Request for Profile Evaluation

[reigndeerz]

Hi there,

I am planning to apply for entry into an MBA programme for Fall 2012, and the following are some of the schools that I was hoping to gain entry into: HBS, Wharton, MIT (Sloan), Michigan (Ross), Chicago and Yale. Any advice on how I should improve my application chances, and whether my aspirations are even realistic are welcomed.

The following is a brief of my application:

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Age: 27
Occupation: Engineer
Race: Chinese
GMAT: 760
TOEFL: No requirement since my Undergrad degree was delivered in English.

Undergrad: 2nd Lower Honors in Mechanical Engineering from National University of Singapore. GPA was 3.88/5. Notable highlights include completing a specialization in product design, undergoing a techno-preneurship course, and scoring an A for my Final Year Project.

Currently: Handling a project management role within the defence sector for the government. Primarily dealing with the construction and refurbishment of military infrastructure. Manage teams of up to 10 internal members and 10 external members. Due to the relatively flat and rigid structure of promotions, will not expect to see a promotion until just before enrolment at the earliest. Work experience will be 2 years at time of application, just under 3 years at time of enrolment.

Military Experience: Served for just over 2 years prior to embarking on undergraduate studies as part of a national requirement. Commissioned as a Signal Officer, and was appointed 2nd in charge for a Company of 40-50 men. Have led men on overseas training mission to Australia for 3 weeks.

Community Work: Irregular community work, clocked up a significant number of hours when I was < 18 yrs old, but have managed at least 10 hrs a year since. Highlight of community work being a 1 week trip to a village in Thailand to teach English. Possibly leading a team up to Thailand to assist in construction of a village for a week. Am also actively participating in numerous initiatives in the local church, most prominent of all being part of a committee in charge of a recent renovation project.

I should also be able to draw on a decent/strong reference from a current supervisor at work, as well as an academic supervisor. I am also active at sports, representing faculty in Tennis throughout my undergraduate years.

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Kindly advise me if applying for the abovementioned schools is a dream or a reality. I am really not sure how I stand in comparison to the rest of the applicants for these schools.

Thanks in advanced!

Regards,
Randolph

[Tani]

Hi Randolph,

I am not sure how a GPA from Singapore translates into the US system, but you might want to ask your university whether they have had experience translating averages. Your GMAT is very strong and should help your application. You are the caliber of applicant that these schools expect, however there are no guarantees. As you know, there are literally thousands of Asian engineers applying each year and that males for a very competitive pool. Much will depend on your essays and the quality of your work experience. I advise everyone to be sure to apply to two or more safety schools as well as to dream and reach schools.

Think about how your engineering experience is different from the experiences of the other applicants. The school wants to know how you will both contribute to and benefit from the classroom discussions. Your military experience can also be useful. Think about what you learned there that would be relevant to leadership in business.

Keeping up strong community involvement can be a boost to your application. Be sure that you are volunteering in ways that indicate your potential to succeed. Just showing up to meetings or stuffing envelopes won't help. Look for volunteer jobs that show the ability to get things done through people.

You should seriously consider using an experienced admissions consultant to help you tell you story. Sparkling and persuasive essays can make all the difference.

Good luck,

[reigndeerz]

Hi Tani,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my queries.

A quick conversion of my GPA to a 4.0 scale gives me between a 3.1 and a 3.2 GPA. A comparison with some of the mean GPAs accepted by my dream schools confirm my worries that my GPA is weaker than most of the other accepted applicants.

With all that being said though, I am curious to seek your opinion on whether these schools I am intending to apply to are considered a stretch for me. It would not make sense for me to devote time and energy preparing for an application that was not realistic in the first place.

Thank you once again!

Randolph

[Tani]

Your GPA is fixed. It will be a barrier, but not necessarily a firm bar to your acceptance. If you have a dream school and can put together sparkling essays it may be worth a shot. However, you should certainly entertain a few schools that show GPA averages around 3.3 or lower. These schools are stretch for everyone. They have brilliant applicant pools and still turn down 80-90% of the candidates. You can certainly apply to one or more on your list, but if you are determined to go to school in 2012, you definitely should include a couple of schools for which your stats are more inline.

Good luck,