690 GMAT, 3.67 GPA from Top 50 Public University, CPA

Question

I'm an auditor at one of the top 7 CPA firms in the country, am a mixed race individual.

What schools would you recommend with these scores? I would love to eventually get into management consulting so do you think I should retake the GMAT?

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mbaMissionKate · Answer

Hi there! Well there are a lot of unknowns here, like the quality of work / leadership / recommendations, your community activities, etc. but going off the basic info I think your stats are pretty good. With those scores I think you'd be best off targeting schools in the 10-20 range, like McCombs, Darden, Anderson, Johnson, Kenan-Flagler, maybe Stern. All of those have pretty strong consulting placements too. I don't think you need a higher score to get a job in consulting, I think that's a bit of a misconception that you need a 700+ to land a consulting job. But...if you have time to retake and think you can boost your score, even just 10-20 points, give it another shot. There's no harm in trying since schools will accept your highest score and it might open up the range of schools you can apply to.

Keep us posted if you need help with anything else!
Kate

JayMekk

I'm an auditor at one of the top 7 CPA firms in the country, am a mixed race individual.

What schools would you recommend with these scores? I would love to eventually get into management consulting so do you think I should retake the GMAT?

Posted from my mobile device

Keep us posted if you need help with anything else!
Kate

JayMekk · Answer

I actually got a 710 GMAT. 73rd percentile quant and 93rd verbal. Does this change anything? thanks !

mbaMissionKate · Answer

That's great! Yes, the 20 point increase helps. I think I'd still primarily target schools in the 10-20 range but add in 1 or 2 schools in the top 10. Perhaps schools like Tuck and Kellogg which are both excellent for consulting.

Kate

JayMekk

I actually got a 710 GMAT. 73rd percentile quant and 93rd verbal. Does this change anything? thanks !

Kate

JayMekk · Answer

Hey Kate, so I ended up only getting a 3.5 on awa and it is worrying me a bit. I did amazing on my undergraduate writing classes so I'm hoping that helps offset it? 
Also I wasn't planning on applying until fall of 2020 and am only planning my CPA public accounting career this upcoming January. Is there any moves you recommend career wise to help me get in?

Thanks!

Posted from my mobile device

mbaMissionKate · Answer

Hi again, I wouldn't worry too much about the AWA. That section is not weighted very heavily and a 3.5 is often the minimum I recommend. And yes, they will definitely consider your transcript so that will great to see those writing classes! Plus they will have your essays which hopefully will be well written

As far as career advice...generally I would advise to try to get promoted (if this is possible in your firm), gain as much project management experience and leadership as possible, try to gain any international exposure (not sure if this is possible as a CPA), seek out strong mentors who can give you feedback and potentially serve as recommenders when it comes time, and volunteer for additional projects, committees, recruiting, etc. which could be great opportunities to showcase your leadership and community involvement. The only other thing would be to over time, try to gain exposure to your post-MBA field so the transition seems more reasonable when it comes time. Good luck! Kate

690 GMAT, 3.67 GPA from Top 50 Public University, CPA

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