Profile Evaluation

[jkealy2]

Hello!

Was looking for a profile review, appreciate any and all input!

Female (30/Caucasian)

Undergrad (Top 10): 3.5 GPA
Masters (Ivy): 4.0 (#1 in class)

GMAT: 700 (46Q/40V)

Work Experience: 6 years in Healthcare (Manager, responsible for 20+ individuals)

A few extra-curricular activities.

Looking to apply to Wharton and Columbia in the fall.

[VantagePointMBA]

Hi jkealy2,

Thanks for sharing your profile! Based on the information you shared, I would say that your target schools are within reason. However, I would suggest widening your consideration set to more than 2 schools to maximize your chances. Although you skew a bit older of the average applicant age, your considerable leadership experience is certainly a differentiating factor as well as the unique perspective you bring with your healthcare expertise. (I would love to learn more about exactly what you do before I can provide any more specific feedback.) You don't mention your post-MBA career goals but I would make sure to clearly articulate the logical progression between your work experience and your plans after business school to offset any question marks around why you didn't apply to business school sooner. Lastly, as I'm sure you know, your GMAT score is slightly below average for your target schools. If you think you could improve your score by 20+ points (with a focus on the Q score), you could consider re-taking it and give yourself peace of mind that you maximized that aspect of your application.

If you'd like to further discuss the details of your candidacy, you can contact us via our website www.vantagepointadmissions.com.

Best of luck!

- Melody

[MargaretStrother]

There are a lot of good points in your profile: top schools will like your academic performance and management experience. However, I agree that a slightly higher GMAT would contribute immensely to your chances: 700 is a tricky number because it's below the median for most top MBA programs, but high enough that it's not always clear whether you really need to go through GMAT agony again. I'd love to see you re-take it (unless you've taken it, say, 4 times already), if only to demonstrate commitment to the MBA process.

Your age is slightly above the average for these schools, but I have seen many candidates offset that successfully by showing what great use they've made of their time. Chances are you bring some differentiating leadership roles that younger applicants don't have.

Most crucial, in my opinion, would be a clearly researched set of post-MBA goals: you already have a masters degree, so why an MBA, why now? Where do you see yourself heading?

If you plan to continue in healthcare post-MBA, you should definitely apply to Wharton's Healthcare Management track. Your profile will fit well there.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother