Mr. STEM Minor

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. I assume that you are a deferred/2+2 MBA candidate? These programs seek three core elements: strong academics, extracurricular leadership, and professional promise. I certainly see the first two in your profile – but, you’ll want to make it very clear in your applications the impact you’ve made in your organizations. If you have had great internships as well, this would really help. And, although the programs won’t expect you to have your career mapped out now, they will want to understand what motivates your desire to get an MBA – what are you envisioning that you’d like to work on in the business side of STEM, since that is quite broad?

I should also mention that while acceptance to deferred/2+2 programs is quite competitive and unpredictable, there is no downside to applying – even if it doesn’t work out, it won’t in any way harm your chances for “regular” MBA admission down the road. Hope that helps – best of luck!

Hi Mr. STEM Minor, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. Sounds like you are a deferred candidate, so probably looking to apply this Spring, work for a couple years with a guaranteed position in a future class 2-5 years down the line. And while it sounds like you won’t complete a dual degree in Physics, as an Econ major with a strong GPA and solid GMAT score, you are a solid candidate for deferred programs. Generally we average stats for deferred candidates to be higher than the overall average of the class – good news is that you are there for both HBS and GSB. Getting some experience at a tech or start up will give you the experience you need for post-MBA job searching. Where you need to spend some more time is thinking about where you want to be post-MBA in STEM. Especially as a deferred candidate, you need to show that you have some ideas as to where you would like to work – and how your post-undergrad role will start you building the necessary blocks. Another thing I see with successful deferred candidates is strong evidence of leadership in undergrad. It sounds like you have had some solid community involvement and you will want to highlight your leadership as a Board Member. With the limited information you have here, your leadership experience feels less than other deferred candidates. This may be an area you could focus on over the balance of the year, since deferred applications generally are submitted in the Spring – partially so that you can highlight your full accomplishments at university. Best of luck and reach out if I can help in any way!