Ask Admit World/My MBA Admit

Dear GMAT Club forum members and MBA applicants:

Congratulations on your decision to apply for a MBA!

My MBA Admit look forward to being an active part of the GMATClub forum to answer your application questions and offer profile evaluations. We will be posting articles/advice on the process, and are always open to questions/comments/feedback.

I have gone through the MBA Admissions process myself, and can identify with what you are going through. I was fortunate to be admitted to top business schools in the United States and abroad when I applied, ultimately receiving my degree from University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business.

I loved helping applicants both as a current student and alum and founded My MBA Admit, a MBA Admissions Consulting firm based in New York, and available globally.

Our team of admissions consultants has the business background, MBA admissions and interviewing experience, editing expertise and international perspective to coach and mentor our clients for their top business schools. We have been consulting on both business school and graduate school applications, and are passionate about helping others have the same experiences we had at business school.

My MBA Admit is a way for us to give back to the MBA community, which is reflected both in our competitive prices and consistent commitment to our clients.

Check out our Volume Discounts and Admissions Packages starting at just $100!

My MBA Admit Services:

We offer
• Complete Consulting for those who are starting the application process
AND
• Components Consulting for those who have completed their application and require a single consultation before submission.

We will craft a complete MBA Admissions strategy that includes:
• Business Schools Evaluation
• Accomplishment and Attribute Selection
• Essay Review
• Resume Critique
• Interview Practice
• Supplementary Forms Advice
• Complete Overview

In addition, we also offer:
• GMAT Consultation
• Waitlist Coaching
• Scholarship and Financial Aid Advice
• Business Communication Tutoring
• Summer Internship/Post-MBA Career Counseling

Learn more about Special Offers for our consultations at http://mymbaadmit.com/Consultations.html

We love helping applicants get into their top schools! Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com at any time during your applications process to discuss your candidacy further!

Essays are a significant component in graduate school applications, and are a powerful tool to set your candidacy apart from your competition.

Below is a article modified from the My MBA Admit Blog answering the question that is on the mind of every MBA applicant:

"What should I cover in my MBA essays?"

This is a question that comes up for every applicant as she drafts her MBA essays.

"Which is the right incident to cover? What if I don't have enough or relevant experience? Does it matter if my story didn’t have a completely positive outcome? What if the AdCom thinks I didn’t work enough with the team, and too much on my own? And, coming up very often, if I say “We”, would it seem like I didn’t do anything independently?"

All of these boil down to one thing – What is the best thing to say in my MBA application essays to get admitted to my top business school?

Show impact by personal results, not dollar amounts
The common thing I have found in all successful applications is that the honest truth, polished to show the applicant in the best light, works best. Stretching the truth or worse, manufacturing it, does not work. Saying that you were responsible for company-altering decisions when nothing in your background or resume appears to corroborate, is more a red flag than a way to impress. Rather than trying to blow up your contributions by throwing in huge dollar amounts,focus on your individual impact and the results that you personally achieved.

Unpolished: “I was part of a project that brought in $50Million in incremental sales.”

Polished: “I led a team of three to develop a new model that assessed increased sales for product X. This was considered effective enough to be rolled out across five different departments over the next year.”

Detail your experiences to the appropriate level
Another point that applicants frequently miss out on is inserting the appropriate level of detail. We are very close to our own experiences since, obviously, we lived through them. However, the AdCom hasn’t. If something is important enough to you to include in your application essay, spend time to make sure the AdCom understands why. Else, it’s a throwaway sentence, just reducing the available wordcount.

Unpolished: “I have traveled extensively and studied in three different countries.”

Polished: “I have done homestays in Australia, backpacked in Morocco, explored the former Yugoslavia and most recently, trekked throughout Mexico. To immerse myself deeper in a country’s culture, I studied in Belize and Argentina for six months.”

As an MBA Admissions Consultant, my priority is to find the hidden gems in my client’s experiences and polish them to make the most convincing case for her admission to her dream business school.

My advice to all applicants is simple – stay honest, choose the right experience and demonstrate it with the right angle tailored to your program.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

The Right Resume for a MBA

This is a question My MBA Admit answered in another forum. I am posting it here in this thread for the benefit of our GMATClub readers.

"Hi,

I would like to know how different is the CV one makes available for MBA applications compared to the one that is posted on job sites. For example, a 4-5 years experienced professional may not write extracurriculars at school/college. In short, what are the aspects that should be covered?"

