Greetings,
Just finished with 11 months on Obama campaign doing new media and field, prior interned at State dept , City of Pasedena and as journalist on Capitol Hill. Extensive fellowships and volunteer work in U.S. (new orleans and inner-city LA) and abroad.
Otherwise no straight business experience.
2006 UCLA Graduate in International Development GPA 3.87
Fluent in 4 languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, English)
710 GMAT (41/93%verbal, 47/81% quant, 4.0/26% writing) 93% overall
I'm applying to HBS/HKS joint mba/master's public policy program but the application process is separate and I'm a little worried about getting into HBS (HKS i'm pretty confident I've got).
Anything I can do to help the app? (e.g. How much does it hurt I don't have straight biz experience--should I try to pickup a consulting job in the meantime....?
+ How much does the 4.0/26% writing score from the GMAT hurt ... Really I only prepared a few days before the test and I think I could do better on that and verbal/quant... At all worth the investment to retake it???
Really appreciate it.
Thanks and Sincerely,
Zachary
GMAT Forum
4 postsPage 1 of 1
- MBAApply
Congrats on the campaign! Were you a deputy field officer?
Honestly, you shouldn't worry about prior business experience - b-schools are really looking for *compelling* work experience, regardless of whether it's in business, engineering, nonprofit, arts/athletics, military or public service. Especially at HBS.
You should be competitive at HBS - you've got a professional background they will covet.
Also, the AWA doesn't really mean much -- adcoms really don't know what to do with it, so I wouldn't worry about your score.
At this point, just focus on the essays and you should be in good shape.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
Honestly, you shouldn't worry about prior business experience - b-schools are really looking for *compelling* work experience, regardless of whether it's in business, engineering, nonprofit, arts/athletics, military or public service. Especially at HBS.
You should be competitive at HBS - you've got a professional background they will covet.
Also, the AWA doesn't really mean much -- adcoms really don't know what to do with it, so I wouldn't worry about your score.
At this point, just focus on the essays and you should be in good shape.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
- Zach
Thanks for your input Alex.
I was a Field Organizer and a state director of new media at one point... amazing learning experience and service, analogous to business on many levels -- a point I bring around in the essays.
Still, I see my essays as they stand very focused on non-business things (in a way this is logical given i'vent a lot of biz experience) e.g. how I learned the four languages, studied music theater in spain, tried to start a non-profit in New Orleans, worked on the campaign, excelled in my undergraduate, and what I expect to get out of the joint degree. You still believe this isn't a concern? That I shouldn't try to bring in more examples of management, quantitative, etc?
On the one hand I'm going to b-school to hone these things (and my quant scores should reveal I can do so and my essays clearly address this) but don't know whether theyll doubt if I can hang in business...
Apply as a back-up to wharton? to yale? elsewhere?
Yes we can. :)
:)
I was a Field Organizer and a state director of new media at one point... amazing learning experience and service, analogous to business on many levels -- a point I bring around in the essays.
Still, I see my essays as they stand very focused on non-business things (in a way this is logical given i'vent a lot of biz experience) e.g. how I learned the four languages, studied music theater in spain, tried to start a non-profit in New Orleans, worked on the campaign, excelled in my undergraduate, and what I expect to get out of the joint degree. You still believe this isn't a concern? That I shouldn't try to bring in more examples of management, quantitative, etc?
On the one hand I'm going to b-school to hone these things (and my quant scores should reveal I can do so and my essays clearly address this) but don't know whether theyll doubt if I can hang in business...
Apply as a back-up to wharton? to yale? elsewhere?
Yes we can. :)
:)
- MBAApply
If you feel you need "business experience", how does that explain all the military officers, engineers, nonprofit professionals, scientists, etc. with zero business experience who get in?
Focus on highlighting your achievements, learning experiences, perspectives, etc. and how you feel you'll add value in a b-school environment, regardless of whether they're business related or not. Also, I wouldn't get *too* confident here - yes, you have a decent shot, but you also never know - I wouldn't consider Yale or Wharton as backups, given that they aren't that much easier to get in for someone like yourself (Yale attracts a significantly higher % of applicants with public service/non profit backgrounds than any other school), and Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, Sloan, Tuck, Chicago, Columbia, etc. and other top schools also attract some pretty accomplished people from all sort of backgrounds and occupations. Apply to a range of top schools that you want to go to, and if you get into more than one, consider it a luxury.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
Focus on highlighting your achievements, learning experiences, perspectives, etc. and how you feel you'll add value in a b-school environment, regardless of whether they're business related or not. Also, I wouldn't get *too* confident here - yes, you have a decent shot, but you also never know - I wouldn't consider Yale or Wharton as backups, given that they aren't that much easier to get in for someone like yourself (Yale attracts a significantly higher % of applicants with public service/non profit backgrounds than any other school), and Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, Sloan, Tuck, Chicago, Columbia, etc. and other top schools also attract some pretty accomplished people from all sort of backgrounds and occupations. Apply to a range of top schools that you want to go to, and if you get into more than one, consider it a luxury.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
4 posts Page 1 of 1