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If my scrolling is correct, it looks like you never received a proper response to your Haas post from a few weeks back. If you applied in Round 1, then I realize some of this is after-the-fact. Though if you're invited to interview, these points will definitely still hold value.
GMAT & WORK EXPERIENCE
Your GMAT score is strong and there's a lot to like about your work experience and advancement. I'd be sure to unpack the value there. Progressing from contractor to middle office to top-tier hedge fund / asset manager and work directly alongside leadership is compelling and can reveal a lot about you. I'm curious to know more about your role. "Trade support specialist" seems to dilute some of the more powerful, frontline (working alongside CIO/COO) and investment / analytical (portfolio optimization) references you make. I'd also be curious to unpack your impact and leadership experiences.
CAREER GOALS
The main challenge I see relates to your career goals. Perhaps you explained the logic and preparation behind this in great detail in your 300-word goals essay (if you've already applied), but whether it's for Haas or any other program, you will really need to develop the rationale and credibility behind that goal. Going from a multi-year career in different corners of financial services to "product management" in one broad stroke of the brush is likely to fall flat or read as unconvincing. On top of that, "product management" is one of the most commonly cited post-MBA goals. Without proper development, it can read as though you simply picked it off of the "what do people say they want to do post-MBA" list.
If product management is indeed your post-MBA goal, then you will really need to unpack why, how that interest developed, and what you've done to this point to make it believable that you can land a product management job at one of the companies you cited post-MBA. For example, folks with a long career in finance who want to transition into product management might have worked on tech-oriented initiatives along the way, or taken a coding class outside of work to build out their baseline tech skills. On its face, I don't quite see the relevance or preparation for you, and I think that such a stark "financial services to product management" narrative feels a bit unsubstantiated for you.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WRT YOUR GOALS, WHY MBA, WHY XYZ SCHOOL
Keep these questions and frameworks in mind as you break down, build up, and articulate your goals: How does who I am and what I've done to this point PLUS the MBA equal or lead to my specific short- and long-term goals? What knowledge, skills, and experience do I already have that are relevant to these goals? What knowledge, skills, and experience do I lack toward these goals, and therefore wish to acquire via the MBA? How exactly will I acquire those things at each MBA program to which I apply (very specifically... courses, clubs, extracurriculars, special programs, location, community, culture, career opportunities, etc.)? What are the "goals within my goals"? What specific products would you want to work on at these companies and why are those best suited for your skills and desired impact? What is the passion and purpose behind these goals? You can read more about goal and school specificity here: https://www.avantiprep.com/blog/the-mos ... on-process
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Two final observations. I'd be curious to know more about your involvement, as a total lack of engaged community citizenship beyond a couple of hobbies and sports should be addressed. And from a work experience perspective, you are seemingly on the higher side of the range for most U.S. programs. Haas tends to be more open-minded toward "older" candidates, so that helps, but you should be super proactive in conveying "why MBA" and "why now" for you. (Connects back to your goals, too.)
[For what it's worth, I'm a Berkeley-Haas grad and originally came out of finance myself. Happy to chat with you or anyone else interested in Haas. Please feel free to sign up for a Free Consultation any time via this link: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html]
Thanks, Greg
BNabs88 wrote:
Hey guys, seems we're all piling in here now! Hoping I can get some feedback on my profile:
Background and nationality English, based in UK - recently turned 30
Undergrad Information BSc Economics - University of Bath - Second Class Honors First Division (roughly converts to 3.4 GPA I think)
GMAT: 740 (Q49, V41, IR 8, AWA - Not yet received)
Work experience and leadership: (I have removed organisation names for sake of anonymity, but they are all internationally recognised)
Associate at Segregated Hedge Fund within top tier Investment Bank/Asset Manager (London, UK), 1.5 years, will be 2.5 by the time I start MBA: • Running monthly meetings with the CIO and COO on portfolio optimisation • Implementing and monitoring controls to meet the latest industry regulatory standards • Trade support specialist to portfolio managers covering a wide range of financial instruments • Achieved the highest possible grade on latest year end evaluation
Analyst at Middle Office in top tier Investment Bank X (London, UK), 3yrs: • Primary support contact for the department’s highest revenue-generating clients – received top service rankings from two of the world’s largest institutional investors • Unofficially supervised/mentored junior members of the team • Escalation point for off-shore teams regarding trade matching, trade confirmations, and cash settlements • Worked with our trading desk, sales desk and clients to resolve post-trade disputes
Contractor at top tier Investment Bank Y (London, UK), 1yr - this was only ever a short term role while I was looking for good permanent opportunities: • Daily trade reports and reconciliations • Manual entry of trades into risk capture and cash payment systems • Communicated daily with the trading desk in order to ensure my team were meeting their needs.
Full-time Internship (post-university) at top tier Investment Bank Z (New York, USA), 1yr: • Played a key role in a revenue reconciliation and recovery project, resulting in the firm recouping over $350,000 in missed revenue over a six-month period. • Created detailed reports for sales teams enabling them to monitor revenue streams, and identify new business opportunities. • Produced a daily Profit & Loss report and developed it into an easy to read snapshot for sales and trading teams, and senior management.
