MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 2226
Given Kudos: 3
Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Profile Evaluation and school selection request
[#permalink]
27 Jul 2016, 22:20
Hi there, thanks for sharing your details with us. Your GMAT is lagging a bit, but you’re right, if HBS is a goal of yours, you need to go after it in R1, and with that, you don’t have to time to give the GMAT another shot this cycle. However, in your applicant pool, you’ll be behind the curve on the GMAT at all top 10 programs, so that is something to consider, especially if you’ve only taken the test once.
Your 3 years at Cisco shows some decent work experience, but nothing really stands out. High ratings and a promotion is par for the course. You mentioned recognition – what kind of recognition are we talking about? You highlighted initiatives – how substantial are these? What impact did you have throughout the organization? Leadership is huge for top 10 schools, especially at HBS and this is where you need to stand out.
Now, your startup could be your ticket. Growing a company of 20, breaking even, and becoming profitable in just 6 months is impressive. But I’m sure the devil is in the details here. You’re quite generic in describing the company (which is fine for this forum), but fully expect to have to dive deep into your company and what you plan to do with it in the near term. Your goals don’t mention your company at all – why not? Are you closing up shop? The weight the AdComm puts on your startup experience will depend on the size, scope, and legitimacy so detailing out your experiences and what you learned as a leader through this experience will be critical.
I’m missing your involvement. What have you done in your community lately? Whether it be volunteer opportunities or CSR activities through your company – this is a big focus area to the AdComm to give them some insight on the causes you care about.
Hope this information helps. Best of luck on your applications this year!