Profile Evaluation

[MaxF412]

I was hoping you could come to my aid in a variety of questions I have. I recently just took the GMAT for the second time and scored a 670 (Q47 V34). The first time I took the test I scored a 570. It was pretty much an overall rushed process the first time and I am definitely happy with my improvement. Now I have a multitude of decisions to make. Ideally, I would like to be able to get into a top-15 school. Below are potential candidates:

Reaches:
Booth
Kellogg

Attainable (?) :
Ross (Michigan)
Mccombs (Texas)
Cornell
Carnegie Mellon
Vanderbilt
Emory
Notre Dame

I am a licensed CPA with a Master's degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. My Undergrad GPA was a 3.89 and a major GPA of 4.0. I currently work at Wells Fargo as a Financial Analyst in the company's Global Banking group and previously worked at Ernst & Young as a Tax Staff with a focus on Financial Service companies for a year. I would most likely apply in Fall of 2015 with the hope of attending in Fall of 2016 which would make 3+ years of work experience. I desire to go back to business school because I feel like the CPA/MBA combination will be extremely strong and I honestly have a strong passion for academic business learning and feel there is so much more I can learn before I take the next step into a leadership position in the business world. I would like to be a CFO at a large public company someday. The aforementioned reasons combined with the superior career services and networking opportunities is extremely appealing and valuable to me.

My main questions/issues - I know my chances of Kellogg/Booth are slim as I'm on the cusp/bottom of both schools middle 80%. Do you think I should retake the test? The highest score I've ever received in practice is a 690 but maybe I can work at it some more and push it to 700. I believe my background (revious graduate degree, CPA, work experience etc.) strengthens my profile but I'm not certain it pushes me into the acceptance range for those two schools.

Also - do you agree that that my list of attainable schools is in fact attainable with my current profile? I would be perfectly happy attending Ross/Mccombs and the others. I think I have a decent shot with my current profile but I wanted to know your input.

Lastly, given the current timing, the research that I've done seems to indicate that my best chance of getting admitted to any of the above schools is to wait and apply to the first round (Fall of 2015 with attendance in Fall of 2016) instead of shooting for third round with the intention of attending in the Fall of 2015. I figure there is no rush and it gives me ample time to focus on my application/essays, gain additional work experience, and potentially re-take the GMAT if I decide to do so.

Please let me know about everything above. Thanks a lot for your help!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

Thanks for posting and sharing a lot of info about your situation. I like your work experience and academic and career accomplishments; you've certainly demonstrated a level of quantitative, analytical, and finance skill that will be useful in b-school. I also like your explanation for and passion for the MBA degree... that can help, so be sure to express that same reasoning and passion in your applications.

I do have to still say, despite your excellent improvement, that your GMAT could be your biggest weakness for your school-list though... you're still below the average even at many of the 'attainable' suggested schools on your list. It's POSSIBLE to get in without the best GMAT with other strong attributes, but it's a lot tougher.... just think about the # of people they turn away with 700+... those with below that, the # accepted will be quite low.

So... if you ARE contemplating giving it one more shot I'd support that... schools will take the highest score and it could re-assure them or remove a weakness, potentially. Not sure if you took a prep course but a course or tutor may really help make that difference!

And yes I agree with R1 at this point vs R3, for better chances, yes.

Keep us posted! If you would like to speak further with one of our consultants, we offer a free 30 minute consultation at www.mbamission.com/consult. And/or feel free to post back here. Good luck!

[MaxF412]

Thanks for the advice. I signed up for your free 30 minute consultation to get more information. I appreciate all the help. Thanks again.

[mbamissionjenK]

You are most welcome!