US Hispanic Minority Profile Review PLEASE = )

[digitalm3ssiah]

So In my search for the ultimate business school I've encountered much of what is already known...that there aren't too many African Americans or Hispanics in top MBA programs. So here I am, a Puerto Rican American applying to Harvard, Warton, NYU, Columbia, UCLA, Dartmouth, Duke and Yale. The question is...is there room for me and is there leway with minorities in order to encourage a more diverse and equal enviornment?

Here is the important info:

Education: Graduated top 3% of my High School, Graduated from NYU - Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Drama, 3.55 GPA. I will be attending Dartmouth's Business Bridge Program this summer to vastily increase my knowledge of business fundamentals.

Extra Curriculars: Resident Assistant at NYU for 2.5 years, Tisch Talent Representative (NYU), Tisch Mentor (NYU), Hall President 2 yrs. Volunteer at Birch Wood Adult Day Care and also at Aspira (Hispanic Organization). Captain of 8+ Championship Basketball and Baseball teams. National Chorus member in '98. Black Belt in 3 martial arts.

Work Exp: Since graduating I have supported myself as an Actor in NYC by performing in shows, commericials, and movies. For the last two years i've been a server/manager at a fine dinning resturaunt in NYC where i've been responsible for training other servers, teaching classes and going to meeting with the managerial staff of the company. I've also worked as a personal trainer for my own personal training company. I had my own party planning company for two years and have also started the groundwork for my own Film Production Company.

Why an MBA, Why now: Since I was little I knew I wanted to work in the entertainment industry and have been doing so for over 12 years in multiple facets. I've always known that I wanted to eventually work for a big production house at first as a studio producer, but eventually as an executive. I have strong feelings as to the state of American film and theatre and want to be able to put myself in a position to change things. Now is the perfect time because i have recieved my BFA and worked in the industry for a few years and feel that now is the time to expand my education and blend my artistic side with my business side. I believe that an MBA will give me the skills necessary to illicit change in the industry as well as expand the length of my artistic reach.



GMAT: I will be taking the GMAT on saturday but my practice scores have ranged between 680 and 720. So i'm preparing for something in that range. Verbal should be 90-95th percentile, Quant 70-80.

Schools of Preference: NYU, Harvard, Warton, Columbia, UCLA, Darmouth, Duke, Yale


All of the above in no way describes my life struggles or reflects the extra effort it has taken for me to get where I am. I grew up in a Puerto Rican household with a sick mother and alcoholic father. I've been the man of the house since about 14. I've saved my mothers life twice and during my junior year had to endure her getting a liver transplant. (she is doing very well) In college we had to struggle to pay tuition and as if all of this wasn't enough, I lived through 9/11 very viserally. At the time 9/11 happened I lived 6 blocks away from the WTC. After it was all said and done I was living out of a hotel for much of the rest of that semester. Since graduating i've been helping to support my girlfriend through her NYU degree and assisting my mother with her divorse. You might say i've had a pretty typical CRAZY minority experience. But I think this is enough...

You're opinion on my candicacy would be appreciated.

[Stacy Blackman]

You obviously have an interesting and unique story to tell and there are parts of this that will be great for your application. My first concern is work experience. You have a lot of diverse experience but it does not seem linked to your end goal. A question that arises is why you have not gotten a job working for a producer at some level, or in film, so that you could be mentored and gain visibility into your target industry. A lot of your experience will not be valued much by an MBA program (acting, food service). Your companies sound interesting and could provide good content for your apps, but they do not mesh well with your overall story in film, as party planning and personal training are very different. You cold come off as a bit scattered and you will have to focus on weaving a story that ties it all together.

Also, every school you apply to will want to understand why an MBA can really help you. Entertainment industry is not known for their reliance on an MBA. It is not clear to me that the MBA can help you in an industry that relies so much on network, creativity, etc... So you will need to build a case there as well.

Bottom line - you have some great content and some challenges. If you can address your challenges successfully, you certainly have a good shot at doing well with some of these top schools.