Hi
23mbaapplicantusa, thanks for reaching out to us at
mbaMission with your profile. Overall, your profile looks strong. In particular, as a sponsored MBB applicant, schools will know you've performed well, but I also like that you have some less traditional strengths like the focus on energy/oil & gas, and the international and C-Suite exposure.
Depending on when exactly you're applying (this Round 2 or next Round 1?) you may be seen as being light on years of work experience, since most students have 5 years when they start. But it does seem like you've had sufficient team lead experience and a breadth of projects to contribute to your MBA peers. Your extracurriculars are great too!
Academics-wise, you've got a great GPA from a top school. I agree it would be nice if you could hit 730 on the GMAT, but that's not the only thing your odds will depend on. You're focusing on the three most selective schools so every piece of your applications, especially your essays and how you position yourself, matters.
Legacy doesn't matter too much, though it might help you explain why a particular school is a good fit for you. In fact schools like Harvard are trying to move away from using legacy in admissions to ensure they are crafting diverse classes, so I think emphasizing your diverse international experiences and industry work is more likely to help you succeed.
Hope that helps!
Kate
23mbaapplicantusa wrote:
Hi team - would really appreciate a perspective on my candidacy. Thanks so much.
Background Info
* Why I want an MBA: In the long term, I aspire to be a leader in the Energy sector, helping traditional oil and gas companies diversify their portfolios to new sources of energy. In order to do so, I know that I'll need to gain foundational general management skills, which is where the MBA comes in. Beyond that, I'm keen to have two years away from work to immerse myself in innovations happening in the sector, and broaden (I'd love to not only meet peers from across industries, but also strengthen my network with new peers also working in similar fields).
* Why I want one now: Two reasons - it's the right time to apply for sponsorship from MBB, and I'm also well positioned to get the strongest recommendations (I've been on a 1.5 year string of high-impact projects with the same client).
* Applying to: Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton - no others this year.
Background
* Work experience: My only work experience 3 years is at MBB in US, where I've been a top 5% performing analyst since I joined. During my three years, I've had 1.5 years of international work experience (rare to have this much, but in my case there was strong client pull). At MBB, my case experience has centered solely on my industry of interest, Energy. For the past two years, I've worked exclusively for a large multinational Energy client on projects ranging from deploying digital tools in remote oilfields, to a high profile culture change project directly for the CEO (in which I was the only analyst), to supply chain strategy, and most recently overall corporate growth and renewable energy strategy. Throughout these projects, I've been able to serve as a mini-project lead on the MBB side, leading workstreams with 2-3 more junior MBB analysts. I have been the only analyst known across the C-suite, with multiple C-suite members requesting my involvement on projects by name.
* Recommendations I have two recommendations, that I would like to think are quite strong, from the Senior Partner who oversees the client account and the Partner that I've worked with on multiple projects. Both know me very well and can speak in detail to the work that I've done, the impact I've had, and the type of leader I am both at the client and at MBB. Example anecdotes: Only analyst the Senior Partner has ever worked with that is known across the client C-suite; specifically requested by C-suite to be on projects; only analyst sent to a remote oilfield to design and pilot a new digital tool, where I successfully converted fierce skeptics into staunch supporters of the tool, etc.
* Extracurriculars and other experience:
* Current: Active leader in youth high adventure outdoor programs (e.g., planning and leading 7+ night treks in mountains above 3,500 meters), Internationally-recognized visual artist (Have had work published in Vogue, etc.); Set up business tutoring ESL young professionals
* University: Led Model UN organization of 80+ members, hosted conference in Asia with 300+ attendees. Served as President of the Multiracial student organization, which hosted frequent events for the community. Also involved in visual arts organizations on campus.
Stats
* GMAT Score: 720 (47Q, 42V - I am really, really worried about this part…retaking in a couple weeks. Have been scoring 760+ in official mocks so hope I can replicate that)
* Undergrad school/major: One of Stanford / Harvard / Yale / Princeton (keeping anonymous)
* Race: Multiracial White / Southeast Asian (keeping exact country anonymous)
* Nationality: Dual Nationality (US / Southeast Asian Nation). International upbringing now living in the US.
* Languages: Trilingual (English / Mandarin / Southeast Asian Language)
* Sex: M
* Age: 26
* Undergrad GPA: 3.8, cum laude
* Others: Don’t know if legacy matters but one of my parents is a GSB alum, the other is a Stanford Law alum.