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Hi there -- re: the career goals, this is exactly why I gave the advice above that I did! I do not think that the consulting ST / starting own consulting firm story makes sense.

Also, I did not realize that you were a re-applicant this year. That does complicate things a little. What you would have to say for any schools you are re-applying to is that, you've been talking to your family about joining the business for years, COVID gave you a real reason to do it, and NOW that you have had some experience you realize that this is what you want to do with your career instead.

This is because they will compare your essays from last year to this year, so you need to talk about the reason for the switch.

The LT goal, as I stated above, should also be to go back to the family business. You need the MBA to guide the business to an amazing new growth opportunity, such as e-commerce, self-driving cars, geographical expansion, or something like that.


Hope this helps!


-Maria
_________________

Thank you so much for the advice!

Hello all, and hope everybody is staying safe! Would love to hear your recommendations on best spots to apply given my career goals, and also places that you think I would have a decent shot of getting into. Thanks in advance!

Background:
White Male
Age 26

College:
Finance degree from "Public Ivy" (but not one that's quite UVA/Berkeley caliber) with top 10 undergraduate business school
3.6 GPA

GMAT: 730

Work Experience:
4 years at top real estate mortgage banking firm (though unsure if MBA programs have a sense for what "top" mortgage banking firms are, so not sure how much this helps me). Have held multiple roles within the firm, a path I chose to broaden my skill set.

Extracurriculars:
Admittedly a weak spot. Outside of work I stay involved with a leadership role in my high school's alumni association, which is something I'm passionate about, but I'm not sure how this would be viewed by an MBA admissions office.

Post MBA Goals:
A lot of the interest in pursuing an MBA is to explore the PropTech field, where I could leverage my real estate knowledge but would certainly be looking at it though a different lens that MBA classes and connections would really help with. Ideally, I would secure a PropTech internship and then move on to a PropTech firm, and hopefully make connections at business school with more tech-oriented folks that could lead to a startup partnership down the road.

Other comments:
Would be nervous to seek a recommendation from a direct supervisor given economic uncertainty during the pandemic, but could get a good recommendation from a direct supervisor who now works for a competitor.

Howdy! Let's dig in:


Not every admissions reader might know a lot about mortgage banking, but schools with STRONG REAL ESTATE PROGRAMS are likely to have heard of it!

Also, you can use the resume to convey breadth of experience, and the essays to explain the rationale for choosing multiple roles (to get a broad base of knowledge) and also your leadership impact.

Oh, this is good! After all, if you're active in your college alumni community, you're more likely to be active in the MBA alumni community too. If you've really taken a leadership role / driven positive change, then this is fine. If you haven't yet, can you squeeze in some sort of leadership activity (e.g.... I dunno, organize a webinar on something like :"Should I buy real estate in the age of COVID" and see if lots of people show up?

Don't worry about the boss / recommender -- it happens ALL THE TIME and as long as the other person knows you well, it's fine.

Re: schools :

-- Reaches: Wharton, CBS. Maybe Haas? (I put a "?" next to Haas because it actually is much harder to get in to than people early on in this process realize!) Your GMAT's right at the average, your college seems to be right on the cusp of "strong, but maybe not super-elite?", etc. so it will really come down to your accomplishments vs. those of others in similar roles elsewhere in the pool

-- Others: RUN, DO NOT WALK, to NYU. NYU has an entire MAJOR AROUND FINTECH -- you could COMBINE some of THAT coursework with Real Estate coursework to solidify the tech side of things: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/full-time-mba/academics/specializations/fintech

also look at UCLA, which has a VERY strong (not famous enough) Real Estate program + an opportunity in the second year to explore creating your own business plan. While LA is NOT as "techy" as the Bay Area, we are close enough geographically that recruiting for Bay Area firms is not out of the question.

Cornell also has a strong real estate program; if you're in a hurry, you could look into the Cornell Tech degree -- it's only 1 year, so no summer internship, BUT It's in NYC, arguably the Real Estate (and therefore Real Estate Tech?) capital of the world. You could network like crazy during the program to try to get a tech job after graduation.

- "Safer" schools (there is no such thing as a "safety" in MBA land, especially not this year, but in your shoes I'd take a serious look at UNC Kenan Flagler -- you could combine their excellent Real Estate program with their digital offerings -- the biggest downside though is that they are not close to a big city, the way all the other schools above are, but hey for people interested in the south-east / Atlanta, it might be a good option? https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/mba/full-time-mba/academics/concentrations-electives/data-digital-analysis-and-technology/
and https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MBA19-016-RealEstateDigitalAccessFNL.pdf


Hope this helps! If you need help with the essays, etc. for all those schools, check out my online tool, ApplicantLab.com !


