Mr. F500 Tech PM

Hi Mr. F500 Tech PM – Liza here, from Gatehouse Admissions. Gosh, targeting the GSB with a 2.1! This is all but impossible (the school expects to see a consistently strong academic record, and launching your own business is not a viable excuse) – and yet… getting them to notice you will all depend on the successes you’ve brought to bear so far in your career. What happened with the startup? What product did you recommend to your company? It sounds it may have potential, but I’d need to know a lot more first. I do like the leadership I see listed here, as well as the involvement in your community. Nevertheless, the real questions will come down to: a) do you have the maturity and wherewithal that you’ll need not to abandon your commitments when something new comes down the pike? b) what is the internal motor that is driving your desire to create? and c) how much have these things that you have already created moved the needle? Given how difficult this journey will likely be by focusing on just GSB, I’d consider other schools that are big in the venture scene – McCombs, Darden, Haas, and Sloan. None of these will be a cakewalk with your GPA (far from it!), but if you want to add an MBA to your resume, you may need to think more broadly than just the GSB, the HARDEST school to get into of them all. Good luck!

Hi, and thanks for writing! You’ve had an intriguing professional path for sure. Overall, since you’ve had only two years of full-time work experience, I’d hold off on applying for at least another year in order to increase your career progression and build relationships with your recommenders – the average number of years of work experience for GSB and other top schools is closer to 4-5 years. Your GMAT score is fantastic, but your very low GPA will still be a concern – you’ll want to address it in the optional essay in a way that shows ownership and responsibility (and, you’ll want to note that in retrospect, you would have prioritized academics). I also recommend taking a supplemental course in a quantitative subject that you didn’t take (or did poorly in) during college – if you get an A, it will provide the AdCom further reassurance of your current academic abilities.

In any case, I would expand your list of programs and do some reflection on your post-MBA goals over the next year or so – why do you want to gravitate back towards the startup world, what type of impact have you realized you want to make, and how will an MBA help?

Hope that helps a bit – best of luck!

Meridith from Stratus Admissions here. You have some inconsistencies in your story. Although your GMAT is high, your GPA is very, very low. Not sure that founding a company provides an adequate excuse. That story will need to be explained. You also have very little work experience. On average GSB recommends 4-5 years.