Full-time Internship (third year of degree was year long industry placement before returning for final year) at top tier Investment Bank W (London, UK), 1yr: • Managed clients with the assistance of senior colleagues • Created and delivered informative monthly presentations on key topics to senior management and peers. • Supported senior colleagues to provide high level service to our focus clients
Community and others: Amateur soccer player, fitness training, tennis, skiing, athletics, and stock market investing. Severe lack of volunteering, although have previously done very minor fundraising for charity
Post MBA goals: I aspire to work in a Product Management role at a large and innovative technology company based on the West Coast, such as Amazon, Microsoft or Google. My ultimate goal is to use my experience to launch a consumer focused financial technology company.
To better understand how I work with clients and what they've historically felt were the major benefits of partnering, I encourage you to read through my Client Testimonials, all of which are independently verified by GMAT Club. I believe you'll find the reviews to be among the most transparent and detailed out there, and I believe you'll observe a unique level of time, depth, quality, commitment, attention to detail, and personal care. For serious inquiries, I am happy to connect you with former clients so you can hear about their experiences.
If my scrolling is correct, it looks like you never received a proper response to your Haas post from a few weeks back. If you applied in Round 1, then I realize some of this is after-the-fact. Though if you're invited to interview, these points will definitely still hold value.
GMAT & WORK EXPERIENCE
Your GMAT score is strong and there's a lot to like about your work experience and advancement. I'd be sure to unpack the value there. Progressing from contractor to middle office to top-tier hedge fund / asset manager and work directly alongside leadership is compelling and can reveal a lot about you. I'm curious to know more about your role. "Trade support specialist" seems to dilute some of the more powerful, frontline (working alongside CIO/COO) and investment / analytical (portfolio optimization) references you make. I'd also be curious to unpack your impact and leadership experiences.
CAREER GOALS
The main challenge I see relates to your career goals. Perhaps you explained the logic and preparation behind this in great detail in your 300-word goals essay (if you've already applied), but whether it's for Haas or any other program, you will really need to develop the rationale and credibility behind that goal. Going from a multi-year career in different corners of financial services to "product management" in one broad stroke of the brush is likely to fall flat or read as unconvincing. On top of that, "product management" is one of the most commonly cited post-MBA goals. Without proper development, it can read as though you simply picked it off of the "what do people say they want to do post-MBA" list.
If product management is indeed your post-MBA goal, then you will really need to unpack why, how that interest developed, and what you've done to this point to make it believable that you can land a product management job at one of the companies you cited post-MBA. For example, folks with a long career in finance who want to transition into product management might have worked on tech-oriented initiatives along the way, or taken a coding class outside of work to build out their baseline tech skills. On its face, I don't quite see the relevance or preparation for you, and I think that such a stark "financial services to product management" narrative feels a bit unsubstantiated for you.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WRT YOUR GOALS, WHY MBA, WHY XYZ SCHOOL
Keep these questions and frameworks in mind as you break down, build up, and articulate your goals: How does who I am and what I've done to this point PLUS the MBA equal or lead to my specific short- and long-term goals? What knowledge, skills, and experience do I already have that are relevant to these goals? What knowledge, skills, and experience do I lack toward these goals, and therefore wish to acquire via the MBA? How exactly will I acquire those things at each MBA program to which I apply (very specifically... courses, clubs, extracurriculars, special programs, location, community, culture, career opportunities, etc.)? What are the "goals within my goals"? What specific products would you want to work on at these companies and why are those best suited for your skills and desired impact? What is the passion and purpose behind these goals? You can read more about goal and school specificity here: https://www.avantiprep.com/blog/the-mos ... on-process
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Two final observations. I'd be curious to know more about your involvement, as a total lack of engaged community citizenship beyond a couple of hobbies and sports should be addressed. And from a work experience perspective, you are seemingly on the higher side of the range for most U.S. programs. Haas tends to be more open-minded toward "older" candidates, so that helps, but you should be super proactive in conveying "why MBA" and "why now" for you. (Connects back to your goals, too.)
[For what it's worth, I'm a Berkeley-Haas grad and originally came out of finance myself. Happy to chat with you or anyone else interested in Haas. Please feel free to sign up for a Free Consultation any time via this link: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html]
Thanks, Greg
AvantiPrep firstly, thanks for the extremely detailed response, it has given me a lot to think about. I did apply for R1 at Haas, but also have a few more deadlines next week, so I can still put the advice into practice!
Regarding career goals, I do try to go into detail in my essays on why I want to make the switch to become a product manager (talking about what I like about my job now, but what I would like to add to that in order to create more meaning in my career). I am doing the MBA to facilitate a career switch, so I guess on the face of it my career experience won't scream relevance, but I need to make sure I point out the points that are relevant (and that I've done some online programming and marketing courses)
For the point regarding the amount of work experience I have, I definitely seem to be in the middle of the range of ages that most MBA programs seem to quote on their class profiles, and felt it was more appropriate than an Executive MBA given that I am looking to switch industry rather than push further up in finance.
I've sent a consultation request across on the link you sent me as well, not sure if you'll have availability before my next deadlines, but any help is appreciated!