Thanks,
Maria
_________________

Hi Maria,
Thank you for your time and help with our queries. With the new restrictions on the F1, pursuing higher education in the US has only become more challenging for international students. I was wondering if you could advise us on what one needs to take account of while applying in R1 of the upcoming admissions cycle and if it's time for one to look at other places or their country of citizenship for their MBA plans.

I know this is very subjective, but I would really appreciate your opinion on this

Posted from my mobile device

Hi, Maria

I am looking forward to using the ApplicantLab software in a few months to build my applications! It is great to have a cost effective option as traditional admission consultants are waaaay out of budget for an undergraduate student like myself.

As I hinted at above, I am an Australian halfway through my final year of undergraduate studies with the intention to complete an MBA via a M7 deferred program. Due to my expected graduation date, I am eligible to apply to program deadlines in 2021. I believe that my GMAT score and essay(s) will ‘make or break’ my application. I appreciate any feedback on my profile and would like to hear opinions on what would be an appropriate GMAT score to target. My current train of thought is minimum --> 710, target --> 730, dream --> 750.



(1) BACKGROUND

Work experience:

• Big 3 German automotive manufacturer (Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes)
  
  
  6-month internship in Germany
  
  
• Prestigious boutique German automotive manufacturer
  
  
  14-month internship + thesis in Germany.
  
  Only (possibly first) non-EU resident at the company

Extra curriculars:

• Founding president of the mechanical engineering student association
  
  
  450+ members in six months
  
  Organised an on-campus industry expo with 20+ companies and 800 student registrations
  
  Company Q&As, industry visits, skill workshops, etc.
  
  
• Elected undergraduate representative of 12,000+ students on the school’s academic board
  
  
  Hold monthly academic board meetings with the pro-vice chancellor and other high-ranking school officials. The academic board establishes the structure of academic programs and discusses school matters. There are a lot of NDAs!
  
  
• In2Science mentor
  
  
  Mentor a classroom of low socioeconomic high school students to increase their engagement, confidence, and aspirations in STEM.
  
  
• Student-Staff consulting representative
  
  
  Consult with my peers to identify program-related opportunities for improvement and present those issues at student-staff meetings.
  
  
• Founded a side-business on a shoestring budget
  
  
  Automotive part marketplace, similar to this. I DO NOT want to brand it as a start-up.
  
  
• Golden Key International Honour Society
  
  
• Formula SAE

Undergrad school/major:

• Location - Australia
  
  
• QS 250, QS Engineering 100, QS Top 20 50-Under-50
  
  
• Mechanical Engineering (Honours) | Business Management
  
  
  Will graduate with two degrees.
  
  Received several awards.
  
  Featured on university promotional material.
  
  
• December 2020 graduation date

Other education/coursework:

• Certificate III in Music Industry

Race/nationality:

• White
  
  
• Australian

Sex:

• Male

(2) STATS

Cold GMAT Scores:

• MGMAT#1 620 (Q40 V35)
  
  
  Taken 23/12/2019 (Did not begin to study yet)
  
  
• GMATPrep#1 650 (Q42 V38)
  
  
  Taken 12/04/2020 (Did two weeks of study beforehand and stopped after)
  
  
• Potential test dates:December 20’, January 21’, February 21’

Undergrad GPA:

• 4.0 / 4.0
  
  
  3 subjects remaining.

(3) MBA INFO

Goal of MBA:

• [Short-term] To move away from traditional engineering roles and into management style roles particularly in NPO start-ups. By being accepted into a deferred program I will have the confidence after undergrad to take professional risks, whether that is to begin/grow a start-up or apply myself in a smaller boutique firm. Furthermore, I will have the support of the school’s network to help accelerate my professional progression in the period before matriculation.
  
  
• [Long-term] My longer-term vision is to make a positive impact in Australia. Currently Australia has a large dependence on its mining and farming exports however both industries are in decline which will ultimately damage the economy. The automotive industry was once in this position, unfortunately the industry succumbed to the downward trend and manufacturing has since been abandoned. My goal is to bring back the automotive industry to Australia in the form of renewable and sustainable practises thus contributing jobs, innovative technology, and pride to the country.

(4) OTHER

International exposure and languages:

• Two months in Tanzania
  
  
• Two years in Germany
  
  
  Can speak German at an elementary workplace level which I learnt in my own time.

Matriculation:

• Aim to work for 3-4 years before matriculating
  
  
  Assuming that I am accepted into a deferred program.
  
  
• Will be ~27 years old at time of matriculation

Essay discussion points:

• Aspirations to lead and make a positive impact.
  
  
  Unfortunately Fortunately I have no ‘sob stories’.
  
  
  
• MBA goals
  
  
• Time spent in Germany

Hi Maria!

