Candidate:

Mr. Project Manager

About Me:

I’m a PM for a multinational property group. I work on luxury high-rise building developments, valued at $90M to $300M each. Within the project, I manage multiple contracts – valued at $10M-$30M each (i.e. concrete, window glass systems, MEPs). I work closely with architects, engineers and PMs to deliver complex projects on budget and on time.

Details:

Undergrad School: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Undergrad Major: Civil Engineering

GPA: 3.21

GMAT: 730

Age: 28, Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino

Extracurriculars: Charity Fund Raisers - Ran 2 marathons and raised $1,500 each time for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Council for Buildings and Urban Habitat - Future Leaders Committee - Events Planer, ACE Mentorship Program - Mentored aspiring High School students learn more about the Architecture, Engineering, & Construction Industry through mentorships and semester long project.

Work History:

Title: Project Manager

Industry: Construction Management

Company: Global

Length of Employment: 6 yrs

Big Life Wins:

Chicago Marathon – raising money $1.5k for charity and running a PR of 3hrs and 10 mins.

Post MBA Goal:

Short Term Goal – Transition to Management Consulting (MBB or Big 4 Consulting).
Long Term Goal – C-Suite at a Fortune 500 company or Property Group.

Schools:

Target School: McCombs School of Business

Status: Open

Considering: Duke Fuqua, Kellogg, Chicago Booth

mbaMission | Odds Assessment: 40%

Hi Mr. Project Manager,
Luxury high-rise development is without doubt a differentiated niche industry! This is Debbie Choy from mbaMission. I think this unique background can play to your advantage in your MBA applications. Apart from your work experience, you also have an excellent GMAT score, which should offset your softer GPA. I also like your community engagement – from marathon fundraisers to mentoring. As you put together your apps, consider how you might weave in your personal and professional stories to help AdCom get to know you better. For example, what motivates you to get involved with the different charities? Why are you seeking to pivot from civil engineering to the business side? What specific skills or knowledge do you wish to learn at McCombs …
Hi Mr. Project Manager,
Luxury high-rise development is without doubt a differentiated niche industry! This is Debbie Choy from mbaMission. I think this unique background can play to your advantage in your MBA applications. Apart from your work experience, you also have an excellent GMAT score, which should offset your softer GPA. I also like your community engagement – from marathon fundraisers to mentoring. As you put together your apps, consider how you might weave in your personal and professional stories to help AdCom get to know you better. For example, what motivates you to get involved with the different charities? Why are you seeking to pivot from civil engineering to the business side? What specific skills or knowledge do you wish to learn at McCombs to help you achieve your long-term goals? As well, what unique perspectives will you bring to the classroom? I think if you can address these points in a compelling narrative, you’d have a strong shot at McCombs. If you wish to discuss your profile in further detail, feel free to schedule a consultation with us. Wishing you the best in your MBA journey!
2 months ago Read the full review
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Stratus Admissions Counseling | Odds Assessment: 40%

Mr. Project Manager – thanks for posting your profile. Susan here from Stratus.
I really like your profile for McCombs! Your solid GMAT makes up for less than stellar undergrad performance. I also like that you have been engaged in industry activities as a young leader. While your marathon running and fundraising are impressive, those could be perceived as self-serving if you don’t demonstrate a connection to the cause you are raising money for.
Managing big projects is impressive! Hopefully your recs can speak to HOW you found success in working with different stakeholders.
The piece that you need to nail to get an acceptance is the why behind your goals. It isn’t obvious why you would want to go into management consulting. Furthermore, your long term goals …
Mr. Project Manager – thanks for posting your profile. Susan here from Stratus.
I really like your profile for McCombs! Your solid GMAT makes up for less than stellar undergrad performance. I also like that you have been engaged in industry activities as a young leader. While your marathon running and fundraising are impressive, those could be perceived as self-serving if you don’t demonstrate a connection to the cause you are raising money for.
Managing big projects is impressive! Hopefully your recs can speak to HOW you found success in working with different stakeholders.
The piece that you need to nail to get an acceptance is the why behind your goals. It isn’t obvious why you would want to go into management consulting. Furthermore, your long term goals are really vague. Specificity = credibility. Get tight on what motivates you to want to go into consulting and what skills and knowledge you expect to develop in order to achieve your longer term goals. While you don’t need to name a specific company you hope to lead 20 years from now, an industry or function would allow the reader to get a better sense of your proposed direction.
Wishing you all the best on your application journey!
2 months ago Read the full review
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