Profile Review
[#permalink]
30 Jun 2020, 14:24
Please see below for a glimpse of my profile. Any feedback is appreciated!
· Demographics (nationality, gender):
U.S. Citizen, White Male, Age 27 by matriculation
· Education (undergraduate institution, GPA, major - high school/entrance exams not needed):
Penn State University, 3.6 GPA, Bachelor's Degree (double major in Management Information Systems and Finance)
· GMAT or GRE (include section breakdown):
730 (49Q / 40V / 6IR) - planning to retake and shoot for 750+
· Work experience (highlight amount of work experience, industries, roles, promotions, special accomplishments, international exposure)
3.5 years now / 4.5 at matriculation for a mid-tier consulting firm (not quite B4 but we compete directly against them). Exposure to wide breadth of industries. Most of my projects have been around process improvement, merger integration, portfolio optimization, program management, etc. Two promotions to date (Associate > Sr Associate > Supervisor), which is basically a role "junior manager" role between Senior Associate and Manager. Promoted faster than average and recently received maximum performance rating in year-end evaluations (top 10%). Significant international experience - worked on a project (and lived) in Eastern Europe for 6 months and I plan on making that a big piece of my story. I know it's not MBB/B4/ACCN but I have plenty of stories/accomplishments to highlight to show that I've been a high performer and a "big fish in a small pond"
· Extracurricular activities (highlight notable undergraduate and post-undergraduate ones):
Board of Directors / Director of Mentoring Program for local nonprofit that helps underprivileged/ESL high school students with career/college prep (resumes, scholarships, interviews, etc.)
Heavily involved in firm recruiting - attend campus career fairs, conduct first-round interviews for my group, participate in panels, give intern presentations, etc.
Lead a couple sub-committees within my firm, heavily involved in a variety of firm initiatives
Ongoing mentor for my undergrad business school
· Post-MBA goals:
Transition from management consulting to strategy consulting. Most of the work I do now is related to enhancing the efficiencies of the back-office functions of a business (e.g. Finance/Accounting/IT/HR, etc). We help companies implement their strategy but typically play very little role in dictating it. I want to move to the strategy side and learn to look at a company's business environment from a wider lens. I want to develop a broader skill set that encompasses all business functions and work with organizations to set their direction instead of following it.
My short-term goal is to work for a MBB/T2 firm for a few years and broaden my skill set. I think developing strategy experience will complement the hands-on implementation experience I already have and help make me more well-rounded. Long term, I'd like to work in upper management for an organization whose purpose I find fulfilling (perhaps EdTech or a non-profit dedicated to mentoring/education)
· Target schools:
Reach: Kellogg, Booth
Target: Fuqua, Ross, Tuck, Darden, YSOM
My biggest concern is that I'm going to be thrown into the "White Male Consultant" bucket and I don't really have anything particularly strong to help me stand out. I think it'll come down to my ability to effectively craft my story and essays to highlight how my WE has differentiated me from the typical consultant. That being said, a few questions:
1) What do my chances look like at the M7 schools? Kellogg is the #1 choice
2) Are my Target schools within reach? Do I have a shot at a merit scholarship?
3) What impact do you think a 750+ GMAT would have on my chances for M7 and my chances for a merit scholarship at a T15