I'm a fan of ApplicantLab, I find the videos and tips super helpful. Was wondering if I could get a quick profile assessment, as I'm planning to apply to HBS, Stanford, and Wharton.


MBA Info

Why I want an MBA: I want to become a leader in the fintech space in my country. Getting to work on digital and technology projects as an MBB consultant and building the digital strategy team of a large local company, I have seen how great the impact of cutting-edge technology can be. I want to strengthen my leadership skills and learn how to grow a business to enable this objective.

I would phrase it as such on my app: Short-term: Join the product or strategy team in an established fintech company; Long-term: Become a leader in the fintech space in my country

Why I want one now: I believe it's the right time as I have started to receive leadership responsibilities at my current company. The pandemic has also accelerated the need for digital innovation, especially in my country - where fintech is a nascent industry. Additionally, I'll mention in my narrative that I want to be more hands-on with the work I do - coming from MBB and corporate strategy, I've been far from the ground. I believe the next step in my growth is putting myself in a position where there's more accountability and hands-on work. Getting an MBA now will hopefully lead me to opportunities, such as product/strategy in tech companies, to get to that step.

Target schools: HSW


Background

Work experience: 2 years of MBB consulting, with a focus on digital/analytics in banking, and 2 years (upon matriculation) in a large holdings company (top 10 in market cap in my country), where I started out the digital strategy team

Extra curriculars and other experience: Advisor to a nonprofit focused on upskilling workers into tech roles (8 months); mentor to university business case competition teams at my alma mater; leadership role in my undergrad organization

Undergrad school/major: Business

Other education/coursework: One semester abroad in Europe

Race/nationality: Southeast Asian (not Chinese/Indian)

Sex: M

Age: 26 upon matriculation


Stats

GMAT Score: 760 (Q48, V47)

Undergrad GPA: 3.7



I have a few specific questions, would greatly appreciate input on these.

When I look at employment reports from HSW, a very small percentage is labeled as going into fintech - would it be okay to mention fintech as is in my post-MBA goal, or would broadening it to "tech" be a better move?

I received a couple of low grades in undergrad (D equivalent) - should I address this in the additional info section? Not sure what exactly what I'd put, given that I don't exactly have a strong excuse.

Any advice on how to nuance the app to each school? What aspects should I focus on to appeal to what they are looking for?

Thank you!

Hi there elPatron434

First of all, I like your username

Second of all -- dude. I need to be honest. I have never been angrier at my country's government as I am now. As the daughter of an immigrant (who came to this country with literally nothing, no money, no English, no higher education) -- my mom worked her butt off to learn English, get a college degree (it took her 8 years since she got pregnant with me at a relatively young age and so couldn't go full-time) and ended up becoming a public school teacher and helping improve the lives of countless students (so, in sum, the net benefit to the US of letting her in was high).... I am furious at the anti-immigrant sentiment taking over today. Especially since those with European ancestors from 3+ generations ago are now conveniently forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that immigration laws 100-ish years ago were NOTHING like today. "Well, my family did it legally!" is a b.s. statement -- to "do it legally" in previous generations was essentially a relatively easy paperwork formality, compared to today with the green card waitlist being 10-15 years for people from my family's part of the world (two of cousins were on the waitlist for, I think, 12 or 13 years and finally were able to move here in 2016)... and Souvik told me the other day that it's something like 60 years for people from India!?

This is disgusting. What made the United States "Great" in the first place was that it was a country that welcomed the world's best, brightest, most courageous, and hardest workers. If we REALLY wanted to CONTINUE to be "Great", we would continue to be a beacon for those people, and also a place of solace for the world's oppressed.

By turning away the world's talent, the decline of the U.S. Empire has only been accelerated. I am devastated for the future of the U.S.

NOW -- I REALIZE THAT I JUST WENT OFF ON A TANGENT AND ANSWERED A QUESTION YOU WERE NOT ACTUALLY ASKING ME, but I guess I just want to convey that many of us descendants of immigrants have not forgotten the contributions of others and the value that immigrants bring to the table (even if many in the U.S. are now conveniently forgetting all of this).

"Ok, nice SJW speech Maria, but what does this mean for me as a business school applicant?"

First of all -- right off the bat FOR NOW (and remember, things are changing literally every day) -- GO AHEAD AND APPLY IN R1 as usual. In that case, you'll start getting your decisions in December, which will be after the election.

To be candid, if Trump wins again, I would not consider coming here to study. I mean, my hope would be that the courts would overturn things like the latest F1 bullshit, but so far many of the courts have supported his xenophobia (thanks to Republicans playing totally dirty with putting Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court, one of the most digusting acts in a political system full of disgusting acts, but I digress)....

...so, we know that we can't necessarily count on the courts .

Where else to look?

