MBA Handicapping: Army Captain With Great Story & Low Stats. Here’s What You Do

You could not imagine a better resume for a military guy.

Captain Riley, 29, has served in the U.S. Army for seven years, with a deployment in Afghanistan. He now works in the Surgeon General’s Office and is seeking an MBA to transition out of the military with a goal to join a biotech or pharma company after graduation.

His CV is chock full of accomplishments, from platoon leader & battalion medical officer to company executive officer, brigade medical officer, and company commander until moving on to become a staff officer in the Surgeon General’s Office. Among other things, he resourced, planned, and conducted over 80 combat airlift missions and also planned and secured the relocation of more than $4.5 billion worth of U.S. and NATO property via airlift out of Afghanistan.

HANDICAPPING YOUR MBA ODDS: VYING FOR WHARTON, MIT, COLUMBIA & GEORGETOWN

But the captain is aiming high, applying to the MBA programs at Wharton, MIT Sloan, Columbia, and Georgetown, all of which have applicant pools with high GPAs and standardized test scores and military candidates who graduated from service academies. Riley has a 3.29 from Marywood University, a small Jesuit college in Scranton, PA, where he earned a bachelor’s in biology. He scored 315 on his first try with the GRE. Both his GPA and GRE are below the class averages for all his target programs.

Can his stellar service record overcome the low stats? Or does Riley need to sit the GRE a second time and earn a score that at least meets the more common GRE thresholds at Wharton and MIT, where the class averages are 324 and 325, respectively? Are those schools the best options for Riley or should he apply to a few other places as well that would be less focused on the numbers and more on his career accomplishments?

These are all questions addressed in this episode of Friday with Sandy. HBSGuru.com founder Sandy Kreisberg assesses his chances and provides some solid advice along with P&Q Editor-in-Chief John A. Byrne.

If you would like to participate in a future Fridays With Sandy webinar, you can contact Sandy and Poets&Quants Founder John A. Byrne here.

DONā€™T MISS PREVIOUS FRIDAYS WITH SANDY EPISODES

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THIS INDIAN MALE BREAKS WITH THE STEREOTYPE: WILL H/S/W BE IMPRESSED?

INDISPENSABLE ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA APPLICANTSĀ 

IMPACT INVESTOR WITH A GREAT STORY SO FARĀ 

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW:20 FUNDAMENTAL Ā INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS ROCKING MOCK Ā 

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW: COKE, PEPSI & OTHER BIG CONSUMER BRANDS TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

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3.2 GPA ā€” HOW DAMAGING FOR THIS MEXICAN STAR (740 GMAT!)?

THIS SUPERSTAR APPLICANT NEEDS TO POLISH HIS STORY

IF THIS DING, DING, DING RE-APPLICANT CAN GET AN 80/80 GRE, HE IS GOLDĀ 

CAN A ā€˜BIG FOOTā€™ MENTOR HELP YOU OVERCOME A 2.9 GPA?

HOW DOES A GREAT MBA APPLICANT OVERCOME A 3.2 GPA?

IS WORKING FOR TOBACCO & BOOZE COMPANIES A BLOT ON YOUR MBA APP?

MOCK INTERVIEW: HOW TO ANSWER THE MOST COMMON MBA INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

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SUPER-STAR AFRICAN WITH A 630 GMATā€“HSW???

30-YEAR-OLD, AFRO-AMERICAN, NAIROBI-BASED, 5 JOBS ā€” SANDY SAYS TOP 10 CAN HAPPEN

APPLYING TO B-SCHOOL FROM BIG ENERGY

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APPLYING FROM MYANMAR WITH A 3.26 FROM San JOSE STATE

BIG 4 CONSULTANT: 33, 2.9 PGAā€¦.KEEP READING\]\

HBS WITH A 2.9 & AN INDIAN MALE? WHY THIS GUY COULD BE THE ONE Ā 

DOA? DOES THIS TED TALK SUPERSTAR SOUND SCRIPTED?

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HOW TO USE YOUR INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND TO GET INTO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS AFTER B-SCHOOL: SOME GREAT TIPSĀ 

HOW TO OPTIMIZE A ā€˜WOMEN IN TECHā€™ STORY FOR B-SCHOOLS

SURGEON JOINS FAMILY BUSINESS ā€” BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN WHY

WHY HARVARD, STANFORD & WHARTON LIKE PILOTS

HBS INTERVIEW TIPS FOR NON-LIBERAL ARTS MAJORSĀ 

EGYPTIAN VC GUY ā€” GREAT START FOR H/S/W . . . AND THERE IS MORE

CORE ANSWERS FOR COMMON B-SCHOOL QUESTIONS

WHEN DOES A 710 vs. A 730 GMAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

