MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 2457
Given Kudos: 2
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Profile Valuation for MBA application intake fall 2011
[#permalink]
31 Oct 2010, 10:05
You may want to consider a different range of schools.
HBS/Stanford - likely a big stretch; it's not that there's anything wrong with you, but that you're up against other folks who will have stronger or more pedigreed resumes (and even these people are hardly shoe-ins). You're an Asian comp sci major working in finance (nothing out of the ordinary there) - and you're competing against other Asian/Caucasian guys who went to Ivy or equivalent working in IB/PE. Again, go for it if you really want, but consider these two schools as lottery tickets.
Columbia - had you applied Early Decision (deadline passed in early October), you may have had a shot. But with Regular Decision, you're going to be a stretch.
NYU/Cornell - these are the range of schools you should focus on more, where you'll have a more reasonable shot - and where you'll still likely be able to achieve your career goals post-MBA. Maybe add Yale to the mix (if you're looking for a finance career). Other schools in this range include Duke, Darden, Michigan, Haas, and UCLA.