jallenmorris profile eval

I think you have a strong profile for any of the top schools. My only recommendation re: school choice is to pare it down by 1 or 2 schools. Eight schools will more than likely overwhelm you and more importantly overwhelm your recommenders (yes, the letters are similar in theme across schools, but they will each have to open eight different accounts and submit the letters eight times, not to mention tailoring the letters to each school so you aren't sending form letters).

Adcoms will like the fact that you have varied (and relatively unique) experiences compared to other b-school applicants -- that's an asset that you can really emphasize. Given your schooling, extracurriculars and work experience, one can reasonably infer that you are also an articulate communicator -- which if you can back it up on your essays and interviews (not to mention your recommenders reaffirming your oratory and writing skills), then you should be competitive for all schools, including HBS. Yes, your GPA is low and is a concern, but my hunch is that there's a decent chance adcoms will overlook it given your overall profile.

That's really the underlying thing with top schools -- they really put a higher premium on interpersonal skills (or leadership, or whatever you want to call it -- "soft" skills, social skills, communication/oratory, etc.) because frankly it's easier to impart analytical/quant knowledge than it is to teach someone how to communicate and deal with people. Especially if you're gunning for HBS, because you'll be spending all your 2 years talking in class.

One of the things that is heavily implied but never explicitly mentioned (or if it was, it would be conveniently ignored) is that what will make or break your career is your ability to deal with people, not with numbers. Highly analytical people have a significantly lower ceiling in business than those with strong team/leadership/communication skills. Sometimes it's the b-schools fault for sending mixed messages because of so much of the analytical work they try to dump on you, but at the same time saying it's not *really* as important as your ability to negotiate with an adversary or partner, your ability to manage the Board, your ability to mediate conflicts, and your ability to SELL (which in itself is a social skill). Anyhow, that's a different topic altogether...