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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
 Posted - 01/23/2006 : 18:13:50
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi-
I am planning on applying to a full time business program for Fall of '07. I am still researching various B-schools but am initially very interested in Tuck. I would like any input that you might have as to whether this is a realistic goal given my circumstance.
We have 2 former Associate Directors of Admission from Tuck and we've helped many dozens of applicants gain admission to the school. We know Tuck quite well.
First- the good... I scored a 740 on my GMAT 48M, 42V, 5.5AWA
Second the not-so-good... My undergrad GPA is a 2.93 from Johns Hopkins University in Chemical Engineering. I feel that during my undergrad years I had a compulsion to bite off a bit more than I could chew. I was very interested in biotechnology and in an effort to gain a strong background took every core biology course as electives. I certainly feel that my lack of focus caused my marks to suffer. While my coursework showed an upward trend it wasn't dramatic (i.e. 2.7 semester GPA as a freshman--> 3.3 semester GPA as a senior).
Given the difficult major and the school you attended, you may not need an alternate transcript.
Finally the dicey... My work background is fairly non-traditional for an engineer. I worked managing a coffee shop after I graduated for about a year and then brewed beer professionally for a year and a half after that. During this time (about 6 mos. after graduation) I also started a business that liquidated donations for local non-profits. This was comission based and generated ca. 35K of sales per year. I now have worked for a major contractor specailizing in the construction of pharmaceutical processes for approximately 2 yrs. As of a year ago I have ceased operating my liquidation business but still donate my time in training others on my business plan for a past client who came to rely on my service.
I'm afraid that the latter may sound like a hodge podge of experience but I am actually quite comfortable with where I have been, why it makes sense, and why business school is right for me. All that being said (and I aoplogize for being long winded):
1)Am I setting my sights too high?
2)Do you find people with non-traditional work experience are at a large disadvantage in the admissions process? -I certainly understand that there may be a larger burden of proof in the essay portion of the application.
3)Do you feel that I would benefit from some additional coursework taken on a non-degree seeking basis to compensate for my GPA?
I'm glad you're not uncomfortable with where you've been. You shouldn't be. I think there's some differentiating spin in there that can be used to your competitive advantage.
If you have good extracurricular activities and you can demonstrate a decent career progression, you're not aiming too high. With well-prepared applications, your non-traditional work experience can actually be an advantage.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2006 : 18:31:24
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Hi Kiana and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi David, I'd like to know if high school results along with extra-cirricular activities during high school and also graduate results are considered for admission in an MBA program or are the graduate results and work experience the only requirements?
I'd also like to know what is Havard Business School exactly looking for in its MBA applicants and if the other top US business schools have the same admission criteria for their MBA program. Thank you for answering my questions,
Kiana
Most of the time, the business schools will not be favorably impressed by mention of a high school activity in a b-school application.
I think it's very safe to say that what HBS and the other top b-schools look for has a lot of overlap. It's certainly something we closely monitor. The collective experience of our consultants at these schools along with the database we've built from working with so many thousands of clients over the past 9+ years has helped us build quite a large proprietary database of what the different schools seek in their applicants.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2006 : 18:39:53
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi,
I have a question regarding ways to overcome a poor undergraduate record.
I attended a small public school which lacks name recognition. I had a 3.7 with an upward trend, and transferred for my junior year to UVa. Several personal issues came at the same time, and my GPA suffered (2.8) over the 4 semesters I was there. (3.28 cumulative).
I have 3 years of work experience in a regional office of a large investment bank, and a 720 GMAT.
I am worried that the the low GPA at the more competetive school will raise doubts about my ability to handle the academic pressures of a top MBA program. Am I correct in this assumption?
No. As long as the school you attended was accredited, the fact your GPA dropped will be the concern to mitigate and not any perceived lack of ability to handle the academic pressures at a more prestigious school.