Right now, Canada is your best bet. They are SMART AF and they know that welcoming the world's best immigrants is the way to build a strong nation. Also, business schools are bit less-expensive there, which doesn't hurt. And things like government-subsidized healthcare sound amazing as well. Of course, Canada is not a perfect paradise, I am sure that they too, like all places in the world, still have a ways to go... but right now, to me, they are the most "civilized" English-speaking country (even pre-Brexit, getting a work visa in the UK was pretty tough, I think?).

The downside is that Canada is cold. Weather-wise. Like, FREAKING FREEZING. The biggest reason my family and I have not seriously considered moving there is frankly I am a cold weather wimp and winter makes me seriously depressed. So, living in California gives me wonderful weather, and also a (relatively speaking) more open-minded community.

Look, I wish I had better news. Lord knows that any massive future declines in applicants to US b-schools is not good for my business, and therefore not good for me. So, if I were motivated by greed, I'd be much more sunny / rosy and tell you to GO FOR IT, RAH RAH RAH, but... when I'm giving advice like this (or, eg. feedback on a client's materials, or anything like that), I ask myself (like the Big Sister that I am), "If this were my younger brother asking me for honest advice, what would I say?"

And so:

TL;DR: go for it in R1 and see what happens, both with acceptances and with the US election. A Biden win will NOT resolve the country's issues overnight, especially if Republicans still control the Senate, since they'll do to him what they did to Obama: block pretty much literally everything he wanted to get done. However, it will at least be a small step in the right direction and it bodes well for SOMETHING being worked out by 2023, when you'd be graduating. However, if Trump wins again, unless you come from wealth and can stomach taking out $175k+ in loans with ZERO guarantee of being able to work in the US afterwards... then I would look very, very closely at Canada, both for school and as a place to emigrate to.

Welp, you asked for my "subjective" opinion, and boy oh boy, did you ever get it!


Ha ha,
Maria
_________________

G'day, mate! (lame, sorry, I know)... let's jump in:




Ok so right off the bat, I love this. You're applying with legit work experience at a prestigious company. Of course, it would be awesome to know what your role was (engineering? I'm guessing?) -- and I'm guessing you'd be getting a recommendation from someone who was a supervisor in that role?

This is also strong -- shows initiative, and also since you attracted a large number of people, it was clearly a "REAL" club and not a "well, it's me and a few of my friends" lame / fake club.

This is interesting, but you're right to emphasize the other activity first / focus more on it.


OK -- Can you hustle over the next few months (while still maintaining grades + other activities) and try to get this to grow into something, revenue-wise or profitabilty-wise? If not, don't stress... but it's a "nice to have". After the GMAT, between now and applying, this strikes me as probably one of the best places to focus your efforts, to prove that you have good business instincts

nice but relatively common and so doesn't move the needle that much, IMHO

Huh! That's interesting -- have you done any work / activities around the music industry? Not a must-have, just curious

well the good news is, if you have some time between college graduation and starting your post-graduation job, you could really focus THEN on the GMAT. Actually, if that sounds feasible, maybe focus a couple hours /day on the car parts website and then save bulk of GMAT study until after graduation in Dec.?

Ok to be clear -- by "NPO" you mean Non-profit orgs? Oof. This is where the story suddenly takes a sharp, messy turn. Based on the background above, you should apply as "Mr. Automotive Industry".

I do NOT see enough volunteering in the profile (which would need to be massive / significant) to credibly apply as a non-profit type. People who get in to deferred programs with THAT story have usually founded a non-profit in college (and grown it into something relevant, vs. just sitting around with a few friends and wasting time) and/or have done significant work with, e.g. someplace like the Gates Foundation.

I do NOT recommend using this story in your application.


OK so here's where the story goes back to making sense again (did I mis-understand "NPO" above, perhaps?) -- I would love to see you lead the establishment / growth of an electric / carbon-neutral vehicle industry in Australia.

My question is -- why hasn't anyone been able to get this to work, yet? I wonder if the Australian market is not large enough to support a domestic manufacturer. Plus, its geographic isolation means that become a net-exporter of a manufactured heavy good would probably be insanely expensive? Isn't it just easier to make the cars somewhere else, for less, and then import them to Oz?

In sum -- I love the automotive industry angle. Not sure "Starting automotive company in Oz" makes sense though. What economic advantage would a company have to manufacture there vs. Korea, Japan, Mexico, etc.?


(4) OTHER

International exposure and languages:

• Two months in Tanzania
  
  
• Two years in Germany
  
  
  Can speak German at an elementary workplace level which I learnt in my own time.

[/quote]
Nice! In the future, INSEAD would like this profile, FWIW. They love people who have worked abroad / speak multiple languages.

