Profile Eval - 760GMAT / 3.58GPA for top 10?

[michael.david.faulkner]

mbaMission, I have enjoyed reading your comments in other threads. I greatly appreciate your time in evaluating my profile.

Please note, if I apply to B-School this year, I will only have 2 years of full time work experience when I submit my application. In addition to evaluating my current chances at the schools below, could you please tell me if it would greatly improve my chances to work another year and apply instead in 2012 with 3 years of WE?


Here's my profile...

Target Schools: Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, Berkeley, Duke, Michigan, Virginia (is this a realistic list?)

Undergrad: 3.58 overall GPA & 3.8 major GPA from Purdue University (state school). I majored in Selling & Sales Management. During undergrad I was fairly involved with ECs, I had 2 internships (both with the company that I now work for), and I studied abroad.

GMAT Score: 760 (99%tile Q47, V47) - Note, I took the exam 5 times over 18 months. However, I never broke 700 until my last & final attempt. Also, I didn't quite break 80% on the quant section (tho I did come close with a 47), but I am hopeful that this won't be an issue or that my 99%tile overall score will offset this...

Work Experience: 2 years as an 'Account & Project Manager' at a specialized heavy truck & equipment manufacturing brokerage company (think cranes, firetrucks, car haulers). As my title states, my work is split between sales & project management (think supply chain mgmt, procurement, and operations). My accomplishments include successfully managing two major $5M+ projects, exceeding my sales quota by 30% last year, and leading a business development team in which I personally established what is now a strong relationship with a huge manufacturing partner for us in China. I was also promoted after my first 9 months, resulting in a 25% base pay increase (and a big bonus).

Also, after college I began a startup company with a friend of mine. We have the USA rights to a General Electric manufactured lighting energy conservation unit. We're working directly with GE during the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase and have already have several major customers lined up for our prototype unit. We have yet to make a profit, but we've made some significant accomplishments since our launch.

Community Involvement: 1.) Treasurer (Board of Directors) for a fairly large senior citizen's advocacy group. I was directly involved with starting the organization; we've grown substantially since then. 2.) I lead a literacy class at the local jail, teaching 10-25 inmates during a 2-hour class every week 3.) I teach a weekly GED match class at a halfway house for women fresh out of prison who their children

Why an MBA? I'm still developing this a bit, but I want to focus on business strategy & entrepreneurship. I think that my experiences to date have provided me with a well rounded set of skills--I want to get an MBA to sharpen these skills in the most efficient manner possible. Here is my reasoning:

First, my dream is to launch & run my own business. I've experienced 'some' success starting my own business and starting a non-profit. However, these successes are primarily a result of trial and error. I'd like to go to BSchool to learn a more solid and methodological approach to building a business from the ground up.

Second, I'm really passionate about business strategy. I've been very passionate about the strategic developments I've been involved with at my work and I also love reading case studies and news articles about the behavior of other companies. I'm always intrigued to uncover why a company acted the way it did in a given situation.

Short-term post MBA I would like to get into management consulting or some sort of international business position. I like the idea of MC in the short term because it will provide me with a wealth of experience in a broad set of industries. I think this would an excellent stepping stone for my long term entrepreneurial goals. As far as international business, I have extensive experience traveling (19 countries traveled) & living abroad as well as some recent experience doing business in China. I absolutely loved these experiences and I think it would be amazing to work for a company that provides expertise in regards to importing/exporting or general practicalities while doing business in other countries.

[mbamission]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for writing in. Congratulations on an outstanding GMAT score and overall very solid/competitive profile. It's clear you've thought hard about why you want to get an MBA, and you've complimented your career to date with great extracurricular experience.

The only thing working against you for this year is timing -- at this point the top schools become very competitive for Round 3, and you may find yourself getting denied at places where your porfile should be very competitive. I recommend waiting until next application season and getting your materials in early. With that approach, you will likely be competitive at all those schools.

Good luck!
Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com

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[michael.david.faulkner]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I should have been clearer, I do not plan on applying until later this year (in R1).