Mr. Rocket Scientist Lawyer

Hi Mr. Rocket Science Lawyer, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. Wow, you have quite a resume! Stellar academics at highly reputable schools, extracurricular contributions at each institution you have attended, employment history with top companies within each industry, and a solid 730 GMAT that is smack-dab at the average for top MBA programs. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I actually think your greatest strength is also your greatest challenge in some ways: your academic pedigree. You already have a master’s degree and a law degree. Granted an MBA is very different from these two, but adcoms may be concerned that you are a degree collector, or that you are indecisive about your career trajectory given your industry jumps along the way. For example, you had just completed your two-year rotational program, at which point you probably would have dove into a specialization, and then you were off to law school. You’ve been practicing law for a year and now are thinking about corporate strategy. You’ll have to make it very clear how seeing this spectrum of industries has helped you develop a more well-rounded view of your future and why another degree is necessary at this point. Adcoms are also going to struggle with calculating your “actual” number of years of work experience, given you took time away to pursue each degree. Did you work at any one employer long enough to receive a promotion or have a major impact? Has your progression been more lateral in nature given you have jumped not just companies but industries? I think your odds are better at Kellogg, Yale, and Columbia given the questions admissions officers will have about your professional decisions. You will really have to address them to tell a story that makes sense and can build confidence that you aren’t just looking for the next big thing. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to chat more about how to do this successfully.

Hi Mr. Rocket Science Lawyer, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. Wow, you have quite a resume! Stellar academics at highly reputable schools, extracurricular contributions at each institution you have attended, employment history with top companies within each industry, and a solid 730 GMAT that is smack-dab at the average for top MBA programs. As a former MIT Sloan adcom, I actually think your greatest strength is also your greatest challenge in some ways: your academic pedigree. You already have a master’s degree and a law degree. Granted an MBA is very different from these two, but adcoms may be concerned that you are a degree collector, or that you are indecisive about your career trajectory given your industry jumps along the way. For example, you had just completed your two-year rotational program, at which point you probably would have dove into a specialization, and then you were off to law school. You’ve been practicing law for a year and now are thinking about corporate strategy. You’ll have to make it very clear how seeing this spectrum of industries has helped you develop a more well-rounded view of your future and why another degree is necessary at this point. Adcoms are also going to struggle with calculating your “actual” number of years of work experience, given you took time away to pursue each degree. Did you work at any one employer long enough to receive a promotion or have a major impact? Has your progression been more lateral in nature given you have jumped not just companies but industries? I think your odds are better at Kellogg, Yale, and Columbia given the questions admissions officers will have about your professional decisions. You will really have to address them to tell a story that makes sense and can build confidence that you aren’t just looking for the next big thing. Please feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation if you would like to chat more about how to do this successfully.

Seems like a lot of degrees already but a lack of work experience – may be a stretch for Stanford.

100% chance of admission: Kellogg, Yale, Booth
75%: Columbia, Wharton
50%: Harvard, Stanford