Mr. Pencils Of Promise

Hi Mr. Pencils of Promise, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. There is a lot to like about your profile from an MBA admissions standpoint! Your focus on finance beginning in undergrad, solid academic performance, and consistent growth in the industry are all extremely attractive. You definitely know where you want to go and the steps to get there! I also love your commitment to volunteerism and your resilience in the face of obstacles. These personal aspects of your story help bring you to life beyond your resume. On paper you have all the building blocks, but putting them together is often where applicants struggle. Based on your career and goals alone you are a more “traditional” applicant; the advantage here is that you have achieved accomplishments that are very familiar to the Admissions Committee and they can understand your path. On the other hand, it makes it more challenging to differentiate yourself. You need to hone in on your key differentiators so you can stand out from the pack. Let us know if we can help you in crafting your story!

Hi Mr. Pencils of Promise—This is Donna Bauman with Stratus Admissions and I love that you have used your 15 min of fame here on GMAT club to shine a light on Pencils of Promise and helping to improve educational access. I know that MBA programs like to see a fighter and it looks like you have a resilience gene in overcoming some difficult challenges early in your life. I see good news and bad news—the good news is that you have solid credentials and so any top MBA program could be an option—the bad news is that there are many other candidates also in your i-banking to PE background who also have great GMAT scores and grades who are vying for the same seats. In cases like yours, it is critical that you humanize yourself so that the school sees the real you and understands what makes you stand out from the crowd. That’s something we specialize in at Stratus—our introspection process helps you to uncover the unique stories in your background and think about how you can use those stories to connect the dots in your past and aspirational work so that the schools see how their MBA program is the missing link in helping you reach your goals. Please reach out for a free consult to learn more about how we can help you!