Mr. Sports Management

First off, congrats on your target schools. Given your GPA and GMAT scores along with your experience at what is probably a firm that many in MBA admissions probably don’t know, you’ve selected a perfect range of schools to consider. Cornell may still be a reach but it is not a very big reach and Georgetown and UNC should be right on target unless you didn’t execute well on your application.

Hi Ms. Sports Management: Emily here from The MBA Exchange. I think Cornell, Georgetown and Kenan-Flagler will like that you come from a different industry than many of their other applicants. You could bring a different perspective to their MBA classrooms. Your GPA and GMAT are in the range for these schools though not a slam dunk. I recommend thinking through your goals and articulating them in a more interesting way. Many people will want to move from industry into consulting so what opportunity do you see in the consulting field that might be a bit different than everyone else? I think you also want to talk about your long term goals in some kind of leadership role. Every school wants to admit future leaders so be aspirational and inspirational in your essays! Good luck!

Hi Mr. Sports Management! Kate Richardson, Senior Admissions Consultant here. Your candidate name hones in on something that will set you apart, because the sports management industry is not very highly represented among MBA applicants. With that said, I think if your role is mostly sales focused, you also need to make sure you can show strong analytical/quantitative skills — maybe the work is data driven or involves forecasting or budgeting, etc. — if so, make sure you call out those skills on your resume, because many admissions officers will have preconceived ideas about what a sales role entails. Thinking ahead, those skills are also important in order to break into consulting. In terms of your stats, as you probably know your GMAT is pretty close to Cornell’s 696 average, and your GPA falls just below their 3.41 average. I still think you have a good shot there, but if you have time (not sure if you’re applying now or in the fall?), I would consider retaking your GMAT to get a score above their average. Hope this helps!

Hello, it’s Lisa Cummings from Stratus Admissions. Love your top choice school, my alma mater the Johnson School. Go Big Red! Your stats certainly fall in the range of your target schools but I would still consider retaking the GMAT after some targeted study. Why? That will of course make you more competitive in the admissions process but it will also when you embark on the job search post MBA. Top consultants will ask for your undergrad and MBA GPAs as well as your GMAT scores. If you are able to achieve a high MBA GPA and bump up that GMAT you will be in better shape now and in the future when you are in the recruiting process. But first, you need to get in. How has your passion for helping businesses succeed tied to impact at work? I’d like to hear about some solid examples, preferably ones that show the quant skills the adcomms will be looking for. You mention that you are active in the Spinal Bifida Association, I’d like to hear more about that. What roles have you played there? That might be a nice place to showcase some leadership skills. Best of luck!