GOOGLE, FACEBOOK, MARINES: HOW TO EXPLAIN TRANSITIONS IN YOUR B-SCHOOL INTERVIEWS

SANDY TRIES TO FLUSTER THIS SUPER START 3.9/770 CHINESE PR WOMAN WHILE JOHN GOES GA-GA

H/S/W ADMIT TIPS FOR FINANCIAL GUYSĀ 

2+2 SUPER APPLICANT ā€” CAN HE GET AROUND A LOW GRE

H/S/W TIPS FROM THIS DESAI AT EXXONMOBILĀ 

SANDYā€™S TOUGH LOVE FOR A SUPER STAR WITH A 650 GMAT

HOW TECHIES & ENGINEERS BEAT OUT THEIR PEERS AT TOP MBA PROGRAMSĀ 

HOW DO ACCENTURE CONSULTANTS GET INTO WHARTON?

APPLYING FOR HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOLā€™S 2+2 FROM ABROAD

HBS WITH A 3.4 & A 770? WHARTON?

5 YEARS OF FINANCE + 4 YEARS OF MARINES = HBS?

APPLYING AFTER 30: DOā€™S & DONā€™TS

MOCK HARVARD 2+2 MBA INTERVIEW: SANDY GRILLS THIS GUY (FOR HIS OWN GOOD)

HBS WITH A 3.2 GPA??? IT COULD HAPPEN.

CAN THIS INDIAN MALE WITH A 3.4/710 LEAPFROG HIS COHORT? Ā 

CAN THIS PGA ANALYST LAND AT HBS?

HOW TO MOVE FROM PURE TECH TO STRATEGY CONSULTING

THREE ODDBALL JOBS NEED EXPLAINING, INCLUDING DOG DNA

WITH INTERNSHIPS AT TESLA, TWITTER, SPACEX & THE CIA, DOES HE HAVE A SHOT AT HBS? Ā 

WHICH LATIN AMERICAN PASSPORT HELPS THE MOST AT HBS?

GREAT STATS, PUBLIC IVY DEGREE & FANG JOB. WHY HEā€™S GOING TO GET DINGED ANYWAY

2+2 WITH LOW STATS: SANDY SAYS IT COULD HAPPEN

SUMMA, 780: HBS LIKES THAT, WHARTON LOVES THAT, DOES STANFORD WANT MORE?Ā 

ARE ALL OF INDIAā€™S ITTā€™S CREATED EQUALY? Ā MAYBE NOT FOR ELITE MBA ADMISSIONS

BIG 4 ā€” LAUNCH PAD FOR H/S/W?

HOW THIS POWERFUL CANDIDATE SCREWED UP HIS FIRST HBS APP

4.0/760, CALTECH: MINEFIELDS FOR 2+2

YES AT HBS WITH A 3.0 & A 680 ā€” THIS GUYā€™S ā€˜TWINā€™ DID IT

2+2 POSITIONING FOR FINANCE TYPES

40% QUANT YET HIGH ODDS FOR HBS 2+2. FIND OUT WHYĀ 

SALES GUY, 31. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL? HEREā€™S HOW

THE BASICS OF GETTING AN MD-MBA

CAN THIS BAND LEADER JAZZ HIS 3.3 GPA INTO HBS 2+2? WORKING AT MCKINSEY HELPS

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL WITH A 670? HEREā€™S HOW

TOO YOUNG FOR HBS, EVEN WITH A 750 GMAT?

MEXICO, MASTERCARD, MAESTRO: 3 HOOKS FOR AN M7 ADMIT?

AVERAGE GMAT & GPA? CHECK. SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BUST INTO BOOTH & KELLOGG?Ā 

OVERCOMING TWO STRIKES: A LOW GPA & A LOW GMAT

720 VS. 740 GMAT: THE SLIM DIFFERENCE CAN BE HUGEĀ 

HOW TO MAXIMIZEĀ A 320 GRE AND A 3.4 GPA

HOW ASIAN IB/PE APPLICANTS SHOULD PRESENT THEIR STORY TO H/S/W

CAN THIS WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN GUY CRACK STANFORD & HARVARD?

APPLYING TO H/S/MIT FROM LATIN AMERICA WITH A 770

WHERE SHOULD THIS BMW ROCK ā€˜Nā€™ ROLLER GO TO B-SCHOOL?

CIAO!!! EURO ADMISSIONS FOR BIG 4 TYPESĀ 

DONā€™T SCREW YOURSELF IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF AN ADCOM INTERVIEW

CAN THIS MULTI-RACIAL MAP MAKER FIND HER WAY TO AN ELITE MBA?

