Shortlist for non-trad. candidate, headed for consulting?

Question

I'm in the middle of writing application materials, and outside of a core group of 3 schools I'm excited about applying to, I'd like to add a few schools to my list that could be strong targets. I'd appreciate thoughts/advice on where I might be a strong fit based on my numbers, experience, and goals. My short list is below. Advice/thoughts on schools welcome!

Basic Info 
 
  Demographics : 31, male, US citizen, white/middle eastern (my name is "ethnic" and stands out) 
  GRE : V170 (99th), Q163 (87th), AWA 5.5 (97th) 
  Undergrad : graduated from St John's College, tiny and very rigorous program with NO electives. Every student took every class. 4 years math, 3 years lab science, 4 years philosophy, 2 years Ancient Greek, 2 years French, 4 years literature. GPA is 3.47. No major-specific GPA because there were no electives. All seminar-style classes, no lectures.  
  Graduate : received a Master's in Education in 2012 from a program that was the first of its kind in the nation-- a graduate school of education embedded in a nationally-known charter school. Grades were pass/fail, and I obviously passed all of them.

Post-MBA Goals  
  Social-sector consulting for McKinsey or Bridgespan. This would leverage my experience in education and highlight the analytical/problem-solving skills that I've developed as a founder at the school. This work also supports my commitment to social good (supported by work exp. and leadership within work exp.)  From my research I've determined that social-sector consulting jobs can be hard to come by even from top schools. If that doesn't work out, I can see other consulting work being interesting as well (strategy or human capital). In the long term, I'm interested in entering the for-profit education space, as it's a $4 trillion/year industry worldwide with a lot of room to innovate.

Work Experience 
  In 2007 I was selected to be one of 12 teachers to help open a new private school in southern California. We designed the curriculum from the ground up. The student population and faculty have grown over 500% since we opened. Prior to that I worked in a smaller school as a teacher for 18 months. The prior school gets very little attention on my resume.  
 I've held a variety of leadership roles in the school: I've led teams, directed a service program, planned/led a community service trip to rural China for 92 9th graders, managed communication when the entire student population (~485 students at the time) traveled to six continents, and was selected to create/deliver a workshop for future teachers at a university in Germany (we were partnering with the school on a teacher exchange).  
 I've created five original courses and have been tapped for other curriculum redesign projects by senior administrators.  
 My resume shows a clear progression within the organization-- I've moved from inward-facing (team leader/curriculum design) to outward-facing, higher-risk roles (travel management, etc). 
 Reason for leaving: I've discovered my strengths lie in problem-solving and analysis. I want more challenges/room to grow than I can find at the school, as I don't want to be an administrator.

Recommendations : 
  One is from current supervisor, who is the co-head of the upper school. She and I work really well together and have collaborated on a range of projects. She'll speak to my analytical ability, qualities as a colleague, and potential for leadership.  
 Second is from the founding head of school who hired me in 2007 when I was 25 and retired last year. She can speak to the same qualities as my first recommender.  
 I'm providing both recommenders with bullet points to help frame my strengths/weaknesses.

School Qualities/Short List 
  Want an excellent general-management education. Strongly interested in case-method schools, as I thrive in discussion-based classes. I've been a student in one and teach in that style.  
 Open to any school nationwide.  
 Super-confident about the quality of my essays/written materials as well as interview performance.  
 Will definitely apply: HBS, Kellogg, Darden. Each of these are a fit based on curriculum, teaching style, and career support/post-MBA feeder companies.  
 Am considering: UCLA, Haas, Duke, Stanford. I'm not sure how each of these schools might see someone with my background/interests.  
 Where else should I be looking?

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for your post and for all of the detailed info into your profile, experience, and situation. You have a lot of great experiences to draw from, and schools are often interested in non-traditional candidates who have a lot to contribute to the class, as long as you've demonstrated that you can handle the quantitative side and academic rigor of b-school, and that you can speak to your goals and why the MBA is right for you, both of which it appears you will be able to address without a problem based on the info here.

You have a lot of great leadership experiences, accomplishments, and international experience as well, and can certainly speak to mentoring and influencing others, as well as strong communication skills, through your teaching and all that you've led, initiated, and managed over the years. You also seem to have done your research and to be fairly self-aware which can help in the admissions process, and in your essays and interviews.

As for schools, HBS, Darden & Kellogg certainly seem like good matches for you. Stanford definitely comes to mind, I know you mentioned that one as well, though keep in mind that Stanford is one of the most selective programs out there. I would think you'd have a good chance at Duke or UCLA, possibly Haas and Darden as well, with Kellogg, HBS, and Stanford still being challenging given all of the competitive applicants that apply (in increasing order). So some of it depends on which programs you are most passionate about. (For more about choosing schools, you are welcome to check out our free download at: https://info.mbamission.com/Selecting-Yo ... ram-E-Book. Columbia is another program that comes to mind based on your background.

Don't underestimate the importance of the application essays.... that is where you really demonstrate who you are; what makes you unique; what you'll bring to the program; what you'll do with the degree; why that program is a great fit for you. Be sure to invest a lot of time and energy into compelling essays that make the case for you.

Please let us know if you have further questions, and wishing you the best!

Shortlist for non-trad. candidate, headed for consulting?

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