Hey fbarrientos91:
Thanks for reaching out to me. You definitely have a bit of a nontraditional background.
After reading your background, I definitely have a few more questions for you.
1. How does your current work experience support what it is you want to do in the future? You did not provide enough information to make the connection between what it is you want to do now to what it is you want to do in the future. I was left scratching my head a little bit because it seems like you only have about a year and 1/2 of work experience after graduation from law school. Why the switch so soon? Do you not like practicing law? Is there something you have realized that you need because of the client work or cases that you have help litigate? It's hard for me to assess whether or not you would make a compelling case for a Masters in management program.
I'm going to guess that you really do not like practicing law and you are looking for a Masters in management degree because it will serve as a bit of a lifeboat. I hate to frame it that way, but that's what it seems like to me. Here's the thing – you never want the admissions committee to know that this is what the deal is. I've worked with many lawyers looking to make the transition out of law, and in each case they have hated law. To them, it felt so soulless.
This is what I would say if I were you, something like this anyway – "Having worked on numerous cases covering international business law and corporate governance, I have come to know that the legal field is only one facet of a much larger picture. Although I love what I do, I want to be in a position to make the types of decisions that will prevent many of the client situations that I deal with as an attorney. While I do take great satisfaction in helping our clients cleanup their legal messes, and helping them remain compliant with risk management, I want to get ahead of these issues. I want to help create strategy and align operations so that these problems are prevented from even occurring. This is why my goal is to do ABC upon graduation, and 123 in the long term. Recognizing the realities of the employment market, I would also pursue my backup plan – which is to do XYZ."
By the way, if I was your consultant I would tell you that you must to state a backup plan. It seems you have a good grasp on this. You are a career changer and because of this you are high risk to any business school.. They want to make sure that you have a job within three months of your graduation. So give them a backup plan. No exceptions.
2. Of course your long-term goal should align with something that you are more passionate about. I know that you work with a legal NGO that assists immigrants, migrants and refugees. You could align your longer term goal with this "passion." Although you must keep in mind not to push this too far, lest you sound like a bullshitter, You can definitely state something like this is your long-term goal – "In the long-term, I want to use my position within the executive level of my company To help recent immigrants and other displaced peoples find a home in Chile. I believe that the success or failure of these newly arrived populations within my country will depend on their ability to integrate into the social and economic fabric. This goal is not only the product of my professional goals, but also my work with a legal NGO over the past two years. I have worked with hundreds of individuals looking to resettle in Santiago and surrounding areas. This pursuit is near and dear to my heart, as my parents were once immigrants from Italy. And I know the stories of their struggle to adjust to life in Chile. I viewed as my moral duty to help these individuals find success in the new land."
Make sense?
3. The reality is that the MOOC's are not going to make up for your low quant score. They help a little bit of course. But the only way to make up for that low quant score is to take the GMAT again and get a higher quant score. However, I would not worry about it too much. Based on the schools that you are applying to, your current score, including the breakdown, should be fine. I would not take the GMAT again. It's not needed to get into the schools that you stated. So that should be some good news!
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Well fbarrientos91, that's my analysis for now. If you would like to discuss your candidacy, please reach out to me at
mba@amerasiaconsulting.com. Please reference this conversation and ask for me.
Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti
fbarrientos91 wrote:
Hello
Amerasia,
I am a Chilean lawyer who wants to pursue a Masters in Management program in Europe (target schools: Stockholm School of Economics, Bocconi, ESCP, ESSEC and HEC). I look forward to combine my specialty in international business law and corporate governance with studies in management, in particular strategical and organizational topics, due to the natural overlap that law and management have in this area. Therefore, my main goal is to work later in consultancy in both these topics, using my analytical law skills and my awareness of the importance of legal issues as an advantage. As as back up plan, I could return to my country and aim to become legal manager of a company, as my profile would be very unique in my country.
Background info:Chilean, Male, 25 years old.
Test scores:- GMAT: 660 (Q 40, V 41). *The quant score is my biggest concern.
- TOEFL: 112.
Academic info:- Degree: Law.
- University: Graduated from the most prestigious law school in my country and the highest ranked university in Spanish-speaking Latin America (QS and Times).
- GPA: 3.0/4.0 (i worked while studying, and also grades at my faculty are not particularly high either).
- Specialization: International Business Law.
- Exchanges: 1 semester at Northwestern University (classes in Political Science) and 1 semester at TU München School of Management, taking introductory classes in strategy and organization.
- Assistantships: Research assistant at my university's corporate governance center.
- Awards & Publications: 2nd place in a Deloitte national competition on corporate governance research; 1 publication in my university's corporate governance research section.
Work experience:- 6 months in a prestigious Big Law Firm in Santiago.
- 3 months in my university's innovation center, doing intellectual property related tasks.
- 6 months in a Chilean VC firm. Legal area.
Extracurriculars:- Co-founded a innovation and entrepreneurship club in my Law School.
- Been volunteering for more than 6 months in an international human rights NGO, organizing activities for migrants and refugees.
- Finalist in a university-wide startups competition. Leading the first ever Law School team to be chosen to participate in this competition.
I know my GMAT quant scores are very low (no surprise, I am a lawyer). I've been thinking of taking some MOOCs in finance and accounting so I can show the adcoms that I have a real desire to improve my quant skills and that my low quant scores are due to lack of formal education in this subject rather than lack of capabilities.
Thank you very much in advance for you help. Highly appreciated!!