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Nonprofit Profile Evaluation (740GMAT, URM) 27 Apr 2018, 12:14
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I'm contemplating applying to business school and would love some feedback on my profile.

Background:
Male/Hispanic (URM)
Age at Matriculation: 29

Education:
Bachelors of Arts in Economics from Top 50 School (UVA/UNC/MICH); GPA: 3.52/4.0
Masters in Accounting (UVA/UNC/MICH); Graduated "Top 10%"
GMAT: 740 (48Q, 44V)

Work Experience (four years upon matriculation):
(1) One year working for an educational nonprofit as an "Elementary School Reading Interventionist" during gap year before graduate school
(2) Two years working for Teach for America* as an "Elementary School Corps Member" & "Operations Manager - Summer Institute"
- Other involvement: (a) served as a phone interviewer for prospective candidates and (b) served as elementary team lead
* Changed mind and turned down offer post-graduate school from a Big Four accounting firm to continue passion for educational reform
(3) One year (present) working for a boutique educational consulting firm as a "Higher Education Consultant"

Extracurriculars:
(1) Five years (present) working for a national student-run pro bono consulting organization in different capacities
- Involvement: Board Member; National Manager, Strategy & Operations; Collegiate Chapter Founder & President

Choices*:
Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, Ross, Darden, & Kenan-Flagler
* Applying through The Consortium

Post-MBA Goals:
Interested in education consulting; wish to reduce educational inequity amongst minorities
- Short-Term: work in the public sector practice (focused on education) of The Bridgespan Group or M/B/B
- Long-Term: become a leader of a LATAM educational reform organization
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Nonprofit Profile Evaluation (740GMAT, URM) 27 Apr 2018, 19:31
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josuegallegos
I'm contemplating applying to business school and would love some feedback on my profile.

You did a great job summarizing the most relevant information for us to evaluate, nice!
Great profile - very optimistic for you. See comments below.

Background:
Male/Hispanic (URM) - obviously this is going to be helpful in terms of diversity - acceptance rate much higher for underrepresented groups
Age at Matriculation: 29 - this is a good age; a tiny bit on the margin for H/S so you would want to nail it on the first go. Yes, I think you should go for it at both those schools if you have the transformation/leadership factor. See below.

Education:
Bachelors of Arts in Economics from Top 50 School (UVA/UNC/MICH); GPA: 3.52/4.0 - I have a BA in Econ as well; grades are not sky-high for that major so this is very competitive from a quality school
Masters in Accounting (UVA/UNC/MICH); Graduated "Top 10%" - I would be interested in learning about why you chose accounting, it doesn't really seem in line with your passions, were you trying to be "practical" to please your family or something? Might make for an interesting story.
GMAT: 740 (48Q, 44V) - this is outstanding; GMAT standards are lower for underrepresented applicants so this is like the equivalent of 760 for a white male banker.

Work Experience (four years upon matriculation):- perfect - they will also count your masters as one year
(1) One year working for an educational nonprofit as an "Elementary School Reading Interventionist" during gap year before graduate school
Basically taught elementary school aged kids to read?
(2) Two years working for Teach for America* as an "Elementary School Corps Member" & "Operations Manager - Summer Institute"
- Other involvement: (a) served as a phone interviewer for prospective candidates and (b) served as elementary team lead
* Changed mind and turned down offer post-graduate school from a Big Four accounting firm to continue passion for educational reform
(3) One year (present) working for a boutique educational consulting firm as a "Higher Education Consultant"

This sounds good, virtually no one has a similar work background and that will help. The key issue here is to construct anecdotes that point to leadership, teamwork and problem solving. This whole application exercise is a container for demonstrating these qualities to the schools.
If you have strong anecdotes here, I think you might want to uplevel your target schools.

Extracurriculars:
(1) Five years (present) working for a national student-run pro bono consulting organization in different capacities
- Involvement: Board Member; National Manager, Strategy & Operations; Collegiate Chapter Founder & President

Would be helpful to know the nature of the org but the fact that you have so much breadth is very cool.
I can see how you could make a strong case for being able to contribute to your learning team when it comes to nonprofit management

Choices*:
Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, Ross, Darden, & Kenan-Flagler
* Applying through The Consortium

Interested in how you arrived at this school list; are these key feeder schools for The Bridgespan Group? Looks like you choose consulting schools.
These are good choices however, I feel that you would be better able to create *emotional resonance* (key) with the adcom by sharing from your current experience and long-term goal - so I feel compelled to think about Yale/Haas, schools that are well known for nonprofit.

I dare say you might add GSB to this list and maybe HBS; you are qualified to apply if you can demonstrate a key transformation you have achieved in your life (GSB) and a habit of leadership at work in addition to community involvement (HBS). Actually for GSB, if you have achieved impact and transformation as the leader of a nonprofit org that is money.

Post-MBA Goals:
Interested in education consulting; wish to reduce educational inequity amongst minorities

Start doing the research - connect on Linked In with those doing these jobs and inquire about how MBAs fit in. Will you be able to pay back your loans (or are you hoping for merit scholarships - hence, omitting HBS and GSB because they don't offer them?

- Short-Term: work in the public sector practice (focused on education) of The Bridgespan Group or M/B/B - make sure to identify the experience you need to obtain to set you up for success re: the long term goal.
- Long-Term: become a leader of a LATAM educational reform organization

Create a specific vision of what you want to make manifest here; do the research and/or engage a coach so that, on your applications, you can provide specifics as if you were ordering food at a restaurant. Not "ordering a sandwich" but hot pastrami with provolone dressed with mustard on a Dutch Crunch roll.
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Nonprofit Profile Evaluation (740GMAT, URM) 05 May 2018, 14:59
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Thank you for the advice!
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Nonprofit Profile Evaluation (740GMAT, URM) 05 May 2018, 19:36
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josuegallegos
Thank you for the advice!
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You're welcome

https://mbaprepcoach.com
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Nonprofit Profile Evaluation (740GMAT, URM) 07 May 2018, 07:54
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Hi josuegallegos,

Thanks for sharing your background - it is very interesting! I do think you should be competitive at all of the schools that you have mentioned, but the key question that I have as it pertains to your story is the following: what has motivated you to go down this path? Especially since you initially got a Masters in Accounting? Other than the work that you did for an educational profit and at Teach for America, is there anything personally that is driving your passion for education?

Hope that helps!

Best,
Shaifali