Mr. Metamorphosis

First off, congrats on overcoming what had to be a major struggle for you. Your consulting trajectory from a boutique firm to a solid tier two firm is admirable and impressive.Your GRE score is right on target for Tuck–at 324 it’s exactly at the latest class average–and now 21% of the students at Tuck get in with a GRE. While you have a low GPA, I don’t think it should hurt you given your earlier struggle with mental illness. Being a Division I athlete in college is a plus for Tuck because a key part of the school’s culture is the affinity so many students have for the outdoors and athletic competition. So I think you have a real shot at Tuck, and it would be a terrific place for you. Let me also say I really like the mix of schools you have targeted. As you no doubt know, elite MBA admissions is a bit of a crap shoot. The vast majority of highly qualified candidates are rejected because there aren’t that many class seats for the numbers of applicants. So it’s important to pick a good range of programs. You’ve done that. Any one of those schools will set you up nicely for the pivot your desire from consulting to finance and banking. Good luck to you!

Hello Mr. Metamorphosis! Thanks for posting. Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
I agree with John completely on your list of schools. You seem to understand the “risk-adjusted portfolio approach” that I often recommend to my clients. Darden and Yale on the stretch side, Georgetown and Cornell on the safer side. One thing I want you to think about is banking placement. Check out the employment reports for your target schools and look at what % of each class goes into banking. Then, armed with that information, talk to the banking clubs and ask about banking placement. For example, Stern sends a large number of students into banking, but there are also a large number of people fighting for those jobs. You may find it easier to break into banking from a school like Cornell.
Make sure your Division I athlete status is clear in your applications. Make it more than just a bullet point. If you had any roles on the team or won any awards through athletics, highlight those as well. B-schools love Division I athletes…I think playing at this level signifies that you are a team player and a hard worker. Play this up.
I am a little worried about your GPA…you are in Optional Essay territory here. Be honest about it and explain it in all your apps. You may also want to complete something like Math for Management at the Berkeley Haas extension program to help the AdComs understand that you are a mature, self-aware individual working on his development areas. A cheaper option is mbamath.com, but given that you are below 3.2, I’d go for something a bit more rigorous.
One last thing — you’re the type of candidate where I prefer an all R1 strategy. I know that’s a lot of work, but I also think it helps maximize your chances. I say this because there is no shortage of American male T2 consultants out there. You want to be one of the first to be reviewed. If you start working on your apps in June and make a conscious effort to get things done, this is entirely doable.
I hope that helps!
Krista

Mr. Metamorphosis – Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions, here. I think your athletic background and consulting experience make you a strong candidate for Tuck. You have the foundation for getting a seat in the class. The key for you will be to connect with the Tuck community so you can clearly demonstrate Why Tuck both through your essays as well as in your interview. I encourage you to do a visit early in the admissions cycle so you can incorporate what you observe/learn into your application. Tuck positions itself as a safe space in which to prepare to go out and tackle the world. Don’t be afraid to ‘expose’ yourself as you share your story. I suspect that having overcome some challenges has set you up to be a very empathetic to coworkers and future classmates who may be facing similar challenges. I recognize that you’ve spent the past 6-7 years in DC/VA so may be ready to leave the mid-Atlantic but do take a close look at Darden. When I visited last summer as part of the AIGAC (Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants) conference, they noted that investment banks are recruiting there and they don’t always have enough students looking to go into IB. Could be a great opportunity! All the best!