Should I wait a year? Profile Evaluation

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Hi,

I'm considering applying for my MBA, but I have some concerns about my work experience. (Concerns are both in admissions and in work opportunities post-MBA.) I am wondering whether I should apply for B-school this fall (for Fall 2014 start), or wait a year. I want to attend a top-10 program, with Harvard as my top choice.

Stats:
U-Grad GPA -- 3.9 (could round to 4) in Accounting at reputable state school
CPA designation

GMAT Overall - 740 (97%)
Verbal - 44 (97%)
Quant - 48 (78%)
Analytical - 4.5
IR - 8

Work Experience at time of application:
2 years in international public accounting firm with top ratings
(will have just been promoted to supervisor role - If I wait a year, at time of application I will have one full year in supervisor role)

Community Involvement:
- Involved in firm initiatives including women in business, training development
- Volunteer in community as well

Please let me know what you think of my profile -- I have shown leadership ability through my community involvement and in projects at work, but I'm concerned that having no real experience in a supervisor role will hurt my application.

Also, if I enter the MBA with 3 years experience (1 year in supervisor role), will that hurt me in my post-MBA job search? I am interested in strategy/general management consulting post-MBA, but will also look for a corporate management position if I can find the right fit (I am a big fan of operations departments at the companies I currently audit). I would like to continue my involvement in training and Women in Business initiatives in my post-MBA role.


Thank you in advance for your time and advice.

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

You certainly have a strong profile in terms of academics and GMAT score. You have strong if more limited work experience, and it's good that you have some community/volunteer examples to post as well. It's a personal decision and of course you can try to go for it this year if you really feel strongly about it, but most likely your chances of acceptance will be higher in another year, with the supervisory experience and additional anecdotes to use and people and project management experiences to discuss both in your application and in your b-school classes. Additional experience can also benefit you in your post-MBA career. At this point even with your strong stats, HBS would be a reach for you. Let us know if you have additional questions and good luck with your decisions!
Jennifer Kedrowski
MBA Admissions Consultant
www.mbamission.com
jen@mbamission.com

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