Mr. Ex EV-Tech PM

I like you! Your story–growing up below the poverty line to working in FAANG–resonates with me and will resonate with a lot of admission officials. But your target schools are not ideal given two issues: Your degree from the University of Kentucky and your below-class average GRE. Truth is, you are apply to elitist institutions that value elitist credentials. They will jump up and down telling you that they will evaluate you on the merits but in fact the two downsides I pointed out will prevent them from giving you an acceptance. This is less about you and more about them.

Columbia’s average GRE score is 324, 16 points higher than your score. Columbia’s class average GPA is 3.6, well above your 3.24, and that average reflects enrolled students largely from institutions with better reputations than Kentucky. That is why you were turned down by CBS.

So you have two routes to a great MBA experience: 1) Get your GRE score more in line with the averages for the top schools which means a 320+, and/or 2) Pick another group of schools that will allow you to achieve your goals.

My best advice: Take the test again and try to add a few more points to it. Pick six schools: Two stretch MBA programs such as Michigan and Duke. Two potentially reachable: Washington Foster and UT McCombs. And two safety schools: Georgia Tech and Rochester Simon. I picked these schools to give you a better sense of what you should be aiming for rather than these specific MBA programs, though this would be a much better strategy, given where you are.

Good luck, my friend. You can do this and get to a place where you will have a fulfilling professional life.