bakfed wrote:
Your chances are probably slim to none. Given what you've written, you have an absolutely stunning academic career (both GPA and GMAT are beyond the best). However, your lack of WE will make you a boy among the men in discussion. One thing you need to ask yourself is why you want this MBA. Another question is what can you contribute to the classroom discussion, which is a huge part in every top b-school in the nation. Without full-time corporate experience, it's hard for you to mingle with the rest of your classmates. Unless you have some strong leadership skills/initiatives to show, it'll be hard for you to gain admission. However, with what you currently have, with a couple of years of brand-name work experience (i.e. Wall Street, high-tech, consulting), your shot at Stanford and Harvard signicantly increases.
Thanks for your reply,
I have some follow up questions, if you don't mind.
In addition to competing myself, I also work as a coach at my gym. Recently I coached one of my friends to a North American title in kickboxing. Do you think this would qualify as "strong leadership/initiative" or would these schools be looking for something that would apply more directly to the business world?
Furthermore, I agree that I would probably be a boy amongst men given that I have zero work experience. However, I know that the JD/MBA program requires no WE for admission. Do you know if students in these programs have the same complaints about not fitting in?
Lastly, many people have told me that even if I do gain admission to a top school many recruiters will overlook me, due to lack of WE. Is this true or are recruiters willing to develop the employees they seek?
Thank again for any help.