Ms. Grasshopper

Hi Ms. Grasshopper, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. So without a test score, it is tough to assess odds at top schools except MIT, to which you can submit sans score. Let’s talk about what is really interesting in your profile – while I work with lots of engineers (and female engineers) I do not see many engineers with a strong policy background. Some wanting to transition into policy, fewer with actual experience. This is a real differentiator for you. And it sounds like you’ve seen policy across the landscape. What you are looking for from an MBA: finance and international exposure are great to highlight. What I want to know more about is how do you want to get involved in impact investing? From the Finance side? Policy side? Do you want to stay US based, work somewhere else internationally or head back to India post-MBA – and long term? Do you want to work for a larger fund with an impact initiative? Or an impact fund. You will need to show admissions that you have done the research to identify your future roles – and that you know directionally where you want to end up long term. Think about what unique perspectives you will bring from the policy perspective. Remember that MIT looks at what you have done in the past as an indication to your future success – so talk about the impact you’ve had. I think you could be a really interesting candidate for MIT! Best of luck!