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12 Nov 2018, 13:16
Intake Year: 2019
Pre-MBA Career: Public Relations and Communications Post-MBA Career: Consumer Goods (Marketing and Brand Management) GMAT: 710 GPA: 3.3 Years of Work Experience: 2
Notes: My GMAT score breakdown is: (710- Q: 49 and V: 38).
A brief on my background: I have worked for two years in a top-notch international PR and Communications agency (post my under-grad) in Mumbai and served a plethora of MNCs and large scale conglomerates across corporate and consumer verticals in those two years. I was among the youngest people at the agency and was promoted within a year of working there. I have also actively helped in crisis and reputation management for one of the largest corporate crisis in India during my stint at the agency, and truly believe that my quality of work experience has been great over the past two years.
I specialised in PR during my undergrad and carried out five internships successfully during the same time. Three at non-profit organizations and two at industry-specific agencies. Through school, college and work, I have always taken up roles of responsibility and leadership, actively looked out for and asked for opportunities and always showcased the urge to learn.
Additionally, I have always actively participated in extra-curriculars at school and college and performed extremely well academically. I would like to do an MBA with a major in marketing, from a top B-school in the US specifically, so as to add to my experience of PR and communications and achieve concentric growth around my core competencies. Furthermore, coming from a advertising and PR background, I have a fair understanding of the changing communication landscape and would like to deep dive into understanding brand management, disruptive marketing and ways to break through the current clutter to create an impact or spearhead behavioural change.
That aside, in the long run I would like to join the C-suite of an MNC, lead from the forefront and create a lasting impact on the society using my position. However, to get there, I do believe that it is important for me to venture out into relatively new territories for me, i.e. finance, accounting, sustainability, micro-economics and macroeconomics among the others. Hence the MBA.
Furthermore, why the MBA now? Well, because I want to make the switch from the agency side to the corporate side now, and no better way to bridge the gap than do an MBA that would provide me with a holistic understanding of the other side, before I step into it.
Starting today, I have about 50 days till the round 2 deadline to get my essays in place. Does Haas seem like a good option and what are my chances basis my profile?
Note: By matriculation, it would be about 2 years and 7/8 months of work experience
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17 Nov 2018, 07:12
Hi, I'm aiming for top B schools including Booth.
Age 31, Male, Indian
Academics: UG: BE CIVIL, 3.0/4 Did LLB alongwith job from Delhi University (evening classes), 54% GMAT 650 (Q 49, V 31, IR 8)
Have 9+ years of work ex in India's largest power equipment manufacturer and top 7 Public sector undertakings.
Started as Project engineer at thermal sites and then moved to HR, Business Administration and law. Currently leading 3 different teams in HR, CSR and Business Administration and memeber of legal team.
Saved approx. $500,000 for the company in an arbitration (changing arguments and strategy).
In business administration, saved Rs $50000 a year by using idle machinery from other units instead of hiring it.
Implemented online stores and helpdesks, thereby reducing manpower requirements by 70%.
Negotiated and took 50% discount on existing connections (negotiated with senior management including CMD of Telcom). Also have managed many indistrial disputes saving 500+ man-hours combined.
I'm also a certified behavioural trainer in my company and have trained 200+ employees.
Consistent top performer and can get LORs from seniors, Head of HR and Executive Director. Although dont have international workex, but have travelled a lot in India (demographically different) for business.
Extra curriculars include: have represented company in all india psu football tournaments, have won table tennis tournament in law college. Participated in street plays on social issues in company. Avid biker, trekker.
I know my experience is on higher side and have low GMAT score, still what do you think of my chances.
Long term goal is to open a venture to tap energy generation in renewable energies (in small and micro levels) that solves the energy problems and upliftment of society in developing and underdeveloped countries. Mba in top b schools would help in getting the global outlook, networking, insight on new technologies and nuances of business to help achieve my dream.
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07 Jan 2019, 14:02
Intake year: 2020
Nationality: American, age 24 (25 at matriculation)
GPA: 3.31, Miami University (Finance GPA: 3.74)
Bachelor of Science: Finance Major, Economics Minor (my econ GPA really pulled down my overall GPA due to challenging course load) GMAT: 720 (49Q / 40V / IR 9 / AWA 5.0)
4 years work experience at matriculation Work Experience: Strategy & operations consulting for two different firms (1 boutique, 1 larger well-known firm). Projects were centered more around finance transformation at the beginning of my career but have recently been focused on data & analytics (better suits my interests). I have experience in Utilities, Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Healthcare (payer). Project experiences include finance transformations, organization effectiveness assessments, competitive intelligence research, product strategy, and data visualization/dashboard implementation. Promoted to senior consultant/manager level (we have atypical job titles).
Career Goals: Career shift into technology – focus on product management. Through project experiences, I have taken a serious interest in using data visualization and various tech solutions to drive insights and strategic decision making. I’m looking to take the next step with product management at a large technology company. Carnegie Mellon is also near the top of my list!
