jmoney44 wrote:
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I am interested in getting an MBA to move from the public to the private sector. Below are details of my profile.
Keep in mind I am a privileged white male. Yet, since I have worked to place underrepresented minorities in management positions and board rooms, so I am applying through Consortium.
Target industries: FinTech as a method of empowerment
GMAT---760
IR- 2
Quant- 48
Verbal-46
AWA- 6
GPA:
3.2 Undergrad GPA
Undergrad majors: Double Major in Political Science and Communication
From top 20 public university
3.85 Grad School GPA
Program: Master in Public Administration from top 10 school
Career:
4.5 years work experience
Director of Communications for a Member of US Congress
Extracurriculars:
Board-member of a membership organization
Part of Mentorship program
Coached youth basketball for two years in college
Completed a National Security course
Hi there,
I realize you posted this a few weeks ago, but I didn't see any responses specific to your post and wanted to make sure you received some input! A few thoughts both in general and as it relates to Haas:
- Your GMAT is excellent, but your IR score does raise a little bit of a question mark. IR was introduced in 2012 and wasn't entirely considered in its early years, but reports suggest that 59% of schools were at least looking at IR scores as recently as a year or two ago. There's no simple answer with your scores, so the best suggestion is to reach out to the schools you're interested in to inquire about whether there is any concern (or you should possibly even consider re-taking the GMAT) given the 2 on IR. If it were a 4 or higher, then maybe not, and there are stories out there of candidates getting into great programs with very low IR scores, but it's worth school-specific input in this case. As it relates to Haas, they do not specifically reference IR in their current "Academics" video online:
https://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/admissions/tips.html. But it's worth feeling the programs out.
(There's also a good forum here with views from both sides:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/scored-too-l ... l#p1522003)
- Your undergraduate GPA is on the lower end, but that's supported some by your strong GMAT and strong master's GPA. It would be great if your master's degree included quant courses in which you had high grades. (And while your work experience does not outwardly suggest any quantitative work, I'd endeavor to highlight it if there is some there (e.g., perhaps you use statistical or analytical techniques to determine certain communications strategies. Could be an interesting complement.)
- The crux of your challenge and application effort (to Haas and any other program) will center on your story, career goals, why MBA, what that particular program, etc. You already have an MPA and have worked for a several years in the public sphere. Whatever your stated career goals are, you'll need to build a coherent narrative around why who you are and what you've done to this point PLUS the MBA can successfully lead you to your stated (and specific) goals. How did the interest in these new goals evolve? What relevant knowledge, skills, and experience do you already have? What knowledge, skills, and experience do you need via the MBA, and how exactly will you attain them?
- On its face, your transition to FinTech seems rather stark and discconnected. If that is indeed your goal, then you'll really need to tease out and tell the adcom why this evolution makes sense. You don't want your MPA and previous experience to be an "unrelated aside" in your story. They are part of the foundation of what you is now leading you to Haas. You'll want a narrative that explains how everything makes sense *together.* (With that in mind, you might consider career goals that maximize the unique combination of your previous degree and work experience *and* your future MBA. There's a unique combination there. Where will it have its optimal impact?)
- Be very specific -- both with your career goals and your Haas-specific (or school-specific) rationale. You'll usually need to articulate very specific short- and long-term goals. What role at which company or companies, and why? The same way your previous education and experience plus the MBA should lead to your short-term goal, consider how all of those things together will lead you to your (very specific) long-term goal. How **exactly** will the MBA bridge what you did before with what you seek to do after? What courses, clubs, and extracurriculars? What about Haas's culture, community, and unique career opportunities? Do your research, go to information sessions, visit schools (if you can), speak with current students and alumni, and show the programs that you know them very very well, fit well, want to be there, and will make unique contributions. (This is true of every program, and I'd argue that it's even more so the case with Haas, which takes fit and its four defining principles very seriously, and which has the smallest full-time class size for top programs.)
I'd be happy to address any and all of this in greater detail at your convenience. Please feel free to email me at
greg@avantiprep.com.
Best Regards,
Greg (Haas '15)
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