Business School Strategy

Hey guys, new to the community, and looking for some advice. I'm hoping to get into the best business school possible preferably either in Texas or East Coast, but open for anything.

BA Political Science, Tier 2 Ivy League 3.1 GPA White Male 2 years Consulting experience (SaaS Division Tier 2, Think Accenture, LEK, Mercer) GMAT: 730 Extra: Member of sports team in college Career goals: MBB+(think Strategy&/Monitor) or IB out of MBA program -> Private Equity or VC in Texas Looking to start school in 2021 - Will have 3 years of work experience at same firm

Just trying to get some input from you guys. What strategy would you recommend. Should I try and boost my GMAT some and go for T7, or is that unrealistic?

18 Comments
 

Not unrealistic. You have a subpar GPA at an Ivy, which is a slight ding. However, your GMAT is strong, and work experience isn't terrible. I'd focus on writing awesome essays, otherwise you probably wouldn't stand out. Also, it would be a massive help if you got your GMAT above 750.

 

I’d retake the GMAT one more time and if you don’t get higher then just cancel the score. Try to show promotions at work and take some classes on the side and get As or take something like HBX core. Maybe consider hiring an admissions consultant (worked well for me). I’d think you’d be able to shoot for schools in the 10-15 range for sure...maybe higher if you killed the GMAT.

 
Most Helpful

In that range, probably Ross / Darden / Fuqua. Darden has a ton of alums in the Atlanta offices of MBB (a lot of Darden partners in Atlanta) and Ross places well into Chicago area offices (and Mckinsey Detroit), but you can get MBB in any office out of any of those three if you put in the effort (and a 730 GMAT is fine).

You seem to be a Texas person though. Nothing wrong with UT. It's a great school and places well regionally for consulting.

Edit: I just reread your first post. Just about any school in the top 20 will place a decent amount of students into Tier 2 consulting shops. Despite the elitism of some of the younger people on here, I've spent a lot of time looking at actual LinkedIn profiles of ex-consultants and corporate exit ops are pretty much identical at MBB and Tier 2s.

 

Qui aliquid ut eos. Debitis non sit ea fugiat reprehenderit et. Necessitatibus voluptate sit veritatis ducimus qui corporis molestiae. Quo sunt ratione doloribus et quo pariatur saepe vitae. Dignissimos perspiciatis necessitatibus quas fuga repudiandae. Eveniet laudantium quasi aperiam cupiditate. Aut voluptate excepturi repellat quisquam consequatur.

Hic eaque quisquam enim ea quod odit dicta. Voluptatem voluptas distinctio ut atque qui voluptatem amet dolores. Sunt praesentium dolorem delectus temporibus quidem quasi. Aliquid distinctio laudantium necessitatibus molestiae nostrum nihil quasi vel.

Possimus fuga unde sed odit aut iste ratione. Omnis magni vitae aspernatur libero qui rerum.

Nulla aut sapiente aspernatur ea vitae eligendi saepe. Blanditiis molestiae doloremque vero minus qui sunt soluta.

Linda Abraham President, Accepted | Contact Me | Admissions Consulting

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”