Applying to only my dream school this year, FEEDBACK PLEASE

Question

I am looking for some feedback on my application strategy. My preferred school is CMU-Tepper and I am planning on applying this fall for the class of 2018. This is the only school I am applying to this year because i want to start ASAP but I feel my work experience may be slightly limited for a top school. If I get in this year it would be a dream come true. If I don't then I'll apply next year to Tepper and the other schools on my list. Here are my stats for reference. Please let me know what you think.

GMAT: 740 Q: 50 V: 40 IR: 8
GPA: 3.02 Penn State
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Work Experience: 40 months(upon matriculation)
Field: Power generation
Company: GE

GMAT: 740 Q: 50 V: 40 IR: 8
GPA: 3.02 Penn State
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Work Experience: 40 months(upon matriculation) 
Field: Power generation 
Company: GE

dtse86 · Answer

A few things:
-Do you know what you want to do with an MBA? Answering the "Why MBA" question is crucial to let the adcom know you are realistic with your expectations.
-What about Tepper specifically draws you to that school?
-What are you worried about in your application?
-You seem to have a pretty good profile already if you have ~36 months (3 years) of full time work experience. I think you could apply to a few "reach" schools that are ranked higher than Tepper if you wanted. I think you would have a decent shot if you put together a good application.

wcf5016 · Answer

-I'd like to switch careers and go into consulting with a long term goal of moving into corporate strategy for a fortune 500 company. I like the idea of helping businesses solve their most challenging issues. 
-This may sound cliche but Tepper has everything I'm looking for in an MBA program. The fact that they are dedicated to an analytic approach to business really speaks to my engineering side. I've never been one to make a decision, in any part of my life, without first researching my options and weighing the pros and cons. Also, I attended a very large school for my undergrad and I'd like to attend a smaller program that is very personal and focuses on team work, as I excel in this type of environment.
-My GPA worries me a little and the amount of time I've been working is a little less than average.

I very much appreciate the feedback.

dtse86 · Answer

Well, there's an "unofficial" minimum of 2 years of WE for most business schools. I know of someone who's at Stern right now who only had 24 months of WE before  matriculation . I also have a friend who also went to Tepper and applied at the 2 year mark because he knew of the "unofficial" minimum. And so, I think you might be ok with work experience, especially since its with a well known company. Just make sure you highlight the great things you have done since joining GE. Quality can overcome quantity if it's presented correctly. The admissions committee will want to know if you're a leader and that you will have something to contribute to your classmates as you all learn together.

I think your strategy is sound given your clear goals and background, but I still think you're selling yourself short. Not that Tepper can't get you to where you want to go (personally I thought Tepper was a great school), but there's a lot of other equally great schools out there that rank higher and place better into MBB firms (like Sloan perhaps). Although you do have less experience than the average at many schools and a lower GPA, you have a great GMAT score, a quantitative background (engineer), and great work experience (GE). I think it may be worth sending off an application or 2 out to an M7 just to see how they receive it and your story. Like you said, if you get rejected there's always next year and for someone like you, you've got plenty of time.

I understand GPA can be a tough thing to overcome, but look at me! I think my GPA and results prove that it's possible to overcome a low GPA. A high GMAT score (which you have) helps negate that quite a bit. My only other suggestion, based on your GMAT/GPA combination, is that you make sure your recommenders are prepped really well and that you have rich professional/leadership stories. With a low GPA and a high GMAT, application reviewers will start to question your work ethic and/or time management skills. Make sure your recommendations and your essays show that those doubts or concerns are unwarranted.

wcf5016 · Answer

It is pretty inspiring to see your success especially given our similar profiles (engineering background, low GPA, +700 GMAT). I'm considering applying to Johnson as well as Darden. Do you know if it's a common practice for current students to recommend applicants at Tepper? I've heard that if you contact Tepper students that are on the contact list online and they're impressed by you, they can put in a good word with admissions.

dtse86 · Answer

I'd encourage reaching out to Tepper students and alums, but I wouldn't ask them for a recommendation. You can reference them in your application and let the adcom know that you've reached out to them. I don't know if the adcom ever follows up with the individual, but getting them to submit a recommendation for you is ill advised for several reasons (my personal opinion):

Students and alums are extremely busy either with school work or their careers. Talking with you about the program is already a pretty big diversion from their busy lives, and so getting them to spend even more time on a recommendation could be a reach. Not that they would never write one, but recommendations typically take a lot of time (if done correctly) and that's if the individual knows you well.
Unless they've worked with you directly, they won't be able to write a good recommendation. You want a recommendation from your direct supervisor or someone that's worked with you directly so that they can speak to your strengths specifically and give specific examples of times when you've led, influenced others, or performed above your peers.
Typically adcom are looking for recommendations from your direct supervisors. If you can't get one (which some people don't) you should have a good reason why you can't. And if you can't, like I stated earlier, you should find someone who you've worked with directly.

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wcf5016 · Answer

Oh no, I would never ASK them to recommend me, and I definitely wouldn't ask them to be my professional recommendation. I just read on a Tepper student's blog that they can put in a good word for you and was wondering if you've ever heard of that. I probably could have been a little more clear.

You mentioned that schools may look at a high GMAT and low GPA and think an applicant is lazy; Did you have to overcome that in any of your applications, and if so, how did you address that issue? I will probably use the supplemental essay to address my GPA.

dtse86 · Answer

I guess that it's possible to have a current Tepper student go to admissions to vouch for you, but I've never personally heard of it. I'm not sure of how someone in admissions would view that but I can see it possibly being a good thing and a bad thing in other ways. Anyways, I don't think I'd talk to students and actively seek an endorsement, instead I'd just talk to them to show your genuine interest in the program and to hear their personal experience. Throughout my application process I actually found the Tepper students the easiest to reach out to.

As for the high GMAT/low GPA combination, I did use the supplemental essay to admit the "elephant in the room" and showcase all of my accomplishments since undergrad. Throughout the rest of my application I tried to give specific examples that showed that my academic record did not actually reflect my abilities to perform in a professional environment.

Honestly, there was no secret about how I addressed my low GPA. I kinda just let it all out there and told my story as honestly as I could. For some schools I succeeded in convincing the adcom to give me a second chance, with others I failed horribly (take a look at my application record).

Like I said earlier, quality over quantity is important and the use of specific examples or scenarios are essential as well. The statement "This person is a hard worker" is not as good as "This person worked 100 hour weeks to finish XYZ project while their peers worked 40 hour weeks."

Applying to only my dream school this year, FEEDBACK PLEASE

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