jhh3000 wrote:
Thank you in advance for the evaluation!
Please note, I plan on applying in 2011 (round 1) for matriculation in 2012. I just want to start thinking about recommenders & what else I should do to strengthen my application (and perhaps what to leave off).
Overview:
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Nationality: Chinese (but US Naturalized Citizen)
Undergraduate: {Top 5 US-University} c/o 2009, Biomedical Engineering degree
GPA: 3.76
GMAT: 720 (equal Quant/Verbal), 6 on both essays
Work Experience:
Deloitte Consulting (6 mo) - left for a smaller firm to specialize in the healthcare industry and have more exposure/influence
{500 People Management Consulting Firm} (current) - NOT big 3, although we compete directly with McK & BCG on nearly all our proposals. I regularly work with the client, lead internal development opportunities, occasionally leading client teams and have a TON of responsibilities.
Other Leadership Experience:
Founding Team (2010-Present), Consulting Director, A Sustainable Healthcare Foundation - leading a team to work on a hospital-turnaround project in Africa
Founding Team (2010-Present), General Manager, A Christian A Cappella Group - leading recruitment, operations, awareness
Founding Team (2005-2009), Cinematography Producer, A Film Production Team - founded 5 years ago, went on to win 2 local film competitions and a film festival
Director of numerous student groups back in College - Should I leave these off?
Now the school list:
1. HBS
2. Stanford
3. Wharton
4. Sloan
5. Fuqua (backup)
So one thing I've noticed is that... for an asian male, my GMAT score of 720 is probably on the lower end for these schools, but I only had a week to prepare for it. I also chose to leave a big consulting firm (albeit not top 3) in search for higher impact work that aligned well with my desire to stay within the healthcare sector. However, I have a story to tell for why this is so, which includes my foundation. I was also thinking of mentioning how I quit my job and found new offers during a recession economy in order to highlight how strongly I believe in what I'm doing and how that move was the right decision... but I guess that could be viewed as boasting and not a qualification or strength.
The last thing to note is that I haven't actually met anyone at my firm with a degree from HBS or Stanford... Will I be at a disadvantage for those schools, even if I can have some great recommendations from Wharton/Sloan/Fuqua alums?
Thank you again!
jhh3000,
You're welcome. To answer your questions
Don't leave off all college leadership experiences. If you run short of room, leave off the most insignificant of them.
Don't apologize for your
GMAT. It is what it is, and it's good and competitive.
Let the responsibilities of your job and the growth you have experienced be known as you tell your story. Don't be defensive and don't look over your shoulder at people at McK or Bain or Booz Allen.
Regarding the recs, there me be a slight, subtle disadvantage to having recs from alumni at other MBA programs, because they cannot speak authoritatively about fit with a given program, ie Harvard. However, that is a slight disadvantage. They should be able to speak truckloads about what you have accomplished and your accomplishments will be valued by all business schools.
Best,
Linda