Extracurriculars: Certified Tableau associate, working on a real estate analytics website (will hopefully have more traction before I apply), tutoring elementary school kids (just started this), show host for a reoccurring music program in different city locations Interests: Entrepreneurship, Triathlons, Volleyball, Playing the drums
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21 Jan 2019, 10:43
Background and nationality : India, Female, 25 Undergrad Information: Doctor of Medicine Under-graduation from Ramaiah medical college, passed with first class GMAT: 740 (Q48, V44) Work experience and leadership: Worked for a year as a junior doctor and one and a half years as assistant hospital administrator, leader of NABH accreditation Community and others: Volunteered at orphanage and old age home - managed health problems of both Post MBA goals: Short term: Hospital administrator of my hospital Long term: Become Medical director of a small healthcare organisation
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27 Feb 2019, 20:35
Background and nationality: United States, Caucasian (female) Undergrad Information: Santa Clara University, 3.03 GMAT: 680 (42Q, 41V) Work experience and leadership: 73 months, CPG Community and others: continued service through undergrad alumni program Post MBA goals: grow my career in CPG Anything else? Worked in international government for a year, Bounced around in tech for 4 years, been in CPG for the last year
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02 Jun 2019, 08:45
Background and nationality - Indian Age -25 Undergrad Information - Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Dubai - UAE B.E Mechanical Engineering GPA - 8.10/10 Grad Information - Rutgers University-New Brunswick M.S Industrial and Systems Engineering GPA - 3.146/4 GRE: 325 V-158 Q-167 AWA- 4.0 Work experience and leadership- Went for masters immediately after my undergrad. Finished masters in Oct 2017. Came back and joined my family business. Been working for the past 2 years. We are into real estate. Looking to pursue an MBA with real estate specialization. I also manage a couple of private equity investments I made in the past two years in the fields of F&B and Agritech. I also started a firm to do small scale projects and manage the investments on my own. Community and others - As a family, we do a lot of community service and specifically work with an orphan and below poverty school by helping the kids with their education. We set up a library under the name of my grandparents recently. We spend time at the school organizing special lunches and sports for the kids on the birth and death anniversaries of my family members. Sports - I represented my high school and undergrad school teams in Cricket and Volleyball. I was the captain of my U-13, U-15 and U-17 cricket team in middle school and high school. Post-MBA goals - Join my family business and make a smooth transition of the business from my father to me. He is going to be 60 in a couple of years and wants to retire or at least just advice me on the business instead of running it. Anything else? I love cooking. I worked for free as an assistant to the head chef at a farm cooking school in new jersey so that I get to learn how to cook. I use to help him in the cooking classes, monthly dinners and weekend open market at the farm. They only use the ingredients produced by the farm in all their events. I learned to cook French, Italian, Mexican cuisines and basics techniques. Travel - wildlife, nature and adventure enthusiast. Lived in 2 countries other than India for a period of more than 2 years. Traveled to around 12 countries including Galapagos Islands. I also traveled around 14 states in the USA including Alaska. I love hiking and trekking. I visited around 5 national parks in the USA.
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09 Jun 2019, 06:30
Hello Experts
I request your views and advice on my profile.
Background: Indian Female, 28 yrs Doctor (MBBS) GMAT (yet-to-give) target 710
Education: Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery
Work Experience: Total 5 years Job 1 - Medical Officer (6m) Job 2 - Medical Officer and Co-ordinator of medical unit (9m) Job 3 - Founding member of healthcare startup. The start-up did not take off due to multiple operational reasons. (1y) Job 4 - Program Manager of an international academic Masters program in Asia brought in collaboration with a UK university. 2 years into the program has more than 70 surgeons from 7 nationalities across Asia. Laid the foundation of the program. Was in-charge of medical operations as well as the NGO associated with the same organisation in multiple community activities including fund-raising. (1.5y) Job 5 - Currently the founder of a social start-up for the elderly (1y) Overall a slightly more intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial resume. The journey has come with its fair share of learning.
Extra curriculars - Teaching underprivileged students, part of an NGO Post MBA Goal Short term - to get into social impact sector either in foundations such as Bill & Mellinda Gates or social businesses or social impact consulting. I want to work with organisations across the world with deep community engagement. Heavy interest in relocation abroad to work at renowned social impact organisations with a focus on healthcare. Long term - Drive my own social venture and get into social impact investment
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09 Jun 2019, 07:11
Hello,
Age: 22 (Plan to apply in 3-4 years)
Ethnicity: Korean-American
Academics: Top 10 U.S. University (not known for engineering) Majored in Mechanical Engineering and Minored in Finance
GMAT: 740 (2nd attempt; thinking about retaking the GMAT again to achieve a score of 750+ due to my demographic)
Experience: 100% in the aerospace industry (internships)
Current Job: Engineer at Fortune 100 Aerospace Engineering Firm
Intended Post-MBA Career: Management consulting (MBB), using my experiences in the engineering industry (both small and large firms) to help clients with problems unique to the intersection of business and engineering.
Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. Overall I think you have a compelling story and reason for requiring an MBA. Another program you might want to consider is Yale - they are strong in social impact.
Academics: You haven't shared your academic performance on this post. How are your academics (CGPA)? As to the GMAT, Haas has an average score of 726. Because of your demographic, you want to attempt to get as close to the average as possible. That said, you also have an interesting story and ambitions that will help differentiate you from other applicants in the pool.
