Prospective MBA Profile Evaluation

Question

Nationality: Indian American (born in U.S.)

GPA & Degree: 3.81 & Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University (Honors College)

GMAT: 740 (Q49 / V42 / IR: 8)

Work Experience: 2.5 Years at U.S. Oil Supermajor (think Chevron, Exxon, etc.)
<2 years in Project Development (promoted to lead design role for $500M growth project in Refining & Natural Gas - usually >4 yrs Exp). Currently in Operations (Process Optimization for Chemical plant). 
Several early career “leadership behavior” awards received, top rank group in performance reviews (top 8%).

Extracurricular: Several activities before and during Undergrad (e.g., Project leader for Consulting Group, philanthropy, led disaster relief effort in HS); currently mentor within organization for local first-gen college students (2) since start of 2020

Post-MBA goal: Consulting (energy is fine, but no desire to be industry-specific)

Reach
Columbia
MIT Sloan
Kellogg
Haas

Target
NYU
Darden
UCLA

Posted from my mobile device

mbaMissionDebbie · Answer

Hi shivenpatel112,
Thanks for posting your profile. I think you have a lot going for you - with robust academics (high GPA & GMAT), strong work experience (promotion, awards), and full extracurriculars. I also like that you come from an industry that's typically under-represented in business schools.

I like the schools on your list although it looks like they tend to lean towards smaller schools. Typically, smaller schools can be more selective and there're also fewer seats to compete for. If your post-MBA interest is in consulting, most of the top 10/15 US schools will have large consulting firms recruit on campus. One idea is to consider swapping some of the smaller schools out for larger programs to maximize your odds of acceptance. Eg. Booth, Wharton are fantastic well-rounded programs with larger class sizes than schools like NYU and UCLA.

I hope this helps! Best wishes for your MBA journey!

Sincerely,
Debbie

shivenpatel112 · Answer

Hi Debbie,

Thank you so much for the prompt feedback! The class size comment is insightful, I am looking into programs with larger cohorts.

In terms of Reach & Target schools, I will add Booth to that list. I understand they are very competitive but I want to ask... are these realistic goals? (Assuming a strong essay, decent rec letters and interview).

Posted from my mobile device

mbaMissionDebbie · Answer

Yes! I think you have a competitive profile for these schools. Although you are on the lower side of the work experience range that schools typically like to see, AdCom doesn't just look at the specific number. They also look at the nature of your work experience. Because you are taking on responsibilities that typically require >4 years experience, it's a really good sign that you're a strong performer at work. Therefore, I do think you have a good chance at these schools. That said, of course, it's also a good idea to apply to a few schools - which is what you're doing. So you're on the right track!

I'm happy to chat more. If you haven't already, feel free to sign up for a free 30 mins consultation with me and we can dive into the specifics of your profile - https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/

Best,
Debbie

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