Ms. Teach For America

Hi, this is Deepak Punwani from MBA Exchange. There is lots to like in your profile. Most of all, like your conviction to follow your own path! Harvard will like this and so would the other schools. You have a multiple talents and have build a series of impressive achievements – solid academics, finance and programming skills, multiple languages, public speaking and various other leadership roles in college. All of this makes me very bullish on your chances. Execute well now on various aspects of the application – especially your recommendations and on outlining your goals. Would be very surprised if you don’t have at least 3/5 interview invites from schools on your list. From your current position of stand out achievements and credentials, a top school admit is yours to lose. Good luck

Hi Ms. Teach for America! This is Kate Richardson, Senior Admissions Consultant. First off, I come from a family of educators, so I have huge respect for your decision to pursue TFA. Not only does it show you are willing to forego the typical path to pursue your passions, it is a selective program. I think it will also pair nicely with your finance internships to show you can succeed in different types of environments. Otherwise, you have a strong GPA and excellent GRE, and several impressive achievements in your extracurricular activities. Harvard is quite selective but I think you’ve got a reasonable shot there, and slightly better odds at Wharton and Columbia. Best of luck!

Hi Ms. Teach for America—this is Donna Bauman with Stratus Admissions. It’s great to see you thinking out so far ahead. You have a strong undergraduate profile. While HBS and many other deferred admit programs have a preference for STEM undergrad, with a thoughtful application you can be competitive. It helps that you had some significant banking internships. I see a lot of leadership in your extracurriculars and this will help as well. I think your best odds in this group may be CBS and I would encourage you to look at Darden’s Future Year Admission program as well if you are considering HBS—as Darden also has a focus on the case method. If you can wow HBS with your leadership—and it looks like you do have some great leadership that can help and so can a strong recommendation from your summer analyst internship. The Teach For America program is highly respected by MBA programs and in my years both on the admissions side and the consulting side working with clients, I have seen Teach For America grads make transitions to investment banking, consulting, Ed Tech and all kinds of other roles. One of my clients with a Teach For America background is going to work in MBB consulting. I thank you for your passion for education in giving back to the community in this role prior to your MBA and I assure you that you will gain important leadership and professional skills that will help you throughout your career. Reach out for a free consult if you want to talk further.