Ms. Sports Marketer MBA

Honestly? It would be hard to imagine a more perfect candidate for Kellogg. Your UCLA pedigree with a 3.89 GPA and 740 GMAT are nicely above the class averages. More importantly, you would bring highly valuable experience to the class as a senior manager of a marketing firm (I wonder what brands you’ve already worked for). And clearly you have been accomplished in the job, given your four promotions in four and one-half years. The one missing thing here is how selective your employer is and whether other young professionals from it have gone to elite business schools. Still, I love that you have been a bartender at a craft brewery and are active in the Catholic Church helping others. It tells me you are a people person. And your goal is perfect for Kellogg. I not only predict you get into the school; I predict you get a hefty scholarship to go.

LOTS TO LIKE and you check all the Kellogg boxes, so good luck on that interview.
I’d say odds are real positive. SK

Hi Ms. Sports Marketer! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at The MBA Exchange and proud Kellogg alum! I like what you bring to the table and I think adcom will too! Quantitatively, your stats are comfortably above Kellogg’s averages, so you have that working for you. Qualitatively, there’s a lot to like about your profile as well, but the key will be in differentiating yourself from others. I would tout the 4 promotions in 4 years and provide perspective on how this stacks up relative to your peers as well as what you did to achieve them. Your post MBA goal makes sense given your experience, but you’ll want to express why CPG when you clearly have a passion for athletics. You seem like a well-rounded gal, who has strong passions/involvement outside of work, including things that positively impact the community – this is important to Kellogg, as they want to know that you will contribute meaningfully to program and leave it in a better place than you left it. Having a global perspective is also key – you mention travel, which is good, but you’ll want to find a way to demonstrate that you can relate/work with people different than you (culturally, etc). Overall, I think you are in a good position, but it all ultimately comes down to crafting your story in the right way. I’d love to see you get accepted and join our incredibly talented and supportive alumni network!

Hi there Ms. Sports Marketer. Good luck with your interview and on the overall process. Check out our Kellogg Interview Primer (free download on our website) if helpful at all! Your viewpoint coming from a less common industry would likely be valued in the classroom, as there are not a ton of sports industry applicants (my own MBA hubby working for national sports is one example though- can vouch for post-MBA roles in the area too if desired! And one of my colleagues has a sports marketing backgrounds as well… but sounds like you are not tied to sports per se, but looking into consumer goods, and likely your experience would translate well.) The fact that you were promoted 4 times in 4 years means you must have been doing something right, ;), so be sure to share some of those key accomplishments and your examples of leadership in your interview. GMAT, grades, and involvement all look great. Good luck to you! -Jen Kedrowski, mbaMission

Hi Ms. Sports Marketer, this is Donna Bauman, Senior MBA Admissions Counselor with Stratus Admissions and a Kellogg alum weighing in on your profile. You remind me of someone I would have met when I was a student at Kellogg—as you have classic Kellogg CPG aspirations and I think we would have connected in the same circles! I was active in the Sports Marketing club—which is now called the Sports Business Club—and I went to the Sheil Catholic Center on Campus—if you reach out for a consult I can share more about how that group was my lifeline at Kellogg! There is a group called Catholics @Kellogg and I encourage you to reach out to these groups to learn more about Kellogg. Be sure your recommenders share some of the reasons why you have been promoted so many times! It sounds like you have had great impact—so be sure this comes through in your essays and interview. Raising over $18K for Cancer is a good start—but I want to see even more demonstrated impact in your application if you want to give yourself the best shot. I find it helpful to brainstorm with my clients in advance of selecting the example for your leadership essay so I encourage you to give this some good thought before you work on the essay (if it stays the same!). Overall I like your odds at Kellogg but encourage you to do your due diligence through this whole process.