Mr. Learn New Tricks

Hi Mr. Learn New Tricks, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. I myself have been learning some new tricks as a part-time homeschool teacher to my son, so I can commiserate! It sounds like you’ve had quite a career and haven’t been afraid to take risks and pursue new paths (from entrepreneur to author). Your 730 GMAT and challenging MechE major are right on target, although your undergrad school is not a feeder and your GPA is just a bit below the HBS class average. It also certainly sounds like you have multiple accomplishments to emphasize in your application and extensive leadership experience (though of course you will want to select specific stories to highlight). While I would ordinarily be worried about the nontraditional direction you have taken recently, my guess is it won’t be quite as unusual within the applicant pool this year. Perhaps my bigger concern is your amount of work experience surpassing the 10 year mark, which is twice the amount of the class average. Admissions officers will be wondering how you will mesh with a class of younger, less experienced students. The fact that you plan to do a start-up helps, as you aren’t expecting to recruit for post-MBA roles that are likely below the rank you have already achieved, but I worry your seniority will be a double-edged sword (has given you great experience, but “too much” experience). Given your interest in entrepreneurship, I wonder if you might consider a full-time 1 year MBA. This would still provide the immersive experience that you cannot get from an EMBA, but is typically geared toward a mid-career population. Some programs to consider might be MIT Sloan Fellows, Stanford MSx, or Cornell Johnson’s accelerated 1 year MBA. I’d be happy to chat about these further with you and discuss your thoughts!