UGH -- look, I know there is one "celebrity" admissions consultant out there who is famous for having A LOUD MOUTH and CONTROVERSIAL OPINIONS but this person is often wrong about his assumptions. His emphasis on the importance of "sob story" is bullshit. In fact, in ApplicantLab I tell people to think REALLY HARD about including a sob-story angle, even if they have it.

So, don't sweat this part. It's a myth --- and a dangerous one at that, since I think it mistakenly leads people to try to fake a sob-story or a "I plan to help the disadvantaged!" story even when that is totally fake and any adcom can see RIGHT through it.




Again, not sure the career path / MBA goals right now are super solid. In your shoes, I'd try to build on the automotive story -- even if tangentially, e.g. working a company that provides parts or services to car companies -- and ideally, someone doing something "Green" or sexy, like self-driving.

I had an early-career (not deferred, but younger than avg) guy punch above his weight and get accepted to Wharton -- working for a company that provided AI software to automotive companies. A path like that could work too, even if a traditional job at a big car co. isn't feasible.

Emphasis should be on previous leadership involvement -- starting the club is going to be super-strong (esp for Wharton essay #2), and how you overcame any hurdles in Germany also does sound promising.

Hope this helps!
_________________

Howdy! Let's jump in...


Ok, so right off the bat THANK YOU for the kind words about ApplicantLab, but PLEASE do NOT only apply to H/S/W. In Lab, I have a video of my kid wiping out on a ski slope -- he wasn't even doing anything difficult, he just PLOP! fell over! -- the title of that video is: "Only applying to H/S/W". Unless you are cool with being a re-applicant next year -- I don't care who you are or what your background is please apply to many more schools.

The above holds true in any year -- but this year? Look, there appears to be a COVID AVALANCHE in the admissions world -- INSEAD reporting applications up by 57%, which, if that holds for all schools, will make it WAY harder to get in this year vs. usual.


Ok, so is it safe to say that your current job is not *in* FinTech directly? If so, then one consideration is that since some fintech companies depend a lot upon the banking infrastructure, and since banking is usually a heavily-regulated field, there's an extra knowledge-hurdle to cross. It's not a FATAL one, but just be aware of it -- fintech and healthtech (due to FDA requirements) usually require a bit more knowledge than, say... starting something like ApplicantLab

So, the "digital" piece DEFINITELY checks out. If you've been working WITH FinTech vendors or implementing a fintech solution at your current job, then so much the better. However, if you're simply admiring the field from afar, you may want to make the career vision a bit more tightly tied in with the current job.

Ok, so an MBA with an emphasis on entrepreneurship makes sense -- what is the post-MBA goal? To work for a large player in the space, I'm guessing?

See warning above Yes, tons of former MBBers get into HSW each year! But also... the application pipeline is also clogged with tons of former MBBers. Definitely go for it, just allocate risk more broadly if you strongly want to enroll next year.

Hmm, you're a smidge on the young side. Getting to build a team is good experience. Would you perhaps be a stronger candidate in 1 year, after this team you've built has had a chance to have major wins under its belt?

It's unclear to me how competitive your profile is, since I am not sure what your leadership role has been in this company. You say you've helped build the team... but is the team adding value ? Is it driving growth? etc.?

This is pretty "lite" overall, but at least it's something!

Well, the good news is, if you apply this year and don't get in, you'll still have another one or two shots before being "past the expiration date"

SE Asian (non-India, non-China) is often interesting / a little differentiated. That's the good news.. the less-good news is that fewer spots may be (roughly) "allocated" to people from other countries. True, there are no hard-and-fast "quotas" per se, but it can be a bit of a double-edged sword on that front.

Good - the GMAT is solid. Of course, the GMAT is more of a "hurdle" than anything -- the success of this candidacy is going to come down to how much leadership / impact you've driven at your current company.
I'm sure that many people are doing FinTech, even if not labelled that way. For example, someone who goes to the tech division of a large bank may have "tech" as a function and "banking" as an industry, and that may or may not be labeled as "fintech".

Instead of going by the reports, instead, reach out to the FinTech / Tech clubs on campus (as a first step, research them online) to ask how strong the FinTech placements + opportunities are.

RE: if that should be your story... depends. IMHO, a bit more on YOUR previous experience vs. the SCHOOL's history in it.

Yep! The 760 helps, but you'll need to address the elephant in the room and explain it in an optional essay!
[/quote]
Any advice on how to nuance the app to each school? What aspects should I focus on to appeal to what they are looking for?

Thank you![/quote]

So, "any advice on how to nuance the app to each school" and "what aspects should I focus on to appeal" to them is literally what I've spent almost ten years developing in ApplicantLab. If you REALLY want to know my in-depth advice, you'll find it alllll there!

