Hi @CuriousCat15

You are in a competitive applicant bracket. Your academic profile (3.5 GPA, 334 GRE, double major in Economics and Philosophy) immediately neutralizes any academic concern. The GRE score sits in the top decile for all listed schools. The GPA dip during COVID is not material, provided you explain it best in the optional essays asked by schools.

As for your professional experiences in developing AI driven solutions, it’s a good background but you need to emphasize the business impact your work has had. Each initiative you mention should be reframed in terms of decision-making leverage or outcomes. This is what will define your story in your essays.
Your extracurricular involvement is solid and it will be good pointers to talk about in your essays.

About your goals, it lacks a lot of specificity at this point as you have only mentioned Consulting and Entrepreneurship. You need to provide more context into what exactly you see yourself doing in these aspects. Think about your career progression in terms of how it will build on your existing background and how it will evolve.

You make a good candidate for most schools on your list, it just comes down to how well you can convey your experiences through your application.
We’d be happy to have a 1-on-1 discussion with you to understand your profile and concerns.

Regards,
The MBA Edge Team
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@CuriousCat15 - interesting profile overall, given the double undergrad degree, GRE score, experiences in AI/ tech and extracurriculars.

Which undergrad university did you attend, and is it a feeder. for your target programs? The GPA isn't ideal, but the GRE score (and potentially courses such as MBAMath) can help offset this concern. Worth addressing this in the Optional Essay as well.

It'd also be important to have a strong narrative on why MBA, why now and why consulting (i.e. short term goal), tailored to each school's ethos.

Feel free to reach out for a discussion.

Regards,
Arvind (Founder, admitStreet)
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Request a Free Profile Evaluation: https://admitstreet.com/#contact

Thanks for sharing your profile @CuriousCat15 ! You have a good, non-traditional consulting profile, technical depth in AI, leadership of internal initiatives, and good extracurricular commitment to environmental stewardship. With 3 years of relevant work experience, you’re within the common range for many U.S. 2-year MBAs; however, top consulting feeders expect good quantitative signals (GMAT/GRE in the upper range or equivalent proof) and explicit consulting signals (case experience, pro-bono strategy projects or internships, alumni advocacy).

How adcoms & consulting recruiters might read your file: 3 years of work experience is okay, many top schools admit early-career candidates, but you’ll be competing with 4-6 year candidates with more leadership. 3.5 GPA is decent, and GRE 334 is good. Consulting firms expect case readiness and a visible consulting narrative. Recent trends show recruiting is competitive and shifting; early networking + alumni referrals are increasingly important.

Reality check: Top consulting pipelines at M7 schools are intensely competitive; they will expect either a high test score or exceptional compensating factors (outstanding leadership, deal experience, demonstrable case/strategy work, or top-tier recommendations). Add graded quantitative coursework (microeconomics, statistics, finance) with good marks and/or a recognized certificate to show quantitative readiness. Lead a pro-bono project for an NGO (market entry, organizational strategy), or complete case engagements on different platforms. Have deliverables and impact metrics to cite. Reframe your internal AI initiatives: show ROI, cost savings, time-to-value, user adoption, stakeholder alignment. Convert technical outcomes into business metrics (revenue, efficiency %, adoption). Apply to a balanced set of schools.

Questions for you:
1) What is your GRE section breakdown (Verbal / Quant) for the 334?
2) Do you have any client-facing or cross-functional stakeholder leadership examples (product, sales, marketing)?
3) Which geography do you prefer post-MBA (US, Europe, global)?

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experiences, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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