My MBA Admit:
The major difference between a MBA and a job resume is the audience.

The employer is interested in how relevant your past experience and skills are for a particular position. However, the AdCom is interested in how well-rounded your profile is to judge your suitability for the incoming class.

Things to include in a MBA resume, besides the traditional professional resume, would be an emphasis on soft skills, extracurricular and community activities, personal interests and a broader description of your profile and/or company, if not well-known.

Things to avoid would be industry-specific jargon, as well as listing certifications that are not as well-known without elaboration.

The focus in this resume is to demonstrate the broad diversity of your profile, rather than ensuring it is in the traditional one-page format. Hence, if you need an additional page, especially to demonstrate any extracurricular activities and achievements, it would be justified.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further.

Take a look at My MBA Admit Consultations for more information on our packages, especially our $100 special offer for Resume Critiques!

The Right Resume for a MBA (contd.)

Candidate responded with thanks and a follow-up question to our advice above on resumes. We are posting our reply below for our GMATClub readers looking for advice on the same topic.

My MBA Admit:

As competition in MBA programs grows more intense, business school admissions committees scrutinize every aspect of the MBA application to a greater extent. This includes resumes. A precise, well-written resume will help to attest a candidate's credibility much more than one that needs to be completely reworked.

Also, the work you put it in your resume will give you a better idea of your past accomplishments and position yourself better for future career goals. This exercise will help you hit the ground running for your internship search once you are inthe MBA program.

My MBA Admit is currently offering a Resume Package for $100 that I highly recommend. This includes 45 minutes pre-review, 15 minutes consultation and 15 minutes post-session advice for a savings of $25.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Take a look at My MBA Admit Consultations for more information on our packages and volume discounts.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Software professional with Master's degree and entrepreneurial ambitions worries about low GPA

Applicant:

I am a software professional around 5yrs of work experience. My undergraduate degree(Non US) is from Elecrrical Engineering background so do my masters here in US in a 3rd Tier University. I am more Interested towards a MBA where I would like to do Consulting with tech and Entrepreneurial Concentration which will help launch myself a Consulting Startup( as far as my Plan)

My Worry is I do not Have a Big Academic Percentage in my Under Graduate and Graduate Level(MS degree )
My undergraduate Percentage is 68% with a First Class Degree.
My graduate Overall GPA was 2.98 just fall short of 3.0..

1.What are my chances of getting into Top Schools?
2.what should be the GMAT Score i should be Targeting i.e the min Cutoff range ( say a 7xx will only be the Score not Exact but approx).
3.Does my Work Experience will be Counted?

My MBA Admit:

Every application is evaluated from three perspectives - academic, professional and personal.

In your case, the academic scores are a weakness. In order to compensate, the other components of your application should be as strong as possible. Your GMAT score should be as high as you can get it, with a minimum of low 700s. Not only will this help you to compensate for your low undergraduate and graduate GPA but will allow you to stay in the range for your profile (Indian, engineering background), since the typical Asian engineer scores higher than the average MBA applicant.

Regarding your chance of getting into top schools, I would target the top 25, versus the top 10. You can improve your candidacy by targeting your application to the school that specializes in your career goals. For example, I recently worked with an University of Texas applicant - although this school is not in the top 10, it has a strong entrepreneurship bent which was ideal for his plans to grow his own business while being able to return to his home state of Texas. The more compelling reasons you give for attending a school, the better are your chances.

About your work experience, it does count but you will have to ensure that the examples you give in your essay as well as achievements you relate in your resume are tailored to the MBA program and your future career goals to ease the decision of the Admission Committee.

At My MBA Admit, we specialize in selecting the right MBA programs for the candidate, including only those attributes and experiences that showcase the best fit and critiquing the resume to be a strong component of your application instead of a list of everything that you have done so far.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Community service recommendations and reaching out to professors before the application

Applicant:
Applying to PT MBA programs next year. Would like to add to existing community service experience and connect with professors in my target B Schools.

1) For someone with no community service knowledge in the US, what would be your recommendation for the first place to look?

2) I would like to reach out to some professors @ Kellogg and Booth. What would be the most appropriate way to go about it? Also would it give me any leverage with respect to my B School apps?

My MBA Admit:

1) Community service participation is based on your interests.