In a nutshell though, as mentioned above -- profiles like this rise or fall based upon the scope of impact. It's great that you left MBB to try to have more impact "in industry" -- the amount / scope / scale of impact is what you'll ultimately be judged on.

So, first of all, the basic table-stakes are "having had leadership impact". Then, in the application, it's about how to describe / talk about those experiences, which is what I've devoted a decade of my life trying to build in the Lab, ha ha

I'd strongly advise to you also look at Columbia and NYU -- in fact, NYU has an ENTIRE MBA MAJOR devoted to FinTech (one of the few schools to do so).

Since NYC is the center of the banking universe, that is probably one of the best places to be in terms of developing a network, getting jobs / project opportunities in FinTech, etc. Cornell Tech could also be interesting, given that they are in the city also.

If right now, you've sowed a lot of seeds of cool stuff at your job but have not yet had a chance to guide them to fruition, you might be better off waiting a year and then applying with concrete triumphs on the resume. You're young enough to be able to try that. And if you try this year and it doesn't work out, I wouldn't' give up -- it's going to be a brutal admissions year and in your case, a rejection this year may not mean "No, not ever" but perhaps instead, "No, not yet".


Thanks!,
Maria
_________________

"Cheers mate" for such detailed feedback!

I'll reshape my story/goal/career-path over the coming months while also preparing for the GMAT.

In regards to the automotive part marketplace, it was initially a side project, something to teach me about setting up a business. Overall, I believe myself and the other founder (a fellow student) only spent a total of $700USD to create it. I'll find some people who can chip in money for advertising (because that's what it needs!) and see where it goes.

Big thanks once again Maria ApplicantLab

Posted from my mobile device

Thanks a ton Maria! This is extremely insightful. Thank you again for all your help! I really appreciate the personal care you take in advising us! Really really grateful for your help.

Thank you so much for the insight and the tough love!

I would very much appreciate if I can get your thoughts on my background.

Background: 27M, half East Asian, half Native Hawaiian
Round: R1 2021 (HWS, Booth, Kellogg)
GMAT: 710
UG GPA:3.75/4.0
YOE: 4 years as an Analytics Consultant at matriculation if excluding 2 YOE before earning my Bachelors (those 2 YOE were full time salaried positions at a tech company and a healthcare tech startup).
Extracurriculars: Served as the Student Chapter Liason for a professional organization for 3 years, and am currently an executive committee member. In addition to serving the student chapters of various universities (including one I was the president of as a college student), I have spent hundreds of hours mentoring students 1:1 and have directly helped many of them land their first full-time job.

Personal Background
My parents eloped because the East Asian side of my family didn't approve of the Hawaiian side. My parents then divorced while I was very young. My Mom raised 3 kids alone by herself. Grew up dirt poor. All of my life I have had to be self-sufficient and hustle to get ahead. I was cooking dinner for my family in 7th grade and had my first job in 9th grade. I believe my professional work experience will further demonstrate these traits.

[u]Experience[/u]
2015: 9 months at a software development company. I had several internships under my belt as a junior in college and decided that I had what it takes to work a full time position in tech. I applied to many openings and ended up receiving two offers. At this company, I started my analytics journey and pioneered the use of web traffic data in this company to analyze and forecast bookings/sales.
2016: One of my bosses joined a healthcare tech startup as their Director of Product, and liked me and my work so much that he brought me over. Being a startup I wore many hats. My official title was DevOps Analyst and I did some server maintenance here and there, QA when needed, and managed the various analytics platforms we were using (Google Analytics, New Relic, etc). Most importantly, I picked up the ability to operate in environments with high ambiguity and further honed my resourcefulness.

2017: Joined a global tech consulting firm as an Analyst after I graduated from college. I hustled hard and was on track to receive two promotions in one year (Analyst > Senior Analyst > Consultant), however a competitor poached me to their firm as a Consultant. I received about an 80% raise. Not sure if this huge raise further speaks to my competence and market value in the Tech Consulting industry.

2018: Now with almost 3 YOE but only 1 YOE in consulting, I was already being staffed in SME type roles. At this point I had also fulfilled multiple Advanced Analytics engagements for all of the O&G supermajors (in addition to other F100 companies).

2019-2020: Started being staffed in "tech lead" type roles. 2019 was a huge year for me. I was selected to be the SME for my skillset for an international project in SE Asia, leading workshops and advising the middle-upper management of a multinational pharma company in Singapore. After that, I was staffed as the Analytics Lead of an O&G's Business Transformation program that had $1.7b in its portfolio. Within 3 years of earning my undergraduate degree, I was fulfilling roles on projects that typically had people with 5-10 years of experience.