Professional Experiences: Your story warrants a conversation. I get the sense that your journey has had some trials and tribulations, and those require a deeper understanding.
Community Engagement/ECs: I would like to learn more about your teaching and leadership involvement in your community.
I would love to learn your story and see how we can help you make this application cycle your best ever. When ready, please reach out.
Good luck!
SG2005 wrote:
Hello Experts
I request your views and advice on my profile.
Background: Indian Female, 28 yrs Doctor (MBBS) GMAT (yet-to-give) target 710
Education: Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery
Work Experience: Total 5 years Job 1 - Medical Officer (6m) Job 2 - Medical Officer and Co-ordinator of medical unit (9m) Job 3 - Founding member of healthcare startup. The start-up did not take off due to multiple operational reasons. (1y) Job 4 - Program Manager of an international academic Masters program in Asia brought in collaboration with a UK university. 2 years into the program has more than 70 surgeons from 7 nationalities across Asia. Laid the foundation of the program. Was in-charge of medical operations as well as the NGO associated with the same organisation in multiple community activities including fund-raising. (1.5y) Job 5 - Currently the founder of a social start-up for the elderly (1y) Overall a slightly more intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial resume. The journey has come with its fair share of learning.
Extra curriculars - Teaching underprivileged students, part of an NGO Post MBA Goal Short term - to get into social impact sector either in foundations such as Bill & Mellinda Gates or social businesses or social impact consulting. I want to work with organisations across the world with deep community engagement. Heavy interest in relocation abroad to work at renowned social impact organisations with a focus on healthcare. Long term - Drive my own social venture and get into social impact investment
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27 Jun 2019, 10:16
Hi all,
I would appreciate any comments and thoughts on my status/dilemma !
I got 670 (V32Q49) on the Gmat I took last summer (3rd attempt), and thinking about retaking the Gmat to apply Haas on October 2019. I am 32, international student, graduated from an elite university program in my country (GPA 3.2), with 6 years of military service, 3 years in management consulting, entrepreneurship experience and vast volunteering experience.
Till the deadlines, I believe I can improve my score, but not in an extraordinary manner (up to 700 max). However, it will certainly affect the progress and development I can achieve in my career.
Does is worth it? Does this score sufficiently qualifies as a prospect candidate for Haas? And can I even consider thinking about scholarships in light of my profile? (hence the improvement is necessary)
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27 Jun 2019, 12:11
Hi Experts!
I'd like to kindly request you for your feedback on my candidacy. Here goes.
Background: Indian Male Age 27 GMAT 720 (Q50, V38) Industry: Consulting (Front end consulting role in one of the largest HR Consulting organizations in the world, typically held by Tier-1 MBA professionals)
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from IIT Delhi (CGPA – 7.0)
Work Experience: Total 4+ years (in india) Worked for over 2 years in a social sector consulting startup and 1 year in an election campaign strategy firm (a SuperPAC). Working in the strategic HR consulting for last 1 year. Worked in diverse geographies (as a student and a working professional) from rural India to Europe
Extra curriculars – Won international competitions and worked on two international projects in Europe. Worked as Coordinator in various campus festivals and a student association club.
Post MBA Goal – Startup in the Indian vernacular entertainment segment
I see that your post was made several months back, but it doesn't seem that you ever received a response, so I am going to go ahead and take that opportunity! I assume from the timing of your post that you were looking ahead to applying at some point in the future (2019?). If you have further clarity on that, it would be great to know.
MD TO MBA
Making the case for a transition from "MD to MBA" can be complicated, and in my own graduating class at Haas (Class of 2015), I believe we had one doctor and one nurse in a class of around 260 (Haas's class size has grown a bit since then). The good news for you is that (a) you're younger than most American doctors would be when applying (it takes longer to become a doctor here, which often pushes even business-oriented American MDs outside the typical FTMBA range), and (b) your work to this point already seems to lie at the intersection of medical practice (which is naturally MD oriented) and hospital administration (which has nice synergy with an MBA). So whereas other doctors might have only medical experience (and would thus need to articulate a transition into business from there), you already have elements of both, and they align naturally with your goals. The key will become what exactly those goals are why you believe you need an MBA (from Haas specifically) to achieve them. More on that below!
UNPACK THE VALUE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND CONNECT IT TO HAAS
I don't know the exact details of your experience as a doctor, but I imagine that if we were to really discuss it deeply, there would be *a ton* of interesting material to unpack -- the journey to becoming a doctor, any obstacles that you faced and overcame (possibly related to doing so in your home country, or in breaking societal gender norms), any unique medical challenges among the populations you serve, the unique administrative challenges of running your hospital (operations, funding, personnel management, etc.), the communication and empathy involved in doing so (serving across social, cultural, or linguistic barriers, etc.), how you've done what you've done at a relatively young age (presumably managing tons of older people), what you've learned and how you've grown and in what ways you've stepped outside your comfort zone, the impact you've had on people and your organization, and so on and so forth. All of this can make for a very rich, thoughtful, and authentic story, and it also has very strong organic alignment with Haas's four defining principles -- question the status quo, beyond yourself, students always, and confidence without attitude -- which the school takes very seriously and looks for in applicants.
