I am scheduled to take the GMAT in June, but wanted to get an idea of how well I would need to do on the GMAT to be competitive in one of the top ranked schools (Harvard, Sloan, Tuck, Fuqua etc...).
I graduated in 2001 and have been working since & married and have a child, but have the means to take time off to do a full time program. Not oppossed to a exec-mba and have the support of my Director/VP.
College -
3.74 GPA in Finance
Played on a Division 1 Hockey Team (Hockey East All-Academic)
Tutored members of both Hockey/Basketball teams
Did significant volunteer work w/ elem. students in the area through my hockey team.
Post College-
Work Experience - Finance Leadership program right out of school (rotational, stints in different functional areas of finance/operations).
last 6+ years have been working in Business Analytics/strategy (formerly a non-traditional finance group) for a major retail company. work focuses in forecast modeling, ROI Business Cases, etc. Work directly w/ our private equity sponsors on valuation etc (just putting this in there in case I don't do so well on the quant. section of the GMATs, it has been a while since college!).
At current company, founded a training prgm specifically to develop analysts/managers w/n business analytics (w/ sponsorship from vp).
Other -
Founded (Part-Owner) of a health club/gym. through that gym founded a community outreach/scholarship prgm to get help inner-city kids.
Have been practicing martial arts for over 20 years, teaching for 15. have coached olympians, pro-fighters.
I guess that was kind of long winded - so thanks for your time!
GMAT Forum
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- jmcd2127
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- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:34 pm
- mbamission
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Re: Profile Evaluation
Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
Overall you seem to have a strong profile - a very strong GPA in an analytical field with lots of work experience in a rigorous environment. At least from the training program at work you show initiative and leadership - you didn't tell me enough about the work experience itself to know if you demonstrate that there as well. Have you been promoted? Do you manage people (even informally, on teams as opposed to on an org chart)? Outside of work you demonstrate initiative and some entrepreneurship with the health club and an engagement with/understanding of the broader world through your community outreach.
Because of your undergraduate grades and work experience, you don't need to use the GMAT to prove anything, simply to confirm what they already will assume - that you're able to handle the rigorous academic environment of business school. If you get a 700 with an 80% split on each side you'll do that; even slightly below, 690 or 680, would do it although the ideal is the 700, 80%/80%.
HBS is trending younger, although 54% have been out of undergrad at least 4 years. But if you are really engaged in your activities (the training program, the gym, the community outreach) as opposed to just having founded them and handed them off to others, and if you demonstrate the same commitment in your work that you seem to in every other aspect, I think you'll be competitive at all the schools you mention.
Best,
Jessica Shklar
mbaMission
Overall you seem to have a strong profile - a very strong GPA in an analytical field with lots of work experience in a rigorous environment. At least from the training program at work you show initiative and leadership - you didn't tell me enough about the work experience itself to know if you demonstrate that there as well. Have you been promoted? Do you manage people (even informally, on teams as opposed to on an org chart)? Outside of work you demonstrate initiative and some entrepreneurship with the health club and an engagement with/understanding of the broader world through your community outreach.
Because of your undergraduate grades and work experience, you don't need to use the GMAT to prove anything, simply to confirm what they already will assume - that you're able to handle the rigorous academic environment of business school. If you get a 700 with an 80% split on each side you'll do that; even slightly below, 690 or 680, would do it although the ideal is the 700, 80%/80%.
HBS is trending younger, although 54% have been out of undergrad at least 4 years. But if you are really engaged in your activities (the training program, the gym, the community outreach) as opposed to just having founded them and handed them off to others, and if you demonstrate the same commitment in your work that you seem to in every other aspect, I think you'll be competitive at all the schools you mention.
Best,
Jessica Shklar
mbaMission
- jmcd2127
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- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:34 pm
Re: Profile Evaluation
Thanks for the information.
Regarding some of your questions -
At my current job I have been promoted twice w/ ever increasing responsibilities (both that I have gone after & ones given to me). I don't have anyone directly reporting to me, but a number of jr/sr analysts have dotted lines to me. My position is fairly high profile in the company now and I get the opportunity to work with pretty much every functional area, including work with the ceo, vp of finance and our private equity owners.
As for the other activities (the training program, the gym, the community outreach), I am engaged in all of them and it is definitely something that I would be able to illustrate well on my essays etc..
The question that I am going over now is whether I want to do full time or emba programs. I live in the northeast so if I got into Harvard/Sloan/Tuck it would be an easy decision to go to school full-time. That decision gets harder with some of the other programs considering that so many offer really attractive emba alternatives (fuqua, wharton, columbia etc). I know that the question is kind of open-ended, but do you have any thoughts on the emba versus full time at those schools?
Thanks again!
Regarding some of your questions -
At my current job I have been promoted twice w/ ever increasing responsibilities (both that I have gone after & ones given to me). I don't have anyone directly reporting to me, but a number of jr/sr analysts have dotted lines to me. My position is fairly high profile in the company now and I get the opportunity to work with pretty much every functional area, including work with the ceo, vp of finance and our private equity owners.
As for the other activities (the training program, the gym, the community outreach), I am engaged in all of them and it is definitely something that I would be able to illustrate well on my essays etc..
The question that I am going over now is whether I want to do full time or emba programs. I live in the northeast so if I got into Harvard/Sloan/Tuck it would be an easy decision to go to school full-time. That decision gets harder with some of the other programs considering that so many offer really attractive emba alternatives (fuqua, wharton, columbia etc). I know that the question is kind of open-ended, but do you have any thoughts on the emba versus full time at those schools?
Thanks again!
- mbamission
- Students
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:20 pm
Re: Profile Evaluation
Thanks for the follow up. As you've probably guessed, my answer is "it's really up to you!". But some of the factors to consider in weighing your decision, besides the quality of education/location that you pointed out, are:
1. do you want to be committed to your company for another x years? If they're paying for your EMBA, then you'll have an obligation to them. Is that something you want?
2. if you pay for the EMBA yourself because the answer to #1 is no, then presumably you'll want the program you attend to have strong career services. That's often not the case for EMBA programs because most participants are being sponsored by their companies. So if you're using the program to switch companies, industries or careers, you'll want to check carefully with the school's career services office that they'll include you in events and be willing to work with you, and also you'll have to be prepared to do a bit more legwork on your own.
3. Social atmosphere: while the EMBA can be bonding, depending on the program it may be more of an academic experience than an all-encompassing one. Are you interested in getting involved in clubs, planning activities, developing close friendships? Or are you looking at the MBA purely as an education? (There's no right or wrong answer of course, it just comes down to personal preference).
I hope that helps!
Jessica
1. do you want to be committed to your company for another x years? If they're paying for your EMBA, then you'll have an obligation to them. Is that something you want?
2. if you pay for the EMBA yourself because the answer to #1 is no, then presumably you'll want the program you attend to have strong career services. That's often not the case for EMBA programs because most participants are being sponsored by their companies. So if you're using the program to switch companies, industries or careers, you'll want to check carefully with the school's career services office that they'll include you in events and be willing to work with you, and also you'll have to be prepared to do a bit more legwork on your own.
3. Social atmosphere: while the EMBA can be bonding, depending on the program it may be more of an academic experience than an all-encompassing one. Are you interested in getting involved in clubs, planning activities, developing close friendships? Or are you looking at the MBA purely as an education? (There's no right or wrong answer of course, it just comes down to personal preference).
I hope that helps!
Jessica
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