Fresh out of undergrad, need some advice

[kjm84]

Hi,

Thanks for viewing! I'd like to apply to B-school 3-5 years from now. I bolded and numbed my questions for your convenience.

[AleksandrM]

Hi kjm,

I disagree with what you said: "Like everyone else, I'd love to go to Harvard, Stanford or Wharton, but I understand that my low undergrad GPA puts these schools out of my reach."

Based on what you said about your GMAT experience thus far, I am sure you will score well into 700s. This, of course, will outweigh your undergraduate GPA, which is actually not as low as you think; remember, the grades you received in specific classes matter. As for your fraternity, this could certainly be used to "spin" something into your essays. However, it really depends on what you did at the fraternity. Did you contribute through it to the surrounding community, or did you just get together and bullshit around. On top of this fraternity stuff, I recommend that you do some real community service on weekends, on a consistent basis to build up your list of activities outside of school and work.

Your biggest weakness will be your work experience. If you plan to apply in a year, it will be a challenge and you will really need to prove your level of professional maturity. However, if you plan to work for 3 to 5 years, and then apply, it shouldn't be a problem. I am sure that you will increasingly accept more responsibility and handle bigger client engagements. Furthermore, you could perhaps move into a more senior position (senior associate, etc.) at another company after 2 years with Cisco.

The industry you come from really doesn't matter that much, as MBA students come from a variety of industries (investment banking, tech, nonprofit, logistics, etc.). I think that your tech background would be a great selling point for Stanford. However, you will have to work on separating yourself from the other 200 some engineers, and show to the admissions committee why you are a unique candidate. The time between now and the application deadlines is the best time to start participating in activities that will build you into a unique candidate.

BUT, do not do something just because you need to put it in your application. You will hate volunteering, it will show in your essays and overall experience and nothing will be gained. Instead, choose something you really believe in. For example, I have always felt passionate about education (literacy and numeracy). I volunteer every week at a local school, work with children to improve their reading skills. Every week I impact my students because I truly believe that what I am doing matters. I am sure you can join something similar that pertains to computer literacy. For example, you could tutor senior citizens who would like to become more computer literate.

I am no admissions consultant, but I know this: if you are honest and believe in what you do, others will believe in you and carry your flag for you. Anyway, enough philosophical quips, I'll let someone else chime in.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear kjm84,

I concur completely with AleksandrM on his post. To answer the questions you posed:

1) I don't think you can "spin" the GPA, but I do think you need to give a brief explanation of what happened your sophomore and junior years regarding your grades. Most people understand college is a fun time and have at least one semester with a lower GPA relative to their overall transcript.

2) There is absolutely no way to predict what your GMAT score will be, and the quantity of time preparing does not have a consistent effect on scores as it varies greatly by each individual. Remember, you always score better on a practice test than the real thing. The best preparation is to take as many practice tests as you can.

3) It is not so much what type of professional experience you have but what you have done in your career that matters. If you apply with 3-5 years in the same job with no evidence of progression, then it is not so impressive. If you apply with 3-5 years of experience, with demonstrated career progression (could be in title, project size, supervising others, etc.), then that is exactly what the admissions committees are wanting to see. As AleksandrM pointed out though, your technical consulting/engineering degree is a very common profile, so you will need to effectively distinguish yourself from the applicant pool.

4) I do no think an alternative transcript is critical in your case. If you wish to take some courses between now and business school, then you should but it is not necessary for you (especially if your GMAT is at or above 670).

As for your dream schools versus the others, I think you should re-evaluate your candidacy when you decide to apply for any program. Depending on what you want to do post-MBA, you might find other strong programs or decide to apply to Harvard/Wharton/Stanford as a stretch school. You will never know if you had a chance to get in if you don't apply!

Best of luck,
Lisa

[kjm84]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I found them both very helpful and insightful.