Ms. Cricket Captain Dentist

I have to admit you totally had me when you listed as one of your “big life wins” seeing a smile on a patient’s face and their satisfaction. Your heart is in the right place and so is everything else about your profile. You have the stats (a 750 GMAT that is 20 points above the Harvard Business School median and a 3.56 GPA from what everyone will know is a rigorous education in dentistry. You are a non-traditional applicant because not many dentists apply to elite MBA programs. And you clearly are accomplished in your field, given what will surely be your fourth published research paper in the field. And you have clearly shown real leadership potential in your extras, having been captain of your college’s cricket and basketball teams. In the heart department, you affirm your commitment to those beyond yourself by mentoring students for their entrance exams. All of this takes you out of the overcrowded pool of very smart and very accomplished Indian applicants at the elite MBA programs. And your post-MBA goals perfectly align with your work background. You want to take what you have done and move into healthcare corporate strategy/operations consulting. What’s more is that you have synthesized all this into a clearly written profile. I especially like your choice of target schools because it tells me you are aware of the sometimes harsh realities of elite MBA programs. All of this makes me confident that Harvard Business School is within reach, though never a guarantee, which is why applying to other excellent world-class MBA programs is a wise idea. Any of these programs would be very lucky to have you in their cohorts. If for any reason HBS passes on this profile, it is their loss, not yours. So if you get an HBS ding, I think you can expect several other offers of admission and you will be a stellar student and an MBA graduate that any academic institition should be proud to have you as an alumnus.