BERKELEY'S MBA/MPH PROGRAM
I'm not sure if you're interested in an additional degree alongside the MBA, but Berkeley has a very well regarded MBA/MPH program. The aforementioned doctor and nurse in my class were both part of that program. That dual degree program adds one semester to the MBA, and in doing so, affords you two summer internships instead of one. Given your experience and goals, there could be some fantastic synergy there as well. At the very least, it's worth learning more about.
Against this backdrop (and given your GMAT score, which does enough of a job to check the GMAT box for you), I believe that the major challenge and key for you will rest with the articulation of your story, your goals, and why you believe you need an MBA (or in this case the combination of an MD and MBA, or MD and MBA/MPH) in order to achieve them, particularly from Haas. I would encourage you to really develop the specificity of your short-, medium- and long-term goals. If we were to chat, we should definitely revisit the idea of returning to administrate your hospital post-MBA; that's already the job you have, so why do you need an MBA to do that, where is the growth trajectory, and in what way does Berkeley-Haas uniquely set you up to do so?
Likewise, I would encourage you to consider developing medium-term goals (that bridge your short- and long-term goals) and to definitely revisit your long-term goals. With your long term goals, think about whether there is a *big* public health or social or medical problem that you want to solve -- perhaps *the one* that you've observed from your time on the ground serving people and running your hospital, the one that keeps you up at night and lights a fire inside of you to solve, and the one that -- if you were ever able to combine your current experience with the Berkeley MBA (and maybe MPH) -- you believe you be equipped to solve. In your applications and interviews, you will want to articulate your vision -- and the passion and purpose behind it -- with great depth and specificity, and be absolutely sure to make the case for why you need an MBA (again, specifically from whatever school you're applying to) in order to do so.
What relevant knowledge, skills, and experience do you already have? What knowledge, skills, and experience are you lacking and therefore need to acquire via the MBA? How exactly will you acquire this knowledge, skill, and experience at each program to which you apply? Which courses, clubs, special programs, centers, conferences, case competitions, etc? What about each school's culture, community, and location make it the right fit for you? What unique perspective can you bring to campus? How will you uniquely contribute? What pioneering things can you do? You can read more about how to develop the specificity of several of these factors in this blog post: https://www.avantiprep.com/blog/the-mos ... on-process
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I hope this post helps! If you have any questions or would like to continue the conversation, please feel free to email me at greg@avantiprep.com or sign up for a Free Consultation via this link: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html. I hope we have the opportunity to connect!
Best Regards, Greg
Sunaya94 wrote:
Background and nationality : India, Female, 25 Undergrad Information: Doctor of Medicine Under-graduation from Ramaiah medical college, passed with first class GMAT: 740 (Q48, V44) Work experience and leadership: Worked for a year as a junior doctor and one and a half years as assistant hospital administrator, leader of NABH accreditation Community and others: Volunteered at orphanage and old age home - managed health problems of both Post MBA goals: Short term: Hospital administrator of my hospital Long term: Become Medical director of a small healthcare organisation
To better understand how I work with clients and what they've historically felt were the major benefits of partnering, I encourage you to read through my Client Testimonials, all of which are independently verified by GMAT Club. I believe you'll find the reviews to be among the most transparent and detailed out there, and I believe you'll observe a unique level of time, depth, quality, commitment, attention to detail, and personal care. For serious inquiries, I am happy to connect you with former clients so you can hear about their experiences.
Thank you for your post. There's not a ton of information here to go off of (for example what country are you from?), but on its face, I unfortunately don't see Haas (assuming the full-time program?) as a viable possibility. The average GMAT score for Haas students is 726, with a middle 80% range of 690 to 750. The average student has 5.4 years of post-college experience, with a middle 80% range of 3.3 to 8.0 years. The GPA is a little tougher to translate, but a 3.2 out of 4.0 rests outside of Haas's middle 80% range as well. It's certainly not all about the numbers, but being on the wrong side of all of these baseline ranges would make an already difficult undertaking (Haas has a small class size and a correspondingly low acceptance rate) even more difficult.
Ex-military candidates tend to be a little older than the typical full-time MBA candidate, and they often have tons of leadership and unique experience to draw on, so I'm sure you have a lot to talk about there. But even then, and even with the right GMAT score, I think you'd have a difficult case to make for a full-time MBA when you'd presumably enroll at age 33 and graduate at age 35. Again, I am not sure where you're located, but I would encourage you consider programs that better align with your scores and where you stand in your career. This might mean Executive MBA programs (there are a couple, such as USC IBEAR, that still offer mid-career professionals the opportunity go full-time in another country) or targeted 1Y programs where you'd align with their age and work experience ranges (this requires due diligence). I wish you the best of luck on your journey!
Kind Regards, Greg
Eladt wrote:
Hi all,
I would appreciate any comments and thoughts on my status/dilemma !
I got 670 (V32Q49) on the Gmat I took last summer (3rd attempt), and thinking about retaking the Gmat to apply Haas on October 2019. I am 32, international student, graduated from an elite university program in my country (GPA 3.2), with 6 years of military service, 3 years in management consulting, entrepreneurship experience and vast volunteering experience.
