percentile in one (or both) sections? As of now, this result is a bit of a 'red flag' if you are seriously targeting the very top programs. First, it will drag down your GPA (or the caliber of school you attended). Second, if you've only taken the exam once, the adcom will wonder why you haven't tried to improve a result that is so far beneath their average (especially since they really only take the highest score).

4) Your work experience sounds a bit spotty to date (8 months with one firm, a short stint with another). The good news is that your Peace Corps stint should help you add some stability (and uniqueness) to your profile, since you will be on a two-year post, etc. In additon, most MBA programs look favorably on Peace Corps experience.

Conclusion
While you have the beginnings of a solid candidacy for top-25 MBA programs, there are several elements that have yet to come into place. The first is the GMAT result - in which a retest with a higher result could really help your case. The second is your career path - ideally the Peace Corps experience offers you a great deal of leadership opportunity and cultural immersion, etc. The third relates to your outside activities/hobbies/community service - ideally you have plenty to work with here and will continue to nurture/develop these areas (you didn't comment on this area in your post). You'll also need to determine your career goals and why you need the dual degree, etc.

So are you "reaching for the clouds" with JFK/HBS and Stanford? I think the verdict is not yet in for most areas, but I can say that your present GMAT result may put those programs out of reach. While a lower score can be compensated for by other positve areas of one's profile, I fear that a 650 is simply going to be too low in this case (wheras you may have had a case if we were talking about a 680). Of course, I'd ideally see your ugrad transcripts to fully assess the situation, but that's my point of view based on the information you've offered.

Feel free to send your resume to [email protected] if you would like to set up a free initial assessment of your candidacy.

Best of luck,

Graham