Mr. Habitat For Humanity

Even though Harvard Business School’s latest entering class had at least one person with a GMAT score as low as 590, you have to consider that a true anomaly. The median is 730 and your score is 50 points below that number. Sad to say, you aren’t getting into HBS with a 680 from a boutique consulting firm with a GPA that is also below the average. Your undergraduate alma mater is a HBS feeder. In the Class of 2020, there are a half dozen Georgia Tech grads who have majored in Mechanical Engineering (2); Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Computer Science; Industrial Engineering; Material Science and Engineering. So Mr. Habitat for Humanity, you have a choice here: 1) Retake the GMAT and get a score that is either on or close to the 730 median, or 3) Apply to a different range of schools that would include Duke, Darden, UCLA, Cornell, NYU Stern.

Hi Mr. Habitat: Emily here, Master Consultant at The MBA Exchange. I love your experience in a meaty leadership role at Habitat and I do believe that will appeal to any MBA program. While it sounds like you’ve had success at your consulting firm, consulting is an over represented industry in the MBA applicant pool so your work experience as it is presented here won’t make you stand out from the crowd. And like you’ve heard from others on this forum, your 680 will hold you back from the top programs you are considering like HBS and CBS. My recommendation is that you consider retaking the GMAT, maybe with some strong test prep tutoring to pull the score up, refine your goals to make them both realistic with your background and also exciting and work to make your consulting experiences pop through your resume and recommendations. If you’ve already applied, reapplicants who have taken specific actions to strengthen their candidacy can find great success or you can widen your list to include schools that are slightly less selective so can be more flexible on GMAT scores. Good luck!

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. It sounds like you’ve indeed experienced significant growth, as both a consultant and as a supervisor for Habitat for Humanity, and that’s the type of leadership experience and impact that business schools are looking for.

For the programs you are targeting, however, your 680 GMAT will make things very challenging. I strongly recommend taking it again for a 720+, especially because some consulting firms have been known to ask for candidates’ GMAT scores as well.

Additionally, I would think through your career goals. It makes sense that post-MBA, you’d rather be in a general strategy role at a more prominent firm. Regarding an alternative short-term goal, PE wouldn’t work since PE firms want applicants with IB experience or prior PE experience. And regarding your 5-year goal of working for a VC, VCs typically seek applicants with a combination of finance and startup experience. Perhaps corporate strategy is a long-term goal that might appeal to you, especially at a firm that values sustainability since that is important to you? However, if PE or VC is important to you down the line, you might even consider banking as a post-MBA goal to set yourself up for it eventually. But in any case, you’ll want to get your GMAT up to pursue that career as well (banks also ask for GMAT scores sometimes). I recommend checking out mbaMission’s Career Guides online to help figure out your path. Best of luck!

Mr. Habitat for Humanity – thanks for posting your profile! Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions, here.

I like that you enjoy getting out of your comfort zone and have taken on a leadership role with Habitat. Unfortunately, your stats are on the lower half of the range for all of your target schools. As you consider your post-MBA goals, look for ways to present a more unique trajectory that builds on your skills, expertise and interest rather than simply looking to ‘trade up’ to a ‘better’ consulting firm. If you ultimately want to transition into PE, you may want to consider IB post-MBA as a stepping stone to private equity.
I strongly encourage you to retake your GMAT and shoot for 720+. Even with that score, you might consider expanding your school list to include schools beyond the M7. Although Haas isn’t technically an M7, the admit rate is lower than that for either CBS or Kellogg.
All the best.