NEW HERE? LEARN MORE
closeclose
Last visit was: 26 Apr 2024, 00:38 It is currently 26 Apr 2024, 00:38
Decision Tracker
My Rewards
New posts
New comers' posts

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel

Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)?

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
avatar
B
ExLawyer
Intern
Intern
Joined: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 6
Own Kudos [?]: 2 [1]
Given Kudos: 2
GMAT 1: 710 Q43 V45
Send PM
Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   07 Oct 2017, 14:57
1
Kudos
Hi,

I am wondering if it is worthwhile for me to apply to the lower M7 MBA programs as I am really not sure of my chances. As a Canadian citizen my fallback option would probably be some Canadian MBA program. About me: I just wrote the GMAT and I scored a 710 (45 Verbal, 43 Quantitative). I am a Harvard Law School graduate (Juris Doctor degree) and I am licensed to practice law in the State of New York. However, I have not actually practiced law after graduation as I did not find the work very stimulating. Besides my time spent as a summer associate at a top 40 law firm in New York, my only work experience thus far is two years as a political science researcher at a think tank in Hong Kong. I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature from UBC (in Canada) where I had a 4.0 GPA but my GPA at Harvard was mediocre (roughly equivalent to a 3.0). I would not consider my quantitative skills to be strong and I am not very interested in finance so I am already ruling myself out for programs such as MIT and Wharton. My interest in MBA primarily stems from the fact that I am trying to start a small business focusing on education consulting and I want to gain more business knowledge and expertise so that hopefully I can grow my business and perhaps network with people who I can partner with or learn from. Also I would like to know if it is possible at all for foreign students to receive scholarships as the tuition at these MBA programs is quite high and after having already paid for a law degree I am not too keen on piling onto my debt. Thank you.

ExLawyer
User avatar
G
VeritasPrepDozie
Veritas Prep Admissions Consultant
Joined: 12 Aug 2014
Posts: 2761
Own Kudos [?]: 340 [1]
Given Kudos: 1
Send PM
Re: Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   08 Oct 2017, 18:16
1
Kudos
Expert Reply
I think it may be tough for you with the M7. Your GMAT will be on the lower end, which is nicely picked up by your high UG GPA, although a higher grad GPA would have been nice but obviously HLS is a top law school which should send a strong signal about your potential.

I think probably your greatest challenge is your career story, it just reads a little all over the place with minimal actual work experience, especially connected to your current planned career goal. Feels like to me you need some additional work experience but given your entrepreneurial ambitions I know why you are focused on an MBA right now. I think if you can really communicate a clear story and why MBA while summarizing the whole law school but not practicing thing you may have a shot. Also you will need a clear pitch for for your career goals that make sense to admissions. Many ad comm see potential entrepreneurs as risky so you will need to dissuade this concern to help your chances.
User avatar
L
Admissionado
Admissionado
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9218
Own Kudos [?]: 2061 [1]
Given Kudos: 69
Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
Send PM
Re: Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   09 Oct 2017, 00:46
1
Kudos
Expert Reply
ExLawyer wrote:
Hi,

I am wondering if it is worthwhile for me to apply to the lower M7 MBA programs as I am really not sure of my chances. As a Canadian citizen my fallback option would probably be some Canadian MBA program. About me: I just wrote the GMAT and I scored a 710 (45 Verbal, 43 Quantitative). I am a Harvard Law School graduate (Juris Doctor degree) and I am licensed to practice law in the State of New York. However, I have not actually practiced law after graduation as I did not find the work very stimulating. Besides my time spent as a summer associate at a top 40 law firm in New York, my only work experience thus far is two years as a political science researcher at a think tank in Hong Kong. I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature from UBC (in Canada) where I had a 4.0 GPA but my GPA at Harvard was mediocre (roughly equivalent to a 3.0). I would not consider my quantitative skills to be strong and I am not very interested in finance so I am already ruling myself out for programs such as MIT and Wharton. My interest in MBA primarily stems from the fact that I am trying to start a small business focusing on education consulting and I want to gain more business knowledge and expertise so that hopefully I can grow my business and perhaps network with people who I can partner with or learn from. Also I would like to know if it is possible at all for foreign students to receive scholarships as the tuition at these MBA programs is quite high and after having already paid for a law degree I am not too keen on piling onto my debt. Thank you.

