Hello monkeys,
I'm considering my MBA application this autumn and really need some self-positioning.
Here is my background.
Top 3 Undergrad in China, Econ major, average GPA
1.5 Years tier-2 consulting (L.E.K., OW, Parthenon, ATK)
3.5 Years MM PE firm (AUM ~USD 2 billion), solid deal experience
700+ GMAT
I'm definitely applying for H/S/W and also considering Booth/Kellogg/CBS/Sloan. If I cannot get into any of those schools, I will apply for Stern/Yale/Tuck for R2.
Can anyone give me some ideas of my chance to get into those schools? Maybe we can divide it into:
Chance to get into H/S/W
Chance to get into Booth/Kellogg/CBS/Sloan
Chance to get into Stern/Yale/Tuck for R2
Thanks
GMAT over/under 730? Are you m/f? Anything else that would stand out in your application?
Over 730, Male I'm still thinking about my essay story but definiately I have something to tell...
Obviously tough to say based on the info given but unfortunately, you're over-represented in just about every demographic (Male/East Asian/Econ/MC/PE). Without knowing more detail I would guess HBS/GSB is a long shot but worth a shot. Wharton also, but a tad better chance than the other 2. Booth/Kellogg/Sloan/CBS, I wouldn't be surprised if you got interviews to half, and converted 1/4. Stern/Yale I'd say 50% - also depends on the perceived quality of your undergrad degree and what you mean by "average GPA"
My advice would be to focus on your essays to make your story unique and distinguish yourself from the hundreds of other identical profiles they will receive.
I am not an expert by any means but from what I can tell you are definitely in a very competitive applicant pool given: - your ethnicity combined with average GPA - your background (the IB/MC/PE pool is incredibly competitive) - your GMAT (unless we are talking 750+)
Of course if you come from an original background / have a unique story this could help you stand out. Do you have any volunteering / extracurricular activities you've been heavily involved in over the years?
H/S/W might be a stretch based on just the information you've provided (just my two cents).
Thanks, ctrlaltelite.
Chance to get into H/S/W:
I agree with you on most of this but I think as long as you crack 730 there's not much incremental weight on the GMAT
The OP isn't just Asian American, he's coming from China. Off the top of my head, say that ~10%, 15% tops, of the m7 school population is Asian American. Say that ~1/3rd are international. Solving for a % of internationals that are Chinese that would put them on par in weight with Asian Americans, you're talking between 30%-45% of all internationals. That's unrealistic. The point of this little calculation is just to suggest that spots for Chinese nationals are even more competitive, due to supply/demand and incoming class portfolio management constraints, than it is for East Asians. And, to boot, many top Chinese candidates have resumes that suggest influential family connections. The OP, as far as I can tell, doesn't seem to have this profile. Hence, a well-above-average GMAT (750+) would probably help their case more than it would help the average candidate.
Otherwise, I do agree there is not much incremental weight between a 720 and a 750, or a 740 and a 770, even. There is some, but not as much as candidates seem to think.
it's really no harder to get into wharton these days than cbs/booth/kellogg/sloan. H/S very unlikely, fairly likely to get into at least one of W/C/B/K/S with proper execution
Take a look at the class profile at somewhere like Booth and compare it to Wharton. Last time I did this, I found many students with backgrounds in accounting, commercial banking, tier 2/3 consulting and other relatively non-competitive fields at Booth. You're unlikely to find more than a handful at Wharton.
From personal experience I disagree. I'm at a T-2 consulting firm and of the 4 analysts I've seen leave for MBA this past year 3 went Wharton and 1 Booth.
i'm not commenting on chances, but you could try to do e.g. Wharton R1 and get a feel, then do H/S round 2. Alternatively you could do H/S R1 and Wharton R2, so that you can use R1 to try it out, make a better application for R2 schools if R1 doesn't go.
Your background wouldn't hurt you, and if you have no obvious spots, there is the luck factor. numerically only 10-15% are Chinese without Visa, so that doesn't mean your profile is the problem...it involves politics, execution, and luck!
Sit corporis ea possimus neque. Eos ratione voluptatibus blanditiis animi. Ab qui omnis voluptas natus harum quia asperiores. Id ut beatae perferendis repellat fuga incidunt. Atque beatae iure aperiam nihil.
Et voluptas impedit qui doloremque rerum cumque. Quos consequatur voluptates adipisci. Ducimus magnam et nesciunt et et consequatur debitis.
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...