Ms. Grit & Impact

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Hi Ms. Grit and Impact, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. Your pseudonym really says it all! I am incredibly impressed by all of your achievements in spite of so much adversity in your life. You should be incredibly proud. What is your Master’s in from Dartmouth, and what was your GPA? If it is as strong as your undergrad GPA, you really have it all. Adcoms should easily be able to overlook your less-renowned undergraduate institution in favor of your grad degree, strong GMAT score, and rapid career progression. I also really like the incorporation of social good in your career goals (as will Stanford). Make sure your personal activism and life circumstances are woven into your story of how you arrived at these goals, and why an MBA is necessary to achieve them. I think your greatest challenge will be tying all of the puzzle pieces of your narrative together. When you have so much to say, it can be difficult to decide what to emphasize and tempting to just throw it all in. You’ll need to be really thoughtful in choosing just the right stories that build on one another. I think you have a great shot! We’d be happy to help you craft your message if you need help!

Hi Ms. Grit, this is Kristen from MBA Prep School. Wow, your profile name fits perfectly. I am incredibly impressed with your success in the face of adversity. What was your Master’s in at Dartmouth and what was your GPA? Assuming your performance was strong, I think the Admissions Committee will easily overlook your less-recognizable undergrad institution due to your strong academic performance and GRE score along with your rapid professional progression. I also admire your post-MBA goals around social good (and so will Stanford). You’ll want to make a strong connection to your personal activism to illustrate a sustained commitment to these issues and a desire to turn your professional career in that direction. Additionally, highlight how the MBA is going to help you make this career pivot. Given your professional growth, why is an MBA necessary to achieve this and what does each school offer to pave the way? I think your greatest challenge will be weaving all of these puzzle pieces into one cohesive story, knowing what to emphasize and where. If you do this successfully, I think you will get the outcome you are hoping for. Let us know if you can help you in crafting your story!