It is another aspect of the MBA application that allows the Admission Committee to assess your soft skills, including leadership, initiative, teamwork, and yes, passion. Hence, it is better to do something you truly like to be able to make a meaningful contribution and speak about it in your essays rather than something for the sake of the MBA application alone.

To figure out your community service focus, first figure out your interests. My past clients have had experiences as diverse as spending a couple hours a week to improve an introverted child's social skills in LA, handling logistics to package and ship donations to Guyana, donating marketing skills to help a single mother's beauty parlor in Chicago and organizing Jewish singles mixers for the local synagogue in New York. For specific websites, try everyfuture.org or chicagovolunteer.net. Often, religious houses and workplaces also have volunteer opportunities for their members.

A few days ago, I posted a blog on community service in response to another applicant's community service question. Read it at http://blog.mymbaadmit.com/2010/01/25/w ... a-mba.aspx

2) I always recommend that my clients reach out to professors in their target schools.

These conversations give you a different perspective than reading just admissions materials, and give you a point of differentiation from others to showcase the depth of your research in your essays. Contact professors in your intended field of concentration - if their direct email addresses are not available, call/email the department and ask for a contact. As an ex-Boothie who contacted professors before being admitted, I can guarantee that professors are accessible and easy to talk to!

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further when you apply next year. In the meantime, check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages to get an idea of the admissions services we offer at My MBA Admit.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

570 GMAT due to low Verbal (but high AWA). How do I improve my score + potential business schools with current score?

Applicant:
1st GMAT attempt with score of 570 (44Q,24V), but scored of 6.0 on AWA.
2+ yrs of IT experience.
Which US business schools can I apply to with this GMAT score? Or should I retake the GMAT?

My MBA Admit:

Your GMAT score is a weakness in your application. Coupled with the fact that you have just 2 years work experience and are part of the common business school applicant profile of Indian engineer with IT experience, you will have to work hard to convince admission committees. If you want to apply with this GMAT score, schools you could try are lower ranked ones such as Vanderbilt, Texas A & M, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

However, did you prepare well for the GMAT this time? If you feel like you can prepare better, I would advise you to take the GMAT again. Since your AWA score was strong, it is very possible that learning GMAT Verbal techniques would help raise your score the second time and strengthen your candidacy for a top business school.

Applicant:
You did point out a valid point. It is true that I did not get enough time to study. I will take the advice of taking GMAT again. but need to first improve my verbal. I am confident about CR and RCs. The problem is with SC. I hardly get 4-5 correct. Any suggestion to improve SC?

My MBA Admit:
Sentence Correction relates to using correct grammar and the right expression in the appropriate style. This section tests the applicant on knowledge of American English above everything else.

With a perfect score on the AWA, improving your score on this should be relatively easy. One of the best ways to improve Sentence Correction is to, simply, read. The more you read, the more you will realize how certain terms and phrases are used together, as well the tense they should be set in. Practice questions will of course help, as will writing exercises.

This is a critical section to your success in business communication, which is a large part of any MBA program. I would urge you to practice more to score better in this section. It will help you both for the GMAT and beyond.

My MBA Admit coaches applicants on business communication along with our regular admission consulting services.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

550 GMAT with 5 years of work experience. Chances at Pace, Hofstra, Baruch and Fordham?

Applicant:
My GMAT score is 550(Q:39/53%, V27/42%) and my GPA(Computer Engineering) is not strong(2.92 out of 5).
4-5 years of work experience(as a computer technician, customer support consultant and IP Network Engineer), plus 1 1/2 years of military experience as a cadet lieutenant.

What are my chances in getting in one of these schools for an MBA, considering that Baruch is my preferred destination?

My MBA Admit:
For the schools you are targeting, your GMAT score is in the range, although on the lower side. For example, Baruch has a GMAT range of 510-710. Your work experience is sufficient and varied, both strong factors for schools like Baruch and Hofstra that are frequently commuter MBA programs and have older students with varied work experience.

If you are applying this year, applying in the third round could affect your chances. However, you can counteract this by personal/professional examples in your essays that showcase your fit with the attributes the schools are looking for, research on why you are applying to these programs, as well as strong recommendations that speak to your abilities in a graduate program. A well-tuned and polish resume would further strengthen your application.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Will unemployment hurt my chances? Can I do anything while I am waiting to hear on my application?

Applicant:
690 gmat (46 quant, 40 verbal)
3 yrs of work experience in online advertising, very good recommendations, mediocre extracurriculars - but currently unemployed.

