Calculating Your Odds Of Getting In

Mr. Healthcare

• 700 GMAT (will be retaking)
• 3.25 GPA (have taken two courses since and gotten As)
• Undergraduate degree in biology and economics from Brown University
• Work experience includes five years in health care strategy consulting, three at a boutique firm and two at a major management consulting firm. Have a track record of excellent performance reviews, team leadership and client satisfaction
• Heavily involved in extracurricular activity at school, including multiple mentoring positions, leadership jobs and volunteer programs

Odds of Success:

Wharton: 20% to 30%

Northwestern: 25% to 40%

NYU: 30%

Chicago: 25% to 40%

Duke: 35% to 50%

Columbia: 40%  (early decision)

Sandy’s Analysis: Well, except for your low-ish GPA and 700 GMAT, you are a solid guy with an Ivy education and what appears to be two solid jobs. I assume the boutique job is the current one? Taking those two extra courses is helpful, and if you are dead set on Wharton, you might take two more. Also, while I don’t usually advise retaking a 700 GMAT, in your case, I do, if you have your heart set on Philly.  They get a lot of guys just like you (Ivy, solid jobs, solid extras) and the raw numbers often make deciding real easy, even if they should not.

Solid execution as to why you want an MBA and why now will also help (five years of consulting experience is on the high side), along with some focused but dream-filtered goal statement. Even with your present stats, guys like you get in and dinged from Kellogg and Booth, and mostly get in to Duke (if you convince them they are not sloppy fifths). Not sure I see the NYU fit. Jack up the GMAT and try Columbia early decision.