Hi,
Thanks for sharing your profile. At first I was concerned that you sounded like a somewhat typical engineering applicant, but by the end of reading it all, I do feel you have some areas that could help you stand out, specifically your leadership experience (though managing the team in your current role; fundraising and getting that tactile map installed, especially if it was your idea and initiative), and your start-up sounds interesting though there is a lot more questions that would need to be answered about that venture... but generally if you can speak to all you've learned in a start-up, that can be a big plus. Schools are looking for all kinds of experiences that classmates can draw from and contribute to classroom learning-- you learn as much in b-school from your classmates as you do from curriculum/coursework, so student experiences are vital.
I think you've got a good start to explaining where you are at now in your career and why you want the MBA... I'd encourage you to maintain that level of honesty in your essays/application, as it reads genuine and makes sense, which some struggle with. The part I'd still want to know more about would be your draw to pharma, but it does sound like you've had experience in that area in the past, so just be sure to link your whole story/path together and show how your past plus the MBA leads to your future goals.
Your GMAT and GPA could be stronger, especially for your caliber of schools, but likely at this point the thing to focus on is your essays and applications.... your essays for example are the one place where you create something from scratch to represent YOU... lots of potential impact there. Keep in mind that Stanford first and foremost (because of it's smaller class size for one thing) is a reach for EVERYONE, and Harvard and Wharton are close but do have bigger classes at least. So it's just good to know going in that it will be touch at the top few programs. You could have a shot beyond those with very strong essays, and depending upon what else you are able to describe regarding your start up, your work experience and leadership experience, etc. I know you're focused on top 10; up to you and personal choice but you could add a school in the 10-20 range too for best chances if you'd like, there are still some excellent programs in there!! Wishing you the best, please keep us posted with questions and your progress and let us know if we can help further.
_________________
Jen Kedrowski
mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant
17+ years in MBA Admissions Consulting; 40+ positive reviews on GMAT Club
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