What schools should I target?

Question

Hey guys, there's a ton of B schools out there. I was hoping someone can give me recommendations of schools that I would be able to get in and a few that would be reaches. Thank you all so much.

Demographic:  
27 year old Asian American

Education:  
Graduated 2013 with BSBA Finance & Investment Management at The Ohio State University (3.21/4)
Up-trending GPA due to learning disorder treated Senior year (last year of study I had a A- GPA vs previous year 1-3 of B/B+). 
I have a compliance certification that is acknowledged in my industry and a technical analysis trading certification as well. I am a CMT lvl 3 candidate.

GMAT:  
Took it yesterday, 700. Don't remember what but what I scored better in Verbal than in Quant.

Background: 
I work in project consulting, but also have tech experience cofounding 2 companies. I enjoy the startup scene and like creating my own companies.

Work Experience: 
1. I have consulted on various regulatory projects (only one of these positions has been "full time") with financial services and consulting firms (all Fortune 500) from 2014-Current.
2. I used to be a YouTuber and conduct live equity trades streamed online; had decent following with over 200k minutes viewed online ~ 1.5 years. 
3. Also cofounded a social media sharing APP in China last year in 2018; my biggest achievement was getting it chosen as an "accelerated startup" by StartupGrind in 2019. I am just an advisor to this company now.

Volunteer: 
Habitat for Humanity 2018-Current

Post MBA Goals: 
Use the knowledge and experienced gained so on my future companies I am able to carry them over the "hump" to make them successful; I do not wish to be a full-time consultant but to run my own large company. I also want to find a niche where potential something new can be created; I want to meet others with same ambitions.

Questions: 
1. My regulatory consulting work has many gaps because I work on contract basis most of the time. Only at one of the companies I worked at (IBM) was I considered a "full time employee". However I have had leadership roles such as in QA during these projects. But I've worked alongside notable firms like KPMG and Protiviti along with Fortune 500 financial services. Is this jumping around seen as negative?

2. Following up to question 1, during my gaps I worked on my own projects. I cofounded 2 companies, one of which is defunct (Youtube Influencer) and the other where I am taking a backseat role. Is this negative as well since neither company is "succeeding"?

3. I made quite a bit of money trading equities and alternative assets on my own which allows me to have my lifestyle of casually working consulting gigs while exploring my own projects/companies (even the one overseas in China), do I need to say this at all when I'm applying?

BeenThere · Answer

Really interesting background. You should have a shot at T15 schools (odds varying accordingly) assuming you can weave the various parts of your story together cohesively. Some other thoughts:

1. You'll want to explain GPA improvement in an optional essay. Sounds like you have a good reason for it.
2. Essays should explain the unique work you've done and how it ties into goals...
3. ... which need to be more specific. So entrepreneurship is your goal? During school? Is there something in between?
4. Once established, that will inform which schools make sense to strive for within the larger grouping. Each school has distinct focuses.
5. Any extracurricular involvements?

Check out our Culture Guide (in link below) for some insights into cultural/classroom differences at the M7.

f55507 · Answer

Thanks for the reply. No extracurriculars. I am looking for a more entrepreneurs specific of a b school to provide me guidance. I am a risk and opportunity taker, just need to learn the best methods of doing it the proper way. I'm trying to target California schools like USC and UCLA.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

A few thoughts on your profile and questions  f55507 :
 
  Following are the schools better known for   entrepreneurship/start-ups  . That being said, from what you've described, it would be recommended to think deeper. The overall post feels a bit high-level - just being bluntly honest here. Schools would expect you to have thought through your plans much better than just being in company of entrepreneurs - while that helps, it doesn't necessarily lead to success. 
  A bit surprising that you don't remember your own score. Nonetheless, it might be tad low given your GPA story. If there is room for improvement, worth considering a retake.  
  The jumps do make for an issue that will need explaining. Make sure you use the personal projects well - even if they didn't succeed, project the learning and how they have moved your life story forward. A lot really boils down to how you articulate the story. 
  It might be good to showcase the investing itself as an extracurricular! Just avoid saying things like 'casual working' et al. Think deeper and articulate better.

Hope this sparks some thoughts in the right direction.

Cheers,

f55507 · Answer

Thank you for your input. My decision on why I want to go to B school is a weird reason. I just want to go back to school; maybe pick up a few things that are only available in the professional educational world; I feel like everyday I'm learning something new. I just need a little more direction/guidance. I am actually pretty comfortable at where I am now, but when I was younger, getting a higher degree was always on the back of my mind. I don't even know where I want to go to other than a prestigious school in a good location where I would want to spend 2 years. I had some free time so I decided to study the GMAT.

I'm assuming that when applying for B school we can decide what career paths we want to pursue? And the difficulty of acceptance at each program at every school is different (such as Entrepreneurship)? My dream schools are all Cali schools: USC, UCLA, UC Berkley.

I'm assuming that when applying for B school we can decide what career paths we want to pursue? And the difficulty of acceptance at each program at every school is different (such as Entrepreneurship)? My dream schools are all Cali schools: USC, UCLA, UC Berkley.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

While what you are saying is ok in some sense, you should think about it a bit more  f55507 .

