Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 2010:00 AM EST
-10:30 AM EST
If you’re applying to Columbia, NYU Stern, or Yale SOM, you need more than strong stats. Each school defines “leadership” differently, and your essays must reflect that. Join Sia Admissions founder, Susan Berishaj on November 20th
Nov 2009:00 PM IST
-10:00 PM IST
Join our free expert-led Essay Workshops to discover how to choose impactful stories, highlight your core values, and align your background with each school’s distinct culture, making every word truly count.
Nov 2108:30 AM EST
-09:15 AM EST
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great, learn how you can present a strong MBA application, and connect with an Admissions Director to get your questions answered.
Nov 2112:00 PM EST
-12:30 PM EST
Join Assistant Dean for Admissions Laurel Grodman for a live walkthrough of the 2025–2026 MBA application. Laurel will provide insights into what the Admissions Committee looks for and offer tips on key components of the application.
Nov 2109:30 PM IST
-10:30 PM IST
Learn how to craft powerful, authentic essays by mastering the 3 “WHYs” every top MBA program looks for: Why MBA, Why Now, and Why This School.
Nov 2408:00 PM PST
-09:00 PM PST
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
heather427
Current Student
Joined: 01 Sep 2019
Last visit: 03 Feb 2021
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 3
Location: United States (NY)
Schools: CBS '23 (D) Stern '23 (A)
GMAT 1: 710 Q45 V42
GMAT 2: 730 Q48 V42
GPA: 3.81
16 Feb 2020, 08:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
· 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!
· 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!
18 Feb 2020, 11:03
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi heather427!
Thanks for reaching out to us. I see lots of strengths in your profile, and I think your less traditional career background will work in your favor in this process. I especially like how you pivoted your design role to a consulting one, and can show awareness of broader organizational challenges thorugh your work. The promotions are great too. Academically, your GPA is great and so is your GMAT. I think Admissions teams will be pretty well versed in which undergrad programs are strong, though you may want to find a way to mention Virginia Tech's strong ranking in your field somewhere (resume perhaps? or maybe a recommender could mention your impressive background being a factor in you first getting hired?). Your extracurriculars sound great too, and HBS loves to see a track record of leadership since college. I also like that your activities are related and focused around mentoring and supporting women in your field. As far as college activities, I think the AIAS one sounds most intriguing to me, especially since it's a bit less typical (schools will understand the RA role well, so list it, but I wouldn't put a lot of focus on it.) Post college, I really like that you've stayed involved with AIA and the last two work related ones would be great to highlight too -- they show you've been handpicked for a selective group and that you've taken initiative. I would try to weave those experiences into your main HBS essay, perhaps tying them to what motivates you more broadly, or key influences on your own journey.
I think if you execute a strong application and show you're a serious candidate, HBS is within reach. But it's super selective, so I'd still consider it a reach. Consider applying early decision to CBS if you really want to stay in NYC. Agree NYU would be a good backup. I would also keep Kellogg on your radar if you remain interested in Consulting post-MBA.
Aside from the less traditional background, I don't see any other obvious weaknesses. HBS tends to like applicants who come from prestigious/brand name firms, so I'm not sure how well known your company is and whether that could be a factor. If you've worked with high profile clients, I would try to name some of them on your resume. I would also try to do some heavy school engagement/networking this spring -- visit campuses, observe a class, attend admissions info sessions, talk to students/alumni, especially at CBS and NYU since you're right there.
Obviously I'm biased
but I think even strong applicants like you can benefit from a consultant. In particular, the HBS essay is so open ended and a tough nut to crack! I think you'd benefit from having a sounding board to shape your ideas for that essay, and a second set of eyes on the essay as it takes form. For other schools (like CBS) that have more traditional personal statements / goal essays, I also think you'd benefit from having someone to help you think through which post-MBA goal makes best sense for you, and how to write about it in a way that shows you've done your research and are prepared to make that career switch.
I'd suggest signing up for a free phone consult (link below in my signature) to get a sense of the kind of advise a consultant could offer. If you are organized and have a good handle on the overall process, you could take a more directed approach and purchase a few a-la-carte hours and still get a lot of value out of that time.
Good luck!
Kate
Thanks for reaching out to us. I see lots of strengths in your profile, and I think your less traditional career background will work in your favor in this process. I especially like how you pivoted your design role to a consulting one, and can show awareness of broader organizational challenges thorugh your work. The promotions are great too. Academically, your GPA is great and so is your GMAT. I think Admissions teams will be pretty well versed in which undergrad programs are strong, though you may want to find a way to mention Virginia Tech's strong ranking in your field somewhere (resume perhaps? or maybe a recommender could mention your impressive background being a factor in you first getting hired?). Your extracurriculars sound great too, and HBS loves to see a track record of leadership since college. I also like that your activities are related and focused around mentoring and supporting women in your field. As far as college activities, I think the AIAS one sounds most intriguing to me, especially since it's a bit less typical (schools will understand the RA role well, so list it, but I wouldn't put a lot of focus on it.) Post college, I really like that you've stayed involved with AIA and the last two work related ones would be great to highlight too -- they show you've been handpicked for a selective group and that you've taken initiative. I would try to weave those experiences into your main HBS essay, perhaps tying them to what motivates you more broadly, or key influences on your own journey.
