A bit of feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[dizzam]

Hi Stacy and others,

I'd appreciate it if you could give me your thoughts on my chances for getting into a Top 10-15 program. I asked Stacy a similar question on this topic about half a year ago on the forum, but I have some updated information that should improve my chances.

I plan to apply to U of Michigan, Northwestern, U of Chicago, Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA in Fall '09. Here's a snapshot of my profile.

Education / Background:
- B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from a Top 10 Engineering school in 2005 (GPA: 3.4).
- GMAT score: 750 (48 in Analytical, 44 in Verbal)
- Kicker: I've recently gone through a period of indecisiveness about my future; to date, I've taken a total of 4 MBA-level classes at a top 100 (I know, nothing to write home about) Business School. However, I believe now that a FT MBA at a top 10/20 program is much more worthwhile and conducive to my future career goal of being in Finance or Management Consulting.
- Fluent in Chinese.

Work Experience:
- Went through a two-year long Leadership Development Program at a Fortune 500 company after graduation. Rotations included Design Engineering, Marketing Communications, Quality Engineering and Product Marketing. Received highest performance ranking (top 10% of employees) in annual work evaluation / performance review.
- Multiple inter-company offers directly out of the program, currently working as a Technical Marketing Specialist, on track to become Product Manager in a year or less. Extensive project responsibilities (fairly high exposure) with occasional presentations to Directors, Vice Presidents and Chief Technical Officer. Fair amount of domestic / international travel experience and work experience with Asian & European partner companies.
- I would rank my career progression to date as being good to excellent.

Activities / Extra-curricular:
- Campus Manager of recruiting activities for my alma mater at my company for a year (relinquished after starting classes).
- Captain of beach volleyball team.
- Champion (promotions role) in company's Young Professionals group
- Train in competitive kickboxing and other martial arts, with a few first- and second-place tournament trophies


Stacy and/or others, can you give me a realistic assessment of my chances for getting into the schools I mentioned above (U of Michigan, Northwestern, U of Chicago, Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA)? Also, do I have a fair shot at a decent financial aid package at any of these schools? Any idea what the typical financial aid package is?

I know a few of these are pretty detailed questions, so thanks again for your insight!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear dizzam:

I think you have a competitive profile for most of the schools mentioned. What most candidates don't do effectively is position themselves properly in the application. You will have a common profile in the applicant pool, so the onus is on you to find a way to distinguish yourself to reach a positive admission decision.

You absolutely want to apply in the first round for the best chance of admission and scholarship funds. Scholarships at top programs are extremely competitive to get, and most awards will be in amounts less than 50% of tuition. For public schools, a common award for out-of-state applicants is to give them in-state status to reduce their tuition costs. If financial aid is a big concern for you, one strategy you might employ is to apply to 1-3 schools that are in the top 20-40 range. Many of these schools will offer you the education and career opportunities you seek and offer larger scholarships to candidates with your profile.

Good luck!
Lisa