MBA Decision Tracker: Monitor Application Status in Real Time

gmatclub

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2 years ago

Hi there! I have not too dissimilar stats and I’m wondering if I could PM you to learn about your experience navigating this process? Thanks in advance!

Awesome profile.
Agree with you that you are not a very typical 2+2 applicant 😇 but I don't think it is going to make a huge difference if you applied for FT program, I think you will get evaluated fairly.

Also agree that your work experience is diverse, though fairly focused. It is just unorthodox perhaps to have PT positions. Not common and the AdCom may wonder why you would not commit to any of them if they were really that good? That's the question they will ask in their minds. They would love it if you were studying or engaged in something else and these were side hustles but for someone who is supposed to work FT, having so many PT jobs is a question mark. Or did you go to school while you were doing these jobs? It would have been awesome if these were promotions/growing responsibility but the PT part will be confusing to AdCom. They will want to know why not FT?

However, you can try to tell the story of "I had an opportunity to try a lot of options/roles/jobs and I did - consulting, fintech, startup. Now I know what I want to do - I want to be a part of a large corp structure and eventually go to the C-suite"

They may like you just because your app will be so different. However, you want to present yourself as focused, determined, and committed because your resume (at first glance) looks the opposite of that - you had a number of PT jobs, startup, getting a masters, and going for an MBA very quickly (why did you get a Masters then?).

I think you can totally apply and have your fingers crossed. Potentially one solution is to work for 2-3 years and apply after that when your work experience will show Full Time, continuity and hopefully some promotions with a strong brand. Then you can have even a stronger story.

Hi there! I have not too dissimilar stats and I’m wondering if I could PM you to learn about your experience navigating this process? Thanks in advance! JB

Comments 2 comments

TheMBAEdge

Yale and Columbia arent really known for their tech recruiting, both can be solid schools for non-profit and finance focused careers. Ross is a solid choice although your GMAT will be on the borderline for their class and hence the decision can go either way. Same with Darden, although I have heard really solid reviews about Darden in consulting and they are trying to solidify their tech recruitment. You can even think of some solid tech schools like Tepper, McCombs, USC and Foster which have established relationships with tech recruiters and are known to have a solid pipeline of students going to the likes of Amazon, Microsoft etc.
On a separate note, if you are looking to build your career in education, an Edtech firm maybe a better bet than Big Tech as that will be a more specialized role. Big Tech will typically absorb you as a PM for their multiple offerings which maybe no where close to education. Do give it a serious thought.

MBAGuide

Hello, without knowing your background, it's challenging to provide meaningful advice about your suitability for these schools or the feasibility of your goals. A profile evaluation should consider more than just your GMAT score and goals; it requires a broader understanding of your overall qualifications and experiences.

Reach out for personalized advice for your unique situation. We do not cap discussion hours with applicants

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]

Comments 7 comments

Hi and welcome.
I think the schools make sense. Your executive assessment score is pretty high and should not raising the flags.

Depending on your application strengths, you can upgrade and consider Kellogg - very strong for Tech.

Alternatively among other schools, Berkeley is a little tricky because it’s a small program and admissions tends to be unpredictable. It’s a bit of a gambling.

In terms of other programs to recommend, if you are considering consulting, Darden is very strong.

secret123

Thanks for your reply, bb! I'm curious if the consulting at Darden is primarily focused on strategic consulting, aiming for MBB. My interest lies more in the practical tech-related field, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in tech consulting.

Sorry, yes, Darden is MBB-focused. Frankly, all business schools love MBB’s and focus on them.

I’m not as familiar with tech consulting MBA roles. I know that Accenture has a huge tech arm but they don’t really recruit MBA folks. Most of it is developers and technical expertise rather than leadership and strategic.

I think Deloitte does some and I believe they actually pay better than McKenzie. And for consulting jobs, your school probably doesn’t matter as much. For example you can go to Harvard, Darden, or Jones and end up at McKenzie or equally you can also get weirded out during the interview process.

While the name alone does not help, going to school the places people into particular firms is very helpful. This creates a pipeline, a connection, a culture of interview prep and Keith Smith studying and consulting clubs. So I would say any consulting school, regardless if it’s strategic or tech focus would be helpful since the recruiting process is somewhat similar. I know some firms use behavioral interviews and others use of approaches or something else like that but ultimately if you have a larger size program, you will have hundreds of applicants pursuing consulting and that will give fertile ground for practice networking and strength in Numbers.