Application situation:
cambridge - waitlisted
oxford - find out about interview on Feb 5
ucla - waiting
usc - waiting
columbia - waiting
yale - waiting
LBS - find out about interview on Feb 9

Is there anything I can do in the meantime to improve my application (other than finding a job, I'm currently looking). Thanks!

My MBA Admit:
Considering the current economy, unemployed candidates don't raise the same questions they used to. A lot of talented people, including top business school alumni have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. However, the question is - how are you using this time to improve yourself as a professional and as a person?

A lot of people are volunteering and learning new skills. If you have been doing something for the community or going to extra classes that help in your personal and professional development and this is something new that you have started since the application, it would be a good thing to update the admissions committee on. I recently had a client who started using her IT skills to train immigrants, while another who took the opportunity to get his PMP certification. These experiences showed character along with perseverance, both important qualities for MBA applicants.

We recently helped a client get off a Columbia waitlist and into the admitted pool, and would be happy to review your situation in detail to see how we can help.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

Hi all

My profile is down below . Please evaluate it...

Nationality : Turkish
Age/Gender : 27/Male
Bachelors Degree : Electronics Eng. (Top 5 Eng. University In Turkey) / %76 GPA
Toefl : 263 TWE : 5.0 in 2005
GMAT : 640(q:50/v:25) AWA : 4.0 in Jan. 2010 (First Attempt)
Work Experience : 6 yrs.(at matriculation) - 1.5 year as an R&D engineer in top science institution of government.(Project-Based) - 2.5 year as an owner and founder of an IT Conculting and Marketing Firm (Worked with Fortune100 Companies on contracts) - In 2009 merged company with my fathers Construction Firm and working as an Marketing Manager in Construction&IT bussiness.
Rec. Letters : will be from Fortune100 company execs that know me very well.
ExtraCurricular: Member of a basketball team in High School and University (Point Guard:)
Active member of Cinema&TV Guild In Turkey (Interested in directing)
Ranked 500th out of 120.000 Grad and Phd Stud. in ALES Exam (Turkish Gmat) in 12/2009

I have a low Verbal Score on Gmat but i don't know whether my toefl score give an good indication about my verbal skills. And being from one of the rare countries affect me positively in the name of diversity ?

And

I am intersted in applying to ;

1-UC Irvine Merage
2-Univ. Of Texas AUSTIN
3-U of W.Ontario IVEY
4-Rutgers
5-Rotterdam School Of Bussiness.
6-Cambridge Judge


Thanks in advance....

Turkish candidate with 640 GMAT and strong engineering background seeks admission to UC Irvine Mirage, UT Austin, U of W.Ontario Ivey, Rutgers, Rotterdam or Cambridge Judge.



Hi there,

Academically, your TOEFL score helps in your profile. However, the noticeably lower GMAT Verbal score and average undergraduate GMAT score weaken your chances. Although your TOEFL score would help, I would recommend taking the GMAT again. You are already at 640; identifying your specific weaknesses in the GMAT Verbal and putting in extra effort on them would help raise your score and do much to strengthen your candidacy. Also, keep in mind that MBA employers often look at both GPA and GMAT - a better GMAT score would do more to help in both admission and later employment than a higher TOEFL score.

Professionally, you should leverage your mix of engineering, marketing and entrepreneurial experience in your essays to set yourself apart from other candidates with engineering backgrounds. Many full-time MBA programs are targeted to younger applicants. Demonstrating a unique mix of experience would help with AdCom being less keen on you as an older applicant.

Personally, you have a lot of diversity in your profile which makes you attractive to MBA programs - use your Turkish background, sports achievements and cinema interests to full advantage in your essays, resume and even recommendation letters to showcase all the ways in which you are different from the competition.

Due to your diversity and strong quant, you have a strong profile for four of the schools you are considering. Judge and Mirage are iffy, especially at this point in the admissions process.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

Age: 26
Nationality: Iranian
Current job industry: Banking
Bachelor's Degree: University of Tehran (#1 in Iran) in "Theoretical Economics"
GPA: 18/20 (I know but that's how it's calculated there , I don't think it's right to just put 3.6/4, doesn't really mean the same, does it?)
GMAT: 690 (Q49, V35)
Work experience: 4 years
1. one year accounting in a British Iranian oil company (Iran)
2. one year and 3 months accounting at a British school for expats (Iran)
3. one year 4 months assistant to the business development manager at a telecom company (Toronto)
4. 4 months of working at a bank as a teller (current job)

I wanna know if I qualify for good schools in US and also where I can get some advice for writing my essays. Thanks a lot!

