Profile Evaluation Request

[songjoe07]

Hoping to receive some feedback on how competitive my profile is for the following 5 schools: Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Duke.

GMAT: 690 - Quant - 50 (93rd %ile), Verbal - 33 (66th %ile)
- Surprisingly, despite high practice test scores (especially on the verbal side), I didn't do as well on the actual exam. I do not plan on retaking it because of time and I feel that my energy will be better spent on making sure that the essays are well written. I am hoping that both my essays and philosophy minor (generally an A- average for philosophy courses at Berkeley) will "make up" for the low verbal score. Also, I may briefly highlight these points in the optional essay.

GPA/Undergrad: UC Berkeley, 3.4 overall GPA. Major: Economics, Minor: Philosophy
- I think that this combination makes me somewhat unique in that I have a quant and logic background, which enables me to think critically and express my ideas cogently.

Work Experience: 3 years (I'm currently 25 years old) - Executive Compensation Consultant
- Promoted from associate to consultant level in 3 years (typical career track requires 5+ years). I advise organizations' boards and senior management teams on how to effectively align executive pay programs with business strategies. Internally, I've actively mentored lower-level associates, participated in formal mentoring sessions, and contributed to intellectual capital efforts. I also think this line of business is a unique, differentiating factor.

Recommendations: I have very strong recommendations from managers and clients that can actively speak to both my accomplishments, contributions and potential. One of my recommenders is a VERY active alum of my top-choice school, and another recommender is currently an Associate VP of that school too. I'm hoping these will carry at least some weight

Other: I've been deeply involved with a student leadership not-for-profit organization since 2000. While through college I actively trained students, teachers and organization management teams across the state on leadership curriculum and strategies, I am currently more involved on the administrative side of the organization, including marketing efforts, special projects, and fund development.

Your input and perspective is greatly appreciated!!

[mbamission]

Hi SongJoe,

Thanks for writing in and sharing those details. I agree that your field of work and extracurricular experience can help differentiate you at these top schools. Your GMAT is a bit concerning, the overall score is below the median for all these schools, and the breakdown between Quant/Verbal is likely to draw some attention. I agree you should write a short optional essay pointing to where you demonstrate Verbal skills in your job experience, and why you think the 66 percentile is not indicative of your real performance.

The one thing you left out is why you want to get an MBA. Non-traditional applicants are becoming more common, but it's the ones who can clearly state why an MBA makes sense for their career plans that resonate with schools.

With the information I have, I think Stanford would be a "reach" and Columbia a "near reach." I'd expect you to be competitive at the other schools listed.

Best of luck!

Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com

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