Why MBA?
As I mentioned, growing up was difficult, especially being an immigrant with no father figure. I learned that my great grandfather was an inventor and entrepreneur, and his company (which still exists today as one of the largest international Asian F&B brands) was nationalized. My great grandfather became my only father figure, and I read extensively about how he ran his company and his business values, which were (roughly translated), shrewd use of financial capital, being the best in his niche, and continuous learning to have the best educated workforce. Getting a top MBA and transitioning to a top consulting firm is in line with these values.

As I have moved up the ladder in tech consulting, I've gotten closer and closer to the decision makers, where some of the most impact can be made. I'm seeking an MBA to acquire a broad set of business skills which, when combined with my analytics expertise, will set me up to be a business leader in the future. Immediately after MBA, I would transition to strategy consulting at MBB/T2.

What are your thoughts on my chances at my selected schools for R1 2021 (HSW, Booth, Kellogg)? My hope is to get some scholarship money wherever I go.

Hi Applicantlab! Would love a profile review if you have time.

MBA Info

Why I want an MBA: Short term goal is to transition into consulting (MBB or T2) where I'd learn how to formulate strategies and implement them in a business context. Long term, the learnings, prestige, and network of a good MBA would prove invaluable for when I either get into entrepreneurship on my own, or join the family business.

Why I want one now: I want to leave my current job and transition into consulting. Also, I'm somewhat burnt out and so I want a vacation lol.

Target schools: LBS, Judge, Said

Background

Work experience: Slightly above 4 years at matriculation (so just 3 years right now). I'm currently an equity research analyst in a lower-tier MM investment bank's office in my home country (located in South East Asia). (Yeah I'm not exactly a stock broker since that applies more to S&T, but I had to put something in the title of this post). The bank isn't really a well known brand, but it has a global presence (with a focus on Asia however in terms of investment banking activities). I cover a specific sector and have some international experience doing marketing/business trips (all in Asia though). I also jumpstarted and now handle the local internship program of this bank. Before this role, I had a summer analyst stint at a BB's ER and S&T divisions (also in SEA). My family also runs a business (~500 employees) and although I am not formally employed in it, I do help out whenever I can (ex. I help out in some recruitment activities, managing a fixed-income fund with private bankers, and doing the initial contacting of possible clients/business partners).

Extra curriculars and other experience: A little weak on this end. Haven't really done any formal ECs post undergrad. I do help out in my family's rather informal charity event, but this happens just once a year.

Undergrad school/major: Business Management (but I took a lot of quant classes) in a T2 uni in my country but it doesn't rank well globally.

Other education/coursework: Took a finance summer course in a top uni in the UK.

Race/nationality: East Asian/South East Asian ethnicity, citizen of a South East Asian country

Age and Sex: 24 male (I'd be 25 at matriculation)

Stats

GMAT Score: Took the GRE and (unofficially) scored a 326 (160V, 166Q). It converts to a 700 GMAT. Not sure about AWA but I would get my score on that portion soon (I'm expecting a 5-6). Should I do a retake? My score is at or above the average of all of the programs I'm targeting which disclose their average GREs and my tentative top choices say that they do not have a preference for one test over the other. (LBS does not announce its average GRE, but its average GMAT score is a 701. I guess I'm /slightly/ below average here when doing a straight-forward conversion.)

Undergrad GPA: 3.6x/4.0. Side note: My GPA looks unimpressive but my uni doesn't inflate grades, so I actually graduated at the 95th percentile in terms of GPA. How do I let adcom know about this?

Others: I speak 3 languages fluently (including English) if that matters, and have elementary fluency in one other language.

Concerns: I'd matriculate at 25 with 4 years of WE, but I'm applying to programs whose students (on average) matriculate at 28-29 with 5-5.5 years of WE. Will this be an issue? Also, the relative lack of ECs, and a decent but not amazing GRE score.

Thanks.

Hi,

My situation is as follows:

I am 26 and I am from a South Asian country and did my undergrad from there (GPA: 3.6/4.0). I then worked for a boutique PE firm for two years before joining one of the top Master of Finance program in USA. However, due to some circumstances, I was not able to land a role in my preferred industry. Instead I ended up at multi-billion dollar e-commerce/tech company in Boston. However, given the lack of international experience and the class profile of my grad program, this is an entry level role (similar to the roles offered to undergrad students).

So my plan is to go for an MBA after 3-4 years, so that I have some meaningful progressive experience at the time of application. This means that by the time I matriculate, I would at least be 29. I wanted to know, how much of a stumbling block my age is going to be in my application process (particularly for the M7 schools). Please also note that I have a 750 GMAT, which is higher than the class average of most of the programs, but should I try to push the score a further 20-30 points.

Furthermore, given that I have 3-4 years what are some of the other things I should can work on to improve my candidacy?

Also would it make a big difference to matriculate at 29 vs 30?

Thanks for your time and help.