Hi Parisa,

Academically, your profile is strong. I would have loved to see a slightly higher score on the Verbal section but a score that's close to 700 overall, and is very strong on Math makes up for the slightly average score on Verbal. Your undergraduate GPA is strong too, and easier to categorize from your focus on Economics. If you are looking for a way to convert your grades, you might find the following link for a GPA Conversion Chart helpful http://blog.mymbaadmit.com/2009/12/14/g ... chart.aspx

Professionally, your work experience fits in the range of MBA candidates, and I like the blend of Iran and Toronto (I had a similar blend when I applied for Chicago Booth, and was told it was one of the factors that set me apart!). It looks like you have a combination of education and accounting experience, which shows diversity, although you could tailor your resume and utilize your essays to show progression as well. I am curious about your bank teller experience - although relevant, I am wondering if there was progression, and if not, why.

Your personal profile is what excites me the most. Iran is an underrepresented country at most schools, and being a young female applicant makes you even more unique. I personally work with a lot of female clients to tell their stories, and my most recent clients have been from across China, India, Guyana, Iraq and South Africa. I can just imagine the rich stories you could share of your diverse experiences, and it would be a wonderful project to help you get them down in your essays.

With regard to schools, your strong academics and personal diversity makes you a strong candidate for many top schools, although I would like to know more about your professional experiences and career ambitions to advise you on specific programs.

I would love to learn more about your profile and application. Drop me a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your application further.

Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Biology graduate seeks a position in business. Best career options to be eventually well-positioned for MBA at a good business school.

Applicant:

I graduated from UCLA with a biology degree in 2008 and was planning on applying to dental schools. However, I have a new-found interest in business, especially marketing and finance.
I understand that in order to get into MBA top schools I would need a good GMAT score and 2-4 years of work experience at least. So that's what I'm doing right now, looking for a job. I came across Morgan Stanley's financial analyst position (or program) and I am very very interested.
However, I do not have any econ background except that one micro-econ class at college. All my previous experiences was health-related and volunteering. Those volunteer experiences did not involve anything remotely related to econ.

So my questions are:

1. How can I tie my pre-health courses and volunteer experience into econ and business?

2. What could I possibly have to put on my resume in order to be considered?

3. What does a financial analyst REALLY do? I couldn't find any clear definition on it.

Thank you very much for helping.

My MBA Admit:
Hi Wynnshang,

I read your profile with interest. To summarize, you would like to switch to business with a biology background.

The good news - this is very possible. I recently had a client who had a biology degree, got into a healthcare fund and is now waiting to hear back on MBA applications with a strong application and a 700+ GMAT score. However, it takes time to reposition yourself. For starters, the financial services industry is going through one of its worst periods right now, and is less apt to look at candidates with less relevant experiences/degrees, especially places like Morgan Stanley that receive dozens of applications from candidates with finance/econ degrees everyday.

If you know for sure that you would like to go into business, there are plenty of entry-level positions for candidates with a bachelor's degree from a well-known college. Do you have any work experience since you graduated in 2008 or from college internships? Start looking for jobs across industries that require a bachelor's degree regardless of concentration - with your background, education and healthcare/pharmaceuticals immediately come to mind. Tailor your resume to show relevant coursework and experiences, and look for positions that need soft skills. Look for positions that can give you an idea of a business work environment/experience instead of ones that require you to be isolated like you would be in a lab. Your pre-health and econ courses would further help by showing that you have an idea of not just the industry, but a few additional business aspects such as economics as well.

In summary, you need work experience right now. Start building it in a field that you have some knowledge of, even if it is not immediately at Morgan Stanley. This will help you both for future employment as well as graduate school opportunities. While you are doing that, build your credentials to eventually reposition yourself for finance/marketing business through part-time classes in business or even a one-year program in Economics to further show your commitment. This would be easier than an uphill battle of switching immediately after your undergraduate degree without a relevant degree or experience.

My MBA Admit also offers career counseling. This is an intense program wherein we engage in discussion about your professional strengths, career ambitions and industry/geographic preferences. Through these sessions, we help you focus on your preferred areas within your preferred function. Further, we also help you maximize your chances of employment with a proven targeted recruiting strategy. Email us at mbaconsult@MyMBAAdmit.com to find out more.

