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tbafupcf
2.3 years
United States
2025
Score: Plan to take the GMAT
GPA: 3.79
Pre-MBA industry: Consulting
Post-MBA industry: Consulting
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Comments (7 comments)
User avatar
bb
19 Sep 2023, 22:57
Ha ha. No problem at all. I made a lot of mistakes and did not really know much about MBA and applications so I ended up just learning by making mistakes.

That’s been a while ago 😇 I did not even realize how the recruiting process worked and I thought that having an MBA didn’t really matter what I did before… that wasn’t quite right. 😂
The main lesson I learned is that after business school you recruit based on your pre-MBA work experience. As long as you have unknown consulting brand on your résumé, that should give you some advantage in recruiting for consulting jobs afterwards.

It is good that you’re not changing industries. I’m not sure if you can get sponsored but that is a sweet deal if you can.

What admissions are really worried is can you find a job after you graduate so you want to see and perhaps talk to your colleagues who may have done this journey or talk to students who are recruiting for consulting right now and your target business schools and get their perspective.
User avatar
bb
19 Sep 2023, 20:42
Amazing GPA! If you can pull out a score above 740, there’s a decent chance you may get some money and if you can get 760 or above then there’s a really good chance for a scholarship.

On the other hand, if you hit a wall and you get a really low score, you may want to switch into the GRE land. I feel like a traitor recommending it 😂
User avatar
tbafupcf
19 Sep 2023, 20:46
Thank you for the response! Do you think a 700 would be good enough for these schools for general acceptance? (not taking into account scholarships)
User avatar
bb
19 Sep 2023, 20:52
700 is totally doable esp with that GPA.

However, If you anticipate that you’ll be coming in on the lower end of the average, and you are not looking for scholarship dollars, GRE has been a cheaper currency so to speak and schools have been more forgiving of lower GRE scores.

In big part, I think that’s due to rankings not considering GRE in the past. At some point it may change but so far that has been the pattern

You can search through the decision tracker filters, here in the same area to look up profiles from past years to see average scores.

PS. I would aim a bit above 700 at the end of the day. You have a great profile and it would be a shame if you were held up by one number. So put in the effort and if you need a little bit of money to get it done but to give you an idea, 40 or 50 extra points on the GMAT can be worth $150,000. Not nothing to sneeze at… but I understand if you’re juggling a lot of things and a very busy job. Something has to give.
User avatar
tbafupcf
19 Sep 2023, 20:56
Fantastic perspective and great advice! My other worry is my work experience. If i were to hypothetically start school next fall, I’ll have only a little over 3 years of work experience, less than the average for top ranked schools. If things don’t go well, will definitely apply next year as well. There is quite a bit I’m juggling at the moment but will attempt to obtain a >700 GMAT score. Thank you again for your help!!
User avatar
bb
19 Sep 2023, 20:59
Yes… sorry I reversed your experience in my mind, thinking it was 3.2 years. Darn dyslexia.

PS. I got my NBA when I only had three years of work experience and there are definitely trade-offs doing it that early. Some people are much more mature at that age and summer or not. Having more work experience helps with recruiting and confidence. It also helps having some promotions and reaching a certain level so there are clear benefits to hitting that spot. I feel like I’m walking back my words now but that was me expecting you to have four years by the time you matriculate.

So something that they will be watching for carefully for your profile with only three years is career trajectory, maturity, and employability.
User avatar
tbafupcf
19 Sep 2023, 21:03
Very good point. I’m planning on utilizing my recommenders to really show my maturity compared to my peers who may be 2-4 years older than me to show that I’m ready to obtain an MBA.

Quick question: You mentioned you also got your MBA with 3 years of experience. Do you mind telling me more about that? I feel like it’s a little rare to find folks in the same boat as you and I, so would love to learn more about your methodology with applying, speaking to schools, things you highlighted in your application to stand out, etc. And apologies if this isn’t the right place/area to ask a question like that — still learning to navigate the forum haha
User avatar
bb
19 Sep 2023, 22:57
Ha ha. No problem at all. I made a lot of mistakes and did not really know much about MBA and applications so I ended up just learning by making mistakes.

That’s been a while ago 😇 I did not even realize how the recruiting process worked and I thought that having an MBA didn’t really matter what I did before… that wasn’t quite right. 😂
The main lesson I learned is that after business school you recruit based on your pre-MBA work experience. As long as you have unknown consulting brand on your résumé, that should give you some advantage in recruiting for consulting jobs afterwards.

It is good that you’re not changing industries. I’m not sure if you can get sponsored but that is a sweet deal if you can.

What admissions are really worried is can you find a job after you graduate so you want to see and perhaps talk to your colleagues who may have done this journey or talk to students who are recruiting for consulting right now and your target business schools and get their perspective.