Mr. Dancer Jokes-A-Lot

You’re right to retake the GMAT, especially for a school like Columbia Business School which has a more recent reputation of over-indexing the test. If you can just increase by 20 points, you would really be in the pocket, though I agree with Emily that a bit more experience would be very helpful to you and to a school. Another trick to get into CBS is to simply apply to the January cohort. The accept rate there is significantly higher and I believe your chances improve by a large margin. Because your goal is to stay in consulting but move to MBB, you should be able to do that without a summer internship, though obviously, MBB likes to use internships as tryouts for full-time jobs. I also would put Darden in the mix. The quality of the teaching there is superior to all the other schools on your target list and it’s a great way to get into MBB.

Mr. Dancer Jokes-A-Lot: Emily here from The MBA Exchange. I served as an Associate Director of Admissions at CBS and know from that experience plus now my four years of consulting, that schools like CBS and Sloan rarely accept applications with 700 GMAT scores. I also think they will see less than 2 years of full time work experience and think that you will not offer enough perspective to add something different to the class discussions in an MBA classroom at a top school. I too recommend taking another year to add depth to your applicant profile: retake the GMAT, pass the level 2 CFA, gain a promotion at work, maybe pick up a leadership role in a current activity. You will also want to liven up your goals a bit. While they do make sense with your background, there’s nothing there that will excite your readers to get them behind your application as a future leader in an industry. You’ve got the basic building blocks to make this MBA happen, you just need a little more time to put the pieces together. Good luck!

Hi Mr. Dancer Jokes-A-Lot! This is Kate Richardson, Senior Admissions Consultant, and not a very good dancer. Having a sense of humor should serve you well in this process! I think your work sounds interesting, and you remind me of a previous client who was part of starting up a new analytics team at a Big 4. I think it should be a good selling point to schools. That said, you seem early in your career to be applying. Why now? If waiting a year would make the promotion a sure thing, and give you time to raise your GMAT, I don’t see the rush. (By the way, I would try not to retake the exam more than 3 times — wait til you’re practicing consistently at the 750 level and then go for your retake). On the positive side, you’ve got great extracurriculars and an impressive GPA, especially for a triple major in those fields. I think Columbia is a possibility, but I’d feel much better about your chances with a higher GMAT and evidence of you being a top performer through a promotion. Hopefully those things happen for you!

Mr. Dancer Jokes-A-Lot, thanks for posting your profile. Susan Cera here from Stratus.

There are a few things that you still need to work on to make yourself a compelling candidate for CBS or another top school. First, you need to get to a 730+ GMAT which isn’t news to you. Second, unless you have a 750+ GMAT, chances are there may be applicants who look a lot like you (minus the fun parts) who have more work experience and, therefore, have more to offer in the classroom and MBA community.

Over the next year, look for ways to build your leadership profile through mentoring. I’ve worked with a number of dancers and have helped them craft narratives around how dancing enabled them to develop both as teammates and as leaders. Be aware of how you can grasp these sorts of opportunities through dance.

Right now, I think you are just too early in your career to be a competitive applicant. Over the next year you should also connect with students and alumni at your target schools so you can clearly articulate why each program is the right fit for you while simultaneously showcasing the value you would bring.

All the best!