Following is my profile:

GMAT: 600 (47Q/26V)
TOEFL iBT: 104
Nationality: Indian
Undergrad GPA: 3.63
Graduate GPA: 3.37
Work Ex: 3 Years
Work Ex in: 1 year in audit, 2 years in recruitments

Want to do MBA in Human Resources from USA
Applying to:
CUNY Baruch,Brandeis University, Case Western, Bentley, Rutgers-New Brunswick, UT Dallas, UIUC (aspirational)

Pls suggest schools and give feedback

Hi Seema,
If you are thinking of applying with your current GMAT score, I think your list of schools is good. Additional schools you could consider include Michigan State and Texas A&M, which has a good M.S. in Human Resources management course.

Since this is a long list, here is how I would advise you to split it: 1/2 aspirational schools (besides UIUC, Vanderbilt has a good MBA in HR as well), 2 competitive schools and 2 sure-shot schools.

However, giving the GMAT again would probably strengthen your profile and give you a better shot at higher ranked schools. If you are going to do a MBA, the better school will always provide higher long-term value and I always advise clients to give it their best shot. Although your undergraduate GPA is fine, you also mentioned a graduate GPA. What was your graduate degree in? Having another graduate degree, and the field that it is in, also has a bearing on your candidacy.

You haven't mentioned extracurricular activities/community service, but keep in mind for MBA, especially for a concentration heavy on people leadership such as HR, your soft skills become especially important. Also, I am slightly concerned about your GMAT Verbal score. Effective communication is one of the main tools of a HR representative, and I would pay special attention to presentation in your essays and make sure your recommendation letters mention that your communication skills are strong. This would mitigate the concern that you might have an opportunity in your communication skills.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss how you can position yourself better in your MBA application. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

Top Entrepreneurship Programs in the U.S.

Among the top business schools, Chicago Booth, Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT and Haas have great entrepreneurship programs. Booth in particular, I can personally attest to from my own MBA with one of my concentrations in entrepreneurship. Among top 20 schools, Indiana Kelley, Austin McCombs and Babson College have great programs as well.

Obviously, you will find good entrepreneurship programs at many top schools. In this economy, as the jobs outlook remains uncertain, an increasing number of applicants are thinking of starting their own concern. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal even had an article of this trend continuing for years to come http://bit.ly/cctuaO Go to the best program you can get in at - the brand reputation and network will stand you in good stead all through your career. But if you have to choose between multiple top ones, pick the one that has more connections with the industry you are planning to focus on. Depending on what you plan to focus your venture in, you will find that different programs meet your needs better.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your MBA application. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

Hi,

Below is a summary of my profile. I elaborated a bit since my situation is bit complicated. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated!

Gender: Female

Nationality: Korean

Age: 23 (25 at matriculation - planning to apply for Fall 2011 admit)

Undergrad GPA: 3.04 at CMU. I was an architeture major for 3 years, switched to a interdisciplinary program (somewhat unique to CMU- basically a self developed combo of arts and humanities) my last year. I had 2 very rough semesters (one in my 1st yr, one in my 2nd) one of which was probably just a lack of maturity, and the second was influenced by a personal tragedy. the courses i did poorly in were design classes (not really relevant to MBA), and I made the deans list of my school my third year, so I did well in my last two years, am i am hoping i can address the 2 bad semesters in my optional essay.

GMAT: 710 (Q47 V40) waiting for AWA score

Work Experience: 1+ years (should be over 2.5 by matriculation) at a small IT firm. I was promoted 3 times within a year. I actually began in a mainly administrative person (had difficulty finding a job when i graduated in 2008 right before the market crash and was unsure of what i wanted to do at the time) and am now the accounting manager. It is a bit long to explain because there are actually three companies (same owners) that share the same office, so i do work for all three companies at varying levels, and i have additional duties besides accounting that i undertake as well that involve working with pretty much all of the different departments (tech, sales, legal, etc). My concern is that since it is a very small company (less than 15 employees) its difficult to demonstrate much leadership experience, as the corporate ladder is very short.

