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Wildabout
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GMAT 1: 670 Q46 V36
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Need Help Understanding Non-Traditional Backgrounds Updated on: 30 Dec 2014, 13:15
Originally posted by Wildabout on 02 Dec 2014, 18:22.
Last edited by Wildabout on 30 Dec 2014, 13:15, edited 1 time in total.
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mmmmmmmmmmmmm
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GeneralEducation
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Need Help Understanding Non-Traditional Backgrounds 02 Dec 2014, 20:22
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Hi pmayer,

You have a decent profile and very good GMAT Score. But, after reading your background, I would suggest you to work hard on your B-School essays and online MBA application. Your profile and GMAT Score is good but if you showcase your achievements - coaching kids for tennis and your passion towards sports and establishing your non profit sports business, your application will become strong and you will have fair chances of getting admit in top business schools. I would strongly suggest you to take some professionals help to draft and review your B-School applications to improve your chances of getting admit.

You may also gauge your chances of getting admit in top schools by trying Your chances for B-School tool https://bit.ly/1rRCod5

For free profile evaluation, feel free to send your resume through PM.

Cheers,
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PaulBodine
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Need Help Understanding Non-Traditional Backgrounds 02 Dec 2014, 20:41
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pmayer,
Top schools will view your nontraditional background very favorably--it is distinctive and strong with leadership baked in and a nice GMAT score. The only issue--not a deal-breaker--will be your age which I assume is about 32. The schools will hold you to a 'higher standard' in terms of accomplishments (which it looks like you should be able to sustain) and will expect you to show that you can fit in with types 5 years younger than you (this is doable). Feel free to send me your CV for more detailed feedback: [email protected].
--Paul Bodine, Great Applications for Business School, www.topmba.guru/outcomes

pmayer
Hi,

I am hoping to get some feedback regarding my non-traditional background. I graduated from UCLA with a Bus-Econ Degree in 2004 GPA 3.6. I worked in finance for over a year and then left to play professional tennis. I had very little success as a player, but I had a lot of fun and it was a great experience. From there, I spent the next five years building a successful coaching business. I have worked with a ton of really cool people, and I have coached 3 kids who got tennis scholarships, 5 who played on college teams, and 1 who earned ATP Tour points and played the junior grand slams. I have done sales and promotions for Yonex and for a couple ATP, WTA, and Challenger events. Recently, I have been consulting with a sports marketing firm, creating high def digital video content for professional athletes. I took a sales role at a digital marketing technology firm in Silicon Valley, and I will have been there a year when I leave for school in the Fall. My hope is to spend the time in tech answering any questions about whether the skills I developed as a coach will transfer to other types of businesses. Lastly, I am on the board of a non-profit tennis foundation in Ghana, and I volunteer with a tennis non-profit in Palo Alto.

Fortunately, I got a decent GMAT score: 760.

I want to go to business school to learn best practices to be able to do consulting for non-profits, and I eventually want to start my own sport for development non-profit.

Any feedback on how the top ten schools will view my non traditional background?

Top choices are Stanford, Wharton, Haas, SOM, HBS, Anderson.

Thank!
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Need Help Understanding Non-Traditional Backgrounds 02 Dec 2014, 22:02
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You have a very interesting profile and while some schools will be more interested in it than others, your varied experiences will actually help you given your age. Since you are well above the average at these programs, if you had a traditional job, adcom would wonder why you waited so long to apply.

While I would want to know a bit more about your experiences in order to give you a better evaluation, Haas, SOM and Anderson are great choices for you and you have a good chance there. It is also worth applying to H/S/W, though given your profile and goals, either Stanford or Wharton would be the ones I would target.

If you are considering this year, go for R2 if you can make it. How much progress have you made? Applying in R3 would cause some more questions, since you have waited so many years to apply it would seem you should be able to get apps in by R2.

Feel free to reach out to me for a more detailed consultation: [email protected]