Chances at HBS/Wharton/Stanford/Kellogg?
[#permalink]
23 Jan 2006, 21:44
Hi guys,
Firstly, thanks so much for this resource. I'm wondering what my chances are into these schools, and schools of this ilk.
Preferences are in this order because of their general management / entreprenuership strengths and also because of geographic preference - my family is in Wash, DC.
740 98pct (47q 81pct, 45v 99pct) 5.5 AWA
[1 attempt so far, do not plan to retake]
3.3 BSEE Cornell University (Dean's List in Eng is 3.3 at Cornell)
Made Dean's List 6 of 8 semesters (see further explaination below)
6yrs work experience in software as a software Program Manager. Led feature teams of 5-15 to ship 3 products in my time. Projects were primarily in collaboration with partners, many in Japan and Europe. Engaged, committed, and executed with outside companies in partnerships, sometimes working directly with CEOs/VPs. Strength is in conceptualizing, specifying and delivering new products from zero, in a market that is emerging and undefined.
College internship was working in R&D on the artificial heart. Several innovations made during internship made it into the first human-implanted, artificial heart. Strengths in conceptualizing, building, delivering, testing and reporting results of trials.
In highschool and early college, I was self employed running a come-to-your-home tutorial service in the DC-area during the summer and winter breaks. Had about 8 regular clients with several kids each and in the summer would work about 50hrs/wk at rates up to 35/hr depending on curriculum. Strengths were finding creative ways to motivate kids to get ahead. All clients in later years were repeat clients from past years and referrals.
28 y/o
Thinking of applying 1st round for fall 07 start.
Wondering a few things:
Should I apply 2nd round?
Can the 3.3 be offset and adequately explained to the adcomms by involvement in an extracurricular school team? Cornell Engineering also notorious at the time for being hard on grading (thus the 3.3 Dean's List), but can't really put that on an app....
The team is Formula SAE, an undergraduate design project team that designs, builds from scratch and competes a car every year in the Society of Automotive Engineer's yearly Formula SAE competition. The competition is attended by about 120 shools from nearly every continent. It is extremely demanding and is a 60hr week in itself. In my time there, we won 2 world championships and finished 3rd (senior year going for the 3-peat) and 4th (freshman year) the other years. Strengths here were innovation and execution. In such an engineering design competition, innovation ahead of the competition is the key to victory. Made Dean's list 6 of 8 semesters. The 2 were the spring semesters we won the championship (competition in late mid May).
Is the relatively poor quant score going to be a problem? I am actually a little embarrassed by this score given my EE undergrad background, but I ran into a problem relatively early in the quant (number 17) which I eventually got right, but which burned timed and rattled me the entire quant section. I was able to recover in the verbal.
Hobbies:
graduation-2002: not much, pretty much enjoyed young-20's life. :D
2003: FIRST Program: Mentored high-school kids to design and build from scratch a robot to compete in the FIRST competition. The team made it to the final round of the regional competition.
2004: Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo2 Racing: Assembled small team to help, with team - I put the car in 5th place National Championship finish in Street Modified class in 2004, rookie attempt. Acquired sponsorship help along the way. This is an "open" rules class, meaning innovation and one-upping the competition is the key to success.
2005: Prepping for GMAT :D, Motorcyling (no notable achievements other than surviving the first year) :D
2006: Taking another stab at the SCCA title as in 2004. Prepping MBA apps.
I'm a very competitive person, but like to be thought of as easy-going. My goal is to start my own business involving sports and lifestyle products aimed at those who love to compete. However, I don't have the formal knowledge (eg: no real finance or operations knowledge/experience), breadth of experience or practice to do it on the global scale. Which is why I'm looking to get an MBA...
Thanks in advance!