Request for MBA Profile Evaluation

Launched April 26, 2006
This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:03 pm

Request for MBA Profile Evaluation

by SNewland » Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:21 pm
Hello Stacy,

I'm in the process of developing my resume and application for graduate school and was hoping you could give me some insight as to my competitiveness at my target schools which are Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Davis (I'm a California native).

I am a 24/m with a year of full-time work experience out of college. I will probably hold off my applications for another year or two so I can have more work experience on my resume.

Education:
I hold a BA in Economics from a small, but fairly well respected state university in CA. My overall GPA is 3.79/4.0.

Work Experience:
I am currently employed as the Recreation & Wellness Coordinator at my alma mater. I'm aware that this type of occupation isn't necessarily typical of applicants to top universities, but in my role, I do manage one part-time employee and 20+ student assistants. Moreover, by the time I received my degree, the banking industry, which would have been my first choice post-graduation, was fairly untouchable due to the economic downturn.

Extracurricular Activities:
As a student I held top leadership positions including the Chairmanship of the Student Union Board of Director and the presidency in my fraternity. I am a member of an economics honor society and was also a member of the university HR games team which won a national championship. I also tutored students in microeconomics.

I sit on the board of my homeowners association and I am also an appointed member of a city commission where I live. I'd like to add some more volunteer experience to my resume in the time between now and my application.

Awards:
I was awarded the highest honor at graduation, our universities equivalent of the typical "valedictorian." I also won numerous scholarships and fraternal awards.

GMAT:
I have yet to take the GMAT, but plan on doing so soon (once I feel my studying is complete). Given all that I have listed, what would be a good enough score to be legitimately competitive at Stanford (thus making me competitive at my other choices)?

Thank you for your insight!
Source: — Ask Stacy Blackman |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:55 am
Dear SNewland,

To be in the best competitive position for any school, you want your GMAT to be at or above the average. Thus you want to try and score in the 700s for your target schools. Based on the other information you posted, you are starting to build the foundation for a competitive application on the other application components. Use the next couple of years to build on your professional experience and gain some great experiences outside of work. Once you get closer to the time you plan to apply, you will have a better idea of how competitive you are for your target schools.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me