demosophy wrote:
Linda and Paul,
I wonder if you could help me begin to prepare for the MBA admissions process. I'm planning on applying for entrance in three years (Fall 2013). Here's my background:
Male / 24 / USA
Undergrad
- 3.1 GPA / Top 25 School / Double B.A. in Economics and Chinese
- Summer Internship in China
- Helped Run and Sell Startup before graduating
Work Experience
- One year with "Big 4" accounting firm doing financial and economic consulting
- Left to found transportation startup that received seed funding but failed after 6 months
- Leaving next month to work for major consulting firm as an experienced analyst in the the SE Asia Strategy practice
Community Service
- Limited, some leadership in college, none currently.
I plan to stay in my new position for the next three years while I prepare for an MBA, but I'd really like to use the next three years to also shore up my weaknesses as best I can. I know my GPA and community service are weak, but I am hoping to correct the community service weakness once I start in SE Asia.
To address the low GPA I have been considering doing a distance (online) MS program in statistics or organizational psych over the next three years. From my research so far I could probably enroll with LSE or Penn State for this. Will this help? I'm very interested in applied stats and bringing management decisions more inline with available data, but I'm open to other programs if something else would make me a stronger applicant.
I'm a strong test taker and believe I can put in the hours to score very well on the GMAT, so I don't think that a 750+ would be out of the question.
I'd really like the option to get a Top 10 US MBA or a Top 5 European MBA in the next three years. Is this possible, and can you recommend any strategies that would help me achieve this goal?
Thanks in advance Paul and Linda, I really appreciate it.
You are making the right moves to compensate for your undergrad GPA by getting more recent high grades in a business-related field that also happens to relate to your professional goals. A high GMAT will help too. To further improve your chances, assume leadership roles when they come your way and seek them out when they don't. You probably will have difficulty assuming a leadership role on the job, but community service should provide such opportunties.
To further enhance your chances, research the programs. Visit the schools you are most interested in.
Additional Resources:Leadership in MBA AdmissionsMBA Admissions: Low GMAT or GPA5 Years to Business SchoolBest,
Linda