I agree. People at all schools that I visited asked me where I worked. When I mentioned that I work for XYZ, I could sense that blue chip experience really mattered. It helps if you work for a premier company in your industry.
pelihu wrote:
I believe that the stats for those in the R1 pool here are in line with GSB standards; and the stats for Helg and naturallight are very strong. What seems to stand out is that, as a group, the GPAs were near the bottom of the middle 80%, while the GMAT scores were slightly above but not at the top of the middle 80% so I'd agree they they were good but not outstanding for GSB admissions. Just to be clear, I'll say it again: this is a generalization.
My reaction is that other parts of the application were pivotal. We all know that Rhyme writes top-notch essays and it certainly seems that this skill was really helpful for both Cornell & GSB. As I have said elsewhere, it's one thing to say that you are going to distinguish yourself by writing outstanding essays, but doing so is another matter altogether. Obviously, most applicants want to include stellar essays as part of their applications, but the reality is that such essays are just as rare as top GMAT scores or top grades from top schools.
I'd also point out that work experience certainly plays a big role, and for those that haven't noticed, Rhyme does have Goldman Sachs in his work history. It's widely believed that many schools favor applicants that have been part of highly selective programs in the past, whether it is work experience or academics. I would speculate that from an adcom's perspective, simply landing a job at Goldman Sachs is more impressive than being promoted to manager at most companies.