Will a Super Target Acceptance Help Me if I Don’t Attend?
This is my first post on this forum, so I’m sorry if I break any established norms. Feel free to correct any mistakes.
I am a third-year student at a university that seems to be typically classified as a non-target.
I am hoping to enter consulting either right after I graduate, or following a stint in the Peace Corps. Can I leverage this top-tier acceptance to my advantage in any way during the process? Ex. on my resume, in interviews, etc? Or would it even look worse that I had the chance to go to a school like that and turned it down? I was planning to go to med school at the time, and I had no idea what kind of opportunities I was letting my parents take away from me.
You could possibly mention it in an interview. I've had interviewers ask me why I chose to go to X, and I explain a little about the college journey. But to put it on your resume looks pretty desperate, IMO.
I deem it would be sooo inappropirate.. given it hasn't been part of your experience, it should not be added to the resume
You can mention it when people inevitably ask why your went to your current school. Assuming you have a high ACT and/or SAT score, you can list that on your resume, which could indicate you could've gone to almost any school.
Absolutely do not put it on your resume.
As others have stated, it may be something you can mention during an interview, but be careful that it truly comes up organically and you maintain a positive message about your decision to attend your school. Trying to jam "Actually, I got into Harvard" into conversation will make you sound like a douche with an inferiority complex. As an interviewer, I would respond positively to "I was fortunate to have options that were maybe more prestigious, but I couldn't pass up a full scholarship to a great school and I'm happy with my choice."
Your HS test scores and your full-ride scholarship should go on your resume and will help signal to interviewers that you're "target-caliber" at a non-target.
Seems like you could use it in the interview if asked "why consulting" or "why our firm" and you can say "i was thinking about med school, so I declined at Harvard to prevent the student loans in undergrad", or "the name/prestige isn't the only thing important to me. I also want to make sure I am the right fit. For example, I decided to go to xyz instead of Harvard because it was a better fit for me personally".
However, keep in mind that once you get the interview, which school you attended makes no difference anymore - it comes down to interview performace. So I would say the risk/reward or sounding like a douche vs. having them be impressed is not worth bringing it up.
Honestly - nobody will care. You didn't go there, you weren't educated there, and you're not being evaluated anymore on how well you performed in high school. You're entering a world where you're no longer evaluated on your potential, but rather on what you've actually accomplished. Being accepted to a target school 4 years ago is no longer an accomplishment.
I think it would raise questions rather than help you in the process. You made the decision, it's over with, move on and learn to sell what you've actually done.
Id doloribus est aspernatur qui earum accusantium distinctio. Sed incidunt voluptatem provident doloremque autem debitis. Impedit debitis tempore necessitatibus non sit.
Deleniti perferendis tempora deserunt. Qui dignissimos distinctio consequatur pariatur. Quae voluptate maxime rerum et et.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...