Candidate:

Mr. Japan Start-Up

About Me:

I began my career coordinating English communications and international exchange programs for a Japanese city of 750,000 as part of the larger international relations office. The upcoming Tokyo Olympics offered me the opportunity to start my own hospitality-focused translation company to take advantage of rising demand in that sector.

Schools:

Target School: Tuck

Considering: Duke Fuqua, Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan

Rejected: Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan

Accepted: Duke Fuqua

See More Profiles For: Tuck

Application Status: Rejected

Details:

Undergrad School: T25

Undergrad Major: International Relations

GPA: 3.1

GRE: 321

Age: 27, Ethnicity: Asian or Indian

Extracurriculars: Produce recipes and publish cooking videos on personal YouTube channel

Work History:

Title: Founder

Industry: Translation

Company: Start-Up

Length of Employment: 2 yrs, 1 mos

Title: International Relations Coordinator

Industry: Government / Military

Company: Government Office

Length of Employment: 2 yrs

Big Life Wins:

I successfully positioned my small company to be the go-to provider of English services for the city’s high-end hotels and restaurants. We have also expanded our services into business English education to meet the demand for English seminars from our clients.

Post MBA Goal:

I’ve always been fascinated with language education and intercultural communication, and I’m particularly interested in MOOCs and other online education services. I want to position myself as a specialist at the intersection of education and entrepreneurship working at a VC firm or launching another company if I meet the right people.

Odds:

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The Experts Rate The Odds At: 5%

See what the industry experts have to say:

MBA Prep School | Odds Assessment: 5%

Hi Mr. Japan Start-up, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I wanted to provide my perspective of your candidacy. You definitely have a unique career story and I admire your entrepreneurial spirit and success. it sounds like your clientele has expanded over the past two years and I am interested in what your revenue looks like now, how large of a team you manage, and who utilizes your services, especially as you begin to expand. I also like the way you are thinking about the future of MOOCs and how you might break into that space. That being said, I think you have some obstacles to overcome to gain admission to the target programs on your list. Your …

Hi Mr. Japan Start-up, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I wanted to provide my perspective of your candidacy. You definitely have a unique career story and I admire your entrepreneurial spirit and success. it sounds like your clientele has expanded over the past two years and I am interested in what your revenue looks like now, how large of a team you manage, and who utilizes your services, especially as you begin to expand. I also like the way you are thinking about the future of MOOCs and how you might break into that space. That being said, I think you have some obstacles to overcome to gain admission to the target programs on your list. Your GPA at Tufts and your 710 GMAT are both below the average for the MBA classes at your target schools, and while your international relations major is a nice differentiator, it also may create questions around your quant abilities. Did you take many quant classes in college, or perhaps an MBA Math prep course to showcase you can handle the rigorous curriculum? If not, you may want to enroll in one and take another shot at the GMAT. Another aspect of your profile that concerns me is how you will stand out among applicants who work at organizations with name recognition and clearly-defined career growth. When the adcoms are familiar with your employer, they know how selective it is to get into, how quickly you are expected to be promoted, and what success looks like. When you have your own venture, you need to showcase the same degree of accomplishments without relying on the reputation of your company. Lastly, you have set your sights high with a goal of going into VC right out of your MBA program. I think you will want to evaluate what the path looks like to get there, whether you want to continue growing your venture first, or join a high-growth startup or established educational company first. With your current stats, I would recommend expanding your school list outside of the top 10 as well as ensuring your applications emphasize how much you have accomplished with your company in just 2 years. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to chat further about your candidacy and how to put together a winning application!

4 years ago Read the full review

The Community Currently Rates The Odds At: 8%

5% | 4 years ago

Hi Mr. Japan Start-up, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I wanted to provide my perspective of your candidacy. You definitely have a unique career story and I admire your entrepreneurial spirit and success. it sounds like your clientele has expanded over the past two years and I am interested in what your revenue looks like now, how large of a team you manage, and who utilizes your services, especially as you begin to expand. I also like the way you are thinking about the future of MOOCs and how you might break into that space. That being said, I think you have some obstacles to overcome to gain admission to the target programs on your list. Your ...

Hi Mr. Japan Start-up, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I wanted to provide my perspective of your candidacy. You definitely have a unique career story and I admire your entrepreneurial spirit and success. it sounds like your clientele has expanded over the past two years and I am interested in what your revenue looks like now, how large of a team you manage, and who utilizes your services, especially as you begin to expand. I also like the way you are thinking about the future of MOOCs and how you might break into that space. That being said, I think you have some obstacles to overcome to gain admission to the target programs on your list. Your GPA at Tufts and your 710 GMAT are both below the average for the MBA classes at your target schools, and while your international relations major is a nice differentiator, it also may create questions around your quant abilities. Did you take many quant classes in college, or perhaps an MBA Math prep course to showcase you can handle the rigorous curriculum? If not, you may want to enroll in one and take another shot at the GMAT. Another aspect of your profile that concerns me is how you will stand out among applicants who work at organizations with name recognition and clearly-defined career growth. When the adcoms are familiar with your employer, they know how selective it is to get into, how quickly you are expected to be promoted, and what success looks like. When you have your own venture, you need to showcase the same degree of accomplishments without relying on the reputation of your company. Lastly, you have set your sights high with a goal of going into VC right out of your MBA program. I think you will want to evaluate what the path looks like to get there, whether you want to continue growing your venture first, or join a high-growth startup or established educational company first. With your current stats, I would recommend expanding your school list outside of the top 10 as well as ensuring your applications emphasize how much you have accomplished with your company in just 2 years. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to chat further about your candidacy and how to put together a winning application!

Read the full review
5% | 4 years ago
10% | 4 years ago

Your GPA is very far below the class average, while your GMAT is below the class average. Additionally, the Asian pool is a tough one, where most students have above average GPA's and GMAT's. Entrepreneurship is an attractive work history, but the question is how successful you've been. Yours is a typical business model, so what you'll be judged on is execution. If you've built a powerhouse firm that's doing $10MM in revenue - that's a lot different than if you're a 2 man firm and you're only pocketing $100K when all is said and done. It sounds like you're the latter and not the former. Because of this, I don't see WE making up for the below average stats.

Your GPA is very far below the class average, while your GMAT is below the class average. Additionally, the Asian pool is a tough one, where most students have above average GPA’s and GMAT’s.

Entrepreneurship is an attractive work history, but the question is how successful you’ve been. Yours is a typical business model, so what you’ll be judged on is execution. If you’ve built a powerhouse firm that’s doing $10MM in revenue – that’s a lot different than if you’re a 2 man firm and you’re only pocketing $100K when all is said and done.

It sounds like you’re the latter and not the former. Because of this, I don’t see WE making up for the below average stats.