Are there any ways to remove some doubt? I considered enrolling in non-degree courses, but the only school local to me is, again, a public school lacking in name recognition. What can I do?
The first thing you need to do is convince the admissions committees that whatever personal issues you faced at UVA have been handled and will not re-emerge. The next is to convince them you have the necessary study skills and that will most likely mandate an alternate transcript.
*edit* Also, as I would like to continue in I-banking I am looking at top-10 schools...and would attend the best I can get into.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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sid.sandy
Underclassman
India
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2006 : 08:28:57
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quote:
Originally posted by AdmissionsConsultants
On behalf of AdmissionsConsultants, I will be available to answer questions and offer insight into the MBA admissions process.
Best of luck with your b-school applications,
David Petersam, University of Chicago MBA ‘96
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
Admissions Consultants
AdmissionsConsultants: Admissions committee experience from the top business schools
AdmissionsConsultants is a comprehensive admissions consultancy that has been helping its clients gain admission into their top-choice business schools for over 7 years. All of our consultants have reviewed applications, conducted admissions interviews, and made accept/reject/waitlist decisions for the top business schools. We have a thorough understanding of the admissions process and know exactly what you need to do to maximize your chances. We work one on one with our clients to provide them with the highest possible level of service. In addition to essay editing services, we also consult our clients on admissions assessments, business school selection, admissions strategies, essay topic selection, interview preparation, letters of reference, pre admissions action plans, and more.
www.admissionsconsultants.com
hi david..
i'm sid working with Tata consultancy services in india for 4 months. finished graduation in may 2005..jus want you to tell me what my chances are for an admit into an US top 20 mba program..will give ya a brief desc of my profile..
UG : B.tech Electrical engineering
GPA : 9.7/10 passed out with honors
Loads of extra-curricular activites coz i play 3 musical instruments and have got many prizes and attended lot of cultural programs.
leadership experience in college being student chairman, hostel representative
Editor of department magazine.
GMAT : 730(q50,v38) AWA 5.5
TOEFL: 280 CBT
Planning to apply for 2007 fall..target schools are mainly HBS, UCLA, Carnegie, Purdue,Ohio-Fisher. I'm targetin these schools coz these are the ones that admit stdents with less work experience. If you have any other options do let me know. Presently just researching on bschools and how to apply processes. Guess i'll start my apps by this june-july. Need some tips on going about the process..
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2006 : 11:57:31
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Hi Sid and thanks for your inquiry.
hi david..
i'm sid working with Tata consultancy services in india for 4 months. finished graduation in may 2005..jus want you to tell me what my chances are for an admit into an US top 20 mba program..will give ya a brief desc of my profile..
UG : B.tech Electrical engineering
GPA : 9.7/10 passed out with honors
Loads of extra-curricular activites coz i play 3 musical instruments and have got many prizes and attended lot of cultural programs.
leadership experience in college being student chairman, hostel representative
Editor of department magazine.
GMAT : 730(q50,v38) AWA 5.5
TOEFL: 280 CBT
Planning to apply for 2007 fall..target schools are mainly HBS, UCLA, Carnegie, Purdue,Ohio-Fisher. I'm targetin these schools coz these are the ones that admit stdents with less work experience. If you have any other options do let me know. Presently just researching on bschools and how to apply processes. Guess i'll start my apps by this june-july. Need some tips on going about the process..
With 2 years of work experience by matriculation, you would be OK in terms of quantity of work experience for any of the American schools. However, you should really look for schools that fit your needs before seeking schools that you fit. You are the shopper and you'll be making a considerable investment with your education. Besides, the schools want applicants who take this approach because these traits are most often found in successful business executives.