ExLawyer


Well dude,
You have a good overall profile, but what it sounds like to me from here is that you are banking on your MBA to make your business successful, yet at the same time you lack the experience to prove you can make it happen.

I think that from here, your lack of work experience is by far the biggest challenge, and before you shelled out 200K for an MBA, you might want to work for a few years first, which would also do much to alleviate that debt issue :)


Best,
avatar
B
halibr331
Intern
Intern
Joined: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 26
Own Kudos [?]: 8 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Schools: Anderson '21 Darden '21
GMAT 1: 640 Q46 V31
GMAT 2: 670 Q46 V35
Send PM
Re: Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   09 Oct 2017, 18:07
JonAdmissionado wrote:
ExLawyer wrote:
Hi,

I am wondering if it is worthwhile for me to apply to the lower M7 MBA programs as I am really not sure of my chances. As a Canadian citizen my fallback option would probably be some Canadian MBA program. About me: I just wrote the GMAT and I scored a 710 (45 Verbal, 43 Quantitative). I am a Harvard Law School graduate (Juris Doctor degree) and I am licensed to practice law in the State of New York. However, I have not actually practiced law after graduation as I did not find the work very stimulating. Besides my time spent as a summer associate at a top 40 law firm in New York, my only work experience thus far is two years as a political science researcher at a think tank in Hong Kong. I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature from UBC (in Canada) where I had a 4.0 GPA but my GPA at Harvard was mediocre (roughly equivalent to a 3.0). I would not consider my quantitative skills to be strong and I am not very interested in finance so I am already ruling myself out for programs such as MIT and Wharton. My interest in MBA primarily stems from the fact that I am trying to start a small business focusing on education consulting and I want to gain more business knowledge and expertise so that hopefully I can grow my business and perhaps network with people who I can partner with or learn from. Also I would like to know if it is possible at all for foreign students to receive scholarships as the tuition at these MBA programs is quite high and after having already paid for a law degree I am not too keen on piling onto my debt. Thank you.

ExLawyer


Well dude,
You have a good overall profile, but what it sounds like to me from here is that you are banking on your MBA to make your business successful, yet at the same time you lack the experience to prove you can make it happen.

I think that from here, your lack of work experience is by far the biggest challenge, and before you shelled out 200K for an MBA, you might want to work for a few years first, which would also do much to alleviate that debt issue :)


Best,


this! + u don't wanna look like ur just bouncing around from prestige credential to prestige credential. i know ppl who went from lawyer -> b school so the path isn't totally novel but they had big law xperirnce
avatar
B
ExLawyer
Intern
Intern
Joined: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 6
Own Kudos [?]: 2 [0]
Given Kudos: 2
GMAT 1: 710 Q43 V45
Send PM
Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   09 Oct 2017, 22:39
Thanks for the responses. I believe they have been very helpful. I just have two questions, if anyone is still interested in answering them: first, if I re write the GMAT either this year or next cycle, and get a higher score, would this have a significant effect on my application or would I still be hampered by my lack of work experience? Second, what kind of work experience would actually be helpful in terms of boosting my chances of getting into a top MBA Program? Seeing as I am not interested in doing biglaw, it seems like my options are quite limited in terms of the kinds of jobs that I would be able to work at that would make a difference in the application. If this is the case then I will probably either skip doing an MBA entirely for at least a few years or I will go to a Canadian program if I am accepted and just stay here. (The UBC MBA program costs only $40K US and I am hoping to get a scholarship from them seeing as their average GMAT is only 650). Thanks.
User avatar
G
VeritasPrepDozie
Veritas Prep Admissions Consultant
Joined: 12 Aug 2014
Posts: 2761
Own Kudos [?]: 340 [0]
Given Kudos: 1
Send PM
Re: Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink] New post   10 Oct 2017, 18:41
Expert Reply
Answers below...

1)The average for the M7 programs is hovering around 730 these days so if you can hit this number or above it will certainly help your candidacy. I think this is most effective however combined with a bit more good work experience

2)The best type of experience will get you closer to your eventual career goals while allowing you opportunities to make an impact and further develop your interpersonal skills (i.e. leadership, teamwork, etc)
GMAT Club Bot
gmatclubot
Re: Is it realistic for me to apply to top schools (M7)? [#permalink]
10 Oct 2017, 18:41

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne
Main navigation
GMAT Resources
Partners
MBA Resources
www.gmac.com|www.mba.com | | GMAT Club Rules | Terms and Conditions