rajpdsouza wrote:
Hi Paul,
Thanks for taking the time to look at my profile.
Education: 3.2, Psychology, University of Delaware. I graduated in 3 years because of a considerable amount of AP credits earned from high school. I recieved college credit for Calculus and Statistics among others (I'm writing that so you know I'm a psychology major with decent quantitative skills).The grades I earned the last two years of college were considerably better than the first year (as shown by being on the dean's list the last two years of college).
Since I have been out of college, I've passed seven Microsoft Certification Exams to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. I also plan on taking Micro Economics this fall.
GMAT: 700 on the first try. Looking to up it to 720-730.
Work Experience: Worked part-time in the accounting department of the Healthcare Management company my parents started, D'Souza & Associates until I graduated from college. Approximately two years ago I was promoted to co-manage the company's 2nd largest account, which has a revenue of $50+ million/year. Was recently also promoted to Director of IT. I plan, implement, maintain, and secure the company's network. By Fall '08, I will have 3 years of full-time work experience.
Extracurricular activities: I was a member of a co-ed a capella group all 3 years of college. I was elected as the group's president my senior year, in which we got many important things accomplished.
Right now, I am co-chairing the committee for the state's Annual High School Football All-Star game held every summer (aka the Blue/Gold Game). Money raised for the game goes to the Blue/Gold foundation. Blue/Gold is a foundation that creates opportunities for children with mental retardation in Delaware. I also volunteer with KINFolk. KINFolk lends laptops to seriously ill and injured children in hospitals or stuck at home so they can be connected with the world eventhough they are isolated.
Awards: Dean's List last 4 semesters of college, University of Delaware Scholarship Award, Psi Chi member (Psychology National Honor Society)
Schools: Since I have become so immersed in the healtcare industry, I would like to continue down that path. I will not be coming back to my family business and therefore would like to do some consulting/managing for hospitals, biotech, or pharmaceutical companies.
My top two schools are:
Wharton @ UPenn (Healthcare Management)
CBS @ Columbia (Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management)
Other schools I would like to attend:
Kellogg @ Northwestern
Stern @ NYU
Johnson @ Cornell
McDonough @ Georgetown
What are my chances at these schools and what parts of my profile are weakest? I think the weakest part of my applications will be my recommendations. Since, I work with my family, my parents are my direct supervisors. I can get the client that I manage to write a recommendation. I talk to them daily and meet them at least once a month, so they would be able to attest to my skills. I was also thinking of getting the professor from my IT class to write a recommendation. He was always relating the information to how my family business could benefit. Therefore, we had a professional relationship where I would ask him questions relating to my business and we would often stay late going over specific ways to go about things in my company.
Thank you for your help.
rajpdsouza,
I agree with you that your challenge relates to your family business. That is, you clearly have work leadership (though you didn't mention how many people, if any, you actually manage--this is important), but because it occurs in the context of a family business you will have to make an extra effort to educate the adcoms about the business and show them that your status there is the result of your own efforts. The reco letters are a key part of that process. I like the client reco letter, but consider replacing the professor reco letter with a letter from someone who directs you in your highest-impact, most-time-intensive community involvement.
If you address this challenge well, I think you have a strong enough and distinctive enough profile to have a chance at all the schools you mentioned, with Cornell, Georgetown, and NYU being more doable than W, K, and CBS. I really see your challenge as using those essays and reco letters to project unusually strong leadership experiences across your life.
Good luck,
close
01 Aug 2007, 08:35
