Profile Review Request (Non-traditional applicant)

· Demographics: American, white, female, 28 years old

· Education: Virginia Tech, Architecture Major (may not be well known in the MBA world but it is consistently ranked in the top ten architecture undergraduate programs in the US), 3.8 GPA

· Other coursework or post-undergraduate education: I sat through the professional exams to become a licensed architect.

· GMAT: 730 - Q 48, V 42, IR 7, AWA 5

· Work experience: I work for a large architecture firm which includes branches for design, engineering, and consulting. I have been working here since I graduated (~4.5 years), first in the architecture & design realm and then pivoted into consulting. The type of consulting I do is largely related to informing design projects, but often touches on areas outside of physical space such as HR policies, strategies to improve recruiting and retention of talent, technology, and culture. My role includes user research, data analysis, strategy formulation, and change management. I was promoted twice, once within architecture and once within consulting. My pivot into design consulting is the first step I took towards pursuing an MBA. I want to be able to jump into broader strategy or management roles and feel that I need the network and formal business education to do so.

Resume description for my current role:
• Contribute to all parts of design strategy projects including:
o Create and conduct workshops with leadership and users
o Design and analyze workplace experience surveys
o Coordinate, manage, conduct, and analyze space observations
o Synthesize data from all workstreams to create workstyles, personas, scenarios, and final strategy recommendations
o Present findings to client leadership
o Coordinate with the design team to ensure seamless transition into the next phase of work
• Contribute to all parts of change management projects including:
o Perform stakeholder and change impact analysis
o Design and conduct change advocate workshops with users
o Develop content for town hall meetings and user guides
o Conduct and analyze post-occupancy surveys
• Oversee the work of junior team members
• Assist with development of proposals for new work
• Sample clients: Top-Tier Technology, Insurance, and Healthcare Organizations. Scale of projects varies.



· Extracurricular activities: In undergrad I was part of a team that re-vamped an inactive chapter of the architecture professional student organization (called AIAS), I took leadership roles to organize events around mentoring, networking, and career advice. In addition I was a resident advisor in a female freshman dormitory and the following year a house supervisor for my on-campus sorority. I spent a year away from campus - one semester studying abroad in Denmark and another semester doing an externship program in Chicago. Immediately after undergrad, I spent 6 weeks traveling through Europe, as a personal and cultural experience. Post-undegrad I've been involved with the primary architecture professional organization (the AIA) through the Women in Architecture committee and have been a volunteer to help organize mentoring events. I've mentored high school students interested in a career in architecture or design. I've also participated in several extracurriculars within my company including a competitively selected council of emerging leaders and building a chapter of the company-wide Women's Forum within the consulting branch.

· Post-MBA goals: I'm not 100% certain about what I want to do post-MBA, but a few areas interest me. Perhaps a few years of management consulting to build skills and a network, and then pivot into a strategy role in a large organization. An alternate idea is pursuing a leadership development/rotational program immediately post-MBA and then build into a leadership role in that company. I'd also be open to exploring the path towards a strategic leadership role within a start-up.

· Target schools: HBS is my top choice, Columbia a close 2nd, and targeting NYU as a safety school. I've also considered MIT Sloan, Wharton, and Kellogg.

· Other information relevant to your profile: I currently live in NYC and plan to return here for the long-term post-MBA, so selecting a school with good recruiting and connections to NYC is very important to me.

· Any specific questions you would like answered by our team:
1. What are my chances to getting into HBS? Do you think I would be able to craft a strong application on my own or should I use an admissions consultant? In general I have been struggling with that decision because I understand the value of it, but the high cost is challenging at my current salary.
2. I recognize that I will need to explain my non-traditional path to B-school but I also want to be able to highlight key extracurriculars that show my passions (for mentoring, supporting women's issues, and giving back to communities and groups that helped me). Which of the ones I listed are the most compelling and how do I effectively weave them into my story?
3. What do you see as the biggest weaknesses of my profile?
4. Any other advice for me coming from a non-traditional background? I have some professional and personal connections to top-MBA alumni, but definitely not as abundant of a support network as I would like as I go through this process.

Thanks in advance!