So I am seriously considering throwing my hat into the ring for the Fall 2012 intake, here are my stats:
Me: 27 (29 at matriculation)/M/Hispanic (family from Venezuela)
Work Experience: 4 years + 2 years of grad school. Right now I am a regional account manager for a global financial software and consulting company headquartered in London (my office is in NYC and I deal with all of our clients (major banks, hedge funds, trading firms etc) in the Americas). Just out of college I worked for a large online company doing development and business strategy (they were a nascent company that was growing rapidly). I also ran my own web development and consulting company from 2005 (while still in college) until the end of last year, where I had clients in the US, Canada, and Latin America. So my focus has been on managing clients and working on an international level. In graduate school I worked in Chile and Venezuela as well.
GMAT: haven't taken yet but hoping for 740-760, based on practice tests. I'll be taking a
Manhattan GMAT class in July/Aug.
Undergrad GPA: 3.56 from top 3 public, Int'l Relations with a focus on Latin American development
Grad GPA: 3.47 from Ivy, Master of City Planning (my focus here was international development, city planning was a broad enough Masters Program to allow for that). I do have ONE low grade here, but it was in an urban design class for a project building a massive development on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia which required expert knowledge of design software (which I did not have). I wanted try something different while focusing on something international. I had all my numbers etc for the project thoroughly thought out and explained. My design? Not so hot.
Post MBA goals: Although I've worked a fair amount in the IT/Web space post-college, my goal is more international business/development (specifically emerging markets). I am going to try to craft what I've done as a path towards getting managing experience and international exposure.
ECs: I have volunteered with the Salvation Army and in local public schools (helping ESL kids with English). I've also volunteered in nursing homes. In NYC, I'm starting to do more with the NY road runners and working with latino groups here. I'm also an avid runner (I ran the Richmond marathon in 2003, and am running the NY marathon this fall). I have played jazz piano on a professional level for over a decade.
Languages: English, Spanish (near fluent), Portuguese (ok), Italian (ok)
Reach: Wharton, HBS, Stanford, LBS
Target: NYU, Columbia, Darden, INSEAD, IE, IESE
Thanks in advance, and I apologize for the length of my profile!