ncprasad wrote:
So, why isn't Ross MBA/Erb MS combo not on your list? Unless you dont want to come back to Ann Arbor.
Erb?
Now now NC, trying to recruit potential Haas people in a Haas thread? That's bad etiquette you know.
But anyway PHoyle, from your goals, I think Haas is a very good fit for you. The Net Impact awareness of your architectural work and volunteering will definitely stand out in the application and is a great fit for the socially responsible culture of Haas. The Real Estate program at Haas is also strong, combined with a top Architecture school where there may be joint classes with the business school (not sure, but I'm sure you can use your credits on a couple classes in that college).
With that said, you have a good understanding of your own candidacy and know what you need to emphasize. I'm sure if you look deeper into what you've done in school or at work (or your extracurriculars), you can find *some* kind of leadership. Remember, leadership does NOT have to be a formal position or something where you lead a huge group of people. I never had formal leadership positions at work, as all my leadership comes from volunteering groups within and outside of the company. The only leadership claim I have is unofficially leading a group of 15 engineers on a task for a few months, without the title. But I described many things I've done in a way that it demonstrates my understanding of how to lead a group (time management, delegation of work, planning, scheduling, how to deal with interpersonal problems, etc...)
with your background, I like your academics and GMAT, hovering above the mean. Your unusual background (not that many architecture professionals applying) and your perfect fit goals (with Haas's culture) should stand you out in the sea of applications.
I would call Haas a "cautious on par" school for you. The "cautious" comes from Haas' small class size (thus very low admit rate). I think if you focus a lot of your efforts on Haas (visiting, understanding the classes that will help you reach your goal, talking to the Net Impact and Sustainability clubs, and telling a very convincing story), you have a good chance of getting in. Of course, those things are NOT easy to do, so don't take it for granted. Start your essays and research now. I can get you in contact with some Net Impact people so you can start the discussion. Try to swing by for classes (if you're not too far away) or the summer info session at the end of July.
Since I also applied to Kellogg, I can say Kellogg is probably a reach school (not super-reach though) if you do the same research (visiting is not as important, but understanding their culture IS) on it. They're not as big on real estate and Net Impact, but the general program is so strong you'll do just fine there too.
As for your school list:
I would focus a lot of efforts on Kellogg and Haas. I think your profile will get you into at least one of the rest (Austin, UNC, and Arizona State) if you re-use parts of your essays from Kellogg and Haas.
I would probably recommend throwing in UCLA as a possible school for real estate, and maybe one of the East Coast schools (I think Cornell is good at real estate if you can stand living in Ithaca?).
You have a good enough profile to take a chance on the top 10 schools, you just have to cover your weakness (the leadership part) and make sure the rest of your application is flawless.
Hope that helps!