Real Estate MBA (am i qualified?)

[fussellc]

GMAT: 730
Undergrad GPA 3.12
Major GPA: 3.35

Degree: Business Admin: Dual majors Finance and Economics from Seattle University

Professional experience:
- 1year at US Department of Housing working in Asset Management Support. All the more interesting is that I held this position during the financial crisis.
- 1year (will be 1 year upon applying to school) at Freddie Mac as a Control Analyst. I more so work to mitigate risk and implement controls to keep their financial reporting methods efficient and accurate. They deal with billions of dollars a day so this was a bit difficult

Extra-Curriculars:
-Track and Field 4 years at Division-I school (senior year i served as captain)
-New Student Mentor for students of color
-Subject matter tutor for students of color in Finance and Economics
-Black Student Union Secretary and Events Coordinator
-Resident Assistant
-Rotary Boys and Girls Club head Track coach for at-risk urban pre-teens.

MBA Goals-
Open real estate investment consulting firm in the southwest. First I want to get some specific experience in the real estate consulting field then leverage my MBA (hopefully Columbia because their finance program is fantastic and real estate is phenomenal as well) and extend that knowledge to financial instrument implementation.

Demographic:
Afro-Caribbean
LGBTQ Male
22 years old.

Target schools:
Columbia (main goal)
NYU
Chicago
Harvard

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[mbaMissionBrianE]

Hello fussellc, thanks for your question.

Your GMAT score is solid - are your quantitative and verbal scores at least 80%? If so, you should be all set.
Your GPA is on the low side for top programs. Was there an extraordinary circumstance that caused your low marks? Did your GPA rise as you progressed through undergrad? If so, you might try to explain these factors in the optional essay. Better yet, do you have any other analogue that is a better representation of your academic ability and potential? Programs will want to know that you can handle the material. Your 730 GMAT serves as an indicator, but you could use another one to mitigate 3.12.

In terms of extracurricular activities, what you've done more recently has more weight than what you did in university/school.

I think your GMAT would open the door to the programs you list, but your competitiveness will come down to the quality of your leadership experience, both in and out of the office. Can you draw upon "moments" when you truly led: influenced individuals and organizations, drove results, took initiative? Use your 2 years of experience to really call out your leadership potential.

Finally, in terms of your post-MBA goals, paint a picture that cohesively ties together your past, present, and future. Demonstrate to the admissions committees that your desired career path necessitates an MBA. Identify the specific gaps that stand between you and our short- and long-term goals (knowledge, skills, experiences, network, etc.) and show how business school would directly address those gaps.

Best of luck,
Brian