Mediocre til now, how do I get to Top 10 MBA?

I went to the flagship campus of a mediocre state school in the Northeast and did well, rather average graduating with regular honors. My ECs were not that great, not many significant leadership roles. I never built great relationships with my professors. I was not a varsity athlete or anything. I did not have long term volunteering roles over the period I was there.

Nevertheless, I got a job in a structured finance role at a Big 4 in NYC that I'll start later this year. I hope to leverage that into a role on the bank side or into a structured finance hedge fund to bolster my B-School application.

My question to you brilliant folks is in 2 parts: 1. Do I still have any shot at a Top 10 b-school program (if so, how much)? 2. If yes, what do I need to do to maximize my chances of getting into a Top 10?

4 Comments
 

Remember one thing man:

Your past is the best predictor of your future.

Maybe your mediocrity in your undergraduate career was considered beneficial to the particular Big 4 firm that hired you, but I assume that it's just because they've got thousands and thousands of slots to fill and you're not as dumb as the next dumb guy on the block.

Or you may be a good looking, smooth talking, joe cool... you know, like the guy who could beat Mike Tyson in one go on 'Mike Tyson Punch Out'.

Best of luck.

 

Dont let bryan1 or what anyone else says get you down. Just focus on selling the highlights of your career and studies well and downplay the rest without lying about it.

Get your cover letters right, and make your essays genuine with good substance. If you can project personality in your application, not hollow shallow crap mouthing off a vault guide or something, you will be noticed. Alot of this is luck but alot of it is effort. Just give it your best shot.

However, do apply to a bunch of backup schools. There are many many very good schools out there that are not currently in the top 10. Look around, talk, figure out what you want your MBA to specialise in, and take it from there. Good luck.

And yes, do aim for an 800 on the GMAT. That helps.

"God takes care of old folks and fools, while the Devil takes care of makin all the rules", P.E. 1998
 
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