Mr. Pretty Bland

I really don’t think anyone is bland. You have to find your special sauce and put it forward to increase your chances of admission. With five solid years of consulting experience under your belt and an NYU degree in finance and math, you are a solid candidate. Sure, you aren’t working for MBB or Deloitte or Accenture. And sure your GMAT score is solid but 20 points under Kellogg’s latest class average of 730. So this is where your story and your recommenders will have an important impact on your chances. If you hadn’t already applied, I would have advised you to get some help with the introspective part of the application process that leads to writing more effective essays. And I would have had you pay special attention to coaching your recommenders, reminding them of your accomplishments on assignments, to get the best possible rec letters. Since you have been invited to interview (and may be on the waitlist already), you should get some advice on what strategies you can employ to push your candidacy over the finish line. Whatever you do, stop referring to yourself as “pretty bland.”

Hello Mr. Pretty Bland! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
Firstly…no one is bland. Sell yourself a little bit here! This is the one time in your life where you are allowed to humble brag a bit! Ask your friends and family what makes you interesting and I am sure you will come up with something.
In my experience, b-schools love healthcare consulting candidates. You have deep knowledge and niche expertise of a field that is increasingly important as populations age. My question for you is what’s going to be different about you post-MBA? I find that b-schools aren’t too keen on “I want to use you for the brand so I can get a better job.” Instead, tell them what you bring to the table today and what you need to get to the next level. Connect your gaps to what they have to offer you. Make it clear that you have a big audacious goal and the specific skills you’ll gain through their MBA program will help you achieve it.
Another thing I want you to think about…that 710. There is unfortunately no shortage of male consultants applying to top programs. While your niche expertise will help you standout, I’d love to see you get to 730 to make this an easier process for you. The alternative is to widen your school choice. Find the b-schools where MBB are recruiting! Some of them are easier to get into than others. To be clear, I’m not saying you won’t be successful at your target list, but I’d feel more comfortable, given that 710, if you widened your school portfolio.
Hope that helps!
Krista

Hi Mr. Pretty Bland, this is Donna Bauman, Senior MBA Admissions Counselor for Stratus Admissions weighing in on your profile. Your “pretty bland” comment reminds me of how a former admissions colleague used to talk about the value of the solid “meat and potatoes” candidates. The fact is every program needs solid applicants to be the foundation of their program. And frankly, your 710 GMAT and 3.5 gpa in finance and math make you a supremely solid candidate than most programs would want to consider—and there is nothing bland about that at all! I like that you have healthcare consulting already. I’d focus more on what you hope to gain from the MBA and not state just MBB for consulting. There are many niche players in healthcare consulting—and if healthcare is your passion then I would build your applications around enhancing your healthcare and general business knowledge. You might want to consider programs located in major healthcare center hubs so consider adding Booth along with Kellogg when considering the greater Chicago area, look at Wharton in the Philadelphia area, when looking at Sloan in Cambridge also consider nearby HBS. You may also want to add some other healthcare hubs such as Research Triangle Park area in North Carolina where you have both Duke Fuqua and UNC Kenan-Flagler with strong healthcare options in their MBA programs. Fuqua even has a very popular Health Sector Management certificate which will provide you with additional exposure to healthcare companies. Don’t sell yourself short on your mentoring activities—I encourage you to think about the impact you have had on even one person and to think about how you can demonstrate that impact when you answer interview questions or discuss your activities in the essays and application.