Profile Evaluation

[manueldesoto]

Hi all;
I´d appreciate if you could evaluate my profile
Country: Spain
Age: 32 (33 next fall)
GMAT 730 (Q49, V41) AWA 5,5. TOEFL: Next 25th September
GPA: I do not know exactly how the marks from my country translate, but checking around looks like it should be around 3
Work exp: 6 years in a Forbes 100 Technological and consumer goods corporation
7 different positions, 3 promotions and 3 lateral movements. I worked in sales for 2 years and then moved to marketing, were I still work
Current position, since Oct last year I´m Business manager with 2 direct reports and 5 functional ones and full responsability over the P&L of the business. I belong to the Management Team of the country organization and my current supervisor is the General Manager. Lots of interaction with central HQ.
During these years I have become completely used to work and interact with top executives of my company (To the level of the Global CEO) Extraordinary learning experience.
Also important, since 2 years ago I belong to the talent pool of my company, basically I have been identified with the leadership capabilities to grow to top management positions
Ex-Work: During University I collaborated every holiday season (Summer and Easter) with a local boy scout group in their camps (I supported logistics, supply and kitchen)
I practised Rugby for 8 years, both in University and in a club. Captain of the University team the last 2 years
Since I joined my actual company I belong to the voluntary club where we run activities for several NGO
Why MBA: After 6 very fruitful years, I consider that the moment for a change and refreshing has come. I want to look at the world and my life from a different perspective than the actual one, and learn from the experience. I have always valued very much the capability to adapt to changes and an MBA will help in that sense.
Area of interest: Marketing and General Management (With a late drift towards the latter)
Target Schools:
Safer Schools (Maybe not so safe...) Ross, Duke, McCombs, Darden
Stretch Schools: Kellog, Tuck, Harvard

I recognize some CON´s in my profile, I´m older than avge, GPA is low (but I think GMAT covers this), ex-work could be better and I cannot ask my current manager for a recommendation letter, but I can do to my former supervisor (3 years working together) On the other hand work I think work exp and talent pool recognition help me.
Do you think my choices and assesments are right?
Thanks very much in advance

[Cindy Tokumitsu]

Hello,

You have evaluated your strengths and weaknesses well. Another point: for your applications, you should be prepared to present more detailed, focused goals than you have expressed in your inquiry. Develop a detailed goals scenario for short and long term goals including examples of companies and positions, you motivation for your goals, your rationale for your goals, and an idea of what you'd like to accomplish.

Overall your list is solid - however I would not consider the first list safeties by any means, rather on-pars to reasonable reaches. I think HBS would be quite a long shot, maybe find another school to replace it. Kellogg and Tuck would be good reasonable reach schools - high reaches, but still reasonable with a stellar application.

Best regards,
Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com