Ms. STEM Consultant

Hi, Ms. STEM Consultant! Julie-Anne Heafey here from mbaMission. So, by your Stanford rejection news above, I am going to assume that you got an interview at your other schools, because otherwise you would have heard no’s from HBS/Wharton too earlier in the round — if so, congratulations! The odds for Harvard are usually roughly 50/50 post interview, so you are in a good position and it means that they find you to be qualified…whether you find acceptance at the end of the round will depend on how your interview went and the composition of the class…two things I can’t really tell from the form you submitted! I’m going to bump your odds a bit because HBS does often look for candidates with CPG experience (previous clients of mine have found success there with that profile) and you have some good years of experience under your belt and what sounds like solid brand names. I tend to wonder about candidates without startup experience who talk about entrepreneurship immediately post-MBA…so that makes me hesitate a little…but if you got both Wharton and HBS interviews (and Wharton does screen for career path in that first essay), I imagine your argument was persuasive. Crossing fingers for good news for you in the coming weeks!

Ms. STEM Consultant – thanks for posting your profile. Susan Cera here from Stratus.

For the purposes of this assessment I’m assuming that you will be applying to H/S/W in fall 2021 and that you struck out with the GSB in the 2020-21 admissions season. With this in mind, I think there are a few things that you can do to enhance your profile. While I admire your vision to commit your career to addressing climate change, I’m not seeing anything in what you shared that shows your existing commitment to this cause. While it is admirable that you enjoy hiking and being outdoors, what is it that inspires your interest in climate change? And what steps have you taken so far that would set you up to be successful in creating and building a D2C brand inspired by this vision? Perhaps you might consider volunteering with Engineers Without Borders to work on a project addressing the impact of climate change in a developing country?

Your stats and work are strong. To land a coveted seat at one of the top programs, you need to share a story that will resonate with admissions committee. From what you have shared (and I understand the form is limited!) I’m not seeing it.

Glad to discuss in more detail if you are interested in a consultation.