Profile Evaluation for MBA Programs

[prossetti]

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I put everything in note format to make it easier to read.

Undergraduate School: Syracuse University
Undergraduate Degree: B.S. in Computer Engineering
Undergraduate GPA: 3.018

Graduate School: Boston College
Graduate Degree: M.S. in Finance, Part-Time
Graduate GPA: 3.700

Designations: Passed all three levels of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Program

GMAT: 700

Work Experience: Software engineer for four years and two years as a financial analyst in business development.

My target schools for full time MBA: Cornell, UCLA, UVA, UNC

With my credentials, would I have a reasonable shot at getting into these programs? Is there anything else I should work on to make my application more interesting? Perhaps do some volunteer work for awhile? Do random facts like "I led groups of people on white water rafting trips down the Grand Canyon" actually make a difference on the application? I'm not aiming for top 10, but definitely between 10-20.

Thanks for your input.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear prossetti,

I think you have a reasonable chance at these schools. However, you will need to address why you want your MBA in addition to your MS in Finance. There are some schools that will want to know why you didn't just get the MBA instead of the MS in Finance. Don't get me wrong--you probably have a reasonable, logical rationale for this, but you will want to explicitly address how these two degrees fit into your future career goals.

Volunteer work would be helpful, but if you are just doing it for application purposes, then it will not help your case. Leading groups on a whitewater rafting trip can make a positive impact on an application because of the skills that are employed. Depending on what happened on the trip, it might make a huge impact on the ad comm and help the candidate to stand out.

If you want to apply to enter in fall 2009, then I think your efforts are best served focusing on getting in the strongest applications possible. If you are looking to enter fall 2010, then you do have time to get involved in a community/nonprofit organization and take on a leadership role.

Good luck,
Lisa

[prossetti]

Thanks Lisa. I appreciate the response.