Be sure you have demonstrated leadership and organizational skills within your extracurricular activities. Finally, your GMAT score is good enough even if it's a bit below the typical admitted Indian applicant. Unless you are extremely confident you can raise the verbal score, I wouldn't even consider retaking it. Don't believe the nonsense about needing a 750 or 770 or whatever the day's marketing claim may be.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2006 : 13:28:57
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Just on a side note, we introduced a new poll question this past week (http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/mbapoll.asp) and I just finished putting together a summary page on the previous poll that dealt with work experience. It seemed interesting but not at all surprising that the unscientific poll of MBA applicants still values work experience in their fellow students to a larger extent than many b-schools now do.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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ktgaurav
Underclassman
India
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2006 : 10:56:05
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Hi David..
Gaurav here. I am working with a telecom MNC Huawei Telecom, India as Cellular Network Planning engineer and having 2.5 years exp till date including 1 year overseas experience also. I have applied in Kellogg,UCLA, Johnson,Kenan-flagler and McCombs for fall-2006. Just want to know about my chances. My brief details are...
B. Tech. Electronics engg.
GMAT-730(V-37,Q-51)
TOEFL-260
GPA-3.87/5.00
Extracurriculars-President Scout and many medals in sports at university level,organizer of some tech-fests in college.
Can I hope positive from any of above mentioned schools?
Gaurav Singh
Gaurav Singh |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2006 : 13:08:45
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Hi Guarav and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi David..
Gaurav here. I am working with a telecom MNC Huawei Telecom, India as Cellular Network Planning engineer and having 2.5 years exp till date including 1 year overseas experience also. I have applied in Kellogg,UCLA, Johnson,Kenan-flagler and McCombs for fall-2006. Just want to know about my chances. My brief details are...
B. Tech. Electronics engg.
GMAT-730(V-37,Q-51)
TOEFL-260
GPA-3.87/5.00
Extracurriculars-President Scout and many medals in sports at university level,organizer of some tech-fests in college.
Can I hope positive from any of above mentioned schools?
I'm sure you’re already aware your GMAT is a bit below the average for an admitted applicant from your demographic, but it's not that much lower that it should be responsible for any dings. Your TOEFL, on the other hand, is more of a concern and will take more effort to mitigate.
If you submitted well-prepared applications and had some professional growth to highlight, you should be very competitive at all the schools mentioned above.
Gaurav Singh
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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chulls
Underclassman
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2006 : 16:29:44
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I am going to be applying to HBS within the next couple of years, but I am considering applying next year as a fifth year college senior.
I have a very unique background, is it enough to get me in that 4% group?
My background:
Underacheiver in high school...got average grades but finished in 3 years. Started a very small but still succesful small business.
Enlisted in the Air Force after high school as an aircrew member on C130s. Combat experience in the Middle East including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The military gave me the kick in the rear to do something with my self.
Got out with an honorable discharge and started at a two year school. Elected student body president of the 10000 student campus after first year. Started local entrepreneurship club and hosted many events for aspiring local entrepreneurs.
Transferred to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business undgergrad program. Cal GPA is 3.92, overall is 3.97. I assume I should be able to get above average GMAT scores for the top five programs.
Internship experience: One summer working as biotech consulting intern. This summer I will be working at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst.
I also have taken on quite a few leadership roles in my fraternity (pledge ed, recruitment chairman, house manager).
The readers digest version of my spin: Grew up in a very rural and unstimulating environment and was an underachiever all the way through high school. Enlisted in the military and saw what life was really like in the not so nice places of the world. The discipline the military gave me and experiencing combat first hand gave me the motivation to take advantage of my academic skills.
After getting out of the military I have taken steps to constantly improve my skillset and advance my position in life. Each new experience has built upon the next.
My experiences and slightly older age for a college senior have given me a sense of maturity and direction that is uncommon for most undergrads.
I am aspiring to become an entrepreneur or a venture capitalist. Harvard is my top choice because of its shared dominance with Stanford in this field. I want to go to HBS instead of Stanford for many reasons, which I won't bother listing here.
I also have a rather unique business idea with a patent pending business method patent application. I can't enter into the top bplan competitions as an undergrad, and I also don't have the credibility to beg for money. A Harvard MBA will solve this problem.
