Getting Through The Elite B-School Screen

Mr. Rugby

• 700 GMAT
• 3.8 Grade Point Average
• Undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Texas Tech University
• Work resume includes Shell Oil internship, Eastman Chemical Co-op, TETRA Technologies internship though “college senior”
• Extracurricular involvement includes All-State player and fundraising chair in men’s rugby, servant leader in Christ in Action, and more
• Goal to develop long-term assisted living centers
• 22-year-old Nigerian American “fresh out of college”
• “I am neither a button-pusher or a rough-neck but more like a combo of both.”

Odds of Success:

Harvard Business School 2+2 Program: 40% to 55%

MIT joint MS in Engineering with MBA: 60%

Kellogg MBA or MMM: 60%

Wharton: 60%

Columbia: 60+%

Darden: 70%

Duke: 70%

Michigan: 70+%

Carnegie Mellon: 70+%

Sandy’s Analysis: I am assuming you are a college senior and an American citizen, although your note says “22-year-old Nigerian American (fresh out of college)” and that is unclear and you also say “college senior” in another part of your story.

Anyway, if you are an African-American, e.g. a U.S citizen, with a 3.8 in chemical engineering from an ok school, and a 700 GMAT, with some blue-chip job intern experience, and you can max out your extra curricular stuff, which seems strong, and drop your out-of-no-place idea to “develop assisted living centers” (WTF!!!!) and stay in the energy business somehow, you got a lot to like.

HBS 2+2 program takes kids like you if you can execute without pissing them off, a small IF given note above (both tone deaf and confusing in its original form, which claimed profiles were getting boring, although the snarky parts were omitted by John, our resident diplomat), and you seem to have some solid extras, plus that 3.8 GPA. They will blink at the 700, if the 3.8 is legit and not some mash up of your favorite courses. The same goes for HBS if in fact you are out of college, as you also say you are, or is ‘fresh out of college’ your short term goal.

If you, or anyone else, is applying during their first year of work experience, HBS might accept you and defer you. MIT is always looking for African Americans with 700 GMATs not to mention 3.8 in chemical engineering. MIT has a minority problem, in part because they used to be stingy with scholarships, for everyone, but that might have changed. Stanford goes for kids like you, if you can put together some interesting identity politics story, based on your background and extras. Wharton is always looking for 3.8 GPA/700 GMAT black males as well. Other schools should be solid if you can convince them you want to attend.