Hello,
Could you please give my profile a quick evaluation.
Schools considering - Harvard (2nd time applying), Wharton (interviewed last year), Columbia, Northwestern, Michigan (safety)
-25 year old white male
-3.56 GPA in mech engr, started at 3.0 and trended up each year (3.65 in major) - small liberal arts college in midwest
-740 Gmat (Q50/V40)
- 1 year , mechanical engineer for a major manufacturing company (in charge of getting a manufacturing line fda approval) - worked in operations
-2 years working for a pharma consulting firm - work in operation projects - will have a promotion (did not have during last application)
-Volunteer - have coached 3 separate youth basketball teams, and started a non-profit youth basketball camp - continued involvement in coaching sports
-Goal is to continue to work in the pharma industry as a consultant once i graduate to gain more experience, then long term goal to become a COO of a pharma company to be able to fix some of the problems within the pharma industry - relates back to growing up and my father having a life threatening illness and the bills that ensued after.
Let me know if I have a realistic chance at the schools i stated above and how should I approach my application and camouflage any obvious weaknesses.
Or any schools you think i am leaving out of the mix!
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
Profile Eval! Please and Thanks!
This topic has expert replies
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
MargaretStrother
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 9:10 am
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Thanked: 44 times
- Followed by:9 members
Hi Thor5517,
Interesting profile here -- I don't see any obvious reason why you'd have trouble getting accepted to a top business school. HBS is always a bit of a wild card, but the fact that Wharton interviewed you and you are reapplying implies that you may have some self-presentation issues last time around, possibly some fuzziness or disconnect in regards to your goals. You also might have simply seemed too young last year, without enough professional experience to convince admissions that you are ready for a top MBA program. In that case, you will have a better shot this year.
I think your school choices are for the most part realistic, but bear in mind that many people claim Harvard is unfriendly to reapplicants, so unless it's your dream school and you can't imagine not giving it another shot, I'd recommend narrowing your sights a bit. If you were thinking of Wharton's healthcare track, be sure you make that clear in your reapplication. I also think Duke might be added to your list.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
Interesting profile here -- I don't see any obvious reason why you'd have trouble getting accepted to a top business school. HBS is always a bit of a wild card, but the fact that Wharton interviewed you and you are reapplying implies that you may have some self-presentation issues last time around, possibly some fuzziness or disconnect in regards to your goals. You also might have simply seemed too young last year, without enough professional experience to convince admissions that you are ready for a top MBA program. In that case, you will have a better shot this year.
I think your school choices are for the most part realistic, but bear in mind that many people claim Harvard is unfriendly to reapplicants, so unless it's your dream school and you can't imagine not giving it another shot, I'd recommend narrowing your sights a bit. If you were thinking of Wharton's healthcare track, be sure you make that clear in your reapplication. I also think Duke might be added to your list.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
-
thor5517
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:18 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
- Followed by:3 members
Thanks for the response!
Why do people say HBS is unfriendly to re-applicants?
How far does that drop my chances, if for say there normal acceptance rate is 13% is it cut in half to 6 or 7% for reapplicants?
Thanks!
Why do people say HBS is unfriendly to re-applicants?
How far does that drop my chances, if for say there normal acceptance rate is 13% is it cut in half to 6 or 7% for reapplicants?
Thanks!
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
MargaretStrother
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 9:10 am
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Thanked: 44 times
- Followed by:9 members
Hi Thor5517,
Not sure this is something that numbers can really quantify. The "unfriendly to reapplicants" rumor is simply one piece of information to take into consideration when you're weighing your school choices for top MBA programs: how much risk is too much? That's ultimately a subjective decision that only you can make.
Hope this helps,
Margaret Strother
Not sure this is something that numbers can really quantify. The "unfriendly to reapplicants" rumor is simply one piece of information to take into consideration when you're weighing your school choices for top MBA programs: how much risk is too much? That's ultimately a subjective decision that only you can make.
Hope this helps,
Margaret Strother
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
MargaretStrother
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 9:10 am
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Thanked: 44 times
- Followed by:9 members
I like the personal connection between your own experience (your father's illness) and your goals in pharma, and I like the sports coaching angle as well. I'm seeing a lot of personal connection in your profile, just in these brief lines, and personal connection, passion, is one of the drivers of success in MBA applications.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
-
thor5517
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:18 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
- Followed by:3 members
Thanks! I have been reading other places and in some cases I have heard that the school will tell you why you were "dinged". Is this something Wharton would do if I interviewed? I have reached out to my interviewer twice but never got a response.
