Ask Stacy Blackman

Hello,

I graduated from UC San Diego in June 2011. I majored in Economics and International Studies with a 3.55 GPA. I graduated one year early and won all the major department and university awards at the time of my graduation.

I had decided in sophomore year of college that I needed more clarity in regards to career. I knew I wanted to eventually work in development or start ups in the social sector (I loved business). Therefore, during my 3 years at UCSD I explored different avenues that had powerful impacts on society- law, think tanks, politics, media, corporates, and NGOs. I had interned at an immigration law firm, headed a research project funded by the Gates Foundation, was on the executive board of a journal and grew its presence to 163 countries, helped produce a TV show for NDTV (one of India's largest networks), worked on environmental rehabilitation in Belize etc. Yet, I was still not sure what I wanted to do.
As a result, I wanted to step out of the comfort of the academic bubble and start working.

I turned down jobs at BCG, Morgan Stanley, etc. and moved to India. I spent a month talking to people in every industry and reflecting on my strengths, interests, and skills. I realized that I loved consulting and start up work culture. In October 2011, I joined a company called Policy Innovations. I currently work there as a Principal Consultant. I am managing three projects: John Hopkins University, the government of Assam, and Seasame. I have also been working extensively with data analysis, strategy development, operations, client management, marketing, and people management (one of the projects I am managing involves coordinating with over 40 surveyors and 4,000 children).

I like PI because as a 21 year old, I have been able to deal directly with clients, publish reports, work on business strategy, cloud, and large volumes of data. The exposure has been phenomenal and the learning is fantastic. Plus India is a dynamic work environment.

I want to apply to Business School in October 2012. I want to apply to: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia.
I will be taking the GMAT in March. In general I am comfortable with standardized tests.

I was wondering if my profile is strong enough for these schools. Would I need to have an extra year or two of work experience?
Thank you so much for your time,
Shweta