PresidentBusiness wrote:
Hey!
I'm pretty new to GMAT Club, but I came across this section and saw that you give excellent advice to aspiring applicants, so I thought I'd give it a shot!
Background, Education, and Awards:
Background: White male, 23, US citizen
Undergrad: Top 3 Big Ten school. Majored in Biochemistry with a minor in Business.
GPA: 3.65 GPA; 6 times Dean's List; graduated early (3.5yrs) and with Distinction (Top 20%).
Medical School: >96th percentile on the MCAT. US MD program that does not have an MD/MBA program (I didn't get into a school that had one). Also part of the Honors in Research tract.
GMAT (unofficial): 720 (Q50, V37*), IR 8, AWA (TBD)
Scholarships - 1 in undergrad, 4 in medical school
Work experience, listed chronologically:
1) Camp Counselor (3 months)
2) Student Researcher - Polymer Engineering (6 months)
2) University Orientation Leader (highly competitive position; 6 months)
3) Student Researcher - Pediatric Oncology (15 months)
4) Kaplan MCAT Teacher (5 months)
5) Student Researcher - Cardiothoracic Surgery (3 months to present)
Notable Extracurriculars:
1) Leadership
a) Fraternity (UG) - Philanthropy, Scholarship, and Executive Board
b) Executive Board (MD) - Class Treasurer
2) Business
a) Business in Medicine Organization (MD) - President and Founder
b) Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (UG) - Member
3) Medical
a) Surgery Interest Group (MD) - Vice President
b) American Medical Association (MD) - Member and Fundraising Chair
c) Community Clinic (MD) - Volunteer
d) Emergency Room (UG) - Volunteer
Now before I dive into my school list, please know that I HAVE to apply to 1-year MBA programs. To earn the MBA I'll need to take a deferment between my 3rd and 4th years of medical school, and you're only allowed to take 1-year off. I cannot do the MBA after medical school, which would allow me to apply to all programs, because it would inhibit my acceptance into a residency program. Plus, the 1-year programs are cheaper, and I'm already looking at being ~$200k in debt from medical school alone...
Schools (Applying Fall 2015)
1) Northwestern (best school; very close to me)
2) Notre Dame (wouldn't have to move TOO far)
3) Cornell
4) Emory
5) Maybe USC, though they prefer older students...
6) Others? Not sure. (Babson, BU, Cambridge, Oxford)
Questions:
1) I'm a little bummed about my *Verbal score. I was always within the 42-45 range, and the downgrade to the 37 dropped me way down from my usual 760/770 score on GMATPrep. Is this something I should be concerned about? I really don't think I will have time to retake the test, but I could maybe squeeze it in.
2) What do you think my chances are at the schools I listed, particularly Kellogg? Should I try for some of those other schools?
3) Is there anything else that I should focus on for improving my application before application season rolls around next year?
Thanks in advance!
PB
Hey there PB!
First of all thanks for the amazingly detailed post. It helps me help you.
First things first: I don't think you have anything to worry about. You have a fantastic overall profile that would be great for top schools. Since you have this constraint you are applying to the one-year programs, but honestly, although it's hard to say what might happen with one specific school, I think you should have a good shot at Kellogg. the most important thing would be to let them know that it's your best option, that you love the school, that it's perfect for you and why. And I think your profile will take care of the rest for you.
Just make sure that it all fits together - your one year off, your MBA, your MD, and how they all fit towards a specific set of goals. If it makes sense, it will help a lot.
Good luck dude,
And if there's anything else at all, just drop a line,
Best,
JF
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26 Jul 2014, 17:56
