Hello synchrodestiny,

Thanks for your post! I'm sorry you had such a tough admissions season! In terms of what may have "gone wrong" at the outset, I cannot really comment on academics without your GPA. It's also hard to get a sense of your leadership and impact in your career to-date without related details. I would also be concerned that perhaps your goals were not developed enough, as consulting is a common post-MBA path. Given your background in engineering/IT/Telecom, it would make sense to tie in a thread of that to your post-MBA consulting goals for some continuity. In regards to your extracurricular activities, you'll want to stay focused on your achievements as an adult; it's great that you had some great experiences in baseball, but the adcom will be more interested in the passions you pursued as an adult. Also, activities tend to have a shelf life of five years, so I would be concerned about the timing of the competitions you list. Running your own company, however, could help you stand out in the admissions process, depending on your leadership and impact.

Given the extent of your work experience and lack of success at top programs, you may consider looking into EMBA programs or regional MBA programs. If you decide to re-apply to the programs you mentioned, you will want to consider that you run the risk of being pigeonholed as an "older applicant," as you are a few years older than typical MBA applicants. The adcom may therefore worry that your long tenure in a single industry indicates a potential resistance to learning new skills. They may also be concerned that you would be less likely to be active outside the classroom, given that the majority of your classmates will be significantly younger than you. You will need to emphasize your openness to new ideas as well as your enthusiasm about contributing to the school community.

The GRE is acceptable in place of the GMAT. If you decide to take the GMAT, a 700+ would be considered competitive at the top programs.

If you'd like to discuss your candidacy further, please contact us at: https://www.clearadmit.com/services/free-consultation/