Ms. Ukrainian Techie

Hi this is Deepak Punwani from MBA Exchange. Congratulations ! You have a really great shot at Kellogg. There is so much to like in your profile and not necessarily the objective data points only (work ex, undergrad degree etc) but also the various personality aspects. Building the house for the parents is such a superstar achievement ! And so is the desire to create life long connections with classmates. If a Kellogg adcom is lurking on this site, they would have you on speed dial already :). On a more serious note, I see you as strong candidate at other schools too if you can show promotions and increased responsibilities at work and if you can push that GMAT in 720 range. If you can do this then I would be surprised really if you don’t add Harvard and/or Stanford on your list. So my advice would be to have Kellogg as your “anchor” school and instead of marching down on the list of schools, aim higher. Your extra curricular achievements are spectacular and Harvard would love them. Stanford will be impressed by your tech experience. Needless to say the probabilities of admit at those schools are lower, but if you are keen I would urge you to keep them in your consideration set. One aspect that you need to explain well is “why now” as you are on the older side of the applicant pool and already have a Masters in CS. So you will do well to explain how the MBA makes you a stronger bet for the FAANG’s. Good luck .

Hello from mbaMission; this is Michael.
You have very strong work experience. Admissions committees will be impressed that you have built and led a successful team. Even though you have a bit more experience than the average applicant, your post-MBA goal is realistic and it is a role I feel you will succeed in.
I really like the personal side to your profile as well. What an accomplishment to finish the constructing of your parents’ house! And you have clearly made an impact on others, with your motivational speaking, involvement at Women Who Code, and mentoring of orphanage children. Kellogg should have no doubt that you will make an impact outside of the classroom.
Your stats are also strong, although if you can improve your GMAT score to closer to Kellogg’s average of 730, that will improve your chances even further. The average acceptance rate at Kellogg is 26%, though given your strong and interesting profile, I think your odds are much higher. I would say they are closer to 50%, and should be even higher with an increase in your GMAT score and/or with essays that can tell your personal stories in a compelling way.
Good luck!

Hi Ms. Ukrainian Techie—this is Donna Bauman, Senior Admissions Counselor at Stratus Admissions—and there are several aspects of your profile that impress me! First, as someone who has been reviewing MBA candidates for over 20 years—both as former adcom and as a consultant—I can say you don’t see too many Ukrainian applicants so that works in your favor and having strong tech skills and being female also are positives. I am particularly impressed with your 3.6 in computer engineering and your interesting extracurricular activities! I can picture you at a reception in Gies Plaza in Kellogg’s Global Hub sharing stories with classmates and even recruiters about your experience as a TEDx speaker and a photographer who has had photos featured in Vanity Fair and Forbes! I can picture you getting involved with the Women’s Business Association and sharing your leadership experience at Women Who Code. You might even want to consider the MMM program as FAANG recruiters love the MMM students! To strengthen your odds, use this time to retake the GMAT and continue researching the program. But your engineering background gives another data point for strong quant skills even if your GMAT Q is not as high as the Kellogg average. I also like Sloan and Haas for your background and I can also see Anderson being another option. You might consider adding Tepper and Foster to your list.