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emondryc
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What are my chances? how much will my GPA hold me back? 22 Feb 2006, 09:55
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I'd love one or both of your inputs on my chances at the elite schools. I'd love to go an HBS, Wharton, Kellogg or Stanford - but also what you think my chances are for Michigan, Cornell or Yale. Thanks so much.

First the negative: I Graduated from a top 25 liberal arts college in New England with a BS in Economics. My cum GPA is low - 2.7 but it's about 3.4 in Economics and I took a very challenging track through the major including graduate level courses on Econometrics. I improved my junior year and was on the honor roll my senior fall but stopped caring senior spring and recieved a D- in one course. I'm not going to make excuses on my application but simply comment on my immaturity.

The rest of my story is very positive:

I scored 700 on my GMAT - 47 Quant and 41 verbal

I spent a year in Sales & Trading at a boutique covering primary technology. I left for an analyst position at the World Bank doing research on access to finance for small businesses in underdeveloped countries. It's a 2 year program, and unbelievably competitive for Americans to get in the door. I got very lucky. I will complete my term in the Summer of '07 and hope to enter school in the fall.

Outside of work I have (along with 3 others) founded the DC chapter of a non-profit that trains low income individuals on skills necessary to succeed in the corporate world through a mentorship program. It's essentially been like starting my own business.

My reccs from past and present supervisor should both be very solid.

I'd like to switch gears in my career hopefully start my own business at some point. I am thinking Real Estate development, but that may change.

Let me know what you think I should shoot for. Thanks!

Thanks so much for your time.
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PaulBodine
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What are my chances? how much will my GPA hold me back? 22 Feb 2006, 14:32
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emondryc
I'd love one or both of your inputs on my chances at the elite schools. I'd love to go an HBS, Wharton, Kellogg or Stanford - but also what you think my chances are for Michigan, Cornell or Yale. Thanks so much.

First the negative: I Graduated from a top 25 liberal arts college in New England with a BS in Economics. My cum GPA is low - 2.7 but it's about 3.4 in Economics and I took a very challenging track through the major including graduate level courses on Econometrics. I improved my junior year and was on the honor roll my senior fall but stopped caring senior spring and recieved a D- in one course. I'm not going to make excuses on my application but simply comment on my immaturity.

The rest of my story is very positive:

I scored 700 on my GMAT - 47 Quant and 41 verbal

I spent a year in Sales & Trading at a boutique covering primary technology. I left for an analyst position at the World Bank doing research on access to finance for small businesses in underdeveloped countries. It's a 2 year program, and unbelievably competitive for Americans to get in the door. I got very lucky. I will complete my term in the Summer of '07 and hope to enter school in the fall.

Outside of work I have (along with 3 others) founded the DC chapter of a non-profit that trains low income individuals on skills necessary to succeed in the corporate world through a mentorship program. It's essentially been like starting my own business.

My reccs from past and present supervisor should both be very solid.

I'd like to switch gears in my career hopefully start my own business at some point. I am thinking Real Estate development, but that may change.

Let me know what you think I should shoot for. Thanks!

Thanks so much for your time.
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Emondryc,

Your chances look good for Michigan, Cornell, and Yale. You might have a chance at Kellogg and Wharton. HBS and Stanford would be longshots. You will need heaps of leadership to have a remote chance at HBS and Stanford will require a distinctive personal development story.

The major issue, to me, is not your undergrad GPA but connecting your past work experience to your post-MBA goals. If your goal is a career in real estate development, they may wonder why you bothered to go the nonprofit route to begin with. But you do have some impressive / distinctive aspects to your profile that can help you rise above your GPA if you handle them effectively.

Good luck!
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emondryc
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What are my chances? how much will my GPA hold me back? 23 Feb 2006, 07:41
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in terms of going the nonprofit route, I started in Sales & Trading, and did well for a year, but basically fell into my position at the World Bank. I felt the opportunity to get this international exposure at my age was something I couldn't turn down. It's far from the standard nonprofit experience.

I'm not set on Real Estate, it's definitely something I'm interested in, but my long term goal is to start my own business. I'm not sure what the business will be in, but I want to work for myself, and I want the skills and network that a top MBA would provide.

Would you even mention Real Estate if you were me? It's the hot field right now, and there will be tons of applicants interested in it.

Thanks!
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PaulBodine
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What are my chances? how much will my GPA hold me back? 23 Feb 2006, 11:15
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emondryc
in terms of going the nonprofit route, I started in Sales & Trading, and did well for a year, but basically fell into my position at the World Bank. I felt the opportunity to get this international exposure at my age was something I couldn't turn down. It's far from the standard nonprofit experience.

I'm not set on Real Estate, it's definitely something I'm interested in, but my long term goal is to start my own business. I'm not sure what the business will be in, but I want to work for myself, and I want the skills and network that a top MBA would provide.

Would you even mention Real Estate if you were me? It's the hot field right now, and there will be tons of applicants interested in it.

Thanks!
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Emondryc,

Well, you are aiming high, so you need to stand out, and your NGO experiences are definitely distinctive. If you can find some way to bridge those experiences and your real estate goals, then that could work. Otherwise, it might be more effective to state a goal that clearly grows out of the NGO/nonprofit experiences. If you have a specific, non-superficial-sounding reason for wanting to go into real estate short-term but then longer term start a company whose focus grows out of your NGP/nonprofit experiences then that too could work. Especially for goals that are "hot" you need to go out of your way to be specific and informed in your goal statement, so you don't just sound like you're jumping on a bandwagon.

Hope this helps.