What you say is more like saying MBA is a means unto itself; which it surely is. But it also has to be eventually a means to an end. And while that 'end' itself can change, most schools would want to hear what your goal is before admitting you. They want to see if you have a plan and whether you've thought it through. Bschool education is not cheap - so it is prudent thinking plus, they also don't want their alumni to not achieve great things. So don't just think about yourself, also think of other stakeholders in the process.

Some thoughts on   post-MBA goal   here.

Also, in case you are not sure of   whether MBA or not  , think on that front too.

f55507 · Answer

Cost is a non-factor for me. The opportunity here is time. Yeah but I probably going to do a lot more research into what I want to do. Still figuring out what I want to do in life haha. I'll probably hire a coach to prep for my applications.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

That's true for most of us  f55507 . definitely go for coaching (we help too), but   don't 'outsource'  .

Hope this interaction was useful and all the best with your journey ahead.

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

f55507  Learn Educate Discover is a helpful resource on learning about various MBA jobs:  https://www.learneducatediscover.com/

would also recommend Touch MBA career podcasts  https://touchmba.com/category/touch-mba-podcast/mba-careers-interviews/

TheJaffeAdvantage · Answer

Not to reiterate everything on here but a few additional thoughts:

1) An MBA is not an academic degree. It is a professional degree people pursue to further their career. While students actually go for all sorts of reasons, your application must show a clearly thought out reason for why you need an MBA. One of the considerations the Admissions Committee will have is: does this person know what they want to do? Does the goal make sense? And do they need an MBA (more specifically an MBA from our school) to achieve this goal? Note: schools are partially ranked on the number of students that have full time jobs within three months of graduation. If they do not see you as someone who will add to this statistic they will be less willing to accept you

2) While some students (many students actually) attend business school to change careers you need to be able to clearly articulate a career goal. It is true that business school is a time for discovery and that many people aren't 100% clear on their goal / change their mind once they attend school. However, it is key that you show you know what you want to do on the application. Also - the reality is that while many people aren't 100% sure what they want to do when entering most have some idea . Opportunities that can lead to a good outcome (recruiting, entrepreneurship classes and contests, etc.) start almost immediately when school starts. If you take a year to figure out what you want to do, you will miss the boat - so to speak....and you won't get as much out of the degree as you would like.

3) Entrepreneurship in and of itself isn't a well-defined goal. Many people eventually want to become entrepreneurs but usually long-run. I generally tell my Clients that unless they have a specific idea for a company on which they have already started working and can clearly articulate why the MBA will help them to get it over the hump, find a different short-term goal and make entrepreneurship a long-term goal (but in something specific). It is highly unlikely that you will start school with no idea what you want to do and then find the team, idea, and funding within two years. This goes back to the point that the school wants to know you will have a job. And - if you are going to follow an entrepreneurial path (short or long term) they want to know it is well thought out

4) I don't think your lack of FT jobs is important - especially in today's world that is moving towards the gig economy. However, you need to create a story. Startups are a job, investing is a job. Make sure you can account for all the time and then think about how (or work with a counselor to think about how) you can make the choices sound intentional. Furthermore, your goals must align to the type of pattern you have had (e.g. it would be more realistic to say you wanted to work for a startup than go into industry as the former tends to see more job hoppers.) Business schools want to know you are really planning your career. Just as you would in a job interview - you need to explain why you took each step (even if it is an "after the fact" reason)

5) Business schools - similar to jobs - are give and take. This isn't college where you are paying to learn. The reason professional experience is required is to raise the bar on discussion. The schools want to know that you will be able to contribute as much to the school (in terms of your knowledge, your participation, your helping other students, adding new perspectives) as you take (what you learn). If you went to apply for a job you would tell the interviewer what you can do for them, not the other way around. Same with business school - it's a two way street

6) I think you should retake your GMAT if you are focusing on the three schools you mentioned. While candidates do get in with 700, it's not ideal in your case given that 1) your GPA is below average (you don't want both your GPA and your GMAT to be below average); 2) your verbal is higher than your quant (the schools care more about quant) 3) there will be a lot of explanation that goes into the rest of your application so make the academic section easy for them to check off. You can only "explain away" so many things.

7) While I realize this is just a forum for advice, you should focus on sounding less casual when you talk about your goals and reasons for business school - as well as the language you use. It's hard to change perspective overnight so I would advise "formalizing" your discussion manner now so you will be prepared for the interview.

In short - I think you have a decent shot at the schools you mentioned - but only if you retake the GMAT and really think through your storyline and goals. You have the elements for a good application - but how you package them and present your profile will make / break your odds. Additionally, while I do realize you want to be in CA, if you definitely want to go to business school I would advise adding some other schools in the mix. I've seen candidates rejected from USC / UCLA who have been accepted into better schools in other areas of the country. Just food for thought.

If you want to chat in more detail, please email me at pamela@jaffeadvantage.com for a free consultation.

What schools should I target?

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