easy2type wrote:
Hi Jon-
First, thanks for the profile evaluation. I appreciate any pointers you, or anyone else may have.
Target Schools -- Kellogg, Booth, Cornell - already submitted R1 for these three
Duke, UCLA (R1 apps in progress).
Contemplating Columbia and Wharton - Do you think I'll be able to mitigate my low GPA by emphasizing some of my stronger points? Or am I not competitive for these two schools?
About me:
I'm a 26 year old Civil engineer working for an engineering and construction firm in Chicago
- I'm of indian Origin
- I majored in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, graduating in 2010. Our civil engineering program is ranked #1 by USNWR this year, and has consistently been in the top 3 programs (along with Cal and Stanford) for the past decade.
- Due to being too focused on my social life, and immaturity in general, I only have a GPA of 3.0. I averaged about a 3.4 in my heavy quant classes, but struggled and slacked off majorly in some of my electives in the humanities.
-I took Continuing Ed classes at Northwestern (took an accounting and a marketing class, and scored an A- on both)
- I took the GMAT once, in 2013, and scored a 740 (49Q, 42V).
- I have also attached my resume to this e-mail. I come from a fairly unique background (construction management) - at least from a B-school perspective.
- In my current role, as a Project Manager I lead collaborative teams of architects and engineers to construct buildings for real estate developers. I have managed projects upwards of $10MM.
- My immediate post MBA goal is to work as a development associate at a global real estate development firm like Tishman Speyer. As a development associate, I will evaluate the financial feasibility and ROI of potential land development, procure appropriate funding from banks or the capital markets, meet with city and zoning officials and then hire a team of architects, engineers and construction experts to construct the property.
- My long-term goal is to lead a real estate development and investment firm in India with a focus on sustainable and green development. My passion for and experience in green design and construction, complemented by my MBA will allow me to implement this vision in a country with a burgeoning middle class with rapidly growing metropolises. India’s population growth, mass migration from villages to cities and relative dearth of natural resources only heighten the importance of growing cities’ sustainably.
Extra Curricula's:(A strong point for me; I've got some more EC's but listed the top 3 year)
1. Social chair and Treasurer - Fighting Illini Triathlon Club
2. Volunteer tutor - 9th grade math at a local charter school on the city's south side serving black and hispanic students. I also mentored two students here, and spend 8 hours a week tutoring.
3. Social chair - Emerging Professionals group - US Green Building Council - Chicago chapter. Membership increased 25% during my tenure as I coordinated membership events and outreach programs.
3. Tutor - Chicago Center for Green Technology - Help students and professionals studying for the LEED AP Exam (4 hours every weekend)
Hello there good sir!
So congrats on that totally awesome GMAT. Yes, it WILL help mitigate your 3.0, BUT it will not efface them! Is it good enough for a school like Wharton? It'll be tough, to tell you the truth, but with a GMAT like that, it's worth a shot, aint it?
But you DO gotta have some schools outside the Top 5/10 on your list, too.
Your background IS pretty unique, although I don't yet have a REAL idea of how strong (never did see that resume), and I would need a bit more detail (Feel free to send it over to us, to Lauren:
lauren@admissionado.com and we can take a look at it).
Your volunteer work looks pretty solid, so far. What about other ECs? Or other activities/sports/leadership whatever???
Got anything good going on???
Best,
Jon