Handicapping Your MBA Odds

Ms. Consulting

  • 710 GMAT
  • 3.55 GPA
  • Undergraduate degrees in finance, international business and Spanish from the University of Washington
  • Work Experience includes two and one-half years at Deloitte Consulting in the strategy practice, focused on healthcare and media clients. Major projects include Latin America entry strategy for one of the largest computer companies and several corporate restructuring projects, many with a global focus; selected for the graduate school sponsorship program
  • Extracurricular involvement as a Special Olympics coach for nine years (my sister has Down Syndrome and Autism and this is a passion of mine); volunteer in a Latino Community Center tutoring individuals on the U.S. citizenship process; mentor for a business consulting class that assisted minority businesses; vice president of the International Business program in undergrad and VP of marketing in my business fraternity
  • Goal:
To return to Deloitte and grow the West Coast emerging markets practice (focusing on market entry to Latin America)
  • 25-year-old female

Odds of Success:

Harvard: 40+%

Wharton: 50+%

Stanford: 30+%

Northwestern: 50+%

London: 60+%

Chicago: 50+%

Sandy’s Analysis: This is a real tight story with solid enough stats (3.5 and 710) and lots of powerful extras (Special Olympics, helping your sister, volunteer in Latino community) plus what seems like star performance at work. Kids like you get into and dinged at HBS depending on execution, recs, luck, and not screwing up the interview.

Deloitte kids get into HBS and get dinged, but you seem to be in the upper tiers of Deloitte applicants –which is basically what you have to be.  It may be hard to present all this at any length on the new anorexic HBS application, but via the resume and Part One of the application (about extra currics and awards) you can list these accomplishments, which pretty much speak for themselves –even though most applicants do like to jaw on about it.  Make sure your recommenders really do a good job at capturing and confirming all this.

You say as to goal, “To return to Deloitte and grow the West Coast emerging markets practice (focusing on market entry to Latin America).” Hmmmm, you are not getting any special points for returning, although seems like a required part their sponsorship, if I read that right. You said “Selected for the graduate school sponsorship program.” Does that mean they are paying for your MBA but you need to return?

Anyway, leave working for Deloitte an option as part of any long-term goal, and just put more stress on being a consultant with the emerging market practice of any leading shop.  Schools don’t super feature being a two-year polishing program for consulting kids—even if it is often true, the schools like to think they transform you, and sometimes they do.

Your chances at Wharton, Kellogg, LBS, and Booth are real solid with serviceable execution. Stanford is always iffy, but they take kids like you, although they usually use Big Four legacy firms as a farm program for minorities, you might be get around that (assuming you are white) given your personal adversity stories and stellar record and the tight fit of your goals and experiences. Lots to like.

Handicapping Your MBA Odds–The Entire Series

Part I: Handicapping Your Shot At a Top Business School

Part II: Your Chances of Getting In

Part III: Your Chances of Getting In

Part IV: Handicapping Your Odds of Getting In

Part V: Can You Get Into HBS, Stanford or Wharton?

Part VI: Handicapping Your Dream School Odds

Part VII: Handicapping Your MBA Odds

Part VIII: Getting Through The Elite B-School Screen

Part IX: Handicapping Your B-School Chances

Part X: What Are Your Odds of Getting In?

Part XI: Breaking Through the Elite B-School Screen

Part XII: Handicapping Your B-School Odds

Part XIII: Predicting Your Odds of Getting In

Part XIV: Handicapping Your MBA Odds

Part XV: Assessing Your Odds of Getting In

Part XVI: Handicapping Your Odds of Getting In

Part XVII: What Are Your Odds of Getting In

Part XVIII: Assessing Your Odds of Getting In

Part XIX: Handicapping Your MBA Odds

Part XX: What Are Your Odds Of Getting In

Part XXI: Handicapping Your Odds of Acceptance

Part XXII: Handicapping Your Shot At A Top MBA

Part XXIII: Predicting Your Odds of Getting In

Part XXIV: Do You Have The Right Stuff To Get In

Part XXV: Your Odds of Getting Into A Top MBA Program

Part XXVI: Calculating Your Odds of Getting In

Part XXVII: Breaking Through The Elite MBA Screen

Part XXVIII: Handicapping Your Shot At A Top School

Part XXIX: Can You Get Into A Great B-School

Part XXX: Handicapping Your Odds of Getting In

Part XXXI: Calculating Your Odds of Admission

Part XXXII: Handicapping Your Elite MBA Chances

Part XXXIII: Getting Into Your Dream School

Part XXXIV: Handicapping Your Shot At A Top School

Part XXXV: Calculating Your Odds of Getting In

Part XXXVI: What Are Your Chances Of Getting In

Part XXXVII: Handicapping Your Business School Odds

Part XXXVIII: Assessing Your B-School Odds Of Making It

Part XXXIX: Handicapping MBA Applicant Odds

Part XL: What Are Your Odds of Getting In

Part XLI: Handicapping Your Odds of MBA Success

Part XLII: What Are Your Chances Of Getting In

Part XLIII: Handicapping Your MBA Odds

Part XLIV: Can You Get Into A Top MBA Program

Part XLV: Assessing Your Odds of Getting In

Part XLVI: Handicapping Your Dream School Odds

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