General Question/Profile Evaluation - Average Profile

[jamount1]

Hello,

I have a very general question regarding any limitations that I may have in terms of my age and work experience as it relates to 5-15 ranked business schools. At the time of my application I will be 30 yrs old, 6 years of work experience as follows.

Deloitte - Senior Auditor (36 months) - 2 direct reports on average
MTV Networks - Supervisor, General Accounting (18 months) - 1 direct report
Computer Science Corporation - Senior Financial Analyst (5 months)* - no direct reports
American Diabetes Association - Senior Manager, Accounting Services (current 3 months) - 2 direct reports, 2 indirect reports.

My undergraduate is in Accounting with a GPA of 3.5, graduating class of 2004. I am an active CPA, African-American male. I have not taken the GMAT yet, but assuming that I score within the average range of 680-720 how does my profile match up for NYU, Columbia, UCLA, USC.

I am planning on applying to enter Fall of 2011.

*My tenure at Computer Sciences Corporation was short due to a very poor fit.


Thanks for your insight!

Jay

[mbamission]

Jay,

Thank you for providing so much information. You are certainly planning ahead if you are planning to apply next year. Since you are 30 years old right now, I would encourage you to consider applying this fall for entrance in the fall of 2010. You have not mentioned any activities outside of work, so I am wondering whether you are involved in anything outside of work. If you are not doing anything outside of work, I encourage you to become active in something. Whether it is a community, religious or political organization does not much matter. I would become involved with something that interests you and allows you the opportunity to make an impact before you apply.

Four jobs in six years is a little on the high side and it is unclear what the connections are between these four jobs. You will need to make sure that you explain your career path in your application, particularly your very short stint at Computer Sciences Corp. As always, you will need to show a history of achievement at work as well as a history of having an impact on the teams or companies you work with. Without a GMAT score or an understanding of your career trajectory or path, it is a bit difficult to tell you whether the schools that you have listed are a good fit for you. Hopefully I have been helpful in recommending what you should focus on going forward.

Sincerely,

Akiba Smith-Francis

MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php

[jamount1]

Akiba,

Thanks so much for the information. I have been involved in quite a few things from church, to community volunteerism, to charity walks, assisting at-risk minorities, so there are definatley some things there. I plan on adding more to that list in a year or so. Also, I feel that I can confidently speak of my work experiences, and the value that I have added to each of my employers. With regard to my age, I am currently 29, and will be 30 at the time that I plan on applying next year.

Short of the GMAT score, I understand your limitation regarding providing information on those specific schools. Considering that my age is one year less than what you originally thought, is Fall 2011 still a bit off as it relates to my age. One way to possibly market that is I did not start college until the age of 20, due to personal/family reasons.
Thanks in advance.


Regards,

Jay

[mbamission]

Hello Jay,

That is great that you have so much to write about in terms of activities outside of work. I would certainly make it clear that you didn’t start college until a bit later in life and perhaps provide the explanation of that (you don’t necessarily need to get into great detail there, what you provided here is enough) in the optional essay, which most schools provide. In terms of the year you should apply, your age, 29 or 30, is not going to make a huge difference. You should base your decision on when to apply based on when you think you are ready. However, keep in mind the average age of the students attending the schools that you are interested in. You can’t change your age of course, but I would recommend applying this year or next year at the latest if you are interested in a top tier traditional full-time MBA program.

Sincerely,

Akiba Smith-Francis

MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php