Profile Evaluation please

[jhamilton433]

Hello, could I please have someone evaluate my profile? Thanks.

Age: 31 at matriculation

GMAT: Will take in 6 months(when I get back from my deployment to Afghanistan). Have taken a few practice tests and am scoring around 700 consistently.

UG GPA: 2.6 - Was much higher my last few years. I'm also taking some online math / business classes through UC Berkeley Extension. I plan on continuing these courses, and making A's, until I apply.

Work experience: When I get out of the Army in 18 months, I will have spent 7 years on active duty. The first 3 enlisted as a team leader of 5-6 Soldiers during my first deployment. I then commissioned as an Officer and will have 4 years as one when I get out. I am currently deployed now as a Platoon Leader of 40 Soldiers.

Extra-curricular: Held leadership positions in my fraternity during my Undergrad. Currently on the alumni board and interview for scholarships. I've also been heavily involved in Habitat for Humanity and a local running club for kids. Aside from that, the Army doesn't leave much time for EC's.

I will mostly apply to schools in the Southeast as that is where I would eventually like to work. I will be applying to Duke, UNC, Darden, Wake Forest, Tuck(I know its a reach) and Tepper.

I know my GPA sucks, but I'm hoping my essays can explain some issues I had during my UG and how the Army has matured me in many ways. Also, hopefully the extra classes I'm taking plus a high GMAT will help. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[mbamission]

Hi jhamilton,

Thanks for writing in. I think you have a very realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses in terms of the application. Assuming you get that 700 GMAT, your score is certainly within range of your target schools.

Your 2.6 GPA is going to be a hurdle to overcome, but your plan to take online courses shows commitment to overcome this deficiency, and by the time you enroll in graduate school, college will likely have been about 10 years in the past. You may want to write the optional essay to point out that your GPA did rise as in the latter part of your college tenure, which shows an upward trajectory. The regular essays are not the appropriate place for this, as they should focus on your strengths. And if you choose to write the optional essay, keep it succinct; you do not want to wallow in your weaknesses.

How you explain what you have done in that gap will be critical. Your work experience is going to draw attention and you should emphasize it as your differentiating point in your essays. You have been leading teams - large and small - for several years, and I am sure you have stories to tell about making critical decisions and managing people under stressful situations. And while you may be slightly older than the average candidate, you can explain how your military commitments have dictated your career path to date.

I think your school selection is on-target. Most schools have a "Military in Business" club you might want to reach out to for application pointers from people with similar backgrounds.

Best of luck!

Daniel Richards
mbaMission

http://www.mbamission.com

Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (14 individual school titles)

Visit the mbaMission Blog

Follow mbaMission on Twitter