Mr. Tesla Gigafactory

You would be a real asset in any MBA classroom, given your four years at Tesla, one of the hottest companies in the world. Other than a low GPA in a tough subject–mechanical engineering–you have a solid GMAT. But the deciding factor here is your work experience in manufacturing (where schools tend not to see all that many candidates) at a path-breaking company. I wonder if you have had a promotion while at Tesla (that would be an important detail in a profile) and what big wins you may have racked up. Foster and Ross are good choices for you.

Hi Mr. Tesla Gigafactory! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at The MBA Exchange. I think you have an excellent shot at Foster (hence, my 60% rating) and a decent shot at Ross (more like 35%). What they’ll like about your profile is the hot company you’ve worked at (Tesla!) and your deep skills/passion for analytics. The areas I’d want to know more about include: (1) What were your key achievements at Tesla? (2) Have you moved up within the organization and how does this compare to your peers? (3) what is your involvement outside of work – It will be important to demonstrate that you are involved in the community so adcom knows you will positively impact their program/community and (4) Global perspective – you’ll want to demonstrate that you are able to work with a wide variety of people different than you.

Assuming that the responses to the 4 things above are strong, even despite your lower GPA, I think you have a potential shot at higher ranked schools, such as Kellogg, which has an excellent MMM program that seems well-suited for your background/ambitions. This would definitely be a stretch school for you, but it would be within spitting distance if it at all interests you. You could also shorten that distance if you could get your GMAT up to Kellogg’s average (730) or higher. Good luck to you Mr. Tesla Gigafactory!

Hi Mr. Tesla Gigafactory, Julie-Anne Heafey here with mbaMission. I agree – your employer will give your application “cachet” and if you can show strong recommendations and an upward path there, you should be in good shape for this process. A 3.0 GPA is below the norm at Foster, but exceptions are made, especially for tough majors…and if you have the right story, work experience and GMAT, I think an admit there is not out of reach. When you apply, I’d suggest looking for ways to demonstrate your people skills and outside interests/personal background to round out your more technical skills. I notice you don’t have any extracurriculars listed – I wonder if you’ve done some internal work committees (like mentorship/recruiting, etc.), or if you have other hobbies that you pursue with dedication…sometimes you can find something to add there if you think creatively. Good luck!

Hi, this is Melisa from Stratus Admissions. Go Flyers! Based on the information you provided it sounds like you are at the initial stages of investigating business school options. You are off to a great start with your 720 GMAT which puts you well above the average for Foster and in a good range for many schools. With a 3.0 GPA (3.4 average at Foster with 25% engineers) and a slightly lower years of experience (Foster averages 6, which is higher than most full time programs), I’d want to know more about your work experience and increases in responsibility at Tesla. You may be able to augment your fewer years of experience with examples of leadership. Also, I would like to know more about any extracurriculars you have been involved at Dayton or after undergrad. If this is somewhere you are light, maybe you could look into mentoring current engineering students? You will want to highlight your leadership skills in your essays from either work or extracurriculars. I like that you are thinking about bridging the gap between tech and business, this seems a logical path for you. You will need to be more specific about your goals – what type of firm do you want to work at? There are data analytics teams almot everywhere – you need to show you’ve thought this piece through. With strong essays and clearly articulated goals, I think you are a good fit for Foster. Ross is another good option to look at – your GMAT is about at their average and they draw fewer engineers at 4% of their class, which would make you more unique. Their Business and Analytics Concentration would be a nice option for you – and they would value your Tesla experience with their ties to the automotive industry. Other programs to consider would be Tepper, UT Austin and Duke which have strong MS Analytics programs in addition to their MBA programs. You could reach out to understand what classes might be accessible across both. Best of luck and reach out if I can be of any further help!