Mr. Aerospace Project Manager

Hi, it’s Nisha at mbaMission. Aerospace is such a fascinating industry! I’m curious about what type of impact you’d like to make in this space in the future based on what you’ve experienced and observed so far. I’m sure that the admissions committee will be interested to know this as well, so in your application be sure to craft a narrative that explains the motivations behind your career goals.

Speaking of career goals – while autonomous/EV company is a bit specific, you could always state your goal as technology PM, with a preference towards this type of company (so that the schools know you are somewhat open). Management consulting might be the immediate post-MBA route for you if you’d rather first gain foundational experience solving different types of problems across companies/industries and strengthen your strategic thinking skills. On mbaMission’s website, be sure to check out the Consulting and Technology Career Guides for further insight on which post-MBA path might suit you best.

Your academics are solid – if you can increase your GMAT score without a lot of effort, go for it (so that you can tell yourself that you did everything possible), otherwise leave it as is. As spring turns into summer, I would focus on the other parts of your application, since I believe the key to your candidacy will be application execution. For that, you’ll want to make sure you: fully communicate your professional and personal impact on your resume/application, use your essays to highlight your formative experiences and values so that the admissions committees get to know you well, explain what drives your desired career path, and make a strong case for why each program is a strong fit for you based on its culture and resources within and outside the classroom. Given how competitive the process has been lately and that you are applying from a heavily represented demographic, I’d also consider expanding your list of schools a bit. Two others I’d consider based on their strengths in consulting and tech: Michigan Ross and Berkeley Haas.

I hope that helps – if you’d like to discuss in more detail, please reach out to schedule a free consultation. Best of luck!

Hi Mr. Aerospace Project Manager, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. Let’s start with your question about GMAT for 3rd attempt. So the GMAT (or any test) has a two-fold goal: to help show your ability to handle the academic rigor of the program and then in an over-represented applicant pool can help make you stand out. Based on your GPA in Engineering and your GMAT, there is no question you can handle the academic rigor of the program. You are also above the current average of HBS (730). Could an extra 10-20 points help, maybe – so if you won’t feel complete without taking the test you should do so. But I also feel a strong and compelling story as to why an MBA and where you want to go with your career can be your X Factor as well. You need to decide based on the time you have before you apply. Now, timing is my next concern – from what it looks like based on your profile, you currently have 2 years of work experience which is below the mid 80% range in most schools and HBS’s 4.7 years. If you are applying this upcoming fall, you are need to convince Adcom that now is the right time for you. Your early promotion will help show your quick upward mobility. Can you also highlight significant leadership either at work or at university? You’ve clearly spent time giving back to your community – which is great. Any opportunity to highlight where you have led projects, team, initiatives will enhance your profile. I would suggest considering to wait another year to show further career growth and increase the experience you can contribute to the classroom. I like that you are assessing which career path is best for you – for your applications, you will want to choose a path so that you can clearly articulate the resources at each school that you will leverage to learn what you need. My assessment is based on your 2 years of experience, but think it would increase with an additional year of experience. Please sign up for a free consult if you’d like to discuss your profile further. Best of luck!