profile evaluation request

Question

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PersonalMBACoach · Answer

atcooke,

Your defense experience should make for some interesting essays, even if you cannot go into complete detail. How have you performed at work relative to your peers? What has your salary progression been like over the years and how strong would your letters of reference be?

I ask because your GMAT and GPA will not help you a great deal in the application, so we want the other parts of your application to shine. Assuming you are a stellar performer at work, with a very strong story you would have a good shot at Ross, Duke, CBS and a bit of a reach for MIT, Kellogg, Booth.

The good news is your profile is somewhat differentiated with your work experience, but I do want to know more before providing a complete evaluation. When you say you have led several projects, did you lead across countries, lead contractors etc as well?

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

Dear Atcooke,

A few reflections on your profile and plans:
 
  The brand of your undergrad school will bring credibility. While your intent at redemption is good, but adcoms want something more than that - some evidence that that is indeed the case. The GMAT will marginally (if at all) help. Perhaps some courses/certifications or a re-take can add weight there. Also be prepared to explain why things didn't go right during undergrad 
  While your experience is non-common, the onus of showing its value for your post-MBA goals lies on you. And that's a big task. The top consulting firms rarely have consultants dedicated to defense/aero industries. Even if they do, whether you get into that group depends more on supply demand rather than your choices - at least during the initial stages. So make sure you've researched on the feasibility and have thought your post-MBA plans through.  
  For reasons mentioned  here , I will refrain from providing gut-based, school specific assessment. At a very high level though, the school list is pretty aggressive. If consulting is your aim, there are others you should consider as well to hedge your risks.

Hope this helps further

Cheers,

atcooke · Answer

Thanks for the feedback.
PMC,
I have been and continue to be the lead on several projects of significance that I should be able to speak to in my resume/essays. I'm not in a supervisory role but I have experience managing people/tasks/objectives in a project management environment. I am also the lead for my department on a joint US and UK design effort and interface with our counterparts in the UK pretty regularly. 
MG4,
You make a good point about industry-specific consulting. I have read that at the higher levels consultants will sometimes specialize in certain industries so perhaps that is more of a long term goal.

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing your information. While your GMAT is in good standing, keep in mind it is either right at or slightly below the median GMAT at the schools you listed. Also, your GPA is a big of a flag - now, don't get me wrong, the AdCom knows what the engineering program at Michigan is all about, but anything under their median (especially below 3.0) will be noticeable. Does this mean that you should take a look at other schools? Probably, but we'll need to learn more about your experience, accomplishments, and unique qualities before we land on a target list of schools. There are many schools out there that can help you achieve your goals, so not to worry there. Let us know if you'd like to chat for a  free consultation , we'd love to hear from you!

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

Being an ex-consultant, I know this quite certainly. Specialist Vs Generalist debate has been raging for years but more often than not, the generalist take the cake.

Cheers

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