Profile Evaluation and Advice

[ashkonj]

-23 year old male, U.S. born citizen.

-I graduated with a 3.9 GPA in Finance, 4.0 major GPA from a #30 ranked undergrad business school.

-2 years work experience as a financial analyst at a top technology company. Got a promotion 1.5 years in. Plan to work for another 1.5-2 yrs as is detailed below.

-gmat shooting for 700+

Extracurrics:
-started own nonprofit that is a 501c3 registered U.S. charity
-board of director and treasurer for a nonprofit that focuses on the intersection of business and the environment
-Lead volunteer at a top 5 business school's social entrepreneurship program
-had a small online marketing business on the side
-toastmasters

My whole "angle" and reason for going to business school is to pursue social entrepreneurship. I think my extra currics speak to that fact. I am hoping to get into a top 10 school, top 5 preferably.

Also, in order to achieve this goal and since I've worked 2 yrs in finance, I am thinking about quitting that job and working full time on my nonprofit to really build it up. I think that would speak more to my commitment to the field and why I want an MBA, and is something I frankly would enjoy more than working in my current job.

What are your thoughts?
Would a person with 4 yrs work experience in finance at a top tech company be better off than someone with 2 yrs in finance and then 2 yrs running their own nonprofit? How do you think companies recruiting MBA students would look at that?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear ashkonj,

There is not a right or preferred answer from an admissions perspective. You need to make the choice that you feel makes the most sense for your career path. As long as you have a solid rationale for your choices, and doing what you feel is the right thing for you, then you should feel confident in your decisions. What will be important are the accomplishments and results you can note on your resume, in your essays and in your interviews. Striking out on your own, whether as a for profit or nonprofit, is still an entrepreneurship experience and that is valuable. Most companies will feel the same way, although there might be a few that will not value nonprofit work as highly as for profit.

Best of luck,
Lisa

[ashkonj]

Thanks for the advice. That being said, assuming I get a score of 700 and judging from the rest of my profile, how are my chances at a top 10 school?

[Lisa Anderson]

It will depend on how you do on your GMAT and what you do in your professional endeavors between now and the time that you apply. Likewise, your chances at a top 10 greatly depend on the quality of your overall application, so it will depend on the quality of your essays, recommendations and interviews. Assuming you do well in your career and score in the 700s on your GMAT, then you have the foundation for a competitive application to any MBA program.

Good luck,
Lisa

[ashkonj]

Since my last posting (above) 6 months ago I'd like to share some updates. I will be applying early R1 and want to see whether I have a good shot at getting into at least one of these schools. Also, whether I should apply to either or both of the safety schools listed below, or just wait to R2 in case I don't get into any of my 7-8 target schools.

Updated Information
-700 GMAT Q47 V40
-My resignation in my prior corporate finance job to run my nonprofit full time has went really well. The organization has received a very generous grant and has made other significant accomplishments since my fulltime involvement.
-I started hosting a talk series in the social enterprise field that is sponsored and published by a top 3 business school where I have been working for the past year (I interview leaders in a variety of sectors and then publish the talks) (I have also received a letter of rec from the Associate Director of the program I'm working with)
-Why an MBA? I want an MBA to broaden my business and management skills in order to scale up my social enterprise, and I'm specifically targeting schools with strong social enterprise programs
-Starting another nonprofit initiative but at the very early stages at the moment

Stanford
Harvard
Wharton
Columbia
Yale
Haas
MIT
Northwestern (not sure if I will apply here)
UCLA (safety)
NYU (safety)

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear ashkonj,

Congratulations on your GMAT score! That is fabulous! I am also glad to hear your work with your nonprofit is going well and you are happy with your decision to focus on it full-time. It sounds like you are continuing to build your resume and profile for a competitive application. I do think you have a chance at one of your target schools with a strong overall application package, but I also think it is prudent for any MBA applicant to have 1-2 safety programs identified. I think you could wait and apply to your safety options in R2 if you want, or you can do all R1 and get your decisions at the same time. I do have to say though that NYU and UCLA are not really safety schools, in my opinion, as they are top 15 schools with very large applicant pools.

Good luck,
Lisa