I guess what I meant to say was it actually doesn’t matter to the school you go in a roundabout way 🥴

by the way, it is really good that you are laser focused. Don’t let people tell you that it’s a weakness because it’s actually a strength.

Highly appreciated! I'll search for employee reports and decide where to apply for R2.

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Wow! Wished we had more folks with such profiles applying to business schools to take their experiences and learnings to the next level. For Entertainment and Sports would recommend EU schools over US since there are very limited opportunities for International students in those industries within the US. HEC/ Oxbridge/IESE are pretty solid options in the EU, within Canada will be more in favor of Toronto and Ivey given their locations and local network.

Reach out at info@thembaedge,com | +918368000961 if you have any other queries. All the best for your applications!

Hi. I think you have a good match between your stats and target schools.

P.S. I can't really recommend many of the European schools due to lack of transparency in hiring and career outcomes as well as lower comp numbers (though in fairness, many degrees cost less than in the US).

You have nailed the list of schools, would only add USC to the list as well. Wont recommend EU for Tech consulting due to the limited opportunities and the struggle with the local language. HEC maybe the only school worth considering if you are keen to maybe settle down in EU and have a long term career over there.

Reach out at info@thembaedge,com | +918368000961 if you have any other queries. All the best for your applications!

Comments 4 comments

Welcome to GMAT Club! Awesome to have you. By the way, we just started a topic specifically for military applicants to connect: https://gmatclub.com/forum/calling-all- ... 18139.html

Fantastic GRE Score by the way! Really amazing!

By the way, Schools don't count military experience as full time employment in their applications (which is a good thing) so they would say you have 2 years (but it is not a problem per se if you put in 13 in your applications). Traditionally they would not want to bring someone with 13 years under their belt but they love SOF applicants.

Looks like you got all your apps in already and likely in touch with the veterans clubs. I assume you also know about the Veterans visit days. I would recommend visiting at least one for one school to meet some of the other applicants and connect with some folks and start building a network. My cousin did Westpoint and a few deployments and talking to people and reintegrating was hard for him. It took a big toll on him, so it is hard. Thank you for your sacrifice and your time. Anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to DM.

BB,
Founder of GMAT Club.

atlas064

Thanks for the support and encouragement BB. I will checkout the military specific forum. GMAT club is a great forum, appreciate all the time and effort placed by the contributors to help with application process.

Where did your cousin end up going to B School? i have received tons of support from every veterans club so far, and hope to pay it forward in the future.

He did a pretty non-typical move that would not work for most folks but he ended up going to LBS. he was planning to recruit in Asia but Covid has changed plans quite a bit…. No career plan survives contact with the business school 😇 (he did get lots of help from veterans even all the way out there, was on the rugby team with a bunch of others)

Funny thing. He also applied to INSEAD but he could never get past the video essay system while deployed. Not enough bandwidth. Could not pass the connectivity test to submit the app.

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Wow. Fantastic GMAT Score - this is very high for an evening program; the average and requirements there are usually meaningfully lower than in the FT.

I may be preaching to the choir. Forgive me if you know all of this... One aspect to keep in mind is the career pivot. It is harder to do from a PT/Weekend program. That's in part because you will be tied up at school and at work. You most likely won't be able to do an internship. The program takes 2.5-4 years to complete for most and it is tiring, so many end up delaying recruiting and not having the time or energy (esp if you have a family) to put into it. So it is important to think ahead about how you want to transition into the desired field and evaluate the opportunities vs. other avenues, be that FT program or perhaps no MBA at all (not sure how real that is).

P.S. What I have seen is that the PT program growth and impact is less pronounced than FT because it is less stressful. You are not pushed to the limit. You still have a job, you have other opportunities, etc. With FT, you quit the job, there is no way back, and you are really focused on recruiting.

Arg91

Thanks bb! I do have some obligations due to which leaving job won't be that easy, so as you mentioned I will have to work on creating a good transition story.

