I'm 27, the deputy director (2nd in command) of an international non-profit in DC.
Hi Paylake! Thanks for reaching out! I will answer in blue along the way...The org is relatively small (budget is only a few million) but has generated some prestige (e.g. White House invite and well-known donors). It is relevant to b-school because our mission involves business.
As much as I love my job, I don't make enough money to support my family in the long run. (I have a wife, baby, and mortgage.)
I love reading about and discussing strategy, finance, and tech. Tons of post-MBA jobs appeal to me, but I think I'd choose corporate finance; the lifestyle is better than consulting or banking.
You will need to work on this story as the "i want to make more money and/or have a better lifestyle- while entirely reasonable- is not what you lead with in the MBA admissions process. Getting your "why" and "why MBA" down is a key part of being successful.I went to a top-tier public school (e.g. UVA, UNC, UCLA) with a 3.4 GPA, but Cs in a couple econ classes.
This makes the HBS, Stanford option a bit harder... Outside of work, I'm on the board of a startup non-profit. Nobody has heard of it.
That's ok- if you can explain what you do, and the impact- it will be impressive.Questions:
1) If I can score 700+ on the GMAT, do I have a chance at getting into Harvard, MIT, Booth, Columbia, Kellog, Wharton, etc?
With your GPA, it will take more like a 760 to pop. That being said, applying R1 will help as will also reaching down to some other great programs in the top 10.2) Am I nuts to be considering a full-time MBA with a baby (or 2 by then)? We don't have financial support from family, and my wife is not a big earner, so it will involve a huge amount of debt. Childcare is at least an extra $1k per kid per month.
A better deal may be to look to be a star in a top 20 program where you can get a scholarship. YOu can still be very successful in a top 20 ranked program and if you can get a scholarship at a slightly lower school, I still think in the long run you win...3) We own a home near DC. With great friends and lots of work we've put into our house, we'd love to keep the place and stay in DC long term. Should I forget the elite programs and just aim for Georgetown, Maryland, and GW?
I would at least look at scholarship options there...(Preferring an elite school has nothing to do with ego. I've witnessed that people saying they have a Harvard MBA automatically opens doors.)
4) Am I too settled? So I should just try to find a way to make it work in the non-profit industry? As you can tell, I set up my life with an assumption of no more school. But I am fast realizing that life is getting unaffordable.
I would spend a bit more time on your "Why" and I also think a consultant could help you refine your story a bit more. For a free consult on how we could help you... look here: https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com/ ... b-visitor/Thank you for your help!