Hi, and thanks for writing! You have such an intriguing profile. Deferred/2+2 MBA programs generally seek the following in candidates: top academics, outstanding extracurricular involvement, and promising internships (along with professional or academic recommendations that attest to your leadership and potential). I like a lot of what I'm seeing here - a strong GPA at an Ivy League institution, impactful extracurricular leadership in noble causes, international exposure spurred by impressive scholarships, and on top of that, an excellent GS internship that's led to a full-time offer. I also admire the focus behind your career goals - candidates with years more experience than you are often seeking this level of clarity!
I think you'd be a very attractive candidate to deferred/2+2 MBA programs. My only concern based on the info you've provided: your GRE quantitative score. Schools seek evidence of your quantitative readiness for the MBA program curriculum (and even more so if you had a non-quantitative major). Moreover, for deferred MBA candidates, GMAT/GRE scores are weighted higher since there's less professional experience, etc. to go on. I imagine your quant skills are quite strong given how well you have done at GS, so I'd recommend giving GRE another shot - many, many candidates take it multiple times before achieving a score that they feel reflects their abilities.
One thing I always mention to deferred/2+2 MBA candidates: the admissions process is not only competitive but also somewhat unpredictable. Over the years as we have studied our data, we’ve seen that it can be challenging to predict which candidates make the cut. However, even if the deferred programs don’t work out, you will be at absolutely no disadvantage when applying to MBA programs the “regular” way a few years after college graduation – we’ve seen that some candidates who gain admission to top programs previously had been deferred MBA candidates. And, I have a feeling you’ll have a VERY successful career no matter how things unfold. Hope that helps – best of luck, and please get in touch if you’d like to discuss your profile and application strategy further.
waddledode wrote:
Hello! I’m a senior black undergrad seeking admission to these 2+2 programs. I’m applying soon, so I’m wondering if I could get some advice/feedback on my profile. Wharton is of particular interest to me because they have a joint MBA/ MA in international relations at the Lauder school.
School: HYP Ivy
GPA: 3.75
313 GRE: 162v, 151q
Major: Political Science/Middle East Studies (Arabic Minor)
Race: Black
Activities/Awards
President of my school’s refugee resettlement program— over 150 person organization that offers ESL tutoring to over 200 refugee children a year in my university’s city. We work with schools to create ESL curriculum and then send tutors with second language skills to tutor using the curriculum. We also do things like cultural festivals to make families feel at home
Israel-Palestinian Conflict Fellow— went on and help organize an annual joint trip to Israel and the West Bank between West Point cadets and Ivy League students. We met diplomats political leaders, religious leaders, and industry leaders to gain a more nuanced perspective of the Conflict
Critical Language Scholarship— full scholarship from US dept of state to study arabic in Jordan for 4 months
National Security Language Initiative: Full scholarship to study Arabic in Morocco for 3 months
Work Experience
Goldman Sachs IBD analyst— worked as a summer analyst and will be returning full time to a internationally focused asset backed funding desk (I also won a scholarship for excellence as a result of my performance as analyst)
Researcher at a think tank focused on Middle East, specifically the Syrian civil war
Worked in the endowments arm of a non profit focused on education
Arabic Teaching Assistant: teach a weekly class to undergrads in Arabic. Grade papers, etc.
Reason For MBA:
I really want to mix my passion for IR and Arabic with business. My role at GS showed how finance can be employed internationally for good effect, such as supporting low income borrowers in Latin America or supporting new infrastructure development. My experiences in finance and the Middle East have shaped my goal to eventually work in impact investing in the Middle East/ international sphere. Alternatively I’d love to work at a DFI like the IMF or the World Bank. I also like the idea of working at an endowment like Yale or Harvard, or working at a foundation like the Rockefeller or Carnegie.