MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
Status:Admissions Expert
Affiliations: Founder, Amerasia Consulting Group
Posts: 1081
Given Kudos: 264
Re: Do I have what it takes?
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27 Oct 2010, 10:44
Hi Brian,
Thanks for reaching out and sorry for the delay. My records indicated that I had already responded to you, but I looked deeper and saw that it was a different question. Let's get into this...
Your GPA will be fine from GW - not quite at the averages of the top programs, but nothing that spells doom either. Your work experience is good in the sense that you have a lot of leadership to draw upon, it fits your career goals, and it will read as "interesting" compared to so many other applicants. So it really all comes down to three things: your GMAT score, your school selection, and the execution of your applications.
With the GMAT, understand that if we stretch your CAT scores to 650-700, you are hitting three distinct pockets. 600-660 is tough territory - you basically have to pull a rabbit out of your hat to get into the top programs. 660-690 is "wish it was higher" territory - you can still be competitive, but it puts more pressure on the rest of your application and takes some elite programs off the table. 700+ is "check in the box" and brings more elite programs into play and, frankly, takes some of the lesser schools out of the running (they will perceive themselves as safety schools unless you really showcase interest and fit). So how you do on the GMAT will have huge ramifications. This is not to apply added pressure, but just let you know that once you get that score, you will have to immediately make choices about where to apply, either way.
As for school selection, well, see above. I would also research good Hospitality Masters programs, because b-schools that offer that degree often borrow from a top notch faculty to help populate a less common area of the MBA. Johnson at Cornell and NYU Stern come immediately to mind.
Finally, it goes without saying that you have to crush your essays. This is true for everyone, but especially when your career path is more exotic and you might need to educate the reader on how this is all going to work (previous experience + MBA from that school = next job) and especially if you have any academic profile issues to overcome.
Hope this helps. PM me if you want to get into this a bit more.
Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti
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