Help on Deciding Which Schools I Have a Shot At
[#permalink]
15 Jul 2013, 13:54
Hi Everyone,
I'm interested in getting everyone's opinion on which B-schools I should apply to / which ones I have a shot at.
Interests:
- First choice is tech-related entrepreneurship
- Backup / second choice is engineering management
Education:
-MS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. GPA: 3.4
-BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. Overall GPA: 2.9, Major GPA: 3.2
Work Experience:
-3 years as an engineer with large aerospace/defense company.
-6 months as a senior engineer (promotion) with different company, same industry.
GMAT:
-I've taken a few practice tests, currently scoring around 720. Hope to improve another 20 points before taking the real one (in 1 month).
-Got low 1400's on GRE while applying for Engineering Master's, however this is past the 5 year mark so it is no longer valid.
Additional:
-Professional Engineering license in California (Mech Engr)
-Six Sigma Green Belt
I'm planning on applying for part-time at Anderson (UCLA) and Marshall (USC) because I can keep working my full-time job now while I get my MBA.
However, I am willing to quit my job to go full-time if I'm admitted to a top-tier school.
After getting an MBA, I would like to get into tech-related entrepreneurship. But if that fails / the opportunity doesn't present itself, I'd go back to work and try to make it into management. In either case, I see an MBA as a benefit to my career goals.
Any suggestions on which schools I should apply for? I'm aware that my undergrad GPA may be a gate to some top schools.
Is Harvard / Stanford out of the question? I'm looking to limit the amount of schools I apply to to 5 or 6, with 2 being UCLA and USC. Don't want to waste my time with schools that are completely out of reach.
From reading the forums, it sounds like Northwestern (Kellogg), Chicago (Booth), or MIT (Sloan) would be good a good fit for tech oriented people (can anyone confirm?). But do I have a shot at these?
Thanks in advance!