Profile Eval

[Jaesoreal]

Age: 25 (applying for fall '09)
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Black
Undergrad: Winston-Salem State Univ.
GPA: 3.49 overall (so close to a 3.5!!!) 3.6 in major Dec. 2006 grad
Major: Double major in Economics and Bus admin w/ mgmt concentration
Work: Financial Institution Specialist with FDIC (bank Examiner) since Feb. 2007
Extracurricular: Currently in Toastmaster's Int'l, 100 Black Men, Volunteer Obama Campaign
In Undergrad: was President of org on campus, mentored Elementary kids, Student Senate, Leadership Institute, did Research program at UT-Knoxville, Intern in DC as Education Lobbyist and won Student of the Year
GMAT: 710 Q44 V45

I know it is a lot of info but do you think I have a shot at Harvard, Tuck, Yale, or Duke? Darden is one of my considerations as well.

I'd like to go somewhere with a strong general management program. My extracurricular after college has been limited due to moving with my job and the heavy travel it entails. Will that be a major problem?

[MBAApply]

Bank examiner for the FDIC huh? You must be having a busy weekend with the IndyMac news.

Anyhow, I think with schools like Tuck, Yale, Darden or Duke, you're definitely competitive for. HBS is going to be a stretch, but you have enough of a chance that it's worth at least a shot.

You have a solid profile, and depending on your specific experiences at the FDIC, you could be a very valuable addition to any b-school classroom particularly for classes in finance, micro and macroeconomics, public policy, and so forth.

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

[MBAApply]

And no, your extracurriculars (or lack thereof) outside of work won't really be an issue, since you graduated only a short time ago (your college extracurriculars can still be relevant since it wasn't that long ago for you).

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

[Jaesoreal]

I wasn't pulled in on the IndyMac situation but I suspect I will have my chance before the year is out! Yeah, the FDIC has been a great learning experience. I focus on Risk Management and have been certified in Franchise and Asset Marketing to assist in bank closings. I will definitely give Harvard a shot! Thanks a lot!

[GOT 680,... PLEASE HELP]

Hi,

I took my GMAT today and got a devastating 680 - (49Q, 34V). My verbal score was never this low. Now,I am stuck and I don't know if I stand a chance for full time MBA programs. I have 2 years experience in business with a concentration in general management. I have done my Engineering in mechanical and have a GPA of 7.6 on 10 scale.

Do I stand a good chance for full time MBA in INSEAD, LBS-MIF, CHICAGO-GSB, NYU-STRN, ISB?

Should I take my GMAT again, given my verbal score is very bad?

Please suggest.

Thanks in advance!