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strawhat
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Joined: 04 Aug 2014
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[deleted] Updated on: 30 Sep 2014, 17:17
Originally posted by strawhat on 06 Aug 2014, 14:51.
Last edited by strawhat on 30 Sep 2014, 17:17, edited 1 time in total.
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[deleted] 10 Aug 2014, 23:33
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strawhat
Hey Jon -

Hoping you can help me figure out where my story will have the strongest pull. Thanks!

Background: Female, 25, very American
Undergraduate: Graduated with a 3.8 GPA (top 10%) and honors in the international relations major from a top 20 private university (think Duke, WashU)
Test: I took the GRE; 169 Verbal (99%), 159 Quant (75%), 6.0 Writing (99%)

Work experience: 4 full years before program start.
+ Currently on the strategy team of a well known education technology startup (1-year loan from previous company)
+ 3 years at BCG, including significant work abroad in the education space and a year focusing on economic modeling; have MBA sponsorship and return offer from BCG
+ Between graduation and starting at BCG, I worked in South Asia with a development organization focusing on education
+ Previous internship at the Department of State (mentioned in a line on resume)

Notable Extracurriculars:
Undergrad: leadership roles for 4 years with the debate team; Raas (Indian dance) team; wrote two honors theses; worked three jobs on campus (mentioning in essays since this took a lot of my time)
Post-college at work: led BCG recruiting team for my school (youngest person to do so)
Post-college non-work: lots of volunteer work in animal welfare (on the Board of an animal rescue and pro-bono consulting for animal welfare orgs) and education (volunteer tutor and mentor for first generation college applicants)

Other (that will be mentioned somewhere): Speak 4 languages (three fluently, including Arabic) - all from study/travel (I'm a native English speaker); come from a lower middle class background (only a few kids from my high school went to out-of-state colleges, one parent is unemployed, neither parent has a grad degree); played the violin for 15 years

Short-term goals: Lead cross-sector partnerships for international field-based education nonprofit
Long-term goals: Become head of strategy and operations at an international organization focused on innovation in education and development

Schools: Stanford GSB (and joint MA in Education), HBS (and joint MPP with HKS), UC-Berkeley Haas (and joint MA in International Affairs), MIT Sloan (and joint MPP with HKS), INSEAD

Couple of questions/clarifications:
+ I'm applying to joint programs because I want to develop content knowledge (in international education) as well as business knowledge/skills
+ I'm planning to return to BCG after an MBA in exchange for them paying for it - do I have to mention this in the limited-character "immediate short term goals" questions?
+ I only took the GRE once and decided not to retake because I felt I could deliver more impact on other things - I'm planning on using the optional essays to explain my other quant experience (top grades in econ classes in undergrad; a lot of economic and statistical models and analyses at BCG and my current job). Does this sound like overkill?
+ My recs will be from people who know me well but who aren't big names at all (I feel stupid asking this, but is that ok?)

Thank you!
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Hey there,

As a female candidate from a good school with that GPA, you are off to a great start. BCG + a lovely internship at the DOS will only help, as will the fact that you are planning on returning to BCG (and that they are supporting you). Your major weakness is that test score, or more specifically the quant side of that score, so first thing to do is make sure you can "make up" for that in some way (meaning by showing strengths in quant).

In a certain way the test score weakness is the best one to have, because since all the rest is very good, worst comes to worst, you simply retake.

Your school list is quite challenging, although I do think you have a shot, even despite the GRE. But with the fact that you are being sponsored (which you SHOULD be telling them because it will only improve your chances) and female and the rest of your strengths, with a good story, you are in the running.

To answer your third and fourth questions:
- You need to make up for this perceived quant weakness in some way - and one good way is (Without going to far) to point out how much you use it at work.
- For the recommenders - it's better that it is people who know and like you. If they write beautiful recommendations, they are the right choices.

Hope this helps!
Best,
JF