Ms. Genetic Medicine

Hi Ms. Genetic Medicine,
Congratulations on completing your PhD! This is Debbie Choy from mbaMission and GSB alum. Your PhD work is in a much-needed area of research and innovation. Given your goal of heading the R&D group of a biotech firm, AdCom would be very interested in how a GSB MBA can help you achieve this objective. For example, what specific skills or knowledge are you seeking to learn at GSB that will make you a better R&D leader? As you know, many R&D leaders do not necessarily have or need an MBA. Although your test scores are a shade softer than the average at GSB, that in itself is not a deal-breaker. That said, GSB is also looking for demonstrated leadership. Since you’ve been working on your PhD, I understand it may be a bit tougher to show that. Thus, I suggest getting engaged with community organizations that can potentially allow you to show initiative. For example, is there a committee or junior board you may be interested in joining? I don’t see information on this, but it doesn’t mean you haven’t been involved. If you have, great! My estimate of your odds now are based on just the information you provided, but I think if you can address the above items, you’d have a solid chance at GSB. Wishing you the best at your MBA journey!

Ms. Genetic Medicine – Thanks for posting your profile. Susan here from Status. I’m a UMiami mom – go Canes!

I’m impressed but not surprised by the distance you have traveled as a first generation college graduate immigrating from a communist county. Congrats on the outstanding work that you have done in a meaningful and impactful area of research. Your goals make sense based on your experience to date.

While your undergrad academics and GRE are well below the averages for the schools you are targeting, your PhD should give adcom confidence in your ability to do the work. I worked with a Venezualan client a few years ago (he was a political asylum seeker in the US), who advised that the GRE verbal section was REALLY challenging since he wasn’t a native English speaker. I would suggest taking a practice test on the GMAT to see if you might perform better on that test.

My assessment of 5% odds at Stanford should not be taken as a slight. I think you will have a lot to offer if you can tell a story about how you want your work in biotech to change lives, change organizations and change the world. The truth is that Stanford is just REALLY hard to get into. Given Wharton’s HCM program, it may be a good fit that is more acheivable for you. If you want to be in business school, I suggest that you expand your list to include other healthcare-focusesd programs like Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross and UCLA Anderson.

Wishing you all the best on your MBA journey!