I can obviously go into much more detail on all of this.
Is my rather odd background what they are looking for in a direct from college admit? Should I take advantage of my internship with Goldman Sachs and try to stay on a couple years?
Also, is it too early to purchase one of your packages for next year's application cycle? I am specifically interested in working with Doug. |
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ochleung
Underclassman
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2006 : 09:05:47
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Dear Expert,
I would like to know whwat is the difference between and early application and a normal application. For example, would my chances for getting into the York(Schulich) school of business decrease if I didn't meet the early application deadline? |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2006 : 15:11:11
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
I am going to be applying to HBS within the next couple of years, but I am considering applying next year as a fifth year college senior.
I have a very unique background, is it enough to get me in that 4% group?
My background:
Underacheiver in high school...got average grades but finished in 3 years. Started a very small but still succesful small business.
Enlisted in the Air Force after high school as an aircrew member on C130s. Combat experience in the Middle East including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The military gave me the kick in the rear to do something with my self.
Got out with an honorable discharge and started at a two year school. Elected student body president of the 10000 student campus after first year. Started local entrepreneurship club and hosted many events for aspiring local entrepreneurs.
Transferred to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business undgergrad program. Cal GPA is 3.92, overall is 3.97. I assume I should be able to get above average GMAT scores for the top five programs.
Internship experience: One summer working as biotech consulting intern. This summer I will be working at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst.
I also have taken on quite a few leadership roles in my fraternity (pledge ed, recruitment chairman, house manager).
The readers digest version of my spin: Grew up in a very rural and unstimulating environment and was an underachiever all the way through high school. Enlisted in the military and saw what life was really like in the not so nice places of the world. The discipline the military gave me and experiencing combat first hand gave me the motivation to take advantage of my academic skills.
After getting out of the military I have taken steps to constantly improve my skillset and advance my position in life. Each new experience has built upon the next.
My experiences and slightly older age for a college senior have given me a sense of maturity and direction that is uncommon for most undergrads.
I am aspiring to become an entrepreneur or a venture capitalist. Harvard is my top choice because of its shared dominance with Stanford in this field. I want to go to HBS instead of Stanford for many reasons, which I won't bother listing here.
I also have a rather unique business idea with a patent pending business method patent application. I can't enter into the top bplan competitions as an undergrad, and I also don't have the credibility to beg for money. A Harvard MBA will solve this problem.
I can obviously go into much more detail on all of this.
Is my rather odd background what they are looking for in a direct from college admit? Should I take advantage of my internship with Goldman Sachs and try to stay on a couple years?
Good question. You appear to have at least many of the raw ingredients HBS craves in its students. Based on the little bit I see here, I see no reason why you can't credibly apply right out of undergrad.
If staying at Goldman will not get you closer to your future career goals, I wouldn't feel obligated to stick around. You can certainly apply to HBS out of school and keep the Goldman offer as an option to fall back on.
Also, is it too early to purchase one of your packages for next year's application cycle? I am specifically interested in working with Doug.
We are already working with applicants for next year and Doug is accept clients for next year. I'd encourage you to sign up sooner than later so we have more time to work on positioning and because once Doug is booked up – as he was this past fall – he will not be accepting new clients.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2006 : 15:13:32
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
Dear Expert,
I would like to know whwat is the difference between and early application and a normal application. For example, would my chances for getting into the York(Schulich) school of business decrease if I didn't meet the early application deadline?
All other things being equal, if you are certain York is your top-choice school and you feel comfortable that your candidacy is ready for that early round (you don't need to retake the GMAT, etc.) then by all means apply early.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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Hollywood1
Underclassman
4 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2006 : 19:21:36
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I just took the GMAT for the first time this morning. The majority of what prep work I did was focused on the verbal portion, as I had little trouble with any quantitative problems I attempted.
