Profile Evaluation

[Jessie9]

Hi,

I'd appreciate your thoughts on my profile below...

Female / mid-20’s / Asian-American

GMAT Score: 680 (Math: 48, Verbal: 35) (Taken only once)
College: Top 15 University
Major: Electrical Engineering
GPA: 3.6

Work Experience: I am currently working at a top IT consulting firm. I will have worked there for 5 years at matriculation and have been promoted once. I have experience managing small teams, 4-5 direct reports. I also have experience working on international teams and within an offshore model. My experience has been in analytics, reporting, application assessments, and functional designs.

I am confident that I can get good recommendations from my past supervisors. I would like to attend business school to build my analytics skills.

I am targeting top 10 schools: Columbia, UPenn, Stanford, Harvard, Northwestern, MIT, Yale and UC Berkeley.

A few questions:
1. Should I take the GMAT again? How important is a 700+ score for the schools I am targeting?
2. What are your thoughts on my profile as well as the schools that I have targeted? Do my school choices sound reasonable?
3. Is there something that I can do to make my application stand out?
4. Because I am in consulting, I have been switching projects every few months within the past year. My current supervisor would have only known me for 3-4 months by the time my application is submitted. I have noticed that schools frequently ask for current supervisors. What are your thoughts on getting recommendations from a supervisor I had about a year / year and a half ago? (They were the last supervisors that I had for 6+ months and can give a better perspective on my overall performance.)

Thanks!

[mbamission]

Hi Jessie,

Thanks for writing in and sharing your background. While there are definitely some strengths in your profile, you will want to keep in mind that traditionally IT consulting draws a large group of candidates, so it will be important to look for points of differentiation when presenting your application.

In regards to your school selection, I would think about adding another choice or two outside of the top-15, perhaps something along the lines of Carnegie Mellon, or a similarly ranked school. If your practice GMATs indicate you can break 700, I would consider retaking the GMAT.

Differentiating your application can happen in several different ways. You can weave the perfect story of how your past experience links to your future goals, and why each MBA program is a great match. You can also demonstrate great leadership experience and what you will bring to the campus, or active community involvement.

Lastly, I think it's OK for you to ask your old supervisor for a reference if they know you the best; you may want to use the optional essay to briefly explain why you chose this person over your current supervisor.

Best of luck with your applications,

Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com

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