Dear Tribettiger,
Thanks for your post!
I'll echo Nikhil's thoughts in saying that you seem you have the basic components of a strong candidacy. In particular, I like the fact that your work experience should be non-traditional enough to set you apart from the field. I also think that your 730/3.6 should place you squarely in competition at the top programs.
My main questions/comments are as follows:
1) What sort of activities did you pursue in college? It's clear that you did well academically, but I'm curious to know what sort of presence you had on campus. Did you lead any clubs or student organizations? Play a sport or an instrument? As you are relatively young, many admissions committees will look at your roles on campus to get a sense of your potential in their campus environment.
2) In 'building' your XCs over the coming months, I would encourage you to proceed carefully. Ideally, anything you 'start' now will have a natural link to something you've done in the past. It's always best to pick up on an old hobby or service, rather than pull something out of thin air and expect the adcom to believe that you aren't doing it purely for the admissions process. In short, if you played the trombone in the William & Mary orchestra or tutored local high school kids via a campus volunteer program, it would be better to pick up one of those activities again (in your local community), then it would be to start something entirely new that has no connection to your past involvement.
3) What are your career goals? You offered no information about this in your post. My advice is that you think carefully about your plans for the short and long-term - as well as how the MBA will help you reach them. While one's career vision or goals cannot be measured like a GMAT result, they often play a significant role in the admissions process. Ideally your goals will allow you to weave a common thread from your past experiences, into the MBA program and beyond. It also never hurts if that path is unique - so don't underestimate the value of plotting your own course.
4) Have you been to the schools you are targeting? If you have the time, it can be a great idea to conduct your initial wave of research and campus visits in the spring, before classes end. This will give you a huge advantage over applicants who are struggling to research programs and write essays simultaneously next fall. It will also allow you to establish some contacts at your target schools - reaching out to the head of specific clubs, etc - that will prove useful when it comes to drafting school-specific content for your essays, etc. Finally, getting to know the schools now might save you time this summer in so far as you can narrow your list of targets based on fit.
Conclusion
Once again, you clearly have the basics for a competitive profile. Just be sure that you make the most of the coming months so that you can put your best foot forward in the admissions process. Feel free to send your resume to
[email protected] if you would like to have a free initial chat and application planning session with one of our counselors.
Best of luck,
Graham
