Mr. Beer Guy

You gotta love a beer guy. So gaining 4 promotions in 3.5 years is quite an accomplishment. Typically, it’s rare that someone in the role of managing maintenance is an ideal candidate for a top business school. But I think you are the exception, given your fast rate of promotion and your story. Having earned your degree in three years with a 4.0, no less, while working and supporting yourself and being the sole provider for your younger brother and mother makes me want to give you a hug. I think NYU Stern’s admission people will feel the same way.

Hi Mr. Beer Guy, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. First, wish we could have a pint to discuss your profile as it sounds really interesting. I, myself, once started out to be a chemical engineer and have such respect for those who made it through – not to mention a 4.0 in 3 years while supporting yourself and your family through school. In addition to your rapid promotions at work, what stands out to me is the size of the team you manage as well as your experience managing in a union environment. Both are not often seen in other engineering applicants – I think this is to your advantage. I’d love to know more about your SPCA and United Way involvement – have you had the chance to take a leadership role in either of these? While giving back to your community is important – so is highlighting your leadership potential. So this is something to think about across your professional and community experiences. In addition, I would want to understand more about what is driving your goals. You will want to narrow in on one of the paths – and be able show why this goal is the right goal for you. Think about why you want to switch into tech – this authentic perspective is important to help you stand out amongst other engineers. What impact do you want to have through tech? The one area I’d love to understand more is your GRE – as your score feels so different than the story told by your GPA. If there is a story there, you could use the optional essay to share it with your programs. It is clear you can handle the academic rigor of the program – and I see you did HBX Core, which is a great indicator of your interest in an MBA and I assume you did well. If you have only taken the test 1x, then I would recommend trying again as this sends a signal to the schools that you have tried more than 1x. Overall, I think with a compelling story, you are slightly above odds for Stern and the other programs. Other programs you may want to consider are Duke, UNC and Tepper, which all have strong ties into tech. Please reach out if I can answer any other questions. Good luck!