Got it. It was not so much for the AdCom only but also for you and your career down the road. It is easy to get complacent and too tired and have to prioritize between work, school, personal life, and then networking and recruiting on top of it. However, I would say that most people don't have this quite worked out and it is OK to kick the can down the road a bit. There will be recruiting events, alums to network with, etc. For now, perhaps the best strategy is to connect with current students and get in touch so you have a small network.

Thank you for your guidance! I will be doing a few class visits and try to meet as many current students as possible. I started attending events back in the summer but had to stop in order to focus on the GMAT. I did notice a sizeable crowd at all these events, suggesting that there is a strong demand for PT programs.
On the career front, you are absolutely right in pointing out about getting complacent and not prioritizing the MBA vs. the other stuff in life. But, at my job, I have seen at least a couple of grads of the PT programs who have done really well (leapfrog in promotions, recognition etc.). Also, talking with AdComs and current students, I got the impression that if I really wanted an internship, it could be done (I would have to leave my current job, but still..) And the same faculty and career resources are available to PTs as are to FTs. So, I am hopeful.

On the application side, any essay/interview tips, or other information that you might want to highlight?

Wow! Fantastic profile. Can I recommend you look into Sloan Fellows or Stanford MSx? These may be more fitting FT programs that attract more experienced candidates.

P.S. Are you OK taking a 2-year break or 18 month break from your Businesses?

I think many MBA programs would love to have you, but I think many of them would also love to see you in their EMBA class - you have a great and strong profile. Have you considered EMBA potentially? That would allow you running your business and fly in for classes once a month while networking with other more experienced candidates looking for Exec promotions. The admission path would be significantly easier and you could count on programs such as Booth, Kellogg, and Wharton EMBA's for example, but they would not give you F1 visa or OPT after graduation on the flip side.

Will try to give me 2 cents based on your situation, guessing your business is located in the UK? In that case why not think of some solid programs in the UK like LBS, Oxbridge, IMD etc. They will give you access to local alumni that can play an important role in helping you expand your business, plus you will be closer and can take a passive role in running it from campus (maybe appoint someone else in the transition period)
For mid career professionals i.e. 10years+ work ex, the options are fairly limited to Stanford MSx and MITSF, Emory 1 year and USC IBEAR are other programs open to folks with significant exp. Your experience in the FT class may not meet your expectations as those typically tend to attract folks from 3-8 years of work ex. EMBA tends to be over the weekend / weekday so no point doing cross continent travel.

Comments 3 comments

Hi. Sorry about maxing out the GMAT attempts. I feel your score is good but not likely to receive any scholarship dollars.

You could try the GRE. Schools are not as generous with GRE scholarship dollars but if you get a great score, you could benefit from it. I probably would not waste a ton of time on converting to GRE. Perhaps spend the max of one month and then if you don’t get a great score, just focus on your applications.

In terms of the school choice, and if you’re looking for tech I would perhaps swap out McCombs for Foster. The level of jobs you get access to in Seattle is really hard to beat anywhere else. Obviously you have to perform but the abundance of alumni and the concentration of the alum base in Seattle really helps to grease the skids.

On the upside, I can see adding Kellogg. We had a memorable applicant last year from Taiwan and she went to Insead with 700 GMAT. She was going after consulting however.

In terms of your profile strengthening, the best thing you can do is get recognized in your job and get promoted or make more money. Basically the more successful you can be in your day job the better it is. It’s more important than extracurricular activities or pretty much anything else. The more brands you can get on your résumé the better as well, even if you have to jump around and change jobs. You want to create an image of a high-performing rising star, always out performing peers candidate.

YCH

Hi bb, thank you so much for your insight. I'll take these points to heart.

I think I'll focus fully on building my resume and extracurricular. My current firm's promotion process is a fixed process, once you get to certain years of working, you get promoted. I'll do my best to attend events (Hackathons and Volunteering) if it means to boost my chances.

Foster is a nice choice, Seattle has many tech hubs. Definitely gonna look into the program. And Kellogg... wow never thought of dreaming big, haha. I'll see what I can do. Sorry to ask but may I know who the memorable applicant is from last year? I may try to connect with her and ask for more details. There aren't many Taiwanese mba applicants compared to other countries. Finding out one is quite a relief.

Sure, happy to help - it was https://gmatclub.com/forum/memberlist.p ... aprilchu49 GMAT 710 - sound familiar?

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