Ms. Media CPA

Hi Ms. Media CPA: Emily here, Master Consultant at The MBA Exchange. I think your professional experience in media with clear upward progression will be well regarded by MBA programs and in my experience they want more from the media field to balance out their consulting and finance heavy classes. Your 740 and CPA designation show your ability to handle the rigor of any MBA classroom. The 2.9 will hold you back a bit so you will want to address what happened in undergrad and why you are confident that things will be different in this next traditional academic environment. You don’t show much engagement with the community outside of work as your activities listed are individual in nature so you will want to show that you’ve been someone who has been engaged in their undergraduate or local community of hikers and runners. This doesn’t need to be service oriented but just show that you’re someone who will be engaged outside the classroom on an MBA campus. I understand your interest in operational consulting but you want to tell a story about a future where you will lead or have an inspirational vision for the future of an industry. Best of luck!

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. You’ve had a progressive career in corporate finance at a major company involving solid leadership experience, which is good to see. Are you confident in your recommenders’ ability to attest to your strong performance, potential, and growth vs. your peers? This, and your ability to highlight the impact you’ve made at your organizations on your resume and application, will determine the professional strength of your profile.

Regarding your academics, I’m concerned about your low GPA – you’ll want to explain in the optional essay what drove it in a way that reflects ownership and responsibility. The 740 GMAT will help offset it, though (and should mostly compensate for the GPA for Marshall), as will your CPA designation.

I see that you’re an active person – do you think there’s an opportunity to add a leadership dimension to your current involvement in running and hiking? For example, leading a fitness/outdoors group or working with a community organization related to these areas? If so, this would boost your profile, so definitely look into how you can formalize this involvement more and make meaningful impact on those around you.

Ms. Media CPA – Susan Cera here. I’m incredibly impressed by your work progression and assume that adcom will really like what you will be able to share coming from a brand name company like Disney.
Your stats really give me pause. I suspect there must be a really good reason that you had a 2.9 GPA at an undergrad institution that admits >75% of applicants, especially if you are capable of knocking out a 740 GMAT.
If your goal is to stay in media, have you considered UCLA FEMBA or USC Marshall part-time? If Disney offers the flexibility for you to attend school (possibly with some finanical support) then you might be able to land an internal transfer to a new role when you complete your degree.
While it is fantastic that you enjoy hiking and running 10ks, these are pretty much solo endeavors that don’t add much to your profile in terms of leadership and teamwork. If these are your passions, find a way to give back to the community while engaged in them. Possibly through Girls on the Run? Or organizing a trail clearing initiative?
All the best.