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01 May 2015, 18:44
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello:
I am a 31 yr old classical musician (violist) with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in music from the University of Southern California, and I am looking to get into a top 20 MBA program to work ultimately in Real Estate Development. It is an industry I have always been interested in, and I feel that now is the right time in my life to explore that opportunity more fully. As much as I love music, it is quite difficult to make a decent living, so I'd like to make a career switch.
I have a 3.05 undergraduate GPA and a 3.66 graduate GPA from USC. My GRE scores are a 158 Verbal / 157 Quant / 4.5 Writing. I also obtained a California Real Estate license last year just so I had one under my belt, in case I ever went into RE brokerage.
In addition to working regularly as a musician, I have also held a day job (for greater financial stability) for the last 4.5 yrs at a major television network here in Los Angeles. I have received a raise and/or new job basically every year there, although none of my responsibilities thus far have included managing or supervising anyone.
I went ahead and applied in the final round this spring to 6 different full time programs, just to see what would happen... However, in the 2 interviews I have had so far (Georgetown and UNC Chapel Hill), I am being asked whether I took any Math in college and whether my day job includes any management duties. The answer to these questions is no, unfortunately, and I am concerned this is perhaps hurting my overall candidacy.
If none of the schools to which I applied accepts me, is it worth it to apply again in Round 1/Early Decision in the fall, and in the meantime, take an accounting/macro/microeconomics class at a community college over the summer to have something more business-related on my otherwise creatively-oriented resume?
I also wonder if I should have a GMAT score to report in addition to my GRE, or is the GRE sufficient? All of the schools to which I applied stated they did not prefer one score over the other.
Thank you very much for your input.
I am a 31 yr old classical musician (violist) with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in music from the University of Southern California, and I am looking to get into a top 20 MBA program to work ultimately in Real Estate Development. It is an industry I have always been interested in, and I feel that now is the right time in my life to explore that opportunity more fully. As much as I love music, it is quite difficult to make a decent living, so I'd like to make a career switch.
I have a 3.05 undergraduate GPA and a 3.66 graduate GPA from USC. My GRE scores are a 158 Verbal / 157 Quant / 4.5 Writing. I also obtained a California Real Estate license last year just so I had one under my belt, in case I ever went into RE brokerage.
In addition to working regularly as a musician, I have also held a day job (for greater financial stability) for the last 4.5 yrs at a major television network here in Los Angeles. I have received a raise and/or new job basically every year there, although none of my responsibilities thus far have included managing or supervising anyone.
I went ahead and applied in the final round this spring to 6 different full time programs, just to see what would happen... However, in the 2 interviews I have had so far (Georgetown and UNC Chapel Hill), I am being asked whether I took any Math in college and whether my day job includes any management duties. The answer to these questions is no, unfortunately, and I am concerned this is perhaps hurting my overall candidacy.
If none of the schools to which I applied accepts me, is it worth it to apply again in Round 1/Early Decision in the fall, and in the meantime, take an accounting/macro/microeconomics class at a community college over the summer to have something more business-related on my otherwise creatively-oriented resume?
I also wonder if I should have a GMAT score to report in addition to my GRE, or is the GRE sufficient? All of the schools to which I applied stated they did not prefer one score over the other.
Thank you very much for your input.
05 May 2015, 17:45
Kudos
Bookmarks
You don't really need the GMAT, since GRE is getting more widely accepted, but you clearly have an "unorthodox" background for an MBA to be sure. WHat you will need to demonstrate are a keep aptitude for business leadership and a strong vision for your future which leverages what you have achieved in your past. Using b-school as a "reset" or "reboot" on your career because you desire to make more money will be poorly received by all business schools. The leadership or management skills do not have to be demonstrated on the job necessarily, although it would be great if you could do so through your real estate endeavors, particularly since that's the area you want to pursue after school. Remember you will need recommendations from your employers too, so certainly making a good impression at the TV station would go a long way towards obtaining a favorable recommendation from someone who can say you have real leadership potential especially vs. your peers. Taking some courses would be a good idea, because you will be ill prepared for the quantitative rigors of b-school without brushing up on your higher level math skills. taking a course or two and getting a good grade would be a good idea for anyone coming from a non-traditional background. Schools like to diversify their student body, but must be assured you can handle the coursework and also contribute something of real value in the classroom from your experience.
05 May 2015, 17:56
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bryantmichaels
Thank you very much for the feedback... Fortunately, I did not state in my essays that I wanted to make more money (I knew that wouldn't be good).
I will go ahead and look into some quant coursework for the summer, if I do need to re-apply. I haven't heard from a few schools still, but I know Round 3 is a long shot for anyone (regardless of background), so I might as well begin my "Plan B" now.
Someone else recommended I also redo the GRE... I had scored 158 V / 157 Q, and these scores reflected the average admitted GRE scores at several top 20 B schools from the most current US News rankings, which is why I felt comfortable applying now to see what would happen.
What do you recommend doing? Retake the GRE once more, or stick with my current score and instead focus on bolstering my application with an "A" grade in a microeconomics, accounting, or statistics course over the summer?
Thanks again for the advice. Much appreciated.
