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Management consultant in the New York office of an MBB. Summa cum laude + Phi Beta Kappa from HYP undergrad. Former fraternity president.
Target School: StanfordĀ GSB
Considering: Harvard, Chicago Booth, Wharton, Columbia, MIT Sloan
See More Profiles For: StanfordĀ GSB
Application Status: Open
Undergrad School: Princeton
Undergrad Major: Economics
GPA: 3.9
GMAT: 760
Age: 24, Ethnicity: Asian or Indian
Extracurriculars: Undergrad Fraternity (President)
Title: Associate
Industry: Consulting
Company: Top Firm
Length of Employment: 2 yrs, 2 mos
Return to consulting or jump to MM PE.
Join in! Click here to assess the odds of Mr. Classic Candidate
Hi Mr. Classic Candidate, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. What is there NOT to like about your background?! A Princeton econ grad with a 3.9, a 760 GMAT, 2 years at MBB. From a “raw strengths” perspective you check a lot of boxes. I do think your profile name identifies the major concern I have about your candidacy, based on the limited information you’ve presented here. You certainly are a “classic” candidate in terms of your background (and an exceptionally strong one at that) but you’ll need more than a 760 GMAT and 3.9 to differentiate yourself from other consultants competing for that highly sought-after Stanford seat. I’m not able to get a great picture of your professional successes, your motivations behind your career …
Hi Mr. Classic Candidate, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. What is there NOT to like about your background?! A Princeton econ grad with a 3.9, a 760 GMAT, 2 years at MBB. From a “raw strengths” perspective you check a lot of boxes. I do think your profile name identifies the major concern I have about your candidacy, based on the limited information you’ve presented here. You certainly are a “classic” candidate in terms of your background (and an exceptionally strong one at that) but you’ll need more than a 760 GMAT and 3.9 to differentiate yourself from other consultants competing for that highly sought-after Stanford seat. I’m not able to get a great picture of your professional successes, your motivations behind your career goals, or your current community and internal firm engagement. These are the pieces of the puzzle that help admissions committees really get to know YOU, not the applicant you from your resume but the REAL you. Stanford’s What Matters Most essay is going to require introspection and perhaps even vulnerability to secure that spot. I would also be interested in knowing if you will be sponsored or not by your firm (this can be another key way of separating the good consulting applicants from the stars). For some of your other target schools, your stats should immediately win them over as a no-brainer admit. If you can put together a story that shows who you are, you could make it happen with Stanford as well. Feel free to reach out if you would like a complimentary consultation where we could talk more about the details of your strategy!
There’s really only one reason why Stanford would turn down a Princeton-educated candidate with a 3.9 GPA, a 760 GMAT and an MBB job. You pretty much check off every box for admittance to an elite MBA program. But Stanford turns down many with high GMAT scores, even those from MBB jobs. What I find missing from your excellent profile is that X factor that GSB often looks for. What do I mean? While it’s helpful that you were president of your undergraduate fraternity, there’s no sense here that you are helping others in a meaningful way or that you have overcome some personal tragedy of one kind or another. Those are X factor attributes that can make a difference at Stanford where the acceptance …
There’s really only one reason why Stanford would turn down a Princeton-educated candidate with a 3.9 GPA, a 760 GMAT and an MBB job. You pretty much check off every box for admittance to an elite MBA program. But Stanford turns down many with high GMAT scores, even those from MBB jobs. What I find missing from your excellent profile is that X factor that GSB often looks for. What do I mean? While it’s helpful that you were president of your undergraduate fraternity, there’s no sense here that you are helping others in a meaningful way or that you have overcome some personal tragedy of one kind or another. Those are X factor attributes that can make a difference at Stanford where the acceptance rate is the lowest of any prestige business school in the world. That said, everything else about you is superb. You have the intellect, the ambition and the accomplishments of a stellar candidate. And in your case, I honestly believe that X factor is less important, even at Stanford. If you can, however, I would in the little time you have from a highly demanding job try to involve yourself in an activity that shows you care about the world and other less-advantaged people. It could seal the deal at the GSB. You are a shoo-in at all your other target schools. In fact, you’ll have to really convince every school, with the exception of HBS, that you want to come there because every one of them will assume you are going to either Stanford or Harvard.
High odds ā solid tests, high GPA and honors from undergrad, one of the best possible work histories for the age of applicant. Only reason this dude might get rejected is the lack of a hook. His profile is so on point that it’s almost boring.
Definitely classic! Congrats, man, you are walking on water.
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