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Hi all,

Long time lurker here, but first time poster. I would appreciate input regarding my candidate profile in 4-5 years. Please let me know your concerns as well as areas of improvement.

Personal: 23 male, Asian-American (Vietnamese - does this matter?)

Education: 3.66 GPA in MIS from a regional university (Santa Clara University/Gonzaga/LMU).

GMAT: 710 (48Q, 40V, 6IR). Should I retake?

Experience: 1 year as a Business Systems Analyst at Cisco focusing on Salesforce implementations. Major exposure to informally running an international team; On my first year at a San Francisco based Tech startup with considerable IPO aspirations (backed by Google). The company focuses on creating economic equality through connecting talent with opportunity. I'm currently on the management track and plan to be promoted to a lead position within the next 2 years. This would result in solid career progression (Analyst -> Associate Technical Project Manager -> Technical Project Manager -> Lead). I've also had a previous internship at a Big 4 in risk consulting.

Certifications: Salesforce Administrator, Developer, and Certified ScrumMaster.

Leadership/Volunteer: Two years as the Technical Director at a startup nonprofit focused on technology education. This would be 4-5 years by time of application. I also spend weekends tutoring English to nonnative speakers.

Target: Stanford (dream), Yale (goal), USC, Michigan, UCLA, Berkeley. What are your thoughts on other schools?

Story: I've always been passionate about the pervasive power of technology and how it shapes the world, especially in areas of poverty and disenfranchisement. Short term, I'd like to venture into Management Consulting focusing on the nonprofit sector to develop my consultative/analytical skills. Long term, I'd like to return to Tech as a Product Manager in an area impacting the disenfranchised world, hence my emphasis on Yale's holistic curriculum.

Do you think this profile will make a strong candidacy for the aforementioned schools? I think the volunteer, IPO, and proposed plan should make for a solid story, but I'd like to hear the experts' thoughts.

Thank you again!

CriticalSquareMBA wrote:Hi there,

Thanks for sharing your background!

To quickly answer your first question, your ethnicity does indeed matter as schools put you into pools based on ethnicity, education (major), and work experience. Your academic profile is sound - your GPA is strong but from an average school. You have a solid GMAT, but since you will be compared to others in your pool, you may want to consider retaking for a decent shot at GSB or Yale SOM as the average in your pool will be a bit higher.

I like your leadership and involvement. It's clear you've dedicated your time and energy into this nonprofit and that you're impacting it in a positive way. Be sure to be specific about the results of your actions. In terms of your experience, while the IPO aspirations of your company are exciting, the growth and career trajectory matter more, so keep doing what you're doing and make the most out of your position in the management track. Your story is well thought out, and I think your plan makes a lot of sense.

It's hard to categorize schools based on limited information; after all, there is a lot more that goes into your application than what we can discuss on a forum. Based on the information provided, I would say that GSB, Yale, Haas, and Ross might be more of a stretch, but with the right essays and a slightly higher GMAT it's worth giving a couple of those a shot. USC and UCLA would work more in your favor.

Hope this information helps. As you make further progress in developing your profile and get closer to application time, take a look at our free resources to help you along the way.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the reply! This is immensely helpful. I will plan to retake my GMAT and aim to exceed the school's average (Yale - 720). Apart from that, is there anything else I can focus on now in order to differentiate myself from the rest of my "pool"? Some additional facts:

- Graduated undergrad in only 3 years. Unwanted to accelerate my coursework because I wanted to get real world experience and focus on my nonprofit.
- I've taken continuing education coursework at Stanford focusing on entrepreneurship and product marketing (4.0GPA). Will an alternative transcript help offset my average college? I've received only As/B+'s in quant based courses.
- My nonprofit has shipped 2,000+ education platforms to 7 countries, 20 schools, and 20,000 children internationally. Is this the type of impact schools are looking for in an ideal candidate?

Thanks!

Dear Patppham,

You have an interesting start to your career and with the right choices, can steer it in the correct direction. We've recently started a bespoke offering for folks in a similar situation such as yours. You may want to check it out here.