Please Evaluate My Candidacy!

Expert replies

jakesing: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 21; Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:10 pm; Thanked: 1 times

by jakesing » Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:59 pm

Hello!

I would truly appreciate an honest evaluation of my chances of admission to a top-5 US business school. Before I begin, I am only 22 years old and do not plan on applying right away. Rather, I want to get an idea of whether you feel I am close to where I need to be, and what, if anything, I should focus on in the next couple years before I am ready to apply.

Credentials:

Undergrad: Econ major at Brandeis U., 3.76 GPA/3.95 in my major (Magna Cum Laude)
College Extracurriculars: Most notably I was the treasurer of one of the largest clubs on campus.
Work Experience: Currently am working at a big four accounting firm in a consulting/finance division, and had a nice variety of internships throughout college.
GMAT: 730 (47 Q, 42 V)

My parents moved us around quite a bit - we lived in Israel for 7 years between the ages of 8-15, which sort of gave me some interesting perspective. Further, I graduated early and backpacked around S. America alone for 5 months. I don't know if either of those things is interesting to an admissions board, but I trust you could let me know.

My questions are a) should I retake my GMAT (composite score is strong but I'm slightly concerned about my Q score - I had been doing much better on practice tests), b) I think one area of weakness is a lack of great extracurricular activities. I am actively pursuing some humanitarian opportunities in NYC (where I live), but I am also considering taking a year or two to travel the world, contributing of myself where I see fit. I have even begun considering joining the peace corps (not for Bschool admissions, but for myself); and c) How would admissions people look at me differently whether I stay at my job for 1 year vs. 2 years?

Anyway, that is my quick self-summary, and I really want to be in a position to target the very best schools within the next 1-3 years.

What do you think?

Thank you very much!

Source: Beat The GMAT — Ask Clear Admit | Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:59 pm

Stacey Oyler: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 900; Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:49 amFollowed by: 81 members; Location: San Francisco, CA; Thanked: 106 times

by Stacey Oyler » Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:40 pm

Hi Jake,

Thanks for your post. Please see my comments below:

My questions are a) should I retake my GMAT (composite score is strong but I'm slightly concerned about my Q score - I had been doing much better on practice tests)

You have a solid GMAT score and your strong undergrad GPA in econ combined with your role in financial consulting will likely be enough to demonstrate to the adcom that you can handle the curriculum. However, if you feel that you can indeed improve your score, it 's certainly worth retaking especially if your target schools are in the top 10.

b) I think one area of weakness is a lack of great extracurricular activities. I am actively pursuing some humanitarian opportunities in NYC (where I live), but I am also considering taking a year or two to travel the world, contributing of myself where I see fit. I have even begun considering joining the peace corps (not for Bschool admissions, but for myself);

It seems as though it's not so much the lack of extracurricular activities you're asking about, but whether or not leaving your job to travel and pursue personal interests (while perhaps helping others) is a good idea. I think this could be a risky move. How will you finance your two years traveling? What will you do to fill the time? How will this help you gain the skills needed to achieve your post MBA goals? Joining the Peace Corp is an interesting idea and it would provide the structure and help you learn new skills that traveling for the sole purpose of discovery won't.

c) How would admissions people look at me differently whether I stay at my job for 1 year vs. 2 years?

It's not so much how long you stay in your current job that the adcom will be looking at, but what you've done to achieve your goals and prepare yourself for an MBA program that they are interested in. If staying in your current role won't help you achieve your goals, then a change is a good idea. That change may be a new job or leaving corporate America, it's up to you to decide.

Best,

Stacey

Sign up for my MBA admissions course, featuring me and other Clear Admit experts, by visiting: https://www.udemy.com/business-school

Stacey Oyler
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215.568.2590

Stay Informed with Clear Admit!
Read our Blog for daily MBA admissions tips and updates.
Follow us on Twitter for breaking b-school news.
Download our Publications on MBA programs and admissions strategy.
Visit our MBA Admissions Wiki to read and share application insights.

GMAT Course Reviews

563 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (563 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review