Hi, Maria

Thanks for all the time and effort! I find your goal and vision really impressive. Looking forward to using the ApplicantLab to build my applications!

My profile is a little different and I couldn't find a suitable match in the various profiles.

Lets cut the clutter:

(1) BACKGROUND

Work experience:

Worked for 4+ years in one of the three major Oil Marketing Public Sector Companies.
Worked on the Aviation arm of the company. Revived an Aviation Fueling Stations from scratch and managed 4 different aviation fueling stations during the tenure with only two workmen and in some case a subordinate manager. Currently working at a major airport of India - working with a team of 11 managers. The location is contributing ~310 Million USD/year revenue to the company. Alongside working on audits and commissioning of an upcoming Project (Project value ~ 35 Million USD)

Extra curriculars:

Elected SAE India Racing Car Team Chassis Dept. Head; Team was ranked Top 60 in India
Elected Tech-Head for Mechanical Engg Club in College
Elected Cultural Fest Tech Co-ordinator in College

Best Debutant Awardee in a Corporate Story Telling Competition

Volunteered to be part of team at the forefront managing Fuel Hydrant during lockdown
Volunteered – Member of team of managers from location for Clean India Mission
Conducted Petroleum conservation walkathon to spread awareness

Undergrad school/major:

Location - India

One of the new Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) (setup in 2008)

Mechanical Engineering - Ranked 3rd (out of 47 students) with (9+) CPI out of 10

Nationality:

Indian

Sex:

Male


(2) STATS

GMAT Score:

720

(3) MBA INFO

Goal of MBA:

[Short-term] To move away from Oil Marketing Industry and get into Operations Management/Product Management.

[Long-term] My longer-term goal is to work towards improving and streamlining supply chains and manufacturing processes in India. Companies in India are struggling in supply chain and operations with more or less intuitive/non-procedural supply chain. With this I can add existing deficiencies in supply chain of existing Indian Oil Marketing companies.

(4) OTHER

International exposure and languages:

No international exposure - only a brief exposure a decade ago - part of a contingent of State Awardees to Singapore of following award:
Award with goal - “Towards Responsible & Active Citizenship and Preserving a Crumbling Environment”. I was State Awardee

Can speak native language Hindi fluently

Essay discussion points:

Working at intersection of Aviation Industry and Petroleum Industry.
Perspectives and experiences of setting up an Aviation fueling station and managing them alone with only a few workmen.

Aspirations to lead and make a positive impact by setting up a micro-aviation fueling company - Aviation Fueling sector is already facing problems due to massive organisational structure.

Talk about my background - coming from a remote village in India with limited facilities; Been to various small towns - Points to understanding of Indian market and opportunities.

my struggles English (if I can write about it)

MBA goals

Hi Maria/ Applicantlab!
Would love a profile review if you have time.

Background: 27 year old Indian Male
Undergrad: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi GPA: 7.8/10
GMAT: 720 (Q50 V37)

Work Experience: 62 months. Working in India as a Associate, AI-Data Scientist Role, at one of the biggest Asset Managers in the world. In the financial Modeling Group, Where i create Liquidity Risk models for the firm and its clients. We help manage risk for our clients especially liquidity risk. Working with firm since graduating, have worked in the areas of Retirement Modeling and Derivative Modeling. Have been promoted once previously.
Leadership:
Solely Responsible for big projects implemented in liquidity space and Only representative in APAC region to help clients (20+) understand liquidity risk models and how to use them.
Have completed both CFA and FRM

International Experience: Visited New York twice for meeting higher management and presenting work on key deliverable (Duration: ~4weeks each). Summer Internship during undergrad at ENS, Paris and HKUST, Hong kong (Awarded a PhD offer).

Post MBA: I want to transition more towards AI-Product management role in Finance where i could think from a AI- product perspective instead of just building them. MBA would help me think from various perspectives and as well help me build management skills in both product/project and as well as people management skill.
In the long run i aspire to lead the AI-Data Division in a Financial/ Fintech firm.

Community /EC:
Social Chair of my team, responsible for conducting social events, have conducted over 5 events with 20-30 participants.
Current Hobbies include Boxing, and Playing Badminton.
As Quiz Master conducted quizes at my current firm.
Head of engagement and mentorship India-team at my firm, Have mentored personally over 20 people. Taken part in various social/CSR events taken by the firm.
Volunteered at education based NGO during undergrad extensively.

Target Schools:
Booth, Wharton, Columbia, NYU, Kellogg

Hey Maria!

At what point do you think a GMAT retake is worth it? It's been 11 months since my last exam and my last score was ~25-30 points below school avgs. Was my first and only take. Assuming GPA is in the same ballpark as averages (plus or minus 0.1 of average), is the time better spent on the rest of the application?