Hello,
I'm looking for a bit of guidance on applying for an MBA during this coming year. In terms of profile, I am 32 (33 at time of course start) and have been in the Armed Forces for the last 14 years. In the mean time I have earned an Undergraduate degree in French and Russian, and a postgraduate degree in Political Economy. My career experience has (to my mind at least) been quite interesting-I have had quite a lot of leadership experience and have worked in a variety of roles, ranging from serving in Afghanistan through to working as a diplomat in the Former Soviet Union. I am due to sit GMAT next week and am currently testing consistently between 660 and 690. My verbal is far stronger than my quant- I tend to score Q 42/43 and V 40/41.
I have put my CV in for review at LBS, who have encouraged me to apply, subject to GMAT. My first question is, given the mean score of 695, is a 680, along with my age going to put me out of the running? I am also looking at Cambridge Judge, based primarily on their being 'military friendly.' I had looked seriously at INSEAD (I am a French Speaker for what little it matters) but note that they want a quant score over the 75th percentile; I clearly am not there!
I am based in London but would not be averse to going abroad. My aim in completing an MBA is to gain a business education which will enable me to transition out of the military. I have not given a huge amount of thought to where I see myself post MBA, although I imagine that my lack of finance exposure probably rules out a finance career. My guess is that consulting is a more realistic goal.
I'd be grateful for any advice you might offer on my profile and admissions chances to either of the 2 named schools; equally, if there are any schools which you feel merit examination, I'd be interested in your feedback. Cost isn't really a huge factor in my decision, although I'm not sure that extends to a 2 year program in the US!
I'm looking for a bit of guidance on applying for an MBA during this coming year. In terms of profile, I am 32 (33 at time of course start) and have been in the Armed Forces for the last 14 years. In the mean time I have earned an Undergraduate degree in French and Russian, and a postgraduate degree in Political Economy. My career experience has (to my mind at least) been quite interesting-I have had quite a lot of leadership experience and have worked in a variety of roles, ranging from serving in Afghanistan through to working as a diplomat in the Former Soviet Union. I am due to sit GMAT next week and am currently testing consistently between 660 and 690. My verbal is far stronger than my quant- I tend to score Q 42/43 and V 40/41.
I have put my CV in for review at LBS, who have encouraged me to apply, subject to GMAT. My first question is, given the mean score of 695, is a 680, along with my age going to put me out of the running? I am also looking at Cambridge Judge, based primarily on their being 'military friendly.' I had looked seriously at INSEAD (I am a French Speaker for what little it matters) but note that they want a quant score over the 75th percentile; I clearly am not there!
I am based in London but would not be averse to going abroad. My aim in completing an MBA is to gain a business education which will enable me to transition out of the military. I have not given a huge amount of thought to where I see myself post MBA, although I imagine that my lack of finance exposure probably rules out a finance career. My guess is that consulting is a more realistic goal.
I'd be grateful for any advice you might offer on my profile and admissions chances to either of the 2 named schools; equally, if there are any schools which you feel merit examination, I'd be interested in your feedback. Cost isn't really a huge factor in my decision, although I'm not sure that extends to a 2 year program in the US!
