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salami1234
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 10 Apr 2024, 23:00
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Hello -

I am a college senior applying to deferred MBA applications, and recently took the GMAT Focus and got a 655 (Q82, V82, DI83). I am wondering if it is worth it to apply with this score, and if I even have a chance for M7/T15 applications? I come from a non-traditional background (non-finance), thus am not sure if this should sway anything. My other stats are below:

ORM
GPA: 3.89
Major: International Relations at T20
Work Experience: Consulting (not big name), Big Law internship + IB at MM firm, legal research position for 4 years
ECs: Lead major advocacy club at school, involved in mentorship, developed startup (no tangible results)

This is a pretty shallow overview of my background, but any insight/feedback/advice would be appreciated! Thank you!­
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission Updated on: 11 Apr 2024, 12:03
Originally posted by MBADecoder on 11 Apr 2024, 04:03.
Last edited by MBADecoder on 11 Apr 2024, 12:03, edited 2 times in total.
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salami1234
Hello -

I am a college senior applying to deferred MBA applications, and recently took the GMAT Focus and got a 655 (Q82, V82, DI83). I am wondering if it is worth it to apply with this score, and if I even have a chance for M7/T15 applications? I come from a non-traditional background (non-finance), thus am not sure if this should sway anything. My other stats are below:

ORM
GPA: 3.89
Major: International Relations at T20
Work Experience: Consulting (not big name), Big Law internship + IB at MM firm, legal research position for 4 years
ECs: Lead major advocacy club at school, involved in mentorship, developed startup (no tangible results)

This is a pretty shallow overview of my background, but any insight/feedback/advice would be appreciated! Thank you!­
Show more
­
I'd agree that the GMAT score is low for a very competitive admission space.  Talking about applying to M7/T15 b-schools- thats a very wide range. I would say you take a little long term view with the next 5 years in mind and figure out which b-schools would you like to eventually attend. It makes sense to apply ONLY to those ones. Even if you were to give a shot to 1-2 b-schools for the deferred programs with your current GMAT scores, apply to the ones you are sure to attend, because, IMO, it doesnt make sense to have an admit to a program you wouldn't actually attend because you later decide to aim for a higher ranked parogram. 
Overall your profile looks promising and that would still help if you apply as a regular applicant. However, the real run will begin when you get into a full time job. You'll still have an advantage as you are already thinking about an MBA and so, you can continue to build your profile over the coming years.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: contact@mbadecoder.com
Profile evaluation: https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
 ­
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admitStreet
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 11 Apr 2024, 04:56
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salami1234
Hello -

I am a college senior applying to deferred MBA applications, and recently took the GMAT Focus and got a 655 (Q82, V82, DI83). I am wondering if it is worth it to apply with this score, and if I even have a chance for M7/T15 applications? I come from a non-traditional background (non-finance), thus am not sure if this should sway anything. My other stats are below:

ORM
GPA: 3.89
Major: International Relations at T20
Work Experience: Consulting (not big name), Big Law internship + IB at MM firm, legal research position for 4 years
ECs: Lead major advocacy club at school, involved in mentorship, developed startup (no tangible results)

This is a pretty shallow overview of my background, but any insight/feedback/advice would be appreciated! Thank you!­
Show more
salami1234 - some thoughts:

1. The current GMAT score would make M7's a bit of a stretch, but some T15-20 programs could be worth looking at. What are your career goals i.e. which sector/ function are you aiming for? FYI, details of top deferred MBA programs are here

2. It's crucial to have a strong narrative, covering your journey, skillsets you've picked up, career goals, and how an MBA would help achieve them. To that end, 'why deferred MBA' and 'why now' are also important angles to flesh out.

3. Entering the workforce and building your profile over the next years for the traditional MBA route is the other option. This could either be plan-B, or an updated strategy, based on your personal priorities, target schools (and if you can retake GMAT for these), career goals etc.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out with your profile for a deeper chat.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat
W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com­
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 11 Apr 2024, 06:49
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A non-traditional background with a high GMAT score of 655 will be sufficient, depending on the roles performed as part of work experience.

