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Profile Evaluation

by timothy322 » Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:21 pm
Hi Stacy, can you please evaluate my profile?

I am currently shooting for the top 10 schools, including Harvard, UPenn, Berkeley, Columbia, Yale, and UCLA.
I would like to specialize in Management.

Undergrad: Mechanical Engineering GPA=3.3/4.0 from an ivy school.
Master's: Mechanical Engineering GPA=3.45/4.0 from the same school.
GMAT: test 1: Total 680 Q48 V34 AWA5.5
test 2: Total 740 Q50 V40 AWA4.5

Summer Internship: engineer for a FORTUNE 50 consumer products manufacturer, led a small project
Full Time: 2 years at enrollment, R&D engineer for an international oil major, led various tasks

Other related factors:
- Teaching Assistant for an engineering course (actually taught weekly 50-min sessions)
- on the committee of two professional networks of my company
- community volunteer (judge for city's high school science fair)

Here are some questions that may guide the evaluation:
1. My GPA is relatively low compared to average GPAs published by schools, I think I may be able to justify it by saying I also additional classes to get two minors. And my school has an extremely low GPA average (around 2.7-2.9 for engineering) But I am hoping this won't rule me out automatically. What do you think?
2. My # of years of full time work experience is also low, but I will say that I plan to switch industry so it's better if I switch early rather than stay a few more years.
3. I haven't led any "real" teams or projects, only led various engineering tasks... So what I am saying is, I haven't been in charge of any formal project teams, will this hurt my chances greatly?
4. regarding my GMAT score... on the second test I got good Q and V scores, but relatively bad (Engineer applying to top schools) AWA score compared to the first test. Should I be concerned about that? Will the admissions committee just take the 5.5 score from my first test and take the Q and V scores from my second test?
5. What schools should I be confident in applying to? do I have a good chance in getting into one of the top 10 schools?
6. How does my Master's degree in engineering affect my application to business school?

Thank you so much,

Timothy
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by Lisa Anderson » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:10 pm
Dear Timothy,

1. My GPA is relatively low compared to average GPAs published by schools, I think I may be able to justify it by saying I also additional classes to get two minors. And my school has an extremely low GPA average (around 2.7-2.9 for engineering) But I am hoping this won't rule me out automatically. What do you think?
I would not be overly concerned with your GPA and do not think it is low enough to warrant an explanation. You are close to the average for your target schools and had a tough major at a competitive school.

2. My # of years of full time work experience is also low, but I will say that I plan to switch industry so it's better if I switch early rather than stay a few more years.
While two years is on the low end, it is not a negative if you have a strong rationale for why you want to go to business school now.

3. I haven't led any "real" teams or projects, only led various engineering tasks... So what I am saying is, I haven't been in charge of any formal project teams, will this hurt my chances greatly?
It is hard to say. Schools look for evidence of leadership potential in the applicants with less than 3-4 years of experience. If you have had leadership roles in the past (i.e., college activities or community work), then you want to be sure to emphasize those in your applications. Also, you want to convey what you have accomplished in your career tenure and note if you have progressed faster than your peers.

4. regarding my GMAT score... on the second test I got good Q and V scores, but relatively bad (Engineer applying to top schools) AWA score compared to the first test. Should I be concerned about that? Will the admissions committee just take the 5.5 score from my first test and take the Q and V scores from my second test?
No, schools do not take section scores from different tests to do your evaluation; they only use the test with the highest total score. If your essays are well-written, then I would not worry about your AWA.

5. What schools should I be confident in applying to? do I have a good chance in getting into one of the top 10 schools?
I think you have a shot at any school you apply to assuming you present a strong overall application. It is not enough to have a high GMAT and GPA; you must also convey a solid rationale for getting your MBA in relation to your past experiences and future career goals. Additionally, you have to give them a compelling case to offer you a seat over the competition.

6. How does my Master's degree in engineering affect my application to business school?
It will not have much impact on your application beyond serving as additional evidence of your quantitative skills and ability to succeed in the classroom. So, it will reflect positively on you, but is not going to give you a large advantage.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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by timothy322 » Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:04 am
Lisa, thank you for the reply. Your advice is very helpful.

Here is a follow-up question that I am hoping you can give me your opinion on:

In terms of justifying applying to BSchool after 2 years of work, I am going to say that I am fairly certain that I would like to switch out of the oil industry and into the manufacturing industry. Additionally, I plan to move back to Asia and work for a company where my family is the controlling shareholder. The company itself has around 400 employees and the group it is in has around 1000 employees.

So, since now I have acquired a good amount of technical abilities, I would like to get an MBA before I head back to Asia so that I will gain the business and management skills that I lacked from an engineering training. And the plan is for me to take an accelerated path towards management in the company.

Do you think the above rationale presents a good case for me to the top schools?

How does the fact that I already have post-MBA plans affect my application?


Thank you very much,

Timothy
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by timothy322 » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:18 am
Lisa, thank you for the reply. Your advice is very helpful.

Here is a follow-up question that I am hoping to get your opinion on:

In terms of presenting my rationale for wanting to get a MBA degree, here is what I plan to say. I am definitely going to switch out of the oil industry and enter the manufacturing industry. Additionally, I plan to go back to Asia and join a company where my family is the controlling shareholder. The company itself has around 400 employees, and together the group it's in has around 1000 employees, so it's a medium sized company.

I made my decision due to this company's recent growth and believe there is a bigger opportunity for me there than my current company. Since until now I have mainly practiced my technical skills in a large organization, I would like to go to BSchool to gain business/management skills that lacked from my engineering degrees. The plan is for me to take an accelerated path towards management in the company in Asia.

Do you think the above rationale justifies applying to business school?

What specific areas about the above reasoning do you think I need to be careful about... whether to explain more or emphasize less?

Also, how does the fact that I already have post-MBA plans affect my application?

Thank you very much,
Timothy
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GMAT/MBA Expert

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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:06 am
Dear Timothy,

I think it all sounds fine. Yes, having some definitive post-MBA plans can serve you well.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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