Chances at a Top MBA

What are you scoring right now on your GMAT mock tests? Do you think you can pull a 750+ on the exam?

With a 750, you stand a reasonable chance at Northwestern, Columbia, and Wharton. A 770 starts to put Booth and MIT Sloan within reach. (Naturally assuming strong recs, good essays, and a good story.)

HBS and Stanford are always a crapshoot, and you'll be up against guys with PE backgrounds. But if you have an interesting enough story, maybe your odds are better than the average applicant's.

I think that if you ace the GMATs, you will get in somewhere in the MBA business schools ">M7.

Totally agree with IlliniProgrammer. Your GPA/athletics package suggests that the things that make other people quit won't stop you.

If you ace the GMATs, I think it's worth throwing your hat in the ring at HBS and Stanford along with the other schools he mentions. Good luck!

I actually JUST started studying now (Manhattan GMAT). I plan to take a practice exam this week. I do appreciate your input.

no he's saying that's how high it needs to be for an applicant with a non target school background

Based on my limited experience and that of friends I think you are definitely top 10 material and probably MBA business schools ">M7 with a good, well-balanced GMAT, assuming good recs and essays.

When did you finish undergrad?

I finished undergrad May 2011. I am not at an I-bank (William Blair) and I really enjoy my job, but obviously would pursue a full-time at a top MBA if possible. Also, as a backup I would think NYU Stern part-time being my company is in NYC.

With a 720+, you should be in the conversation for top 8 schools. You don't need a 750+ but it's certainly a bonus.

Biggest asset in your case is being a D1 athlete w/ awards. If you're able to put together strong applications (i.e. not coming across as a finance drone), then you should be competitive for the top 8 schools.

Here's what I suggest:

If you're interested in finance post-MBA, look at HBS and/or Wharton, Booth, Columbia, Stern, Cornell and Yale. Consulting or industry post-MBA, look at HBS and/or Wharton, Kellogg, Tuck, Duke, Darden, Ross Tech or entrepreneurship, look at Stanford, Sloan, Haas, UCLA

In short, I think you have enough of a shot at H/S/W that it's worth putting in 1-2 apps (again any of the three are solid for any industry post-MBA, but it's also about where else you apply as well and not spreading yourself too thin).

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TheKid1998:

- 3.9 GPA (summa cum laude) in business administration: emphasis on Finance AND Marketing (minor in accounting) from a non-target undergraduate (think Fairfield/Quinnipiac) - NCAA D1 starting athlete all 4 years with several awards - 3 Years work experience in MM Commercial Lending / Structured Finance -GMAT (Studying for this now) -EC community service in college

I am looking for a sense of motivation during my studying so thank you for your replies in advance.

Hi Kid, I agree with the above posters that you will probably need to get a high enough score (read 80% in both quant and verbal ) in the GMAT to be viable at the very top schools. I am from southern CT originally, and the undergraduate schools you mention are rare at Harvard or Stanford. In the HBS alumni database there are 3 MBA grads and none in the the last 30 years. Under Fairfield University there are 7 MBA grads, about 5 in the last 25 years. Here's the page "Undergraduate schools represented" for HBS class of 2014.

http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/class-statistics/undergraduate-institutions.html

Notice some of the unexpected schools on that list, if you look carefully, and that's a positive.

Finally, your execution of the application is going to be what makes you worth reading. There's a huge emphasis on emotional intelligence, and if you can show that through your leadership as a student athlete (and later in your biz dev role), you will be in a good position. Also, if you are a decent networker, you'll get a sense of each school's personality, and that can be more important than anything.

See what you can do to visit schools too. Every adcom I know thinks that's the best way to determine whether you are right for the school and can see yourself there.

Are you thinking of applying this year?

I actually just finished my 1st full year of working...plan on taking the GMAT during this year and applying next year, therefore if all goes well I will have 3 years of experience under my belt.

Great.

I asked because I think researching and visiting schools can take a lot of time if done right. I actually recommend people go in the spring if they can because everyone is feeling a little more relaxed. Talking to a first-year in the first term is like talking to someone who is probably too overwhelmed to think sensibly.

And by the time spring rolls around the second-years will know whether their dream plans have come to fruition. They will be much wiser, and hopefully tell you the straight story about the recruiting process, which is something that can be pretty stressful. You'll also get a sense of whether people are really serious about entrepreneurship, which everyone talks about, but not as many can afford to really do with $180,000 in loans.

Would it be wise to consider NYU part-time as a safety school with MBA business schools ">M7 as my targets?

Do you live in New York right now? And are you happy where you are- you just want to move up the career ladder? If so, NYU part time is not a bad choice. NYU part-time would be a bad choice if you were looking to switch firms/industries.

You can't think in terms of safeties. Your "safety" is staying where you are. Everything else needs to be a step up. IMHO, NYU FT would be the bare minimum.

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OK saying you are FO at an MM firm that is really a commercial bank on WSO is like going on a military forum and saying that you are a commissioned officer in logistics at Northern Trust. And it ultimately hurts the quality of the advice we are giving you if we misunderstand you. So these terms have a very different connotation than saying you work in a commercial lending group at Wintrust Financial or Safra National Bank.

Talk with your manager and see if a PT MBA would help your career. Your firm might even be willing to pay for it.

If you wanted to jump to investment banking, you would want a full-time MBA business schools ">M7 MBA. If you really enjoy commercial banking and want to make a 50-year career of it, a part-time MBA from NYU or Columbia is probably a better choice. You will also be able to deduct your tuition (if you employer doesn't pay for it.)

That said, if you really wanted to switch career paths- like doing M&A, IPOs, and bond issues, a PT MBA would be a disastrous career move. An MBA typically is seen as your last two years in school. You cannot do it over. And when you finish your PT MBA, you will still be where you currently are- just maybe with a promotion within your current group/area. And the firm will have its hooks in you for the next 24 months because you'll be required to pay back your tuition if you leave before then.