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anita_083
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* Updated on: 21 Apr 2008, 13:10
Originally posted by anita_083 on 02 Jul 2007, 18:40.
Last edited by anita_083 on 21 Apr 2008, 13:10, edited 2 times in total.
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PaulBodine
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* 06 Jul 2007, 09:50
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anita_083
Hello Mr. Bodine,

First of all, thank you in advance for this profile evaluation help. All the advises you provided to others have been very helpful, I am now a frequent visitor of GMATClub and Accepted.com :) For the rest of the GMATClub friends, any kind of advises are also greatly appreciated!

Basic Profile
Age: 24, FEMALE
Nationality: Indonesian (attended college in US)
Languages: English, Indonesian, Chinese and French
GMAT: Have not taken yet. Aiming for 700+ but realistically may only get upper 600

Education:
BSc in Economics and BSBA in Management Information System from Univ of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. Graduated with a distinction from the College of Business and Liberal Arts. Cumulative GPA: 3.55, major GPA: 3.75

Professional Experience by Fall 2008:
- 3.5 years as a Risk Consultant in top 10 public consulting and accounting firm in the US. Promotion to senior after 2 years of experience (although not atypical). My job requires me to have constant interactions with clients’ higher management and board of directors. I have had exposures dealing with Fortune 500 clients from different industries, ranging from mutual fund and asset management companies to automotive, networking and cable equipments and litigation and financial consulting firms. I have also been given opportunities to manage projects on a smaller scale.
- CISA certification (for Information System Audit) and some other IT certifications (would not bore you with the details!)
- Internship as a Financial Analyst at a major commercial bank in Indonesia

Extra Curricular and Community Involvements
- Ongoing participation of the Junior Achievement program on teaching elementary students the value of money and commercial activities
- Ongoing participation of the mentorship project for adolescents
- Two weeks of full time volunteer in Turkey (2006): Taught English to orphans in rural area of Turkey
- Two weeks of full time volunteer in Russia (2007): Environmental work focusing on building national parks in outskirt of St. Petersburg
- Two college study abroad experiences in Sydney, Australia and Paris, France
- Did a stint of online volunteer with the UN-associated Global Hand organization by performing online research and creating spreadsheets (3 to 4 months, 2005)
- Assisted in a post-college IT research work for an old college professor by leveraging current work experience in risk consulting (this is a continuance of a research work I did for the same Professor back in college)
- Elected as the International Student Diplomat in college (membership restricted to 8 students). Major responsibility includes helping international students transition to American way of life
- A couple of leadership activities back in college … quite many to name as I was pretty active back then. Some that I recall include being the publicity committee for the minority business student club, the community outreach chair of Indonesian club, the University Residence Hall Vice President, the leadership Committee of the International Living Community, Omicron Delta Epsilon honorary Economics society member, etc
- Member of soccer intramural team for the residence hall. Played in several college soccer matches (though not in a professional league).
- Was the lead guitarist of a female rock band in high school (not sure if it is of any relevance now :) )
- Am currently applying to join the Future Leaders Council for the YWCA and the Associate Board of Literacy Chicago
- May also apply for a sabbatical leave for two to three months in October to do a long-term volunteer project focusing in education for women and children. I have not decided on the place yet, but have always been interested in going to Mongolia, Tibet or India. This plan really depends on how flexible my company is in allowing an unpaid leave for an extended period of time.

Why MBA:
I am hoping to switch career to non-profit management or consulting, specializing in economic development or education. I have taken a couple of economic development classes during my undergraduate years and was really attracted to the field. I am also thinking to leverage my personal background as an Indonesian with a firsthand exposure to poverty. Having grown up and spent the majority of my adolescent years there, I realized the crucial value of education from an early age.

Post MBA goals:
Non-profit management or consulting in South East Asia where I can focus on community development, preferably in education for women and children.

Target Schools:
Top 15 US schools, the likes of Berkeley's Haas, Michigan's Ross, NYU Stern, UCLA or USC. I am not too confident about applying to the top 5 schools, including Chicago's GSB or Northwestern, although I currently reside in Chicago.

Major hurdles:
The post MBA career aspiration sounds a little difficult to obtain … it seems to be a very drastic change from being in the profit-centered consulting world to being in non-profit focusing on third world country’s education infrastructure. I am also entertained by the idea of working in a strategic think tank that focuses on economic development of South East Asian countries. Would an MBA help with this kind of career aspiration?

I apologize for such a longwinded list, but would really appreciate your honest feedback on my chances at the top 15 schools. Would an upper 600 score in my GMAT hurt my chance of getting accepted in these schools? If you can throw in a couple of thoughts on my chances at the top five schools, that would be great as well!

Thank you again for all your help, Mr. Bodine, I'm really appreciating the invaluable advises you have to offer.
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Anita083,

Very impressive profile. I think you may be a little too negative about your chances at the top schools, even assuming a GMAT in the high 600s. Your Indonesian background is unusual, being female is an asset, you have an outstanding extracurricular/community record, have good professional career progress, and you're only 24. What's not to like?

