Profile Eval - Non-Traditional Applicant with 640 GMAT

Dear ls413,

It is not impossible to gain admission to one of your target schools with your current profile, but you are right to have some concerns. You are also correct that there will be concern around your ability to handle the quantitative rigor of the program. Your A in statistics will be helpful, as well as any quantitative or analytical aspects to your professional experience. Since your target schools are all top 10, I do encourage you to identify 2-3 schools that would be more reasonable to safety options for you. There are some fabulous programs in the 11-40 range who would welcome your application--even with your current GMAT score.

Good luck,
Lisa

There are many good options in not only the 11-40 range, but also outside the top 40 for you. Prior to doing more research and narrowing down your list, I do think you should determine what you seek in your program and prioritize that list. That way, when researching options, you can determine which fit the bill, which don't, and which are the strongest matches. You might take a look at Indiana (Kelley), Vanderbilt, UNC, and Emory. For other options with smaller applicant pools, you might also look into Minnesota (Carlson), UC-Irvine, and Notre Dame (Mendoza). I could list schools all day, so please don't consider my suggestions to be the only options; attend forums and do your own research to identify other potential options as well.

I highly encourage you to do the research on the different programs you identify as some are stronger than others in specific areas of marketing (i.e., brand management, marketing research, product management, etc.). You will also find schools geographically near your industry of interest generally have stronger ties to that industry. For example, schools in the midwest usually have solid brand management curricula and ties to the CPG industry as numerous CPG companies are headquartered in the midwest.

Happy researching!
Lisa