I ended up with a 700- a 46 Verbal and 39 Math, apparently good for the 99th and 58th percentiles respectively. Obviously, I don't have any problem with the Verbal score, but I cannot for the life of me imagine how I fared as poorly as I did on the Quant- though I did run out of time on the last two questions.
I'm wondering if I should take the exam again. I'm not confident that I'd re-attain a 99th percentile score on the Verbal, but feel I'd perform, at the very least, almost as well. I'm also convinced I could do better on the math if I put some prep work into it (or even if I didn't).
Some additional details- I graduated from Wisconsin-Madison with a 2.7 GPA (slightly higher in advanced classes and the last four semesters), but that was back in 1998. Since then, I've accumulated seven years of experience in the finance/healthcare fields doing interesting, but hardly 'bowl-me-over' level work. I've also passed the first two levels of the CFA exam, and am sitting for the third this year. As for extracurriculars or volunteer work? Well, I don't really have anything going for me there aside from reading and jogging, neither of which has yielded participation in any formal organization.
The schools in which I'm primarily interested are Texas, Georgia, and Rice, with perhaps Duke and UNC as a bit of a stretch. Chicago and Northwestern's evening programs also intrigue me, as I live in Chicago.
Anyway, bottom line is that I was hoping my GMAT score would offset my weak GPA and lack of extracurriculars. While 700 isn't going to hurt me, I am worried about...
1) The Quant/Verbal split, and
2) Whether 700 is strong enough a score to compensate for the other weaknesses in my background.
Whew. Thanks for reading. I appreciate any thoughts you may have. I'm stumped on this one. |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 13:03:19
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Just thought I'd let you all know that we have now uploaded our submission to the Boston Globe in response to their story earlier this week.
It's linked from our home page and you can also click here for the piece.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 13:07:36
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
I just took the GMAT for the first time this morning. The majority of what prep work I did was focused on the verbal portion, as I had little trouble with any quantitative problems I attempted.
I ended up with a 700- a 46 Verbal and 39 Math, apparently good for the 99th and 58th percentiles respectively. Obviously, I don't have any problem with the Verbal score, but I cannot for the life of me imagine how I fared as poorly as I did on the Quant- though I did run out of time on the last two questions.
I'm wondering if I should take the exam again. I'm not confident that I'd re-attain a 99th percentile score on the Verbal, but feel I'd perform, at the very least, almost as well. I'm also convinced I could do better on the math if I put some prep work into it (or even if I didn't).
Some additional details- I graduated from Wisconsin-Madison with a 2.7 GPA (slightly higher in advanced classes and the last four semesters), but that was back in 1998. Since then, I've accumulated seven years of experience in the finance/healthcare fields doing interesting, but hardly 'bowl-me-over' level work. I've also passed the first two levels of the CFA exam, and am sitting for the third this year. As for extracurriculars or volunteer work? Well, I don't really have anything going for me there aside from reading and jogging, neither of which has yielded participation in any formal organization.
The schools in which I'm primarily interested are Texas, Georgia, and Rice, with perhaps Duke and UNC as a bit of a stretch. Chicago and Northwestern's evening programs also intrigue me, as I live in Chicago.
Anyway, bottom line is that I was hoping my GMAT score would offset my weak GPA and lack of extracurriculars. While 700 isn't going to hurt me, I am worried about...
1) The Quant/Verbal split, and
2) Whether 700 is strong enough a score to compensate for the other weaknesses in my background.
Whew. Thanks for reading. I appreciate any thoughts you may have. I'm stumped on this one.
With some GMAT math prep, it sounds like you will be just fine. Since it does appear you can raise that quant percentile, I strongly encourage you to retake it. A lot of what they ask on the test is just worded in tricky ways. That's why I believe you'll benefit from a bit of prep.
Feel free to peruse our GMAT prep section at www.admissionsconsultants.com/gmat/ as well.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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