Till the deadlines, I believe I can improve my score, but not in an extraordinary manner (up to 700 max). However, it will certainly affect the progress and development I can achieve in my career.
Does is worth it? Does this score sufficiently qualifies as a prospect candidate for Haas? And can I even consider thinking about scholarships in light of my profile? (hence the improvement is necessary)
To better understand how I work with clients and what they've historically felt were the major benefits of partnering, I encourage you to read through my Client Testimonials, all of which are independently verified by GMAT Club. I believe you'll find the reviews to be among the most transparent and detailed out there, and I believe you'll observe a unique level of time, depth, quality, commitment, attention to detail, and personal care. For serious inquiries, I am happy to connect you with former clients so you can hear about their experiences.
You seem to have a nice foundation between your professional experience, international experience, and undergraduate institution, so I would encourage you to really think deeply about how you can unpack the value of those. For example, what unique projects, partnerships, cross-cultural experiences, learning experiences, growth experiences, impact, and influence lurk within them? I'm sure there are something interesting things to cull out!
...BUT MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT THE DOTS
At the same time, I don't quite see how the dots connect between your three previous jobs (social sector consulting, election strategy, and HR consulting, both in and between themselves, and with respect to your future goals. You should be super proactive about explaining your choices and journey, and how who you are and what you've done to this point (which on its face is a bit disjointed... that doesn't mean it is... it just means that that's what it looks like, and your choices, motivations, passions, and goals therefore require a bit more explaining) -- plus the Haas MBA -- equals, leads to, or enables your goals. I also don't quite understand what you mean by your goals. Please aim to develop the clarity and specificity of those. You might check out this blog post for further guidance there, and with respect to "why MBA," "why XYZ school," and other matters.
GMAT SCORE AND SCHOOLS
In addition to all of that, you will also need to elevate your GMAT score if you want to be competitive at Haas. According to one GMAT Club study, Indian applicants with a 720 GMAT have only a 5% acceptance rate across the entirety of the U.S. top 20, and Haas usually has the fourth lowest acceptance rate in the country behind Stanford, HBS, and MIT Sloan, in part due to its small class size. And while your undergraduate institution is strong, and international GPAs don't always translate in the most obvious manner, your CGPA is on the lower side.
For added context, in a given Haas class of 280 students, there might be around 50-55 seats for international males (based on class profile statistics), and that's for all countries around the globe. You're ultimately competing for a handful or two of spots, so -- along with all of the application execution, story, why MBA, why Haas references above, which together with your recommendations will need to be superb -- applying with a below-average GMAT score from the most crowded and competitive applicant pool is very difficult. I'd set an aspirational target of 760+ and a more achievable target of 740+, the latter of which is often thought of as something of a de facto cutoff for the T15 when applying from your applicant pool. (Another common refrain is to target a GMAT score that is 30 to 40 points above the average for whatever school you're interested in.) Even then, Haas is tough, so I would encourage you to be thoughtful about building a diversified school strategy.
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I would naturally be happy to help with that -- and thinking through or executing any of the above -- if ever the time comes. Please feel free to email me at greg@avantiprep.com or sign up for a Free Consultation via this link: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html
Best Regards, Greg
Sid5050 wrote:
Hi Experts!
I'd like to kindly request you for your feedback on my candidacy. Here goes.
Background: Indian Male Age 27 GMAT 720 (Q50, V38) Industry: Consulting (Front end consulting role in one of the largest HR Consulting organizations in the world, typically held by Tier-1 MBA professionals)
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from IIT Delhi (CGPA – 7.0)
Work Experience: Total 4+ years (in india) Worked for over 2 years in a social sector consulting startup and 1 year in an election campaign strategy firm (a SuperPAC). Working in the strategic HR consulting for last 1 year. Worked in diverse geographies (as a student and a working professional) from rural India to Europe
Extra curriculars – Won international competitions and worked on two international projects in Europe. Worked as Coordinator in various campus festivals and a student association club.
Post MBA Goal – Startup in the Indian vernacular entertainment segment
To better understand how I work with clients and what they've historically felt were the major benefits of partnering, I encourage you to read through my Client Testimonials, all of which are independently verified by GMAT Club. I believe you'll find the reviews to be among the most transparent and detailed out there, and I believe you'll observe a unique level of time, depth, quality, commitment, attention to detail, and personal care. For serious inquiries, I am happy to connect you with former clients so you can hear about their experiences.
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18 Jul 2019, 07:43
Could you kindly review my profile for the 2019-2020 admission cycle? I apologize for the very lengthy post.
