Profile evaluation: GMAT 720, attorney, 27M

Hello, Ilgattopardo. I agree with desertEagle. Find a more positive way to spin your story, and you should have a better chance than you think. I recall seeing a video advertised on the main page for a week or so in which an East Asian male earned a 730 score but gained admission to Columbia. (I found the video on YouTube, here, in case you are curious.) I would also recommend you run your profile by some admissions consultants in the Ask Admissions Consultants forum. You should get plenty of insightful feedback, and you never know where such expert guidance will lead you.

Best of luck.

- Andrew

Hi Ilgattopardo,

Thank you for sharing your profile. We work with many lawyers and know what it takes to make the transition.

To address your GMAT question, a 740+ would give you a better competitive edge, particularly if you are interested in the M7s. While a 720 could work at HBS and GSB, they are both quite random so it is difficult to definitively say. Wharton is more quant-focused so this may be more of a challenge.

While you may have some gaps in terms of EC's and recommenders (we can help you select and prepare these), it sounds like you have some solid material to use in your personal story. Defining your story may be the hardest and the most important part of the application and we advise candidates to devote considerable time to this. Here are some tips to get started:

• Make a list of everything you have done in your life and take the time to write it all down. Think carefully about the decisions you have made, activities you enjoy and most importantly, why you made those choices.
• Think about your future goals. What do you want to do after you earn your MBA and again, why?
• Next, look for a theme! What single idea connects these together? This is the hard part, so give it time.

A lot will come down to connecting your current work with your post-MBA goal of consulting. When sharing this career goal, you will want to be sure that you are sharing how you will make your unique mark within the consulting industry (i.e., perhaps you intend to develop a specific area of expertise within consulting). In other words, you should go beyond stating the position you are hoping to achieve and share your vision for improving your chosen field/company.

Happy to further discuss your profile, application strategy and target school list: scott@personalmbacoach.com

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach

That's very kind. Thanks!

Thanks! Will do.

Thank you for the input. I definitely won't apply to HBS, GSB or Wharton as they are all such long shots, but other M7 schools I might try to. Ideally I would be most keen on CBS.

Hi, Ilgattopardo,

Thank you for your post!

First, I would like to say you did well, backing a 720 in GMAT; what makes it more exceptional is your background, so kudos on that! Coming to your GPA, it's decent! However, I would suggest you add more to your statistics during your graduation and try to add any additional courses, certifications, and academic accolades won. About your work experience, it's less, so you would need to back them up with substantial examples of excellence in the field, decision-making, and analytical skills in your tenure. Moreover, you need to be extremely clear on how an MBA can help you reach your goals and mention your motivation/driving force, your aspirations, and finally, why you think it's a good choice for you to go for an MBA now and you have relevant skills to be successful!

Coming to ECAs, you need to add some relevant volunteering and community work, and even some hobbies will do. Mention all about your contribution, the challenges faced, leadership roles played, the impact generated, and the relevant skills developed through your ECAs to bank upon them! You can also add about the experience as an exchange student and the diversity in the culture at King's College London, which would give new horizons to explore in front of the adcom!

Overall, you do have a decent profile; however, as you want to go into consulting, you need to link your past experiences with your post-MBA goals in a manner so that they appear Collinear with your post-MBA goals. We could also help you build a strong profile aligned with the school values and help draft essays that would mesmerize the adcom; however, I would require more information on your work experience to present the lack of years positively and try to build up substantially on it! If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with shortlisting MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Let's prepare a 2-month action plan for Round 1

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
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Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

Ilgattopardo:

Thanks so much for posting.

Even with a higher GMAT score, I don't think M7 is really in the cards for you. You are probably being a bit hard on yourself, but assuming the "content" isn't there, it's going to be really difficult. That assessment has less to do with you being a lawyer (there are many lawyers who pursue MBAs post-JD), but I don't see the level of achievement in your profile to crack the top 10 schools. You might have a shot at Top 15-25, but it's going to require some solid essays to get you over the top.

Don't doubt yourself, but start to build a smart, hedged strategy for this upcoming season. Please reach out to us for a free consultation if you are in the market for an admissions consultant and would like to chat with our team about your chances, ways to improve from now until application season, and our consulting services.

https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/

Hi Ilgattopardo hope this finds you well

If anything, you managed to downplay your profile pretty well. Totally recommend against doing this if you are a serious MBA applicant.

As a lawyer, you already represent a differentiated pool of applicants. A lawyer with fintech and blockchain experience is as interesting as it can be. Even though you hated this stint, I am sure there must have been some learnings and insights that could become interesting conversation starters for your application and interviews. Also, not having active volunteering work does not reckon a straight weakness in your profile. You may have overcome bigger challenges in your personal and professional life as an LGBT or you may have touched the lives of others around you at work or outside by standing up for a cause you strongly believe in. And the command over 3 languages is sure to get you brownie points.

Think about what would you like to do as a consultant. If the tech does not interest you, what industry would you like to explore where your prior experience also adds value. Presenting thorough research on your goals and a well-executed application can surely get you calls from the top 10 global programs. A 740+ score on GMAT would immensely improve the odds for an M7 MBA.

Stay optimistic!

Best wishes

Thanks for the feedback! I definitely am still weighing my options (we have local consultants too). It is true that I tend to downplay myself lol. The clients I've worked for have a ton of brand recognition and cover a wide range of different sectors (oil & gas giant, multiple multinational conglomerates, major car manufacturer, major Californian tech companies etc.), and since our firm is compact, every case is basically just me + the partner. But I am not the confident/aggressive type so I will need to polish the essays.

Hello Ilgattopardo,

Hope this finds you well.

You definitely have a differentiated profile and that is bound to have an impact on your overall chances provided you are able to weave your story in a compelling manner. A lot will depend on how well you focus on your strengths.

We would have definitely liked to see a score around 740+ for you to have a solid chance of making it to an M7 program. We understand that subsequent attempts can be exhausting but there isn't much to lose if you take another attempt.

Hope this helps.

All the best!