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gmatclub

Comments 5 comments

1 year ago

Wow! Fantastic Results! Congratulations!

I would pick Tepper without reservations with that kind of a scholarship.... I mean you can negotiate with another program about it such as Anderson, but the main advantage there will be changing location to California and a bit closer (though not close) access to the Bay Area and some of the Anaheim Tech Corridor area, which is worth something but it is not worth 25-50% of your tuition in my view.... Tech has been painfully slow with lots of qualified people around. The only exception would be perhaps if you have family or friends in California or you want to settle there after graduation; then I would negotiate with Anderson.

all9328

Hi bb,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I have a few follow-up questions:

1. Tepper Dilemma:
• actually already have funding, so the financial factor is less significant.
• The scholarship is conditional on maintaining good grades for 2nd year (uncertainty about whether I can secure it)
• CMU’s reputation in Korea is relatively weak, which worries me in case I return home long-term. Do you think Tepper’s tech strength outweighs this concern?

2. Johnson’s 1+1 Tech MBA:
• I’m intrigued by Johnson’s 1+1 option (1st year in Ithaca, 2nd year in NYC), as it seems like a great way to access NYC’s tech hub.
• However, I’m wondering if this program might be weaker for someone pivoting to Tech PM compared to Tepper or Anderson. What’s your take on this?

3. Round 2 Strategy:
• I’m thinking about Kellogg, CBS, and Haas—would applying now be a stretch (outreach) or worth a shot?

I know I’ve thrown a lot of questions at you, but I truly appreciate your advice and time. Thanks again for your help!

Hi. That's great! That is awesome you have funding.
Yes, you can secure it

Nobody gets bad grades. This is not a trick type of thing. It is a usual 3.0 GPA requirement.

I will start in reverse order:
3. You should absolutely apply in R2. I was going to suggest it but did not bring up in case you were burnt out / wanted to find out more. So yes, def apply. You can also add Fuqua into the Mix or Yale (that would have the strongest international brand name unless you already made that shot). MBA applications is just like lottery, the more tickets you have the better.

2. Tech recruiting is taking a beating as Tech companies are waiting out and cutting staff. Your best chance of recruiting will be a referral/network/on campus pipeline (e.g. Amazon) as well as your fellow classmates. I don't know enough about 1+1 program at Johnson, but one concern would be separating with your cohort for the second year... are there employers coming to NY Campus? Maybe more than to Ethica... so this may be a strength but I just don't know enough about the program. P.S. Johnson has mostly been a Finance school. I know they have Tech MBA but most alums are still in Finance.

1. Would Carnegie Mellon Reputation would be better internationally, than Anderson or Johnson? I am not talking about your family members per se but potential recruiters instead. You are a better judge of it; often a network of alums is more important than recognition, and that's something to check by potentially connecting with a current student from Korea at Tepper, Johnson, as well as Anderson to see what they see in the Alum database (I would only look at the MBA one however, not others). By the way, fun fact for you - CMU undergrads in computer science with zero work experience make more money than MBA Grads with 10 years of work experience 😂 (Not sure still true now that tech bubble has burst but there is a clear discrepancy there).

I know a few Tepper students and one of them already secured a tech internship at MSFT (through a veteran's event however, so would not apply to you) and they had a bit of experience as they were a Tech PM at GMAT Club (something we do in Feb in case you are interested to get some Tech PM experience), but the bottom line all recruiting will happen through connections/networking/etc if you do not have existing Tech PM experience. I don't think you have many disadvantages (besides the awesome restaurant scene in NYC) that you will be missing out with CMU.

Forgot to add - small world. I will be doing a trip to the DMZ on Thursday 😇

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Comments 9 comments

yfang

Hi! I also just got invited to interview by HBS; would you like to link up and do some interview prep together?

mungamunga123654

Hi! Sorry for the delayed response - happy to link up if you still wanted to prep together!

Hey! Can you text me at +1 (781) 773-8638? (It's a Google number so I don't really care that I post it here

Cuy

Hi Munga, I sent you an inbox, please let me know if you received it. Thank you

I don’t think I got it! I couldn’t find anything in my inbox

Hi Munga, I am unable to send you a private message, is there a way I could connect with you? Thanks

MBAandBeyond

Congratulations @mungamunga123654 , on your successful admits! Wishing you all the best as you embark on exciting future opportunities!

Thanks!!!!

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Comments 2 comments

maggie2020

I’m also deciding between UNC and UT. What will be driving your decision? Where’re you located?

Kittykat706

Money! I’m going to Texas bc they offered more money

Comments 6 comments

Thank you for serving in the armed forces!

The 2.4 GPA for undergrad will need a bit of an explanation which I think should be fairly easy to do taken into consideration your 4.0 in masters degree and 10 years of service.

Not sure if you have ran into the folks from https://www.service2school.org/graduate ... admissions and a few other orgs that seemed to offer free admission consulting to veterans?

PS. Your shortest pole in the applications will probably be academic record with undergraduate GPA that needs a bit of an explanation and a slightly weak Jerry but depending on your performance and service history, you can potentially aim for programs such as Fuqua, etc. many programs are forgiving of the jury score and if you could pull it up to about 323, you could easily aim higher too.

Earth2El

Wow, thanks for the quick response! I've applied to S2S and haven't heard back from them. I think it was a little late in the admissions cycle for them to help out. I also took the GRE on 23 Nov, and I figured with the month left to apply to R2, my time would be best put into admissions essays. I think I can squeeze out another exam with a month of prep after R2. What do you think?

I agree with your strategy. You should focus on the applications. Many schools allow you to send an updated score all the way up to until two weeks before the decision deadline. Haas even has a separate page and a form for it.

Thats great! I didn't know that. Thank you again for being so attentive to my post!

Happy to help. I feel we all owe a lot to those who have spent time in the service. My cousin served in the army. Alaska and Iraq. The least I can do. Any other questions, don’t hesitate to message me directly.

BB,
Founder of GMAT Club.

Hi @Earth2El ! I hope you are doing well. Your 10 years of military experience as an officer, strong leadership skills, and a 4.0 GPA in your Master’s program with a PMP certification make you a compelling candidate for an MBA. However, your undergraduate GPA of 2.42 and GRE score of 317 are weaknesses that need addressing. To strengthen your profile, consider retaking the GRE or GMAT to target a higher score (325+), and clearly articulate how your military expertise in operations and program management translates to your goal of product management in technology. Focus on showcasing leadership achievements, securing strong recommendations, and targeting programs like Wharton, Darden, Ross, or Sloan that value military backgrounds. We have helped many military veterans to get admit from top business schools, you can check the journey of the military veteran here. We would like to know more about your profile, as the information you shared is brief, and getting to know more details, will help us identify if you can pull out good stories from your experience.

If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a 1:1 call with you to discuss your profile in detail and shortlist schools for you. Feel free to schedule a profile evaluation call according to your convenience.

“Join Our Exclusive Webinar!"

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond

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Hi @ProbablyTooExtroverted , we understand that being waitlisted can be tough, but it’s also a sign that you’re still in the running for your dream program! Stay positive and proactive, many candidates who stay engaged and continue to show their commitment ultimately succeed. Keep pushing forward, and remember, the journey isn’t over yet! You've got this!

We've created a special blog for the &quot;Waitlisted Strategies: How to Navigate the Process&quot;. It will help you with the necessary tips and insights to increase your chances of success!

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Email: [email protected]