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Hi guys - So I just took the GMAT and received a 640 (Q44V34). I know I could have done at least 30 points better so I was a bit disappointed with the score but such is life. I'm now faced with the question whether or not to apply to B-School and to which programs. I was planning to apply to Yale SOM, UVA Darden, Darthmouth Tuck, Cornell Johnson, and NYU Stern. Here is a quick snapshot of my background:

GMAT: 640(Q44V34)
GPA: 3.33 in Accounting from a large state university (probably best university in its state)
WE: 2 years of Assurance work at a Big4 and 1 year of Mergers and Acquisitions advisory (will be 4 years total by August 2017).
Nationality: Hispanic (male) Non-native, moved to the US at age 12.
Extracurriculars: I do a fair amount of volunteering as a speaker / mentor for underprivileged high school kids, have dabbled with founding a couple "lemonade-stand" type of businesses (created a couple products, not yet on the market), and I recently got involved being a "mentor" for a startup hub / incubator in my city - basically I help any of the start-ups (mostly in tech) with finance/accounting questions, M&A, business plans, valuations, raising capital, etc.

My question is, based on your experience and looking at my profile, do I have any chance at all at landing an interview at one of these schools? I know the easy answer is No but I'm trying to figure out whether I'm faced with a low probability (let's say 1/100 chance) vs. fantasy land probability (to put a number, let's just say 1/10,000 chance). I'm not sure if it helps at all that I'm hispanic (underrepresented at top MBAs) and that I come from literally nothing in the hills of Colombia - I have had to work extremely hard to get to where I am today (not to say other people haven't, but I'm truly an underdog story that has had to figure everythingggg out on my own). If I apply I plan to use that background as a framework to show AdComs why I would be a good fit (without making it a sob story, just highlighting the hardships and why it's made me a driven leader). Any input on my chances would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hi atticus936,

Given the middle 80% range of top schools, your score would fall somewhere in bottom 5-10% at these schools, which makes your case challenging. Nonetheless (given few compensatory factors you've mentioned), I would say you're in a low-probability category, and not fantasy-land probability.

Extracurricular activities, diversity, and a 'story' help, but the core should come from your professional life: achievements despite odds vs. average performance despite odds. The first one can catapult you.