Candidate:

Mr. BrailleTooth

About Me:

Brief overview. Enlisted in Navy after HS deployed Iraq with SEAL Team 5. Got out, attended Columbia(CU). Left CU to focus on founding a startup idea/invention. Did that 4-5 years. Came back to finish degree at CU – graduate April 2021. Trying to apply to a T7 school, very solid 740 GMAT, GPA should be ~3.0-3.2 at grad (hard STEM major).

Schools:

Target School: Harvard

Considering: MIT Sloan, Kellogg SOM, Darden, Tuck

See More Profiles For: Harvard

Application Status: Open

Details:

Undergrad School: Columbia University

Undergrad Major: Data Science

GPA: 3.0-3.2

GMAT: 740

Age: 31, Ethnicity: White

Extracurriculars: Volunteered as a Math teacher for adult GED students. Competed in ,and won, multiple Hackathons while attending Columbia. Was in and out of school a good bit pursuing/founding multiple start-ups.

Work History:

Title: Tactical Communicator for NavSOC - Rank E-5

Industry: Government / Military

Company: Navy

Length of Employment: 4 yrs, 1 mos

Title: Engineer / Founder

Industry: Engineering

Company: Start-Up

Length of Employment: 5 yrs, 1 mos

Big Life Wins:

I came up with an idea for a mobile Braille Bluetooth keyboard for the Blind (BrailleTooth). Managed to fully develop it through beta testing, MVP, and roll-out to end-users. Gave the idea and IP away to open source community to keep the cost of production as low as possible. Also, hold multiple patents for 3D printing and mechanical devices.

Post MBA Goal:

Would like to get into innovations management, and or Start-up consulting – would also like to utilize my solid CS and Data Science background.

Odds:

Join in! Click here to assess the odds of Mr. BrailleTooth

The Experts Rate The Odds At: 35%

See what the industry experts have to say:

MBA Prep School | Odds Assessment: 35%

Hi Mr. BrailleTooth, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I’m very impressed by your unique background. You have quite the combination of career experiences; each alone would be eye-catching to an MBA admissions officer but seeing them together is truly unusual! Admissions officers LOVE Navy SEALs, they usually offer a wealth of evidence around leadership and problem-solving in highly stressful situations. On the other hand, they don’t always have an opportunity to challenge the status quo in their roles. Your start-up experience can really fill that gap, showcasing innovation. One thing I’m not clear on is how successful your product ultimately was. It sounds like you were able to sustain it for several years, but what changed that …

Hi Mr. BrailleTooth, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I’m very impressed by your unique background. You have quite the combination of career experiences; each alone would be eye-catching to an MBA admissions officer but seeing them together is truly unusual! Admissions officers LOVE Navy SEALs, they usually offer a wealth of evidence around leadership and problem-solving in highly stressful situations. On the other hand, they don’t always have an opportunity to challenge the status quo in their roles. Your start-up experience can really fill that gap, showcasing innovation. One thing I’m not clear on is how successful your product ultimately was. It sounds like you were able to sustain it for several years, but what changed that made you give the IP away? Your non-traditional path has both pros and cons; it will definitely differentiate you from the pool, but you’ll also be at the upper end of the applicant pool in terms of age/work experience and have a GPA that is on the lower end. Your strong GMAT will help in offsetting your GPA, but you will have to make a case for why an MBA, at this point in your career, is necessary for you to take the next step in your career. One other concern I think admissions committees will have about your background is that you were “in and out of school” pursuing your ventures. MBA programs want to know you are committed to completing the degree and will be engaged in the classroom rather than working on your own ideas most of the time. I have heard from MBA students in the past who have “that classmate” in their group who never shows up because they are focusing on their startup. You will need to be clear that you plan to contribute to your future class and not just take advantage of resources. HBS is really a toss-up for you, but if you put together a strong application I do think you’ll be successful in being admitted to at least one of your target programs. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to talk through this more!

4 years ago Read the full review

The Community Currently Rates The Odds At: 45%

35% | 4 years ago

Hi Mr. BrailleTooth, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I'm very impressed by your unique background. You have quite the combination of career experiences; each alone would be eye-catching to an MBA admissions officer but seeing them together is truly unusual! Admissions officers LOVE Navy SEALs, they usually offer a wealth of evidence around leadership and problem-solving in highly stressful situations. On the other hand, they don't always have an opportunity to challenge the status quo in their roles. Your start-up experience can really fill that gap, showcasing innovation. One thing I'm not clear on is how successful your product ultimately was. It sounds like you were able to sustain it for several years, but what changed that ...

Hi Mr. BrailleTooth, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I’m very impressed by your unique background. You have quite the combination of career experiences; each alone would be eye-catching to an MBA admissions officer but seeing them together is truly unusual! Admissions officers LOVE Navy SEALs, they usually offer a wealth of evidence around leadership and problem-solving in highly stressful situations. On the other hand, they don’t always have an opportunity to challenge the status quo in their roles. Your start-up experience can really fill that gap, showcasing innovation. One thing I’m not clear on is how successful your product ultimately was. It sounds like you were able to sustain it for several years, but what changed that made you give the IP away? Your non-traditional path has both pros and cons; it will definitely differentiate you from the pool, but you’ll also be at the upper end of the applicant pool in terms of age/work experience and have a GPA that is on the lower end. Your strong GMAT will help in offsetting your GPA, but you will have to make a case for why an MBA, at this point in your career, is necessary for you to take the next step in your career. One other concern I think admissions committees will have about your background is that you were “in and out of school” pursuing your ventures. MBA programs want to know you are committed to completing the degree and will be engaged in the classroom rather than working on your own ideas most of the time. I have heard from MBA students in the past who have “that classmate” in their group who never shows up because they are focusing on their startup. You will need to be clear that you plan to contribute to your future class and not just take advantage of resources. HBS is really a toss-up for you, but if you put together a strong application I do think you’ll be successful in being admitted to at least one of your target programs. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to talk through this more!

Read the full review
45% | 4 years ago