Handicapping Your Dream School Odds

Mr. Percussionist

730 GMAT (V97%, Q76%)
3.24 GPA
Undergraduate degree in Management degree from a 25-to-30 ranked liberal arts college
Work experience includes two and one-half years in accounting at a rapidly growing pharma/biotech startup; previously worked sales rep/photographer for a big name tech company, though was contracted out for the work through a different firm
Extracurricular involvement as a percussionist; member of  my university’s symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble; founding member and leader of school’s only student jazz quintet; played at numerous events and charities around campus and in town; tutor to underprivileged elementary school students for the past two years
“I’m hoping I can explain-away my low GPA by citing a lack of maturity, overloading myself first two years (the truth)”
Goal: To get into brand/product management (out of the back office) and eventually to start my own marketing consultancy
26-year-old white male

Odds of Success:

Michigan: 40%

New York University: 30% to 40%

Columbia: 20%

UCLA: 40%

Georgetown: 50+%

Northwestern: 30% to 40%

Cornell: 40% to 50%

Southern California: 60+%

Sandy’s Analysis: Those are a solid list of schools for you since I am not seeing this as H/S/W. There’s just too many boo-boos for them including low GPA, contract work as first job!!!, and scattered responsibilities at current job. A good deal will turn on what schools think of your current company, which you describe as a “rapidly-growing pharma/biotech startup” which sounds promising, if hard to visualize, and your work duties there, which you note are “working in accounting with other things thrown-in – budgeting, systems integration (more from a functional standpoint than IT), government reporting . . . .”

Phew, here’s a tip: in your actual application, try to make that sound like a clear, limited, and recognizable position. I understand that “start-ups” have flexible roles, but my guess is, adcoms don’t imagine that some “rapidly-growing pharma/biotech startup” is being run out of a dorm room or crash pad. Nor is this Facebook in the early days. Anyway, if it is some kind of presentable company and you create some defined role for yourself, that, added to a 730 GMAT, is a chip on the table at Michigan, NYU, UCLA, Georgetown, Cornell and USC—all of whom will welcome that 730 onto their pile of GMAT scores, since it will be near the top o’ that pile, and you do work in biotech, which many of your classmates will not.

At those schools you have a legit chance, with solid execution. If your grades the last two years at college improved dramatically, that will also help. Jazz band leader and charity guy and tutor to underserved school kids also nicely round out the picture.

Your goal: “To get into brand/product management (out of the back office), and eventually to start my own marketing consultancy. . . .” is acceptable, leave out the desire to get out of the back office, and, in fact, don’t present yourself as being there, to the degree possible, in your application. Beyond that caveat, goals are solid are often what late-blooming, jack-of-all trades, Jazz hobbyists do, since product management takes a variety of skills and some flexibility. Marketing consultancy is the Plan B of many a wandering lad such as yourself.

Here is a last piece of ‘real world’ advice: I would try to spin what you are doing now as closely to product management type stuff as possible since no one likes a career changer. I mean no one making actual admissions decisions, as opposed to people employed by admissions offices to expel hot air. Career “transitioners” although lacking as a sound bite, is a waaaaaay better concept, although I would not use that word, just make transitioning from product management (and not back office product management) the substance of what you write on the application.

Columbia is an acceptable reach. Apply ASAP if not ED there. Kellogg might be charmed by perfect execution and super solid recs, and a confirming interview.

Handicapping Your MBA Odds–The Entire Series