Hi Linda:
I feel that I have a unusual story to tell and would appreciate your thoughts. I thought it was curious enough that I threw up a hailmary last year to five top 10 bschools with a 660 GMAT, and managed to find a couple of waitlists though no acceptance. I focused on the GMAT heavily this summer and am planning to re-apply. Let me know if you think my experience is different enough to catch some eyeballs.
Male / USA / 25
Education:
BA from a Top 20 US University. 3.7 GPA, cum laude.
GMAT: 710/6.0 – Improved from last year's 660/6.
Experience:
(1) Developed a celebrity website at age 15 that caught the attention of star's management. 1999 was still the internet's infancy, so I parlayed my web knowledge into a consulting gig with two major movie houses. Part time work for two years until I left for college at 17.
(2) Began working full-time my Sophomore year of college as a director of interactive marketing for a boutique fashion/entertainment youth marketing group in NYC. Ran conference calls and meetings in between classes, flew to LA on weekends, etc. Oversaw online marketing for artists on three different record labels. Lasted full-time 18 months.
(3) Upon graduation, my online poker hobby had turned into a skill, and I delayed the workforce for poker. Played full-time for one year earning six figures.
(4) Took a job as director of marketing at a small poker related business. In my two year tenure, I helped increase revenues by over 500% to a high 7 figure number, successfully pitched a branded TV show to NBC, and secured a multi-million marketing deal with a billion dollar online gaming entity. *In addition, continued playing online poker to supplement my income, earning six figures annually in high stakes poker games.*
(5) Left job voluntarily to pursue Talmudic studies in Jerusalem. **this may look like a two year gap to schools, even though I continued with part-time consulting which is reflected on my resume.
Extra-Curriculars:
(1) Founded a record label my first year out of college. Lost money ultimately, but gained lots of experience working through all elements of music industry.
(2) Was hand picked as a research assistant by the Dean of my University and served in that role for a summer to aid in his planned book.
(3) Served as a student sponsor for two years in NYC, mentoring and partially financing the tuition of an under-priveledged NYC high schooler.
(4) Maintained an active poker blog with thousands of weekly readers.
Post-MBA Goals:
Short Term: Very interested in social entrepreneurship, but that doesn't reflect my experience background. Excited about the continually increasing opportunities of the web on charities - Donorschoose/Kiva for example - and would love to use my background to impact that sector.
Long Term: Philanthropy - Ford/Gates, etc.
Applications tend to emphasize my focus on business ethics, and the Jewish/Talmudic training that has given me a foundation in those tenets.
Schools I am targeting: Harvard/Kellogg/NYU/Yale/Duke/Tepper/UCLA/Georgetown
Would appreciate any thoughts/evaluation you might have. Assume you might also suggest your services to make my story more cohesive
I'll certainly consider it.
close
21 Jul 2010, 06:05
