Profile Evaluation: theoretical physics->consulting->MBA

Hi Jon,

I hope you will take a quick look at my profile and tell me your evaluation.

1) Demographic Info:
28/M/Hispanic

I was born in the South Bronx and lived there until I was 11. I lived in a housing project until I was 8 and in neighborhoods only marginally better than the projects until I was 11, then my mom got a good job in Florida and I moved to the suburbs. Most of my mother's side of the family still lives in the South Bronx, and some are still in the projects. I am the first in my family to graduate from college.

2) Education:
2006 Dual BS degrees in chemistry and physics from a large tier 3 state school. It was close to home. 3.65 GPA
2009 MA Physics from top 10 school. 3.4 GPA (this department has the toughest grading /lowest average GPA in the graduate school, so 3.4 is considered good)


3) Tests:
2005 GRE 790 M 750 V. I know this is too old but I haven't taken the GMAT yet.
GMAT practice test 730 (48 Q, 43 V).

I took one of the official GMAT tests you can download from mba dot com. I didn't study much before this and was actually too slow on the math portion so I didn't finish the whole test. Now that I've been practicing, I'm sure I can finish the math section in time. My test is scheduled for Oct 19. I can provide an update once I take that.

4) Work experience: (at matriculation)
2 years as an analyst at Accenture, working mostly in pharma. I will have good recommendations from two of my supervisors but I can't say I've done anything earth shattering during my short time here. My managers think highly of me, so now I have two analysts who answer directly to me and I'm on track for a promotion right around the same time I'd be matriculating.

2 years as a research assistant after my MA. I did some pretty advanced work and have a publication to show for it. I was actually a doctoral candidate during this period but decided not to finish. It's a long sad story, but basically my adviser kept moving the goal posts on me once I told him I was planning to leave academia and go into business.

I also have extensive part-time research experience from my undergraduate days, with one publication in medicinal chemistry and another one in nanotechnology.

The time as a doctoral candidate also includes two extensive trips abroad to work with collaborators in the Middle East.


5) Extracurriculars:
I've been involved with science outreach activities since I was in undergrad.
Extensive involvement with student leadership during my grad school days.
I started the advanced degree consulting club at my graduate institution, basically a club for all masters, JD, PhD and MD students who want to work in consulting.
Extensive involvement with a science outreach/big brother type program during my graduate school years. The program targets groups that are underrepresented in the sciences. I built a particularly strong bond with one of my mentees and I still talk with him and give him advice as he approaches the end of high school. He is not Hispanic, as most people would expect based on my background.


6) Short/Long term goals:
In the short-term, I give myself about equal probabilities of either returning to consulting (specifically in life sciences) or going directly to work for a biotech company. I'm interested in the commercial side of the business, but I would also enjoy the opportunity to work on R&D strategy. My background fits R&D, but as a theorist and a big picture type of person, I think I'd be a better fit working on the strategy of R&D rather than mundane lab work or clinical data management.

In the long-term, I definitely see myself taking a leadership position at a human health focused biotech company.

7) Schools:
This is a big list because my fiancee and I are trying to land in the same city. She is looking for post-docs or lectureship positions in biology.
Tuck (Consortium)
Stern (Consortium)
Harvard
Columbia
Fuqua
Kenan-Flagler (Consortium)
Booth
Stanford
Haas (Consortium)

Thanks,
H