Extra curricular activities: none at present worth mentioning, but several in undergrad, including leadership positions in a variety of student groups and volunteer experience

Future goals/ why i want an MBA: I have no background in business, have never taken any business classes, and as my undergrad degree is pretty irrelevent, i feel an MBA would provide the foundation that i need to progress. Given my design/creative background, i would like to work in a creative field/industry, but am no longer interested in a creative/design function, if that makes sense. I would like to focus on marketing, with a job in product management or product development to start.

Ideally, I would like to apply to top 20 schools; top 10 for reach perhaps, but I'm not sure how realistic that might be.

Thank you!

Hi Minjeeh,

Academically, your GMAT is a strong part of your profile. Nice job! Although the overall undergraduate GPA is a little low, you can address it by citing your Dean's List commendation, higher GPA for the next two years and higher major GPA, if applicable. I would definitely use the optional essay to explain what happened in those two semesters, to proactively address the AdCom's concerns.

Professionally, it's fine if it's a small company. As long as you can demonstrate progression, responsibility, as well as soft skills targeted to the MBA program, it will be fine. Also, keep in mind that leadership doesn't necessarily mean title - taking ownership of a project and leading your coworkers counts for leadership as well. So don't worry about the short corporate ladder.

Personally, community service and extracurricular activities help to showcase different dimensions of your applications. Undergraduate activities, especially because you are a recent grad, are worth mentioning, although more recent activities would make your application stronger. Look around to see how you can help - Craigslist, idealist.org, etc. offer plenty of opportunities to volunteers. However, look for something you are interested in versus taking it up for the MBA application alone. Read more about our advice on community service on our blog at http://bit.ly/6C8ItP.

I think you have a good chance at the top 20 schools. For the top 10, target your essays, research the programs, especially for Marketing, and get recommendations that demonstrate the attributes the programs are looking for.

One of the first things we do with our clients is to select schools that are the best match for their profile and ambitions, and then tailor their applications to match the program. Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your MBA application. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Older applicant for Fall 2011 (next year) with consulting/entrepreneurial ambitions, lower GMAT/GPA but fantastic extracurricular activities. Opportunities to improve profile before the application?

Applicant:
Planning to apply only to 3 schools next year (2011) - Duke, Georgetown and U of Maryland.

Profile:
Age - 31
GPA - 2.3
GMAT - 600 (plan to retake)
Work Ex - 3 years as an accounting manager in IT company
Tutoring Math and Finance to all ages supported by a tutoring company since 2009.

Background -
Marine for 2yrs, then switched undergraduate schools Korea to Bowling Green State university in Ohio in 2003.
Extracurricular activities - Finance society, Business fraternity, a Taekwondo instructor, manager at a local restaurant (as part time), Public officer of Chinese School, 2003 National Dean's list, President of Korean student association in Bowling Green, plus life and health insurance license in Ohio.

My dream school is Duke and since I live in the DC area, I am also interested in Georgetown and U of MD. How should I improve before I apply for those schools?

My goal after Duke or Georgetown is to work for any consulting company to get some experience, and eventually be an entrepreneur.

My MBA Admit:
From an academic perspective, your profile has opportunities for improvement. I would definitely recommend improving the GMAT score. Since you have taken the test once, you are already familiar with the different areas in Math and Verbal. Go over your past test score again - to get the maximum buck for your efforts, specifically focus on the sub-areas you didn't do well in, e.g. Critical Reasoning in Verbal and Data Sufficiency in Math. One of our partners provides excellent affordable courses targeted to your needs. If you like, I can send you the details or you can check out more details on our home page.

Further, go over your undergraduate transcript and figure out where your GPA suffered. Taking remedial courses at a local college or taking on work projects that help you develop those skills will improve your profile.

Professionally, although the manager title helps, I would be very interested in knowing what you did. Did you manage people, take on extra projects, work across functions, get recognized? All of those would help develop a stronger candidacy.

Your extracurricular activities are strong. However, I see that candidates sometimes put in a long list just to show variety without paying attention to impact, order or relevance. Leverage those experiences in your essays and resume to show diversity, both in your experiences and soft skills. To strengthen them even further, use the time till your application to take on responsibilities where you can quantify your impact.

Regarding schools, 5-6 schools is better number than 3 to increase your chances of being accepted. Through a stronger profile across all three areas, you would be competitive not just at your current list of schools, but additional ones in a similar or higher tier as well.

Feel free to drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com to discuss your MBA application further this summer. Check out our Volume Discounts and Application Packages tailored to your admission needs.