Profile Evaluation, Please.
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09 Oct 2009, 08:30
Name: Sneha
Age: 19 (21 at matriculation)
Gender: Female
Nationality: Indian
Current Status: Undergrad Junior at the University of North Florida.
I plan on applying to Business School next fall in 2010, hoping to attend starting Fall of 2011.
GMAT score: Have not taken an official GMAT (Ranging ~560 on Kaplan Practice tests), but it will be above 700. Already preparing - will be taking it between March - May of 2010.
GPA: 3.65 as of now. I am hoping to make it atleast a 3.8 by the time of matriculation
Future Goals: I'm very interested in using my leadership experience with my MBA to do charitable work and make a company in India or Africa which will allow many disadvantaged kids to have an education. Immidiately after graduation, I am looking to find a full time job in the field of finance (which will be my concentration) with a reputable company. I do also plan on acquiring a PhD (also in the field of finance) and use that in order to become a professor. (I realize that MBA programs probably do look for more specific career goals, but I do plan on having an idea of companies I want to work for by the time I apply)
Leadership Experience -
Part of the National Leadership society which has given me tremendous insight and experience in how to become a leader.
Captain of Relay of Life team for 3 years.
Youth President/Coordinator for cultural organization
Coordinated multiple dances and events.
Volunteer Experience -
Relay for life, On campus mentoring program, Clara White Mission, Dignity U Wear, Big brother Big sister, hometown library.
Work Experience -
This is the part I am worried about. By the time of matriculation I will have 2 1/2 years of part-time experience as a Business Analyst at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. I do realize that many top MBA programs look for solid work experience, but this job has given me a lot of insight into how a business works in various departments and projects. Being an intern, I have gotten a chance to work with many project managers with a great variation of projects - from health care to retail centers. I've done a lot of things that a full time Business Analyst would do - including Business requirements and specification documents, Business Vision PowerPoint's, etc. I've also worked on things such as Database Administration and Budget Analysis, and acted as a support to Project Managers in keeping plans up to date, and so forth.
My question is.. how much will my lack of work experience hinder me from getting into a b-school if the rest of my application is in good standing? What are some realistic schools that I can aim for? I don't want to apply to 8 of the top schools if I don't even have a chance of getting in... I was looking to see maybe a list of ~5-10 schools that would be realistic for me.
I really do want to go into my masters right after my graduation... what can I do to strengthen myself by that time and give me a better standing?
Also looking into applying for the Harvard 2+2 program - what are my chances of getting in? My major is Information Systems (Close to IT, but has a minor in business administration which I'm afraid will hinder my application)
Any help would be great. Thanks!