AjaxFan wrote:
Hey all,
I would be interested to know how you would assess my odds.I have slightly changed my profile to maintain privacy from my real life situation.
GMAT: 660 Q44, V36
Nationality: W. European country
Degrees: University of Oxford MSc in subjected related to international development - 71% (~4.0 GPA)
University of Durham BA in Social Sciences - 68% (~3.7 GPA)
Work experience: International Development for big W.European aid donor, in a series of different roles as a development economist (2.5 years) with a diplomatic posting, youngest in mission.
Other work covered several african countries.
Other work experience includes with another government ministry and strategy consulting in development - 1 year.
Goals: Set-up my own international development business combining all my skills.
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It's great that you are starting this process early, as you'll have ample time to position yourself for the R1 deadlines (where you'll have the best shots at admission for top-tier programs like GSB).
You have a really cool non-traditional candidacy. Let's analyze it from several different angles:
1. Grades & academic success: this appears very strong. Good grades in challenging disciplines from strategic universities (Oxford!).
2. International experience: You’ve got this aspect in the bag! It seems like you have lots of good experience in emerging markets in particular, which top schools will love. Wharton’s Lauder dual masters program in International Studies should definitely be on your radar as this program has lower GMAT scores and puts a premium on international experiences.
3. International student status: For top U.S. schools like GSB, being categorized as an "international" applicant (e.g., non-U.S.) student, generally isn't helpful, because most top schools keep international students capped at around 40% of their student body and so many great applicants apply from all over the world.
4. Leadership: I’d love to learn more about what “youngest in the mission” means - but there could be a really cool application essay in there somewhere that demonstrates your urgency and ambition to succeed.
5. GMAT: From this cursory overview of your profile, this appears to be the weakest part of your candidacy. If you get accepted to GSB with a 660 GMAT score, you will be one of the lowest accepted scores your year. Last year, HBS accepted a 650, so things like this *DO* happen, but in general you want to be near or exceed the GMAT for a school to have a good shot. For GSB, the GMAT average hovers around 730. I'd try to take the GRE, which GSB also accepts, and may be a better fit for you. Many candidates find that they do better on the GRE than the GMAT. If you can get your score up past 700 for the GMAT or the GRE equivalent score, combined with your unique non-traditional candidacy, you could have a *chance* at a top-15 MBA program if you apply to a lot of them to maximize your chances at each one.
6. Post-MBA goals (both immediate and long-term): Schools want candidates who they are sure will be successful in their chosen field. This is one big question mark right now from your candidate profile. “Setting up an international business combining all of my skills” sounds like a good long-term goal, and probably one that’s imminently possible given your prior experience, connections and expertise. However, a successful b-school essay will show HOW you will do that, starting with what you’ll do in the immediate and medium-term (what sorts of internships will you be requiring for, what is your career goal immediately post-MBA).
If a free consultation with an admissions strategy consultant to discuss strategic positioning would be helpful to you, feel free to sign up for that here:
https://admissionado.com/free-consultat ... sultation/