Mr. Feed The Homeless

Hi Mr. Feed the Homeless. Julie-Anne Heafey here with mbaMission. Gosh, without a GMAT, it is really hard to estimate anyone’s odds on here, but I see some good things that may keep you in contention –namely, your deep experience, your passion for community service, and your mentoring work. I’m worried about your age and low GPA. The age is what it is – if you are determined to go to a 2 year program, you’ll just have to demonstrate that you’ll be able to be placed somehow for that summer internship–this would potentially be an adcom reservation about your profile. If you are looking at a 1-year Cornell program, or you can show that you will define your own internship, this problem will diminish…but generally speaking, after 30, applicants start looking less to the AdCom like 2-year MBA candidates and more like 1-year, part time or EMBA candidates. As for the low GPA, use the optional essay to give context but not excuses, and you might make it through. Of course, you’ll surely be looking at the Consortium, and sounds to me like you’ll be able to show you meet the requirements for service. Good luck!!

Hi Mr. Feed the Homeless, it’s Lisa Cummings of Stratus Admissions. I love your passion for helping others both in your workplace and in your community. I have rated your odds at 20%, which is slightly below Johnson’s acceptance rate- in the absence of a GMAT score and your GPA, it is just too hard to tell. I agree with my peer that you may want to consider a non -traditional MBA program. With your years of work experience you will stand out to admissions committees at 2 year programs and not necessarily in the way you would hope. In addition, think about the cohort in a 2 year program – you would bring a wealth of experience to them and certainly you could learn from your peers but their experiences may not be as helpful to you given their shorter tenure in the working world. However, you could be a standout in an EMBA program, many of which require a minimum of 10 years of work experience. The cohort in those programs would all be around your level so the give and take could be more meaningful for you. I am not sure if your post MBA goal would be in a different firm or industry or if you want to develop those new lines within an accounting practice. If you aren’t looking to pivot, an EMBA really could be the best route for you. An added bonus is that some top EMBA programs do not require a GMAT score, although if you can show a strong score that would help your candidacy. Whatever path you chose, you will want to develop a strong narrative in your essays to show why you need an MBA to attain your goals. Best of luck!