Profile Eval - Mobile Biz Strategy - Aim for Top Schools

Enkie,

First, let me say that your presentation of your background for the purposes of this evaluation bode well for you. The detailed insights, the honestly with yourself, and the dashes of personality - all harbingers of success. I know it sounds trite, but when you see hundreds of these, you start to draw conclusions, even if they are more corollary than causal.

So, to get into it.

First, let's take about your age. It's true that HBS is skewing younger and it is also true that GSB has a relatively "young" class. However, they aren't really the same thing. HBS, by our estimation, is going young intentionally. They seem to have made up their minds that the only way to differentiate between thousands of qualified applicants is to look for the early achievers in the bunch. Find the person who has achieved at 25 what most accomplish at 28. That kind of thing. So I would probably cut HBS from the list, especially if the GMAT score is under 700 (more on that in a minute). THAT SAID, it's not so much about your age but rather where you are at in your career arc. The fact that you have grad school experience sort of changes your "carbon dating" for lack of a better term. You look a bit younger than 31, in other words. Young enough? Probably not. As for Stanford though, I would absolutely keep it on the list. Note that the GMAT pressure will be higher at GSB than any other school (expect for maybe Yale, as SOM has really put its chips on average GMAT as the best way to climb the rankings), but everything else lines up pretty well. For starters, Stanford is not intentionally getting younger as part of a mandated or plotted strategy. It's more a side effect of the fact that they will truly run the gamut. Few schools admit college seniors with no deferment period, but Stanford does. Add a few 22-year olds to a class that isn't huge to begin with and it starts to skew the #s. So I read a lot less into GSB's average age than others and remain convinced that its about fit, appropriateness of the degree for your individual path (you are later arriving to your current and future path, which is further evidence that you are a "young" 31 for this process), and the fact that you are an accomplished and interesting woman. Yes, woman. Our "spies" (kidding, Stanford, calm down) tell us that GSB is making every effort to become the foremost training ground for tomorrow's female leaders - both in business and beyond. That goal means that they not only create a "female friendly" culture (ie, they scrub out a-hole, chest-beating alpha males who will bring hostility into the environment), but they also, of course, have to bring in those dynamic women. It's a MUST application if you can show personal passions, diverse perspectives, a habit of academic success, creativity (bingo), and intellectual horsepower (thus, the GMAT pressure). I think it has to stay on the list.

As for the other stated programs, here is my take:

- Wharton - Good choice as it prizes innovation and global focus. Your educational background (especially the underrated part about going to Parsons - don't sleep on that as having real value, especially at schools that prize creativity, which is to say, almost all US programs), your language skills, your travels, your career goals ... it all feeds directly into these crucial "Wharton DNA" elements.

- LBS. Why LBS? It's mainly a finance school and it has always felt a little crusty to me. Plus, it spins your diversity back in the wrong direction with its quotas/limits for North American applicants. I think you can probably still be competitive, but it strikes me as the least appealing option for you.

- INSEAD. Sure, so long as you don't *need* an internship to make the moves you want to make, career wise. The burden of proof is on you to convince INSEAD of this truth. Your language skills and international experiences are obviously critical here, but even more important is getting that "mac and cheese" personality into your app. INSEAD is a "work hard, play hard" school that isn't afraid to even say "we're a party school" or, at the very least, "we're extremely social." Wallflowers need not apply. I think this one is a great choice so long as you explain that you don't need an internship to build toward the post-MBA job.

Oxford - I think you can certainly get in and I'm glad to see it on the list. Oxford values ideas, true learning, looking beyond ourselves at the broader world stage ... just a really cool and underrated program. And as long as you nail their famous Essay #2, you can sort of write your ticket, in our experience.

Other programs - I feel like Haas should be on your list because of the way that school "skews older" (they really value seasoned applicants) and how creative and innovative the program is. I also think Duke and Kellogg are worthy of strong consideration. The former has staked its place on the MBA stage on international focus while the latter has a very underrated global emphasis.

Your potential application weakness is potentially failing to sell all that you have to offer. Presented correctly, your collection of experiences, skills, and traits should allow you to do really well in this process. But you also have a LOT you could share and so strategic application choices will be incredibly important.

Of course, the one wild card is the GMAT. I think you need a 670-690 to be in the ball game everywhere but Stanford, where you will need probably a 720 to have a real strong chance. Wharton probably requires 700+ as well, and it goes without saying that over a 700 would be really nice across the board. 670-690 is "eh, wish it was higher" territory, so you can make it work, but it becomes an uphill battle. Not "scale a glacier" uphill, but more "I have to take off this sweatshirt because I'm working up a bit of a sweat climbing up this gentle slope which is proving to be a bit steeper than it looked from way back there" uphill. 700-720 is "check the box" territory, meaning you are pretty much set at most programs and they stop thinking about your score altogether. It becomes a non-factor, which is often what you are hoping for. Then there's 730+ when you become a "plus" on that point and allow them more flexibility in building the class (a 740 they love can be paired with a 680 they love and it nets out okay) and it also puts you in the mix for scholarships. No pressure:)

Hope this helps. Ping us via PM or mba@amerasiaconsulting.com if you would like a free consultation and to discuss how we might be able to help you pull all of his together.

Respectfully,

Paul Lanzillotti