Ms. World Explorer

Hi Ms. World Explorer! Kristen from MBA Prep School here. I love to see how you are taking your strong technical background and work experience and seeking opportunities to apply it in ways that achieve social good. This is especially a quality that a school like Stanford is looking for in its applicants! Is the non-profit startup something you worked on exclusively in undergrad, or a current role in addition to your software engineer position? Improving your GMAT score will be important for you in this process; while I think being a female engineer in a male-dominated industry helps you stand out, you also fall into an overrepresented international population and scores can help separate the top applicants from the rest. I also think it would be valuable for you to get into the specific of the type of change you want to make in your industry, since you intend to go back rather than make a switch. Then you can highlight the specific resources your target programs offer that will enable you to keep the industry from stagnating and help it innovate instead! Ross would be an ideal addition to your school list!

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. I love how you’ve expressed your passion for sustainability both at work and on the side by founding a startup – that must have given you such a well-rounded perspective! And speaking of “on the side”, it’s great that you started a ski club and negotiated a discount – clearly you have initiative.

In order to assess your chances most accuraately for the schools you’re targeting, I’d need to know a bit more about the progression you’ve made at your current firm, as well as the expected quality of your recommendations. Additionally, I’d need to know how your GMAT score nets out. Are you a citizen of China? If so, do be aware that competition for admission is especially fierce for Chinese applicants. You’ll want to aim for 730/740+ on the GMAT, and put together a very compelling story in your application. And you’ll definitely want to expand your list past the programs you’re currently targeting, to make sure you have enough options. I would definitely add Kellogg and Ross to your list given your interest in PM and the auto industry, for example. Best of luck!

Hi Ms. World Explorer, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. I’ve worked with lots of engineers who leverage an MBA to move from the more technical side to grow into a management position. And your experience all around the product life cycle will be a welcomed addition to the classroom. You are right to highlight that increasing your GMAT is a good goal. Both of your engineering degrees back up that you have the quant background to handle the classwork – it just comes down to be competitive among other female engineers. I love to see sustainability in both your professional and extracurricular life – look for opportunities that you can leverage these skills within each program. Make sure you highlight your leadership – what impacts have you had through your non-profit and what have you been able to lead through your role as an engineer. Your goals are clear, and could use some additional detail – do you want to return to the same company? Identify another company that has strong sustainability? A company that is trying to improve their sustainability? Since you want to stay in the same industry, you’ll want to know these details. If you want a program that will also expose you to strong energy programs in addition to general management – I would include Haas and Ross in your list. With your current GPA, I’m going to rate your chances as around average. This would increase if you can get that score up.