Haas, Michigan, Stern, USC, and UCLA are all doable for you even with a high 600 GMAT (say, 680-690), with USC being considerably more doable than the other 4 and perhaps Haas being the toughest of these five. I would not discourage you from sending apps to Chicago and Kellogg and especially the latter in that your community record seems very Kellogg caliber. As for other top 5 schools, I put Stanford and HBS in a different league and few people strike me as having 'good' odds of getting in those two places. Of the two Stanford would seem the more doable, but I believe your odds are small and Kellogg would be the much shrewder 'long-shot' school for you to target.

The MBA would certainly help you with the non-profit education work, but as for think-tank work, I'm not sure of its relevance there. A Ph.D. might be more appropriate.

Good luck,
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Thank you very much for your invaluable advises, Mr. Bodine. Your encouraging words have opened up new possibilities for me.

I am currently in the middle of studying for GMAT, but would love to get in touch with you again via accepted.com for essays preparation and admissions consulting services. Please do let me know a good way to be in touch with you.

Thanks again and hope all is well!

- Anita
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* 11 Jul 2007, 13:14
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anita_083
Thank you very much for your invaluable advises, Mr. Bodine. Your encouraging words have opened up new possibilities for me.

I am currently in the middle of studying for GMAT, but would love to get in touch with you again via accepted.com for essays preparation and admissions consulting services. Please do let me know a good way to be in touch with you.

Thanks again and hope all is well!

- Anita
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Anita,

You're welcome. You can contact me directly at pbodine@accepted.com. Good luck on the GMAT.

--Paul
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anita_083
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* Updated on: 21 Apr 2008, 13:02
Originally posted by anita_083 on 28 Sep 2007, 15:17.
Last edited by anita_083 on 21 Apr 2008, 13:02, edited 1 time in total.
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anita_083
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* 28 Sep 2007, 15:22
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Any thoughts from fellow gmatclubbers are also well appreciated!!

Good luck to all MBA-aspirants :)
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* 02 Oct 2007, 21:08
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anita_083
Greetings Paul,

It's been some time since our last correspondence. A few things have changed since then. Let's see here:

- Took the GMAT. Received 710 (Q47 V40)
- Received a Valuable Contribution award from work
- Been accepted as Associate Board of Literacy Chicago (fairly excited at the idea of volunteering at a board level!)
- Somewhat abandoned my idea of the three months volunteer leave due to work commitment
- Initiated an informal nonprofit organization to donate books to former schools in Indonesia (non 501.c3 certified yet, but some folks have been very enthousiastic at the idea of helping out). Am planning to get this started within the next one or two months

I am currently torn at the thought of leaving my job. Opportunities are abound, not to mention positive learning experience, so I have somehow decided to pursue a part-time instead.

This obviously changes the entire grad-school application efforts. I am looking at two schools in IL area, Chicago GSB and Kellogg. However, I would appreciate your advices on a couple items below:

- Application deadline for weekend and Evening MBAs for Fall 08 is June. Anything I can do to help guarantee admittance to the two programs (apart from the usual getting in contact with current students, researching and attending classes)?
- I have pretty much decided to pursue a non-profit consulting / management focus for my MBA, with enterpreuneurial classes thrown into the mix. The idea is to work in non-profit industry for a little bit (short term goal) prior to launching my own sustainable education nonprofit that is funded by my furniture design business in Indonesia (long term). Does that sound like a complicated Why MBA essay? I know you mentioned in your book to play it safe and pick a somehow attainable goal, so your two-cents on this is really appreciated.
- How do I show that my interests in furniture business to fund my nonprofit is not just a "fluff" goal? Esp the fact that I have not taken any design classes. The only thing I have done is just informal research of the furniture industry in Indonesia.
- What are my chances at the two schools mentioned above (for part time)?

Apart from these questions above, I would like to discuss this further with you via accepted.com services. Due to the complicated nature of my why MBA essay, I am thinking that a couple hours of chitchat to throw ideas to form outlines would be a good starting point. What would you recommend?
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anita083,

Congratulations on the 710. You have obviously strengthened your chances. To answer your questions:

1. Anything you can do? Just keep doing what you're doing and, yes, work on building those networks at the school. You are definitely on the right track.

2. That goal path does not sound too complex or unrealistic to me.

3. Well, the best way would to begin putting that business together on paper if nowhere else. For example, have informational interviews with people in the furniture business to learn the business, the usual career tracks, the importance of an MBA. Refer to these conversations in your essays. Know that industry as well as you can and show that knowledge in your essays.

4. I think your chances are excellent at both schools.

I'm available to talk about your strategies, next steps, 'self-marketing themes' etc. whenever you're free. You can contact me at pbodine@accepted.com.