To get a consultant or not?

[g_carrico1]

I am at a fork in the road. To continue down the path by myself or seek professional assistance, that is the question?

I guess the larger question is, can i get into the programs i have targeted based on my profile even with a little nudge?

Target schools... Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Chicago. Number 1 choice is berkeley because of proximity to target industry, availability of enology and viticulture undergraduate courses

Profile:
White male

GMAT: 700 (q 45, v 40)
straight As in challenging quant classes in college to support weak quant score

Undergrad: UT Austin - BBA Finance 3.38
Activities: Club rowing, started a cservice organization to support rowing team
Part-time employment throughout college


Work experience: 68 months
Gallo Sales - Management Development Program
Sales Rep - (18 months) lots of awards
Sales Manager - (20 months) lmanaged 6 reps and about 10 million in sales lots of awards
National Sales Analyst - (12 months) while in this position i had a really big win that resulted in 20 million+ incremental sales
Category Manager - (15 months) managed a new partnership, developed all systems from the ground up. Experimental user of new technology. work inside with retailer, manage a 20+ million dollar category
Project Analyst - (8 months) basically same job as last one, but i got a raise.

I have worked for 4 companies (ranging in size from 30 million in annual sales to 8 billion) in 4 different cities as a part of the MDP program. I have a lot of good material for essays, but i am not sure what is most persuasive

Goal... own my own winery.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear g_carrico1,

You certainly have the foundation for a competitive application to your target schools. They are all highly selective, so it is tough competition and you will need to find a way to positively stand out. You might also want to identify 1-2 reasonable to safety options as well for your back up plan. In terms of hiring a consultant, I guess you have to determine if you feel you can put together a compelling package on your own, or if you feel you need some guidance and assistance in that endeavor. How comfortable are you with the MBA admissions process and are you confident in what aspects of your background you want to highlight in your applications? A consultant can be helpful in terms of identifying what stories to write about, how to present your background in your applications, and navigating the admissions process. There are many options out there and I do think it might be worth your time to explore some. My firm does offer a free consultation which you might find worthwhile. Think about it, think about your writing skills, and then decide whether or not you feel working with someone might be worth that investment.

Good luck,
Lisa