mexica wrote:
Age: 24
Major: Economics
GPA: 3.1, Handful of fails first few couple of years (Had no career direction), last 2 years averaged 3.85
GMAT: 720
WE: 4 years
Past:
-Interned with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory doing Business Development.
2 years, worked as a Project Engineer my Junior and Senior year of my undergraduate degree where I focused on cost reduction and managing improvement projects (Saved over $150,000)
-Was in charge of two departments and improved productivity and throughput by over 20%.
-Worked on developing new parts, reduced defect/rework rates in old parts, performed internal audits, lead continuous improvement projects with teams of 3-5 people.
1 year, moved to a sister company and worked as an Assistant Controller.
Current: Financial Analyst at Raytheon
Volunteer:
-American Red Cross 3+years
-Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce 2 years
-Chicano Youth Leadership Program 2 years
Extracurriculars:
-Surfing, Rock Climbing
-Volunteer worker at Special Olympics
Extra:
-Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
-Passed CFA Level 1
Career goals: Either stay in corporate finance or transition into operations management. Once I feel I've had enough satisfaction with my career/financially stable, I would like to work with a philanthropic organization that gives back to underrepresented communities/minorities.
Schools Applied:
Top Choice - UCLA FEMBA
USC Part Time
UCI Merage
In terms of UCLA FEMBA, the average work experience is closer to 6-8 yrs so you may find this a challenge- but certainly your GMAT is competitive. You may want to initiate a conversation with adcom at UCLA to discuss their perspective on this before you commit to which program you apply to at UCLA. Your profile absolutely fits with the averages of Full time program.
I think you'd be very competitive for USC part-time- but avg work is also about 6 yrs, the UCI program may be your best odds- here is class profile info: https://merage.uci.edu/admissions/maste ... d-mba.html
Here's something else to consider- with your strong GMAT and what looks to be some kind of connection to the Latino community- you could be a good prospect for scholarships at some full time MBA programs. I'd look further into Consortium as a potential scholarship source: https://cgsm.org/ and also some other Full time programs- I'd look at SMU Cox and look at the list of schools participating through Consortium for more places. It would be a shame to not explore how and where you would be a strong scholarship candidate- and thus would allow you the full time ability to devote emphasis to getting the most from MBA and not trying to work and study at the same time. We'd be glad to explore more with you how we can help you develop a scholarship strategy as part of your MBA applications. Most scholarships are only with Full time MBA. Please reach out to us for a free consult so we can tell you more- I really do think this could be a great option for you! https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com ... b-visitor/
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Donna | Stratus Admissions | Schedule a Free Consult