Profile Evaluation for top10 school

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Profile Evaluation for top10 school

by jwt149 » Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:38 pm
Hi. Can you please evaluate on several fronts? I was going to apply for 2010 entry but decided to wait until 2012 to get more work experience which ended up being the right decision. Is a top 10 ranked school a realistic goal given my profile? I will be applying to HBS, Chicago, Columbia, and Wharton for admittance Fall 2012. I currently work in the aerospace industry in manufacturing and supply chain. My plan after college was to build a strong foundation in operations to understand the ground level, obtain an MBA, and start to progress into Business Development and M&A advisory - I will probably have to move into an entry level IB analyst position before getting to real M&A and Private Equity work.

At matriculation:
Age:27 yrs old
WE: 5yrs at GE + 1yr engineering internship
Demo: Asian American
Gender: Male

Undergrad:
Mechanical Engineering, Top 15 public university
GPA 3.34 (too low?)
** Note: Slightly low GPA because I finished curriculum in 7 on campus semesters and obtained 1 year of Engineering work experience with United Technologies Corporation all within the 4 year window of undergrad.**

GMAT:
680 (too low GPA/GMAT combination?)

Work Experience:
Leadership program in Operations Management with General Electric (competitive undergrad program)
Held roles in Strategic Sourcing, Materials Management, Manufacturing Engineer, Production Cell Leader - 25 direct reports. Excellent recommendations from all 4 managers available. Identified as "top talent" by managers and colleagues.

Lean Manufacturing Specialist (1 year)
Led lean six sigma initiatives for an overseas manufacturing operation. Develop strategy and practice indirect influencing skills across 200 employees to improve operational efficiency, productivity, & capacity. Also was selected by a senior executive to lead a 2 month special project. I was rated as Role Model (the top 10% rating) during this role.

After the job in Lean Manufacturing I was promoted to an expatriate assignment in China where I am currently the material supply chain and inventory leader for a $80M aerospace manufacturing operation. I have 30 direct reports, 6 salary and 24 hourly which includes leading 1 Lean Leader, 5 Material Planners, and 24 hourly employees who work in warehouse and logistics. I report directly to the General Manager and expect another strong rating.

By the time I start my MBA in FA2012 I will have 2 yrs in a GE Leadership Program, 1 year as a Lean specialist, and 2 years as a supply chain department leader with global management and team leading experience in China. (Is this unique enough to be a differentiator?)

Community
a. Elementary Math tutor for 6 months during a 6 mo. job rotation.
b. Junior Achievement Mentor/Teacher for 3rd grade level class. Developed strong bond with students and faculty.
c. Executive team for Cincinnati March of Dimes foundation. Led a team/initiative to market and solicite donations on an aggressive timeline during an economic recession in 2009. The team broke an all time record in donations exceeding $200k.
d. Various volunteer events in China including setting up and leading the first volunteer event in 2010 where we painted 2 classrooms for an underprivileged school for migrant workers. We received a banner of thanks from the school.

Personal
Enjoy physical fitness (running, weight/cross training, racquet sports, golf)
Reading, socializing, volunteering my time to help others.

I would appreciate any help/advice/comments. What can I do to improve? I am on a very steep career trajectory so I really need to assess the risk before initiating the application process. Looking forward to your input.
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by Tani » Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:44 pm
Hi,

Your profile is strong, particularly with your added experience - a wise decision. Your manufacturing and supply chain experience will set you apart from the large pool of finance and consulting applicants and your aerospace background should be helpful. Lean manufacturing and supply chain are hot topics at many schools. Having 30 direct reports will be especially strong in comparison with other applicants who are working in very horizontal organizations with little or no direct responsibility for others.

The one challenge you will face is explaining your planned career change. To move into an essentially finance-based career you will need to explain why you are leaving your area of expertise, why you think you will enjoy M&A, and why you think you will be successful at it. To combat this you might find ways to enhance your exposure to M&A or other finance-heavy assignments before applying. An experienced admissions consultant can help you refine your goals and rationale to put forward the most persuasive possible essays.

I advise all my applicants to assess their reasons for an MBA. The top schools have many more outstanding qualified applicants than they can accept. No one is guaranteed admission at that level. If you are determined to get the education provided by an MBA then you need to add safety schools to your list. If your career progress is such that you would not invest two years and several hundred thousand dollars for less than a top-tier school, then restrict your applications to those schools. Both are valid positions, you just need to understand your own goals.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff

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by jwt149 » Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:23 pm
Tani,

Thank you for the comprehensive response. When should I start to initiate the admissions consulting? I can definitely use the help to scope my "why mba, why now" essay.

Also - do you think it is necessary to re-take the GMAT to try to earn another 20+ pts or am I already in the competitive range? I feel like my 3.34GPA + 680GMAT is a bit low...

Jerry

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by Tani » Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:23 am
Your GMAT is good, but not great. If you have identified specific concepts that are hurting you and have fixed them then go ahead and take the test over. If you are just going to "try again" without changing anything you shouldn't bother. You should shoot for at the very least 20 points more, but 30 or 40 would be better. Statistically speaking, the change needs to be 40 points to be significant, but there is always a slight psychological factor to breaking 700.

Most of my clients start in early fall, but late spring or early summer would be even better, giving plenty of time to think through and target essays. Hours are good for two years, so you can start whenever you are ready. Just be sure to plan on essays taking twice as much time as you expect them to.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff