Profile Evaluation Please

Question

AlexMBAApply · Answer

You're probably too invested in the idea of going to b-school right after college, so it'll probably be pointless for anyone to tell you otherwise.

Anyhow, you're NOT getting into a top school unless you have a 700+ GMAT. Yes, you seem to be a talented kid (and yes, I emphasize "kid" even if you feel you are mature beyond your years) -- but the adcom will see you as a kid. You haven't graduated college yet, and no matter how amazing you think your experiences are, it's not the same as working full-time. And even if you get a 700+ GMAT, your chances are still slim.

Also, talking about your father or grandfather in your applications will only give the impression of a kid. And in any case, your father and grandfather's background has no relevance to your b-school application, because YOU are the applicant, not them.

I hate to be harsh, but don't be disappointed if you don't get in right away. In any case, you'll get a lot more out of it if you have a few years post-college.

My guess is that you're going to ignore this and apply anyways.

jolt · Answer

thanks for the quick response and taking the time to look over my profile!

you're right, I'm pretty invested in the process, time-wise, but I'm not fully committed to the application yet. time will tell.

also thanks for the insight on "father's experiences." I think I more or less presented the information in the wrong way, the point wasn't to highlight their accomplishments, but to discuss how the work I did as a result of the situation affected me.

thanks for your advice, i appreciate brutal honesty and I'm sure you're right. to be honest, i think it's what i wanted to hear, not sure i want to go through with it, but at this point the question remains whether or not it's worth it not to finish

AlexMBAApply · Answer

Here's another way to look at it.

You're certainly more accomplished than many of your college seniors - and more accomplished than perhaps many of the b-school admits *when* they were college seniors.

But compared to folks with 2-6 years work experience (many of whom probably weren't as accomplished as you were when they were in college), you will have a hard time staying competitive.

It's sort of like basketball (folks who know me, know that I love using analogies).

You're like that star high school basketball player -- you're probably better than most of the high schoolers who are headed to D1 colleges on basketball scholarships, but you're not Kobe or LeBron where you will get drafted directly into the NBA (you're maybe more like 'Melo or Tim Duncan or just about any other NBA player who played some college). More likely than not, you'll be a boy amongst men if you declare yourself for the draft out of high school. You will probably be better off both in terms of basketball and life if you went to college, even if it was for 1-2 years (or even the full 4).

Beware the "Michelle Wie Syndrome" -- the need to be the youngest and fastest can sometimes trump the value of taking the proper time to develop so that you're not getting too ahead of yourself for the sake of getting ahead of yourself.

jolt · Answer

that is indeed a great analogy! hah

i appreciate your help and thanks for your time alex, cheers!

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