Ms. Raging Feminist

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. I LOVE encountering people who are doing their part to narrow the gender gap, so props to you on that, first of all! And there’s a lot to like about your profile – amazing GMAT score paired with a solid GPA in an incredibly challenging major, leadership and mentorship within and outside of work, and an impactful start to your career at the BB and now, MBB. I think that these will put you in strong contention for a top MBA program – regarding GSB, admission is extremely competitive (with an acceptance rate hovering around 7%) so you will want to broaden your list. Other schools that make sense for you given its strengths in biotech/healthcare are Wharton, MIT, Haas, and Kellogg (aside from, of course, HBS).

Before you apply, though, I’d like to see you do a little more reflection on your goals. Would you return to consulting post-MBA, serving healthcare clients? Or, would you like to go to the client side? As for your aspirations to found a firm someday, I’d encourage you to think about entrepreneurship as a long-term goal, and think about what skills you need to gain post-MBA to lay the groundwork for it. Finally, regarding application timing – since you just got to the MBB, I’d consider staying there a year and getting some wins under your belt before applying. Hopefully by then, you’ll have built a strong relationship with a potential recommender too. Hope that helps a bit – best of luck!

Hi Ms. Raging Feminist, This is Donna Bauman with Stratus Admissions and I am happy to review your profile. I like your engineering background and your sizzling GMAT score. If you can understand engineering coursework you will have no trouble with NPV—and you surely must have picked up the basics already in your banking experience. I have seen former clients with a passion for gender equality present well at GSB if you can give some insight into what is inspiring your passion. I cannot applaud you enough to work on this cause as gender equality is still not fully in balance… sigh… despite so many attempts to fix. I can feel your enthusiasm for equality and also your passion for science—and both will help you jump to life in your applications. GSB is a tough nut to crack—and I think for you it will be in telling authentic and personal stories—and I love helping people work through this. You might want to consider staying on in your current role another year or so since you just joined—but there will be people who want that GMAT score of yours now—but it might not be GSB. I know you did not mention Haas but I think you might be a great fit there and I encourage you to learn more about The Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at Haas. I also think you can present well at Booth and Sloan—and that the combination of STEM undergrad and an MBA is a great one! Please reach out if you would like to talk further about your unique situation!