Special case. Please evaluate profile

[vadimzakharau]

Hi everyone,

I really need someone's opinion on whether it is the right time in my life/career to go for an MBA.

Here is my story:

I'm a 26-year-old male, non-native English speaker from Eastern Europe. I came to the United States at the age of 20 and it took me 4 years to complete my bachelor's in the US (I already had 3 years of the university in Europe under my belt but had to start all-over again here). I graduated from San Francisco State University in 2011 with a BS in Business Administration with Marketing concentration. GPA 3.85, Magna Cum Laude, top 5% of my class. While in school was a VP of Marketing at a student club, worked full-time, did some volunteer work at Upwardly Global (helps newcomers adapt to American business culture/teaches career skills, etc).

2 months before graduation I accepted an Assistant Operations Manager position with a local transportation/parking company. While it was not exactly a "dream job", a full-time job offer 2 months before graduation was viewed by me as a good option compared to the uncertainty of looking for a better (more corporate, with more potential - this is how I think about it now) job. My major functions in the job were HR, recruiting, operations, inside sales, and some business development.

However, I always felt that I want to do something different....but was not sure how to get there. I did some attempts in searching for jobs, but didn't find anything that I thought could lead to a career. Had few interviews at recruiting companies (thought it was a good idea to utilize my HR experience), but none of them lead to an offer...At the end of my first year with the company (9 months after graduation) I started thinking about the possibility of getting an MBA. Why MBA? I thought it could lead me to where I wanted to be in terms of a career progression which at that point meant (and still means now) finding an entry-level position at a global company where I can utilize my international background and knowledge of the foreign language. At that point I did just minor research on MBA candidate requirements, and decided to start GMAT preparation.

Official GMAT test scores:
1) June 2012: 570
2) November 2012: 600
3) December 2012: 640

After 1.5 years with the company (in October 2012) I was promoted to the Operations Manager of a large account at Stanford Hospital, managing 35 employees, salaried position, etc...However, the company is small and this is the highest I can be promoted to (unless the owner/president vacates his position:)

Here is the most important part:

I don't mind operations, I just don't want to stay with my current company/industry. I will be 27 in less than 3 months and I feel the clock is ticking every day...I feel like I'm in the dead-end job and hope that MBA enrollment can at least give me a chance to start everything all over again. As you know, most corporate jobs' recruiting is very structured, and I feel like I missed the train after my undergrad...I realized it lately when I almost made it to JP Morgan Chase's Credit Underwriter Program but was rejected last minute because the program was designed only for this year's college graduates.

After a thorough research I realize that I don't have the experience nor GMAT score required to get into a top 20 school (and yes, I have read tons of forums where people suggest not to waste time/money on less prestigious programs). But at the same time I don't have a luxury of time because I got my bachelor's at the age when some people already start thinking about their MBA having some solid experience. My MBA goal is not to lend a 100K/year job; 65-75K would be enough to start with. I just want to get a job in the industry/company (marketing/operations, may be some corporate finance) where I can grow, I guess a rotational program could be a great start.

I also consider other options, such as getting a specialized master, a certificate, or quitting my job and start looking for an entry-level internship (which are primarily reserved to matriculated students) . But at this time I need to decide on whether to go forward with MBA applications for Fall 2013.

Again, my goal for an MBA is to re-brand and give my-self another chance landing a job in a more corporate environment with potential for growth. Preferably, I would like to do an MBA in New York, as I have always wanted to try to live there at least for a couple of years).

My target schools are:

1) NYU - yes, because it's in New York. Small chances to get in, but want to give it a shot in Round 3.
2) Zicklin School of Business in NYC, seems like a good deal @ $50,000 for an entire program.
3) Boston College/Boston University - my GMAT is within their ranges; Boston seems like a possible alternative to New York.
4) Thunderbird - very interested in international exposure and a possibility of landing a job with a multinational.

As I have been going crazy last couple of months trying to juggle multiples ideas and plans in my mind, ideally I would appreciate that if someone who reads my post can put it straight and conclude: 1) "Yes, give it a shot as you have a chance"; or 2) "No way you can get in a program this year, forget about MBA at this point in your life and find other ways to accelerate/change a career trajectory". If someone can share his/her similar experience, would be much appreciated as well.

Thank you in advance to all readers and responders!

[mili]

Hello!

Thanks for sharing your story. I think you are being too hard on yourself :) You are 27 and you are an Operations Manager. I think this would be seen as pretty impressive by adcoms, even if it is at a small company. It seems like you were actively involved in extracurriculars in undergrad, but not as much post-grad. So, your two biggest challenges are: overcoming the GMAT score and your lack of post-grad extracurriculars/community work. Also, the fact that you've only had 1.5 years work experience could be seen as a negative, but given that you're in a manager role already, this may be overlooked.

Do you have a shot at business school? Sure, just likely not at a top school. You're already aware of this. Is it worth trying if this is the path you want to pursue? Yes... what do you have to lose? Worst case scenario, you apply and you do not get in, and you continue with plan B. But not trying will leave you wondering what could have been.

NYU is going to be a reach as you know. I think the other programs are realistic targets. If you like operations, Tepper would be a great school, but I'm not sure that with your GMAT you'd be competitive. Still, take a look.

To help overcome your GMAT score, you might want to enroll in finance, accounting or statistics courses at a local university and try to get an A grade. This will help round out the score.

As for your plan B... it sounds to me like you've had great experience that you could leverage into a role at a larger corporation. Have you applied for operations roles at larger companies? Seems like you could land one with your experience! Maybe you try that route alongside the MBA route and see where you land.

Good luck,
Mili

[vadimzakharau]

Hi Mili,

Thank you very much for your response.

I did look at Tepper but though it was a little out of reach in terms of GMAT.

As for your advise to enroll in a local university and try to get an A, I have a question. So if I apply for Fall 2013, can I still enroll for a class in the spring semester and mention it in an optional essay? Or should I pass the class, get the grade and only then apply to school (which obviously will disqualify me from applying for Fall 2013). Also, does it matter what kind of school I enroll to for a class? does it matter if its an accredited school? For example, instead of taking a class at UC Berkeley, can I take one at UC-Berkeley Extension? Would a brand of a school matter? I work at Stanford Hospital and I could possibly enroll in a class on Stanford campus if it makes any difference for adcoms.

Also, as you know, I've taking GMAT 3 times already. However, I scored lower than on my practice tests (scored 690 on last 3 practice tests before the last exam). Do you think it's worth trying one more time? I know I have to consult with schools individually, but do you think I can offset lack of work experience by extra 20-30 point on GMAT?

Are you familiar with Zicklin School of business? Do you think it's a good alternative for those who want to study/work past grad in New York but can't get in to NYU and Columbia?

Again, thank you very much for provided feedback. People like you help me and other MBA candidates grow wings!!!

Vadim

[mili]

Hello,

Yes the program should ideally be accredited. I think a lot of people take courses via UCB-extension though. I don't think that taking a course at Berkeley vs Stanford is going to make a material difference.

You'll have to consult with the admissions office to see if they would consider a grade submitted after your application. I do believe you can say in an optional statement that you are currently enrolled/planning to enroll in xyz course at xyz school, and that you'll have results by x date, which you'll forward to the school if they're willing to consider it. But call and find out.

I unfortunately don't know anything about Zicklin - the best way to find out would be to talk to current students and alum and try to visit to see if you can get a sense for the place. Also look at their placement statistics - are students working at the companies you want to work for?

As for whether you retake the GMAT or not... it's tough because you've steadily increased your score with each retake. Do you feel confident that you could score in the high 600s? If so, in your case, it might be worth it.

Good luck,
Mili