740, 30month work before MBA, 3.9undergrad, please Evaluate

[foncia]

AGE: 24 in November
GMAT: 740(98%), 40 verb(90%), 50 quant(95%), awa 4.0
WORK: Fortune 200 company, Production Project Manager, 24 months in June, 30 months before planned MBA start in January.
UNDERGRAD: Top 10 University, 3.9GPA Management with Finance
RECOMMENDATION: two outstanding company references.

Business school choices: IE, HEC Paris, IMD, RSM

All starts in January. I am worried about the work experience post grad, please advise, thank you in advance.

[Bryant@VeritasPrep]

Fonica:

Generally, the average amount of work experience is rising in MBA application packages and schools expect you to have had a progressively responsible impact after college. Having said that, your qualifications are exactly what would be needed to "counter balance" any perceived shortfall in actual number of years under the belt.
Firstly, don't forget that most b-schools regularly admit every year a certain number of students straight out of college--it's not common or widespread, but every year several post-baccalaureates matriculate at top b-schools all over the country. You have two plus years at a fortune 200 company, which in and of itself will look better than, say, five years of mediocre experience at a no-name company. What you should do is sell the quality of your experience, and not focus on the quantity. The reason schools want you to have work experience is mostly for the contributions you will make in class based on that experience. If you have had some intense or interesting experiences in your 24 months on the job, relay them through your essays to demonstrate the leadership and maturity they are looking for and how it will add to your classmates experience in B-school. My guess is that if you do this successfully, you will be on your way to a competitive package for a top MBA program. Hope this helps.

[Paxton Helms - Kaplan]

Hello--

A few other thoughts (though I agree with everything shared above):

- You seem focused on European busuiness schools; is there a reason that INSEAD and the other top Spanish business schools are not on your list?

- RSM is not really an "international" business school, in the sense that it doesn't have much cachet outside of Europe. IMD is also geared towards a slightly more experienced crowd.

- Bear in mind that, if you are American or Canadian, if you go to business school in Europe many of your friends and contacts after business school are going to be in Europe. This is great as long as you want to stay in Europe long-term; not so great if you want to come back to the US after a fun international adventure. Business school is, in very real way, "for life." Friends, contacts, networking...you want your network to be where you are.

- Even with your work experience, 24 is still a bit on the low side of average.

Good luck!

Paxton

[foncia]

Hello Paxton,

Thank you for your kind reply,

I am extremely concerned that b-schools such as INSEAD would be too demanding and of course given my age, would prove my application uncompetitive. (since crafting application on a school by school basis is already time-consuming, easier to count my odds there)

I also don't plan to overachieve in the sense of an outrageously busy lifestyle during and post MBA. Therefore I ruled out INSEAD or any of the other 'top' b-schools and am opting for the smaller setup European ones concentrating on entrepreneurship (non-consulting/banking heavy)

I did this in the hopes that the classmates would share my ideology and possibly knitting a stronger network based on mutual interests.

Am I considering this correctly? or am I missing something?

Your advise if deeply appreciated.

[Paxton Helms - Kaplan]

Hi and thanks for your follow-up with more information.

I don't really know what to tell you here. There are all kinds of people that go to business school and even top programs have their share of hard workers and not so hard workers.

The thing that I would tell you to be very very cautious about is imagining that people that are not going to top business schools are somehow not as committed to their careers or not planning on working as hard as people that go to top business schools.

There are all kinds of reasons that very bright very ambitious people might not go to a a top 25 program and it is VERY important not to judge someone by the place that they earned their degree.

So...I'm afraid that trying to find a culture fit at a program because it is less highly ranked really isn't going to work. On the other hand, finding a culture fit on the basis of geography, professional interest, and other factors will go a long way towards getting the most from your MBA.

Cheers--

Paxton