mbaMission Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Apr 2013
Posts: 4404
Given Kudos: 1
Re: Profile Review.
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01 Jul 2013, 14:00
Hi and thanks for sharing your profile and plans!
It's great that you are planning ahead for the future and have an MBA in your sights. You sound ambitious and determined which will take you far. You can certainly consider applying to programs, either those that have a particular option for undergrads (HBS, ISB, Yale, Stanford) and/or other programs.
I do need to keep things honest and direct though and let you know that your chances at those programs, and other top 5-10 b-schools globally AT THIS POINT IN TIME are fairly slim. First and foremost is the sheer fact that SO MANY apply to all of these programs, and the % of accepted applicants is low. To gain acceptance you truly have to STAND OUT from the crowd in memorable and meaningful ways, and to demonstrate that you know exactly what you want-- you have a clear career plan including shorter and longer term goals, you can make the case for why you need the MBA and why you want to apply NOW, as well as a compelling case for why each particular school is best for you. You also need to convincingly explain what about you is unique and what you'll bring to the class, generally this includes a mixture of character traits and experiences. As an undergrad student, you will have a more limited number of experiences to draw from and no professional experiences, which makes it all the more challenging. Certainly you have some good extracurricular activities, and your volunteering you mentioned is notable, but in terms of what to do to strengthen your application at this point in time, it would mean knocking the GMAT out of the park, coming up with outstanding and compelling application essays touching on the points I have mentioned, and then also keeping in mind that chances are slim and that you may want to try in a couple of years after getting some professional work experience under your belt.
Let us know if you have other specific q's and good luck on your upcoming decisions!