Mr. Federal Civilian

Well, you know how to get attention. A 780 GMAT, which puts you in the one percentile of all test takers in the world, is going to open a lot of doors for you. Tuck and Darden are definitely going to welcome you on that basis alone. You don’t say which UC you got your mechanical engineering degree from and that may matter somewhat. Obviously, earning it at Berkeley, UCLA would give you more cred than from Santa Cruz or Riverside. It would also help to know if you’ve had a promotion or big win in the four years that you have worked in an engineering/operations role as a federal government civilian. That said, the 780 is a big number and if you have a personality to go with your quant background, there is absolutely no reason why Tuck wouldn’t accept you with open arms.

I agree only in part with John. Tuck has a type. And, while a 780 cures a lot boo-boos, low GPA and engineering-type and real “silver” job as engineer with govt (another type) COULD add up, depending on the reality of course, of you not being their type of engineer. Just putting this out there as a category for the general edification of our readers. Not sure about you. We need more info. Tell us more.

Your very strong GMAT score and differentiated work background are certainly solid advantages. Although current leadership roles at work and outside work are unclear from the limited profile, assuming these are solid as well, and your application shows you get along well with people, I think you have at least a 50/50 shot at Tuck, if not higher. Just remember Tuck values “nice” highly – which can manifest in many different ways. To be successful, you’ll want to show evidence of that through multiple components of your application, including, but not limited to, letters of recommendation, essays, interview, etc.

Hey Mr. Federal Civilian! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
WOW 780! That’s amazing! Congrats! That will certainly get the attention of Admissions in this competitive process. My recommendation to you is to register for the applications for all the schools you are interested in and get to the page where they ask your GMAT score and you need to upload your unofficial report. Do this. It will start getting you on the radar. BUT…I think the challenge for any 780 candidate is proving that they really want to attend the school in question. You need to prove to the AdComs that you have done your research and have networked with current students and recent alumni. These networking conversations will help you identify a path for your time in the MBA program. This is a yield game at times…in some ways, the burden on you is a little higher…b-schools will want to know that you are seriously, honestly interesting in them. So make sure you do your networking with each program.
780s don’t come along all that often…this is a great opportunity but also a great risk. Don’t assume the 780 will get you in! Do your homework, network, execute well on your apps, and sell your experiences.
I hope that helps a bit!
Krista

Hi, this is Melisa from Stratus Admissions. Congrats on your 780 – that is quite an accomplishment. Your score will open many doors for you, and you will need to tell your story well too. Tuck has a very collaborative and close knit culture – you will need to highlight stories about working with others to add to your quant skills. I would want to know more about your work experience – it is unclear if you have been promoted during work experience. You will want to highlight any promotions and/or increases in work responsibility. If you can show that a collaborative culture is where you thrive, I like Tuck for you – Darden as well. I would suggest adding Haas, Duke, UNC and Austin to your list. Best of luck!