xelk wrote:
(Repost from the Peer Review section)
Hey everyone, great forum!
Here's a profile I'd like to hear some feedback on (trying to follow the guidelines in the sticky thread):
1. Age/Gender/Nationality: 22/Male/Small ex-communist country
2. BS and MS in Applied Math / Comp Sci, #1 uni in the country, perfect 4.0 GPA (converted from local scale) / GMAT 760(99%) from first try
3. WE: About 2 years, internet startup doing local websites/apps, also on and off doing other projects (including some family biz)
4. EC: Volunteering (including international projects), lots of local community work, organizing cultural events, etc.
5. Goals: Tech. Entrepreneurship / lead a business in the near future, also exposure to the US business world, networking, etc
6. Schools: Aiming for the Top 5 (top choices MIT, Harvard and Stanford)
7. Other goodies: Speaks 3 languages fluently
Here's what I'm thinking. The candidate (not me) is very strong and well-rounded, very passionate about being a business leader, and has done a lot in this short period of time since he got into college. OTOH, he's young and has little work experience (compared to some profiles I read of Stanford and Harvard students who were e.g. assistants to presidents and central bank managers, etc). Being from an obscure country/university is a mixed blessing from what I gather: it increases diversity which schools look for, but decreases name recognition and prestige.
So what do you guys think? Anything urgent to work on before the Round 1?
Thanks for the feedback. And the succinct, informative post.
I think the main thing your friend needs to work on is preparing to show impact and leadership both on the job and in his community activities. Also at 22, it might be wise to wait a year to two-- especially if those two years are not full-time work experience; however, if he's ready, there is little downside to applying now. If he gets in, great. If he doesn't, he can reapply. i also recommend that he aims at programs with lower ages at matriculation, like HBS and Stanford. He may also want to consider CMU Tepper or Chicago. His academic stats are excellent. His language abilities are impressive, especially in the US.
Your friend might be interested in
MBA Admissions 101.
Regards,
Linda
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29 May 2011, 16:06
