m3131 wrote:
Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing great! Would appreciate any advice on my profile below. I’ve taken the GMAT once (September 12, 2023) but didn’t get a great score and feeling discouraged.
I’m hoping to take it again to improve score, but work has been crazy busy, and the GMAT has been an exhausting process for me and I don’t know if I have the battery to push once more, so hoping my profile is good enough to apply to R2 with my current score.
30-Year-Old Hispanic Male (born and raised in Mexico, dual US/Mexico citizenship)
Academics
• Undergrad – Civil engineering, UT Austin, 3.67/4.00 GPA
• GMAT – 690 (V36, Q47) – I’ve been getting 730s (V41, Q49) on my practice tests,
but I think anxiety gets the best of me on tests and I don’t think there’ll be any way to deal with that
Work Experience
• 7 years of experience as a water resources engineer working for a Fortune 500 civil engineering firm.
Specialized in dam/levee modeling, coastal resiliency, channel restoration, overall drainage/sewer system design,
working for various federal and municipal clients varying from FEMA to Army Corps of Engineers to state agencies (DOTs, cities, counties)
Currently serving as project engineer in NY.
• Licensed as a professional engineer and floodplain manager in both NY and TX.
Extracurricular During College
• American Society of Civil Engineers - Steel Bridge Captain (2015-2016) – Captain of 10-person team representing UT Austin in yearly state competition,
designing and testing a steel bridge structure (40-ft long and 7-ft tall), competing against other Texas schools
• Vice-President of Chi Epsilon (2015-2016) – Civil engineering honors society, mostly focused on organizing networking events, providing tutoring and community service
• Projects for Underserved Communities (2014-2015) – team lead for group of 7 social work and civil engineer students.
Designed, fundraised, and constructed a ramp and drainage system in small rural health clinic outside Managua, Nicaragua
Extracurricular After College
• Engineers Without Borders (2017-Current) – volunteered as project lead for water supply projects in communities in Bolivia and Guatemala,
focusing on design and fundraising of projects (~$35,000 fundraised). Traveled to Guatemala recently to construct water supply project and currently designing second phase of project.
• American Society of Civil Engineers – current member, volunteering in different events focused on pre-college outreach, providing activities and resources to students interested in STEM careers
Post MBA goal: Management consulting / infrastructure consulting and strategy
Ideal Schools: Wharton (dream school), MIT, Columbia, Kellogg, NYU Stern, Booth
Appreciate any advice you can offer! Thanks again!
👋 Hey
m3131,
Here is what I would suggest:
Evaluation:
🌉 Your profile reflects deep expertise in civil engineering and that too from UT Austin, which is combined with a genuine intent to contribute to society. Serving diverse clients, from FEMA to the Army Corps, showcases versatility.
📈
Strengths:
➡️ Technical Mastery: Seven years in water resources engineering, with an emphasis on specialized areas like dam modeling, provides depth. Your licensure in NY and TX adds credibility.
➡️ Social Commitment: Your consistent involvement, from student projects in Nicaragua to Engineers Without Borders, highlights sustained societal impact.
🔍
Areas to Enhance:
➡️ GMAT Disparity: Your GMAT score of 690 is decent but slightly below for your target schools.
➡️ Post-MBA Clarity: Transitioning from technical to management consulting needs a solid rationale.
🌐
Recommendations:
➡️ If possible, retake the GMAT and aim for a 710+. Alternatively, emphasize projects where you showcased management aptitude, like steering a $10M dam project to completion 20% under budget.
➡️ Elaborate on how your deep technical insights, combined with an MBA, can bring unparalleled value to management consulting, especially in infrastructure projects.
➡️ Overall your profile is highly impressive, but you need to craft a solid application for your target schools to standout in the competitive landscape
➡️ Showcase the impact you’ve made during the projects for underserved communities.
Target Schools:
➡️ Dream - Chicago Booth, Columbia, Wharton
➡️ Competitive - Duke, Kellogg, NYU, Ross, Cornell
➡️ Safe - Vanderbilt, UNC, USC Marshall
If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a FREE call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
👉
Click Here to Set-Up a FREE Call 👈
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28 Sep 2023, 16:44
