Mr. Hanging By A Thread

There’s much to like here in your profile, including the fact that you have earned two promotions in just 22 months to a post-MBA position. You are clearly doing important work and your employer has entrusted you with major and consequential assignments. And your intellectual curiosity about the world, as evidenced by your major in Chinese Studies and your scholarship to study mandarin in Taiwan, makes you a compelling applicant from a top consulting firm. Your GMAT score is 15 points below the Haas class average and your 3.8 is from a state university. I have no problem with that but it could give the admissions staff pause, if only because you will be competing in a pool with people who have stronger standardized test scores and graduated from more prestigious universities. In the world of MBA admissions, particularly at highly selective places like Haas which accept only 17.7%, these kinds of things can matter. Nonetheless, I think you overcome those hurdles by the very strong and compelling parts of your application.

Hi Mr. Hanging by a Thread, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. John did a nice job assessing your stats, so I want to dig in a bit more on the qualitative side of your profile. Sounds like you have had interesting experiences across cyber security – and see the tie to your short term goal in a biz ops role at a tech company. And I like how long term you want to tie your outdoor enthusiast to a technical role at a forward thinking environmental company. For Haas in particular, your fit to the defining principles is key. I think your international experience will be very attractive to all of the schools on your list. And while your promotions and involvement speak loudly, as a consultant you need to tell a story that is compelling and helps you stand out amongst that crowd. Do you have the option to be sponsored by your current firm? If so, this or if they will say they are happy to have you back goes a long way in ensuring your employability post-MBA. You’ve got great programs on your list and if this is the year for you to get an MBA, I’d suggest thinking about some other programs that have strong ties to consulting like Ross or Darden. Reach out if you have questions. Best of luck.

Shoo-in for Berkeley. I’ve seen similar profiles at Harvard too. I would say though that topping HSK level 4 is not a big achievement considering you did Chinese studies.

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