The Second Round Ding Report

guy

Mr. Automotive OEM

 

  • 750 GMAT
  • 3.54 GPA
  • Undergraduate degree from a small liberal arts school
  • Work experience includes four years in strategy and consumer finance for two automotive OEMs (think Toyota and Ford)
  • “I worked in the captive finance arms of two OEMs. “My first role was in planning/strategy department to sell used cars from repossesions, leasing, at highest profit. My current role is to maximize market share in subprime segment – share of new vehicle sales, not sale of loans – so its a hybrid between finance and marketing.”
  • Extracurricular involvement includes an hour per week of community service and several hobbies (but never a top star at any of them)
“Expecting promotion next month, should I try again next year?”
  • 25-year-old Hispanic male with dual citizenship

Sandy’s Analysis: U.S. Citizen, I assume. That is a pre-req to being an official Hispanic Under-Represented Minority.

The rest of this is real strong –HBS likes auto industry guys, although I am not totally clear about what your role is, “strategy and consumer finance”? If you were performing a consultant-type role, that is good. If you were pushing around some software program in their consumer finance division, that is not good.

A real possibility is that HBS might have read your jobs as not being “selective” and working with ‘used cars’ as part of an application often does not help. Selling sub-prime mortgages that almost destroy the U.S. economic system is WONDERFUL prep for HBS. Selling sub-prime loans to car buyers is not as wonderful

Also, a smaller issue might be career progression. You say you worked for two auto OEM’s? Did your role change over that time? I sure hope you did not go FROM strategy to consumer finance? 
If you have some legit internal consulting type gig at an auto company, and solid execution, guys like you get in and dinged at HBS depending on the usuals: luck, execution, not blowing your interview, strong recommendations, etc.

Apply next year, and consider the above.

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