Request for evaluation

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Request for evaluation

by jerseyny » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:47 am
Hello,

Please help in evaluating my candidacy.

1. Asian Female with Asian nationality, 24 years old

2. I have 2 years of work experience in retail (after graduation, got a job to manage over 20 stores and over 100 employees - floor manager of the biggest luxury department store in my country, I still can't believe that the company gave this much responsibility to a newly graduate) and PR consulting (I am the project manager for the biggest account of my team and was promoted twice within one year)

3. GMAT score of 690 with 6.0 AWA (Really studied hard but couldn't bring up the verbal score - )

4. Went to one of the top 5 colleges in my country, majored in business. Entered my class as the 1st, graduated as the valedictorian. (GPA not so high as my school was notorious for not giving good grades so I hope the admin will focus more on the rank rather than the GPA)

5. Extra curricular: Worked for the blind, translator for immigrants, also worked as a model (which I think is kind of unique)

6. I wish to work on the consulting sector (not PR consulting) after MBA


I would like to apply for top 10 programs in US. I know that my GMAT score isn't high compared to other applicants but I will try to write genuine stories which differentiate from other applicants. I know that my work experience is short but as I stated, luckily, I did had the opportunity to show my leadership by managing various stores and also being promoted twice might show that the company values me in a way. In the first year of working, I applied for HEC Paris grande ecole program (not sure if this school is well known in the states..) and got accepted. (didn't go as I later learned that I would prefer MBA to MSc) However, reading the thread, applicants for MBA tend to have much more work experience compared to myself.

Could you give me advice whether I have a chance at these schools? I personally would like to attend CBS as though I studied business admin in college, I do think I need more knowledge about investment and finance and after all I do want to own my own company (I heard CBS has great entrepreneurship programs as well) I also heard that CBS is crazy about GMAT so I am worried..

Thank you very much for your help.
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by paulsbodine » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:22 am
jerseyny,

Your profile is distinctive with demonstrated leadership, and your numbers are good, so you can aim relatively high. Is your verbal percentile in the 70s? The lower edge of the middle 80% in work experience for Columbia matriculants is 35 months, so if you have 2 years of work experience now and thus 3 at matriculation you are fine. Consider applying Early Decision at Columbia to increase your odds. Given your consulting goals and age consider the following schools: MIT, Michigan, Cornell, and UVA, perhaps also Kellogg and Tuck. Feel free to send me your CV for a closer look.
Paul Bodine
Author, "Great Applications for Business School," "Perfect Phrases for Business School Acceptance," "Perfect Phrases for Letters of Recommendation"
https://www.paulsbodine.com/
[email protected]
(858) 869-1959