Ms. Asian Media

Hi Ms. Asian Media! This is JP from The MBA Exchange, I’m one of our in-house experts and a graduate of HBS. Your story is definitely very familiar. Some aspects of your background are quite strong, such as your 3.7 from Chicago, your 730 GMAT and your career track. However, many similar applicants are targeting the same top programs that you’re aiming for. The key success factor in your case will be your ability to develop a career vision that is tangible yet genuinely inspired, and identify which programs specifically align with it. It requires a fair bit of personal introspection on the one hand, and active ground-level (on-campus, etc.) research on the other. While challenging and time-consuming at times, it’s absolutely possible and in fact it’s one of my favorite aspects of guiding applicants like yourself. Another key consideration is timing, as it can take a couple of months ore more to really do this effectively, before even tackling the actual applications. Aiming for round 1 deadlines would be ideal given the higher acceptance rates, which means you should start your campaign right now. I hope this helps!

Hello Ms. Asian Media! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
I love the media angle and that you already have exposure to it — that consistent golden thread will give you a very compelling story to tell! The question is…who do you want to work for and where are they hiring from? If you haven’t already, scour the employment reports of all your target programs and see where your dream employers are hiring from. Then, network with current students who have similar goals (there’s usually a Media & Entertainment Club of some sort) at each of your target programs, and understand how each program’s unique offerings will help you get to where you want to be.
Given your work experience and stats, I’m not surprised that you’ve been invited to interview at HBS and Booth. GSB is a tough nut to crack, so if you’re not successful, remember it’s not you. I think CBS is a great choice for your goals — they have great media and entertainment offerings — so I’m intrigued to see what happens there.
I wish you all the best in this process!
Krista