Best of Luck.
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 11 Apr 2024, 07:13
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Hey salami1234,

I hope you are doing well. Coming to your profile, your profile presents a strong foundation for your deferred MBA applications.  The 655 GMAT score, with a balanced split between quant and verbal, is highly competitive for T15 programs. While an M7 acceptance might depend heavily on the strength of the rest of your application, a T15 school seems within reach.

Your non-traditional background (non-finance) could actually be a plus, bringing diversity to the incoming class.  The combination of consulting experience, legal exposure through the internship and research position, and even the entrepreneurial attempt (even without immediate results) demonstrates a well-rounded skillset.

However, to give you a more comprehensive analysis and refine your application strategy, we recommend scheduling a free profile evaluation call with our admissions experts.  They can delve deeper into your experiences, essays, and goals to identify areas to showcase your unique strengths and maximize your chances of success at your target schools.

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A FREE 1:1 PROFILE ANALYSIS CALL

Testimonials 
Meet our Panel of Consultants.  

Email: hasan@mbaandbeyond.com
MBA and Beyond​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
salami1234
Hello -

I am a college senior applying to deferred MBA applications, and recently took the GMAT Focus and got a 655 (Q82, V82, DI83). I am wondering if it is worth it to apply with this score, and if I even have a chance for M7/T15 applications? I come from a non-traditional background (non-finance), thus am not sure if this should sway anything. My other stats are below:

ORM
GPA: 3.89
Major: International Relations at T20
Work Experience: Consulting (not big name), Big Law internship + IB at MM firm, legal research position for 4 years
ECs: Lead major advocacy club at school, involved in mentorship, developed startup (no tangible results)

This is a pretty shallow overview of my background, but any insight/feedback/advice would be appreciated! Thank you!­
Show more
­
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 11 Apr 2024, 11:19
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salami1234:

It depends on what you mean by "worth" it. What are the factors? Time? Money? Having applied without success? There's unlikely much to lose here.

What we find to be the case is that a candidate might get into a lower-ranked school via deferred admission and then feel somewhat torn between accepting the offer and reapplying via the regular admissions process to better schools. If you just want to get in anywhere in that range, then apply. If you are keen on a top ranking, you might be better off retaking the exam (though we're guessing there might not be enough time) or waiting a few years to apply via regular admission when you might stand a better chance and will have ample time to retake the exam.
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Chance for Deferred MBA Admission 11 Apr 2024, 22:19
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salami1234
Hello -

I am a college senior applying to deferred MBA applications, and recently took the GMAT Focus and got a 655 (Q82, V82, DI83). I am wondering if it is worth it to apply with this score, and if I even have a chance for M7/T15 applications? I come from a non-traditional background (non-finance), thus am not sure if this should sway anything. My other stats are below:

ORM
GPA: 3.89
Major: International Relations at T20
Work Experience: Consulting (not big name), Big Law internship + IB at MM firm, legal research position for 4 years
ECs: Lead major advocacy club at school, involved in mentorship, developed startup (no tangible results)

This is a pretty shallow overview of my background, but any insight/feedback/advice would be appreciated! Thank you!­
Show more
­Hey! I believe you have a very strong profile, especially with the combination of consulting, IB, law and legal research. These things, along with, being from non-finance background will actually help. Also, if you look at M7 then consulting is one of the key industries when it comes to getting an internship/job. Your well-rounded profile will actually be suited.

Coming to GMAT, it's a par score to be honest. If you apply with this score, then your application will have to do a lot of heavy lifting for M7/T10 (plus your GPA is good). For other universities, it would be easier.

Considering your experience (basis the brief details you have shared), I think you should target deferred for M7 only. Now if that means, you gotta re-take GMAT then I think you should go for it and try to reach the 675-685 mark. I see that there is an opportunity for improvement on Quant and that alone (with Verbal and DI being the same) can help you reach that mark. Feel free to reach out if you need help with Quant strategy.

Btw what college are you pursuing your undergrads from?