Can I get into a top 10 MBA with this profile (Haas is my #1 choice school)
3.45 GPA at small public state school
BS in Computer Science
720 GMAT
4 years with one promotion at Amazon as a software developer
Teacher assistant during college, research experience in artificial intelligence for automobiles
100+ community service hours, awarded community service leadership award
First generation college student
Goal: Either product management or corporate development at a silicon valley tech firm
You're competitive at a top-10, but not assured acceptance. With a below average GPA from a non-top school, you could use a few more points on the GMAT. Being a first generation college student will help you though, as will working for a hot tech company. "Software developer" has some negative biases, so you need to show both leadership and inter-personal skills - if your story is that you program all day, you're going to probably strike out.
Haas in particular really likes high GPAs, but you're certainly in the range: http://poetsandquants.com/2013/08/07/those-pesky-gpa-GMAT-averages/2/
i was under the impression that first generation college students were not given advantages in MBA programs, but rather only undergrad genuinely curious- do you have any evidence to back the claim?
The majority of first generation college students grew up in low income households, which is quite a struggle. From my personal experience I grew up in a poverty-stricken area with a single, ill mother and couldn't afford to go to a top undergrad school far away from her, which is why I went to my no-name undergrad. I had to work night shifts in order to pay the bills. But I still managed to get a position at Amazon. I'd venture to guess that b-schools understand the struggles and missed opportunities that first gens face even after their undergrad years compared to their non-first gen counterparts. I'm not sure how things would have been had I gone to a target school, but I'm sure my profile would have been better off.
intuitively i follow you're logic perfectly what im asking for though is if there's any proof of this
undergraduate colleges make a point of publishing this kind of info, but i have not seen business schools do so as well, which is why i'm asking if theres any evidence of this
You got Amazon from a non-target school, are a first generation college grad, and knocked out a 720 GMAT? I like it. This is one of those profiles that can be interpreted as "scrappy"-one always finds a way to stay "in the game".
Your stats would place you smack in the middle of the middle 80% of most top 10-15 programs so you'll at least get some interview invites and Berkeley is a very reasonable choice for your profile. Just don't screw up your apps- AdCom tend to be harder on techie folks; it's a "hot" field, there are doubts about leadership potential and interpersonal skills, and they expect to see super high GMAT from this category. Just broaden your reach a bit to be safe (Yale SOM routinely sends a few people with your profile to places like Google, for example) and you should be good money.
ad coms dont care about applicants mommy and daddy for grad school - unless they are well connected.
most applicants are approaching 30 years old...
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