I think if you execute a strong application and show you're a serious candidate, HBS is within reach. But it's super selective, so I'd still consider it a reach. Consider applying early decision to CBS if you really want to stay in NYC. Agree NYU would be a good backup. I would also keep Kellogg on your radar if you remain interested in Consulting post-MBA.
Aside from the less traditional background, I don't see any other obvious weaknesses. HBS tends to like applicants who come from prestigious/brand name firms, so I'm not sure how well known your company is and whether that could be a factor. If you've worked with high profile clients, I would try to name some of them on your resume. I would also try to do some heavy school engagement/networking this spring -- visit campuses, observe a class, attend admissions info sessions, talk to students/alumni, especially at CBS and NYU since you're right there.
Obviously I'm biased
but I think even strong applicants like you can benefit from a consultant. In particular, the HBS essay is so open ended and a tough nut to crack! I think you'd benefit from having a sounding board to shape your ideas for that essay, and a second set of eyes on the essay as it takes form. For other schools (like CBS) that have more traditional personal statements / goal essays, I also think you'd benefit from having someone to help you think through which post-MBA goal makes best sense for you, and how to write about it in a way that shows you've done your research and are prepared to make that career switch. I'd suggest signing up for a free phone consult (link below in my signature) to get a sense of the kind of advise a consultant could offer. If you are organized and have a good handle on the overall process, you could take a more directed approach and purchase a few a-la-carte hours and still get a lot of value out of that time.
Good luck!
Kate
heather427
18 Feb 2020, 11:07
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi, and thanks for writing! To answer your questions:
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. I think that you have a very well-rounded and distinctive profile - so as competitive as HBS is, with a strong application you can be a viable candidate. Using an admissions consultant can help you with the most challenging part of the process - distilling your story in a way that helps HBS understand who you are, what's shaped you into who you've become, the impact you've made professionally and personally, and what drives you. More generally, it can help ensure that each component of the application is as strong as possible.
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? Business schools absolutely welcome "non-traditional" candidates - in fact, they're actively looking to build a diverse class. So don't feel that you have to overexplain your path. You'll just want to show what you want to do post-MBA and how you've arrived at this goal based on your experiences to date (and, show the professional impact you've made so far on your resume, and hopefully your recommenders will reinforce this as well). You've definitely had compelling extracurricular experiences - from the info you've provided, I won't be able to speak to which I find most compelling and how to weave them into a story since those are much bigger questions, but I recommend that we discuss further. You can sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with me here: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/
3. What do you see as the biggest weaknesses of my profile? I don't see any red flags per se, but I would do some deeper thinking about your goals and your motivations behind them, as business schools will want to see you commit to an ambitious yet realistic path in your application. So, think about what exactly interests you in consulting for example, how that interest came to be, your transferrable skills, and what you'd need from an MBA to achieve that goal
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. Having a non-traditional background is definitely not a liability. One thing you'll definitely want to do is get to know each program you're interested in by attending local info sessions/events, speaking with students/alumni either locally or remotely, and visiting campus if feasible. This way, you can communicate why each program is a strong fit for you based on its culture and resources.
Hope that helps a bit! Hope to connect soon.
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. I think that you have a very well-rounded and distinctive profile - so as competitive as HBS is, with a strong application you can be a viable candidate. Using an admissions consultant can help you with the most challenging part of the process - distilling your story in a way that helps HBS understand who you are, what's shaped you into who you've become, the impact you've made professionally and personally, and what drives you. More generally, it can help ensure that each component of the application is as strong as possible.
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? Business schools absolutely welcome "non-traditional" candidates - in fact, they're actively looking to build a diverse class. So don't feel that you have to overexplain your path. You'll just want to show what you want to do post-MBA and how you've arrived at this goal based on your experiences to date (and, show the professional impact you've made so far on your resume, and hopefully your recommenders will reinforce this as well). You've definitely had compelling extracurricular experiences - from the info you've provided, I won't be able to speak to which I find most compelling and how to weave them into a story since those are much bigger questions, but I recommend that we discuss further. You can sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with me here: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/
3. What do you see as the biggest weaknesses of my profile? I don't see any red flags per se, but I would do some deeper thinking about your goals and your motivations behind them, as business schools will want to see you commit to an ambitious yet realistic path in your application. So, think about what exactly interests you in consulting for example, how that interest came to be, your transferrable skills, and what you'd need from an MBA to achieve that goal
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. Having a non-traditional background is definitely not a liability. One thing you'll definitely want to do is get to know each program you're interested in by attending local info sessions/events, speaking with students/alumni either locally or remotely, and visiting campus if feasible. This way, you can communicate why each program is a strong fit for you based on its culture and resources.
Hope that helps a bit! Hope to connect soon.
heather427