UNEMPLOYED POT EXEC GOES FOR TOP MBA. WE SAY MAYBE. ARE WE SMOKING SOMETHING?

A 770 GMAT & TWO NO-NAME EMPLOYERS EQUALS WHAT?

CAN THIS INDIAN MALE GET INTO HARVARD IF HE DID NOT DO HIS UNDERGRAD AT IIT? Ā 

WILL THIS GUYā€™S FAST FOOD EXPERIENCE GET HIM BLACKBALLED AT HBS DESPITE A 770 GMAT & 4.0 GPA?

CAN THIS BLACK FIRST-GEN ENGINEER GET INTO HARVARD OR STANFORD?

GETTING INTO WHARTON & HARVARD WITH A 720 GMAT & A 3.6 GPAĀ 

WHAT ENGINEERS NEED TO DO TO GET IN

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CAN SHE TURN SILVER INTO GOLD FOR WHARTON & COLUMBIA?

CAN THIS 32-YEAR-OLD FORMER PRO RUGBY PLAYER GET INTO H/S/W?

AN HBS MOCK INTERVIEW WITH A UNICORN TECH GUY

HARVARD/STANFORD/WHARTON FOR THIS SILVER, NOT GOLD RESUME?

IS STANFORD AND HAAS A HAIL MARY FOR THIS 33-YEAR-OLD CANDIDATE?

HOW DO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL & STANFORD GSB VIEW HR TYPES? Ā 

IS THIS ENGINEER A FIT FOR BERKELEY HAAS & MIT SLOAN?

IS 2+2 HBS POSSIBLE WITH A 680 GMAT

HOW A WHITE MALE WITH LOWER STATS GETS INTO COLUMBIA & WHARTON

CAN YOU GET INTO STANFORD FROM YOUR FOURTH JOB?

WILL STANFORD & HARVARD BUY THIS STORY?

FULLBRIGHT, FAMILY POULTRY BIZ, PAKISTAN + HBS?

HOW TO EXPLAIN SIX JOBS IN FIVE YEARS TO A BUSINESS SCHOOL

SHOULD SHE RUSH TO APPLY NOW OR WAIT FOR THE NEXT CYCLE?

HOW TO GET INTO HBS WITH A 3.2 GPA

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HARVARDā€™S 2+2 DEFERRED ADMISSIONS PROGRAM

GETTING INTO KELLOGG & MCCOMBS FROM PLUTO (NOT THE PLANET)

HOW DOES THIS MCKINSEY ANALYST NOT GET INTO HBS & STANFORD?

A HIGHLY RANKED MBA FOR THIS CONCERT PIANIST?

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BAINIE, BYU ATHLETE = H/S/W?

INTERVIEW ADVICE FOR MILITARY CANDIDATES ā€” AND OTHERS Ā 

A 770 GMAT & A 4.O FROM LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ā€” WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FOR HARVARDā€™S 2+2

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GROUPON TO HBS? THIS GUY MIGHT DO IT

WHAT IT TAKES FOR A NON-IIT FROM INDIA TO GET INTO HBS 2+2

OLD, WHITE MALES WITH A CHANCE AT HBS?

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW: A MORGAN STANLEY STAFFER GETS A DRILLING

GRE FOR 2+2 SUPERSTARS: HOW LOW CAN IT GO?Ā 

SAY ā€˜YESā€™ TO SILVER OR ā€˜HOLD OUTā€™ FOR GOLD?

WHEN WHITE MALES SHOULD RETAKE THE GMAT

3.4 GPA, 700 GMAT & HISPANIC: CAN HE GET INTO HARVARD, MIT, KELLOGG?

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CAN THIS INDIAN IT MALE GET INTO HBS WITH A 3.4 GPA BUT A 750 GMAT?

WHERE RETAIL BUYERS & BRAND SPECIALISTS GET MBAs

CAN THIS EX-AIR FORCE OFFICER-TURNED-SOFTWARE-ENGINEER CRACK THE MBA CODE?

CAN THIS TARGET STAFFER GET INTO HARVARD OR STANFORD?

HOW PETRO ENGINEERS CAN GET INTO A TOP MBA PROGRAM

LONG DISTANCE CALL: HOW DOES AN AUSSIE TELECOM GUY GET INTO STANFORD?

IS THIS 30-YEAR-OLD ENERGY GUY HEADED FOR HBS?

GETTING IN IF YOUR STATS ARE BELOW THE MEDIAN

WHAT GMAT DOES THIS LATINA GOVERNMENT ANALYST NEED?

REAL GOOD ODDS FOR THIS INDIAN DO-GOODER. HEREā€™S WHY

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HOW TO AVOID LANDMINES IN YOUR 2+2 INTERVIEW

THE REAL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2+2 INTERVIEW