My profile/stats:
* 28 this year, Southeast Asian (Chinese) based in Singapore * GMAT: 710 (Q49, V36, IR7); first "blind" attempt; will be looking aiming for 750-770. * GPA: 3.1/4.0; one of the top colleges/target schools in Singapore, this is my primary concern * No. of WE: 3 years as of now (started upon graduation in May 2016). >> Spent 1 year in the wealth management division (front office sales) of a tier1 US bank >> Was a top performer and earmarked for promotion at the end of the year >> However, I have always wanted to work in financial markets. Hence, I left for a tier2 investment bank after 1 year of cold calling >> Joined on contract. Performance was good and they created a headcount for me after 1 year. >> Got promoted to senior analyst in my 2nd year. Given additional responsibilities to cover 2 sets of clients (essentially 2 men's job)
* Extracurricular activities during college: >> Elected into student office during college. Initiated and led various signature events >> Part of a major band in school. Invited for various paid gigs and even overseas performances >> Took part in various case competitions and overseas study trips
* Extracurricular activities post-college: >> Part of the same alumni band >> Part of an alumni mentoring circle >> Volunteers in a church - mentoring younger boys >> Freelance as a wedding pianist
Post MBA goals: * Short/medium term - consulting with MBB with a focus on public sector/government or financial services (am not fully certain on the focus to be very honest) in the US. I plan to stay in the US for a few years. Alternatively, I'd be happy to explore options in general management/strategy. I believe all my short term goals are realistic with a T15 MBA. * Long term - I am not looking to start any company or join a VC/HF/PE. I personally believe I am better suited to working in a large corporate. Hence, I am looking for longevity within the mgmt consulting firm or move into a strategy/COO role in the public sector/financial services.
I would like to have an immersive experience at school. Smaller size would be a plus, not a must. Would like a place with a heavy focus on teamwork and collaboration. Strength in general management will be a plus.
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18 Jul 2019, 17:49
Hey guys, thanks for taking time to evaluate my profile-
32, Indian Male GMAT- 680 (V34 Q49). Retaking in a month Undergrad- GPA:3.8 Delhi College of Engineering, India (BE-EE) (Tier-1 college in India), 2009
Grad school- GPA:3.5 North Caroline State University, Raleigh-(MS-EE (PhD dropout)) 2014
Work Experience: Bay area startup-A (6months): Sr Tech marketing engineer in a startup - Growing mixed signal FPGA business for a HW startup in bay area. - Changed job streams from complete tech field to tech-business after Haas gave their feedback last year
Bay area startup- B (3.5y): Pure tech work - Applications lead for product development of tech stuff for automation and server market segment. - Leading customer support, met clients, trained engineers in the technology around the globe
Los Angeles established company- C (1.5y): Pure tech work - Headed design of simulation platform for a validation platform for server segment.
Executive Engineer, NTPC, India, 2years: Pure tech work -Inspection Engineer for QA dept
Awards: - Sponsored athlete and member of Indian national team in a sport. Regularly participate in events in Europe, Asia representing India. - Ungergrad and grad school fellowships. Had a full scholarship ride throughout studies in India and US - Published 3 papers in grad school
Leadership: - VP, Student Leadership Council, NC State - Founder of an NPO generating money through my sports for kids' education back home by organizing events in California
Post MBA goals: - My goal is to work in the area of sports management. I'm passionate about sports and how it has affected my life and the perspective it provides to other facets of life. I'd like to make sports more accessible to people, specially in India. My goals are a little out there but that's what I want to do with my life. I've seen enough tech stuff to want but I don't care much about it anymore.
PS: Applied to Haas EWMBA and UCLA Anderson FEMBA last year. Got into UCLA but declined. Haas interviewed but told me that I didn't have relevant work experience, so I changed jobs to join a volatile startup to learn (hope this doesn't **** me in the ass). Haas also asked me to improve GMAT so I'll retake it in a month.
I'm thinking of applying part time in Haas, Anderson, Booth and full time in HEC, Oxford, LBS, and Cambridge (because the chick I'm with moved to London lol).
Please evaluate my profile and give feedback. Thanks!
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21 Jul 2019, 12:25
Hi Id like a profile evaluation
30 Male Pakistan National
710 GMAT
3.6/4 GPA mechanical engineer. Honor roll student top 5% of class.
Wireline Product and Service Delivery Manager at Schlumberger (largest O&G services co) 75 direct/indirect reports. 20$ million annual revenue generating location. Responsible for revenue generation, operations, sales, training and coaching, supplier management and new technology introduction for Pakistan’s Wireline business. 8 years in the company. 1.5 years in current role.
International exposure in Saudi Arabia working with Saudi Aramco as field engineer.
Passionate about cycling and photography. Lead corporate initiative for local communities (school) where Schlumberger operates in Sindh Pakistan. Been volunteering consistently since high school.
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21 Jul 2019, 18:10
Background and nationality: Indian female, 24 years old
Undergrad Information: B.Sc in Economics, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, India (3 year bachelors degree) GPA 3.09/4
GMAT: retaking in 2 weeks, scoring between 710-730 currently in mocks
Work experience and leadership: I worked for Thomson Reuters for 3 years in Reuters News as a business and finance journalist covering U.S. equities and companies news. While at Reuters, I started my own direct-to-consumer retail company called Azure Cersei -https://www.instagram.com/the_azure_official/?hl=en My company mostly deals in retail consumer products ranging from shoes to jewelry, and as of now I am selling within India and exporting to Canada and US. I have been running the startup for almost 2 years now.
Post MBA goals - Learning more about entrepreneurship and marketing is my primary motivation for applying to B schools. My post MBA goals would be entrepreneurship or a placement in a luxury and retail company.
Please also suggest other colleges I can apply to according to my profile, thanks!
gmatclubot
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