Profile Review - New Member

Question

Hi all,

New to this site, but am looking to get a good feel for whether my dream school (University of Connecticut) is within reach for me. Some advice about what I could do to improve or if I am way out of my league would be very much appreciated!

Personal Information: 
White/Male
Age: 22
GMAT: 700 (Q49, V38)

Undergraduate: 
Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University, GPA 3.1

Work Experience: 
-1 year with Fraenkische USA as an Application Engineer. I head up new product evalutations for the corrugated plastic tubing company Fraenkische Industrial Pipes' USA division in Anderson, SC. I also run the logistics and efficiency studies of our newly implimented assembly process for fuel tank lines for use in BMW's engines. I am also leading a project to decomission one of our older corregation lines while desing replacement parts for all customers who currently receive parts from this machine. Finally, I am in charge of all of the environmental impacts from our plant as well as handling supplier quality issues.
-1 summer internship (don't know if this counts or I should include it, but will tell you all I have to offer) with Controls Southeast, Inc in Pineville, NC. I worked as a junior project manager for the steam solutions company, abbreviated CSI, assisting the PMAs with bill of material analyses, energy consumption studies for clients, and research into insulation solutions.

Extra Curricular/Honors: 
- Calhoun Honors College at Clemson University
- Receipient of two scholarships at Clemson (Women's Trustees Board Scholarship and another I do not recall the name of, but it was an out-of-state waiver since I am originally from Atlanta, GA)
- 4 year member in Alpha Lambda Delta honors fraternity
- 3 year member of Clemson TigerBand (marching band - Mellophone)
- 2 year member of Clemson Pep Band
- 3 year member of Clemson Symphony Orchestra (French Horn)
- Team leader for senior design project dealing with the design and implimentation of a fat rendering plant turning low grade tallow (animal fats) into a profitable good (Polyolesters, a form of high temperature industrial lubricants). As team leader, I conducted all of the project planning, supervision, and management while still pulling (more than, to be honest) my equal share in the project.

Target Schools: 
University of Connecticut School of Business

Post MBA: 
I want to work in upper-management at a manfucaturing company either as a plant manager or as a regional manager. I enjoy thinking of logistics and feasibility of things and would love to see that maximized in my future career.

So am I completely out of my league aiming for a school like UConn? How competitive will I be and what would you gauge my chance of admission as? I am very open to any critiques or things I can do to improve my application before I formally apply. I am looking to enroll (hopefully) as a full-time MBA student in the Fall 2012. Thank you for the time to assist me!

bakfed · Answer

As far as I know, you seem to be fitting very well with the UConn MBA class profile and your GMAT is going to help you big time in getting admitted to UConn. Your work experience, however, seems a bit slim. I believe UConn requires 2 years of full-time work experience and just from reading your profile, I don't see the two years full-time working experience. But if you do have that, I think you should be good to go.

pitpit · Answer

Seeing as there is nothing I can do to increase my work experience other than wait, do you believe I have much of a chance in applying for this upcoming fall? The timing, for me, would be best this fall for personal reasons, etc. I knew I would want to get my MBA, but that is why I am trying to return to school so quickly. I would really like to be in the program starting Fall 2012. Please advise. Also, any tips for what I should focus on when writing my essays. I figure I have a few points I could chose from: leading my senior design project in school and leading the assembly department at work, that I am a Chemical Engineering degree holder (I haven't seen too many in the profiles I've looked through on here), or should I focus on the fact that I am a southern boy applying, likely, in a pool of mostly northerns. Seeing as this is my first (and hopefully last) time applying, I'd love any help someone with more expertise than myself could offer! Thanks!

bakfed · Answer

I think most schools (double check with UConn) do count the time between application and matriculation as continuous full-time experience. So for example, your work experience right now is 1 year, but as you continue working through June or July of 2012, this will add another 10 months or so to your work experience. I think the easiest thing for you to do is to contact UConn and see if you can reach an admissions advisor. They'll be at a better position to tell you to wait or to apply given your status.

pitpit · Answer

The contact I have had with UConn's MBA program consisted of them giving me the following statement:

"While your work experience falls below our average, you might still be considered for admission with the work experience you have so far and also if you have a good GMAT score and GPA. The admissions committee would take a close look at the quality of the work experience you have gained so far."

