Profile Evaluation Please

[presarc]

Hello. Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile evaluation. I'm trying to get a read on what my chances are at getting into my one and only school/program I'm interested in: University of Michigan - Ross School of Business (Weekend MBA Program).

Age: 24

Race: Caucasian (USA)

GMAT - Currently studying for the GMAT, took the first GMAT Prep test with no preparation (for reference) and got a 570. Expecting to get in the 680-720 range after 6 months of studying.

Undergrad GPA - 3.60 - Cum Laude in Human Resource Management from Oakland University (Regional school in Southeast Michigan)

Internship experience: Hired as an intern in college as an HR Assistant, promoted to HR Generalist during last semester of senior year (120 employee company)

Full time experience: Worked ~5 years in corporate retail with progressive responsibility increases (up to Assistant Manager). Post-graduate (currently employed here) experience is 1+ year at Fortune 10 tech company working in Supply Chain.

Accomplishments/Leadership: History of results/promotions. Currently in leadership training program and on path toward leadership with current employer, realistically looking at a leadership role in 2012.

Extracurricular and random information: Owned a website business (tiny, just me), avid musician and music artist, have lived in 5 states, created tech-related training/tutorials for co-workers and public, currently in the process of publishing a novel.

I'm wondering what my chances are at getting into this Michigan-Ross Weekend program in the next 1-2 years. What can I do to bolster my resume? Let's assume I get a 700 on the GMAT. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated -- thanks!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear presarc,

How competitive you are for the weekend program at Ross will depend on how effectively you present your background and rationale for business school. Based on your post, you have progressed quickly and shown leadership potential in your professional career which will be advantageous for your application. Continue to build your track record of professional accomplishments and seek out opportunities to build a managerial skill set, especially leadership opportunities. Assuming you score 670+ on your GMAT, you will demonstrate the academic aptitude for business school. However, for a weekend program, admissions committees will be looking for your rationale on not only why you need an MBA relative to your career goals, but also why earning your MBA while working makes sense for you. Be sure to effectively convey through your essays and interview why you feel it is the right time for you to go to business school and how the MBA fits into your overall career plans. Your recommendations will also be key in demonstrating your readiness for business school.

Good luck,
Lisa

[presarc]

Thank you for the response Lisa, that is good to hear. I've been wondering whether or not the distribution for my references will impact my application. I'm trying to decide whether I want to refer to one professional contact and one academic contact or to two professional contacts. Any thoughts?

[Lisa Anderson]

Professional contacts are preferred and regarded as more valuable. MBA programs are professional programs, meaning most graduates return to the workforce upon graduation. Thus your performance as a professional is critical to your evaluation as an applicant. If you have 2 professional contacts, current/former supervisors in particular, then those are ideal.

Regards,
Lisa

[presarc]

Fantastic -- thank you so much for your time Lisa.