Profile Evaluation Request

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Profile Evaluation Request

by SonofPegasus » Sat May 16, 2015 6:27 pm
Hi Stacy,

I'd love to hear what you think, as I have a rather unusual profile compared to most MBA applicants.

Educational Background: B.A. in Communication Arts and Sciences from a well-known, middle-ranked state school (3.1 GPA). M. A. in English Education at NYU (3.9 GPA).

GMAT: 720 (44 Q / 45 V)...will probably retake as all practice tests were => 48Q

Age: 31 (32 in July)

Current Job: Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at a large, well-respected private high school (enrollment > 1,100). I've held this job for two years.

Work Responsibilities:
- Responsible for generating over 15 million dollars in revenue
- Manage a database of 3,600 prospective students
- Oversee the entire financial aid process, including managing a financial aid budget of over 3.2 million

Previous Job: English teacher (high school level - 6 years).

Other responsibilities/accomplishments:
- As Director of Admissions, I have increased enrollment of students from underserved populations by over 20% in two years (number one priority).
- Chair of the Financial Aid Committee
- Chair of various school accreditation committees
- Served as a football, rugby, and track coach at the high school level
- Co-directed three international service trips
- Directed multiple, multi-day student retreats
- Was selected to participate in national leadership seminars
- Presented at a national conference on "building innovative classroom presentations"

Random Interests:
- Triathlons
- Guitar

Reason for MBA: Over the past two years, I have spent a lot of time working with major non-profits that assist students from underserved populations. This has sparked a passion to work in educational reform. My "dream job" would be to work in the public sector department of a major consulting firm and focus on large-scale education reform.

Concerns: Obviously, my low undergrad GPA is a killer, but I'm hoping that my eight years of work experience and M.A. in Education is enough to compensate. I'm also aware that I'm older than most MBA applicants.

Desired Schools: Stanford, Kellogg, Yale all have a soft spot for those coming from non-profits. They also have the ideal programs/clubs that suit my interests.

Any thoughts are much appreciated!
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by MargaretStrother » Tue May 26, 2015 4:47 am
Interesting profile, Son of Pegasus! I think many top business schools will be very interested in you. Love the education focus, strong community service and clear leadership trajectory in your career.

GMAT: For the top MBA programs you're targeting, you'll want to get that Quant up over 70%. Given your background and seniority, showing that you can "fit with the group" in terms of quant skills will be important to the admissions committee.

Challenges: over 30 can be a tough sell for Stanford, and your low GPA is an issue, but your strong Masters Degree performance at NYU will help to some extent. The Why MBA will be crucial for you, as it is for most non-traditional applicants: be sure you've identified post-MBA employers that both connect to your industry and also have strong hiring ties to the schools you're applying to, and role models (i.e. people with MBAs from a given school who are doing things that inspire you) will also be a way to configure your Why MBA statement.

I also like your clear, accessible writing style -- that will be an asset for you as you present your aspirations and experiences.

Good luck in your applications!

Margaret Strother
Margaret Strother
Senior Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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