I was just wondering that with what I consider a "low GPA" of 3.1 in Chemical Engineering, if I had a legitimate shot at getting in. I know my GMAT score is high, and I think I have decent extracurriculars, so I was just looking for someone with more experiences opinion. Thank you!

bakfed · Answer

Considering that response from the adcoms, I think you have a fairly good shot at getting in. Most people on this board will not be able to give you a firm answer as most are targeting other programs. But judging from the type of resonse the adcoms gave you, you should have a pretty good shot at getting in even though your work experience may fall short.

pitpit · Answer

While I know no one here can give me a definite yes or no, I was just looking for a better guided opinion than the one I have. Clearly, I think I am good enough for UConn's MBA program, but I don't think they'll let me judge my own app

I appreciate your help on giving me a barometer of where I stand. Any tips in going forward with the application? aka. What should I focus on?

bakfed · Answer

From a pure application standpoint, you should really bring out your strengths and leadership due to your work experience. Try to really display that leadership and sponsor the responsibilities that you have with your professional atmosphere, as well as clubs & organizations outside of work. Your GPA and GMAT should be fine and shouldn't require any additional input beside the #s themselves. Make sure you really answer the prompt for the essays and proofread, then proofread, and finally, proofread again.

pitpit · Answer

Thank you for all of your advice, bakfed. I will definitely take it into consideration going forward. Should I look into a service to evaluate my application or will I be safe using peers/colleagues of mine to review my essays etc? If you think I should use an advisor, can you recommend one to me? Thank you!

EDIT: Also, do you have any idea as to how freaquently UConn awards scholarships/waives tuition/etc? Clearly, finances play a part into the whole graduate school picture. So, any advice or trends on awarding GAs or tuition waivers would be great to know. Again, thank you.

bakfed · Answer

Whether to use an admission consultant is a choice you'll have to make. I really don't have any expertise in the professional admission consulting and would be doing you a disfavor if I ever cross down this path. I would say that try to find family and friends who are willing to give you unbiased opinion first, and if you're not satisfied, go for the consultant (and I still won't be able to comment much about which consultant to use since i have no prior experience).

Scholarships, I do not know. But scholarships are generally awarded based on schools' desire to have you there. Chances are, for someone with moderate GPA and an average GMAT score, and who has been doing accounting for the last 4 years and has an accounting major in college, and who also has 200 other people with the same profile applying, that person won't get a scholarship simply because of the population applying to that specific pool is way too many. But considering another example - someone who majored in anthropology in college, worked for Goldman Sachs for two years, then traveled to Ghana to rescue animals, then founded a non-profit for underpriviledge children for equal education, has a 680 GMAT, applying to UConn. This person will probably get some scholarship mainly because of the applicant's well-roundedness. I hope this makes sense. There's really no telling about scholarship (unless it's indicated by the school that they give out certain academic scholarship due to a high GMAT and GPA).

pitpit · Answer

That makes sense. Thank you again for all your help!

FutureWorks · Answer

Hello There

If you wish to apply to top business schools then one of the prerequisites is having significant work experience. Generally candidates have around 4-5 years of full time experience in spite of several term time projects or jobs; so you may be competing with other candidates who have 4-5 years of full time experience and have started significant initiatives at college. 
Hence, we would advise you to gain some full time work experience before you decide to apply for an MBA. If you don’t wish to do so them, you could look at the HBS 2+2 program or the Yale Silver Scholars program.

pitpit · Answer

As far as I am aware looking at rankings, etc, UConn is not what I would consider a "top" B-school. I am hoping that I can mold my current work experience into showing that even in my one year, I have both accomplished a lot and grown a lot through the projects I have headed up and completed.

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