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Hi Jack and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi. I hope you can find the time to answer my question. Your advice is great BTW.
Thanks! [
]I have heard you are at a big disadvantage at the top schools if you do not attend an ivy undergrad. I hope this is not true but I do look forward to your honest response, however brutal the truth is.
Jack
This is another ‘urban legend’ that, unfortunately, continues to propagate itself. There is an ounce — and only an ounce — of truth which is the admissions officers know grade inflation can be a bit rampant at some schools and therefore a 3.3 from a top-tier undergrad may be viewed similarly to a 3.5 in the same major from a lesser-known school.
If you are looking at statistics that show a large number of applicants to the top schools come from Ivy League undergrads, bear in mind these two points:
1. These schools tend to attract a disproportionate amount of talented overachievers.
2. The ‘feeder companies’ for the top b-schools (think the top consulting firms and investment banks) tend to recruit at these schools.If you have the same GMAT, GPA, extracurriculars, and work experience as another applicant and the only difference is that you went to Blank State U and the other applicant attended, say, Princeton, you would both have the same chance of being admitted to a top b-school.
We have seen this time and time again with our own clients.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.comAdmissions committee experience from the top b-schools
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885Hi Ray and thanks for your inquiry.
Dear David,
Your advice is very good. Thanks!
I would like to ask you a quick question.Go right ahead…
HOw important is the AWA score of the GMAT? If I did well on V, should I even care about the AWA?
Good question. It is becoming more popular amongst admissions officers and some schools (the best known is probably Yale SOM) scrutinize it rather closely due to concerns about applicants getting outside help with essays.
Since we don’t ghostwrite essays and we leave them in the applicants’ own voices, we’re not very concerned about this new development and we don’t anticipate it having any effect on our success rate.
Thanks,
Ray
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.comAdmissions committee experience from the top b-schools
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885Hi Jim and thanks for your inquiry.
David,
I am currently an undergraduate (this usually sounds the alarm) at Drexel University. I have a GPA of 3.6 and a GMAT score of 710, and am heavily involved on campus in leadership activities. However, I only have 1 year of work experience through co-ops, and realize that I’m at a great disadvantage in this area. For this reason, I was going to wait 2-3 years, and then apply to top MBA programs. However, I know that what they are looking for is high-quality work exp., not just work exp. For this, I would obviosly need to find a high-quality job, and I have nothing surely lined up yet (I graduate in May 2004).
You are correct that the admissions committees care far more about the quality of the work experience than the quantity. In fact, 4% of the entering class at HBS this year came directly from undergraduate. Granted, they had some huge ‘wow’ factors in terms of military leadership, running a business out of a dorm room, etc., but, nonetheless, 4% is a material number of incoming students and it is indeed possible to gain admission to a top b-school without full-time, post-undergraduate work experience.
My question is: Should I reduce my targeted schools, and apply to schools in the 20-30 range that I would have a better chance of getting in at? Or holdout for a high-quality position (risking having no job for a while)? Or take the best job I can find?
This is going to be a personal decision for you. If you go to a top 30 school now, you won’t be able to attend a top 10 school down the road.
As an up-front disclaimer, I’m going to wear my ‘admissions hat’ as I answer your jobs question. (Read: there are other things to consider such as happiness, fulfillment, etc.) This said, a high-quality position to an admissions committee gives you a lot of opportunity for personal development and experience in leadership and teamwork situations. They also love to see a good career progression so if you join a small company, try to select one where you may be able to create your own position if the only level above you is the owner.
You don’t have to secure employment in a business-related field, but it will probably make demonstrating the need for an MBA a bit easier if your work experience is in management, finance, operations, etc. Finally, there are a ton of IT applicants out there and differentiation amongst them is not always easy to achieve.
I’m confident in my essays, and letters of rec., the only hinderance I see is my lack of work exp.
Understood. However, that lack of work experience is likely to disrupt your story and this story is what you are trying to convey in your essays and recommendations.
Sorry for the long post, thanks for taking the time.
No problem. [
] Don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you would like to schedule a pre admissions consultation to determine if you should apply now or later. If you and your consultant decide you should apply later, we will provide you with a detailed action plan to ensure you optimize your positioning for those future applications.Sincerely,
Jim Holland
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.comAdmissions committee experience from the top b-schools
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885
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