Mr. Researcher

I have to agree with the tough love dished out by Sandy on your profile. But let me put a postive spin on this. You are approaching your desire to get an MBA in the right way. By thinking about this so early in your career, you have plenty of time to shape your candidacy. That includes practicing for several retakes of the GMAT to gain a score that will offset your lower GPA for a school like Wharton. That also includes taking a leadership role in an organization outside work. That includes making sure you get a promotion in your Fortune 500 job. And that also ensures developing important relationships that lay the groundwork for strong recommendation letters. I would rule out Wharton for you based on that GPA and your undergraduate school. Like Harvard and Stanford, Wharton loves Ivy League and Near Ivy grads, along with high GMATs and GPAs. But you have a really good mix of other schools on your target list and if you get your ducks in a row, I think you would be in very good shape at several of your excellent choices, including Michigan Ross, Georgetown, and Indiana. Good luck to you.

Let me tell you what I really think. You are not getting into Wharton as a non-URM (not an underrepresented minority) with a 3.2 and a 700. Nor do I think you will get into Ross, Tuck, or Kellogg. Both GPA and GMAT are in the death zone. I notice you are one year out of college, which is too early to apply anyway. Here is some tough love and my advice — take a few years to do well at your job and create an alternative transcript via taking courses in finance, accounting, stats, etc. I recommend this even if you took those courses in college. Three or four A’s in courses like that will go a long way to taking the sting out of that 3.2 GPA. If you want to be really good, retake GMAT as well.

Hi Mr. Researcher! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at The MBA Exchange. I am assessing your candidacy not on what it is today, but on what it could be with the right actions. You’re just out of college and are already studying for the GMAT and thinking about the steps you’ll need to take to get an MBA – that is impressive and tells me that you have ambition, desire, and passion! Now, your GPA certainly isn’t working in your favor and there’s nothing we can do to change it now… so we’ve go to focus on the future and the good news is that you still have at least a few years! Let’s get that GMAT score up to, say a 730 through leveraging test prep support (we offer some, as do many other companies). And, it will be important that you be very deliberate about the assignments you take on at work, and that you demonstrate that you are moving up the ladder through promotions. We’ll also want you to stay heavily involved in the community, which it looks like you already have some experience in – keep it up and work to expand your impact through the groups you are associated with (is there a special project you could take on with Habitat for Humanity?). Because you are starting now, you have so much run way, especially with the right direction. You remind me a bit of myself, as I am from a blue collar family (lots of farmers) and the first generation to get a BA and the only person in my large extended family to get an MBA. Since my parents/family unfortunately didn’t have the knowledge to help me career/school-wise, I sought out other mentors and a support system that could help me get to where I wanted and ultimately score myself a Kellogg MBA. If you are in a similar boat, you would be a prime candidate for support from an MBA admissions consultant… and I’d suggest you engage one soon. Whether through us or another firm, the earlier you engage, the more you will get out of the engagement (and a higher ROI!), as your consultant can help you to make the right moves today for your applications 3-4 year from now… and then guide you through the whole process when it’s actually time to compile your admissions campaign through the application process. I see really good things in your future, Mr. Researcher!

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. First of all, props to you for starting to think ahead about applying to bschool! I’ve worked with many people in the past who made the decision to apply at the last minute and were left scrambling. So, while it’s too early for you to apply now given that you graduated less than a year ago (the average candidate has 4-6 years of work experience), here are some things you can do over the next few years to strengthen your chances for some of your target schools:

1. Given that your 3.2 GPA is below the average for your target schools, I recommend retaking the GMAT (and the good news is, you have plenty of time!) A 720/730+ is closer to the program’s averages and would help offset the GPA. If you didn’t take a prep class the first time around, I would very highly recommend Manhattan Prep for its success rates and very structured approach to the exam.

2. Your internship at the F500 automotive company sounds very promising. In addition to of course landing a full-time offer, you’ll want to show progression over the next few years, in terms of promotion, increases in responsibility and compensation, and demonstration of leadership and teamwork skills (which are so important to MBA programs). I’d recommend sticking with this job for at least a few years to show this progression, and even longer if it is going well and you enjoy it.

3. I’m so glad to see that you’re meaningfully involved in the community. Bschools love to see that because it shows that you’re a multidimensional individual – additionally, extracurricular involvement gives you further opportunity to show your leadership and teamwork skills. Continue to make impact in these organizations and keep updating your resume with your achievements (i.e. # of houses built, teams you’ve coached to success)

4. Reflect on your desired career path. Schools will want to know not only WHAT your goals are but also what DRIVES them. If impact investing truly interess you, you’ll want to explain how this came to be. For this path, a logical post-MBA goal is investment banking (and to get into banking, you’ll want to show very strong analytical skills). Consulting is also a common post-MBA path, and similarly you’ll want to show the programs why it interests you in particular based on your understanding of the role and your experiences to date.

I hope that this gives you some food for thought for now. Think it over, and definitely reach out to chat in the next couple of years regarding your profile and application strategy. Best of luck and keep on keeping on!

Mr. Researcher, it’s Lisa Cummings of Stratus Admissions. Sorry for the low odds assessment, but unless you cured cancer or invented a million dollar gadget while in college, Wharton and other top programs likely won’t give you a second look with such short work tenure. When I was on the adcomm at Sloan your file would have probably gotten a fast first read and ended up squarely in the ding pile. BUT, you have a ton of potential. Why the rush??!! With just a few months of work under your belt you probably don’t really know what you really want to be doing long term. Well, ok, you may have a good idea now but based on your experiences going forward at work – seeing what you like and don’t like about your job, figuring out where your true skills and passions lie – your goals will probably change. Plus business school is about so much more that just the classes. You will be expected to bring your knowledge to the cohort and you can expect to learn a lot from from your peers as well, not just from your professors. If you haven’t put time in the job market you won’t get as much out of the degree.

So…..think about how to better position yourself over the next few years. Yes, years. The average number of years employment of a first year MBA is about 5. You have time to build a really strong case for your candidacy and to think about what you want to get out of the degree. I agree with what my peers say about your GPA and GMAT scores. As a New Englander myself, I appreciate your small town roots and can imagine that has helped shape who you are. Seek out roles at work where you can have an impact and start to develop some leadership skills – even if you don’t have a leadership title. Think about what you are doing outside of work. You already have some impressive and eye catching volunteer work. Keep at it or find someting else you are interested in pursuing and then dig in. It may seem like a lot now but if you use this time to prepare, when it comes time to apply to schools, you will have the big pieces all in place. I would certainly be happy to talk to you about this further if you’d like. Best of luck