Dartmouth / Tuck - 05-19-2021 | Clear Admit ApplyWire

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May 19, 2021 11:09am ET

Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Harvard Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2022

Pre-MBA Career: Crisis Communications Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Consumer Goods Companies: Amazon , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Tesla , Coca Cola , Proctor & Gamble , Unilever , Other

GMAT: 720

GPA: 3.76

Years of Work Experience: 8

Location: Portland, OR

Post MBA Location: Atlanta

Notes:

Graham and Alex,

Thank you for all you do! I have listened to every episode of the podcast on Spotify, using it as motivation for my GMAT prep and as a pseudo case study method to learn the ins and outs of the MBA Admission process at top-tier schools. I would love to be featured on the podcast and am happy to answer any questions you might have about my candidacy. You read my Apple review on episode 146 and I promised to submit an entry once I had my GMAT results. Consider that promise now fulfilled.

For additional context:

GMAT (online format, without AWA): 720 (Q45 V44 IR8). I also got a 710 with a higher quant score (Q47 V40 IR5) but lower overall and IR. I plan to take MBA Math to shore up my quant credentials. I won't be retaking the GMAT, as third and fourth attempts in-person were lower and I cancelled those scores.

Undergrad: 3.76 GPA as a Spanish, communications double major at a liberal arts college in Chicago. Won the school's senior merit scholarship, was inducted into the Scholastic Honor Society and participated in student government, campus tours and residence life as an RA and assistant residence director. Studied abroad in Spain, as well as Germany/Switzerland. I didn't have a quant or economics background in college, so an MBA will be very important for me as I transition out of a purely communications role.

Professional:
- I work in crisis and proactive communications (PR) consulting in Portland, Oregon for clients in every U.S. time zone and across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania). Clients have included Fortune 500s (think Amazon, Comcast, AT&T), advanced manufacturing companies and tech startups.
- I've been promoted twice, ahead of more experienced colleagues, and have been client facing since day one, often working directly with senior executives at Fortune 500 companies.
- I lead strategy and client relations for teams as large as 8 people on our largest (by revenue) corporate accounts and often work with outside attorneys on complex litigation communications.
- I've consulted clients on issues before the White House, U.S. Supreme Court, State Department, DOJ, FCC, EPA, NASA, DOL, FAA and DOT.
- I've worked with four different Nobel Peace Prize winners.
- I've also done work internationally, creating a media event in a small rural village with the sitting President of Honduras, where I translated talking points into Spanish for him and created the run of show and handled international media.

Post-MBA Goals:
- Transition away from PR consulting to work in-house at a Fortune 500 company in operations, business strategy and general management. Target companies include tech companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Atlanta-based companies like Coke, Home Depot, Delta and UPS
- Long term - I'd like to be the Chief Communications or Chief Information Officer at a Fortune 100 company.

Community Impact:
- I recently completed Leadership Portland, a program put on for mid-senior business leaders through the regional chamber of commerce. Through that program, I led a community impact project with a downtown homeless shelter.
- I've been a facilitator multiple times at the National Student Leadership Forum in Washington D.C., and I participated twice as an undergrad student.
- I've been on multiple nonprofit boards – one is the Oregon Leadership Development Institute (mentoring young professionals, including first-gen and internationals) and the other is an industry association (PRSA).
- I've done 11 foreign humanitarian trips across Latin America and SE Asia.
- I've guest lectured to students at the University of Oregon, Portland State University, Wheaton College (IL), and Georgia State University.

Personal:
- I'm from Atlanta and grew up in Japan for five years and have traveled to more than 30 countries.
- I'm fluent in Spanish and am a beginner in Japanese.
- I'm married to a veterinarian and have a 2 yo daughter.
-I'm 30 and as an older candidate, I'll work hard to demonstrate "fit" and ways in which I will be fully engaged in what the MBA experience has to offer outside the classroom.

P.S. I'll try to join you both soon on Clubhouse once I figure out what it is :)

Like (1)

Show Comments (10) Last: June 1, 2021

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1677 It sounds like you have all the ingredients needed to put together strong apps for top programs, esp if you add the MBA Math. Showing impact, inside and outside of work is key, and it looks like you can do that. Why MBA makes good sense, goals are a natural progression. Might be worth considering Emory, if scholarship is important, because of its location. I would target 3-4 programs in Round 1, adjust for around 2 as needed, your target programs look good. (1)

pdx404 Likes Earned: 32 Thanks for the input, Alex! I had thought about Emory, and I would consider it if I'm unable to gain acceptance to one of my top target schools. I'm looking for a school that has national and international credibility and my sense is that Emory is more of a regional brand. I might be wrong on that. So are you saying that it's a bad idea to apply to all of my target schools for Round 1? I'm planning to start my essays soon and have my CEO's support to write an enthusiastic reference. (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1677 Great! If you can everything together, present your best apps, in Round 1, then that’s best. I think your sense for Emory is on point. (1)

pdx404 Likes Earned: 32 Sounds good, Alex! I have my first meeting with an admissions consultant (HBS grad) next week and she'll work with me to make sure I execute on the applications to put my best foot forward. I was particularly excited to work with her because it was a personal referral from my CEO and my employer even offered to pay for the ongoing consulting services. That support is above and beyond what I was expecting, and I'm hoping that shines through in the references as well. I've also been networking with friends at Wharton, Booth and Darden to get some first-hand insights into what makes each program distinct. And I'm starting MBA Math this weekend. Thanks again! (1)

pdx404 Likes Earned: 32 I'm also flying out to the East Coast for a campus visit road trip (Boston, Hanover, New Haven, Philadelphia, Charlottesville). I've never been to the northeast and would like to get a sense of campus and the surrounding setting to help with applications and the eventual decision (fingers crossed that I'll have a decision to make :). I'm guessing most MBA programs are still doing prospective student events and meetings virtually, but I plan to reach out in case I can meet anyone while I'm there. I'm fully vaccinated as of this week. Any other tips for how to best connect with target schools prior to applying? (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1677 That all sounds terrific! You appear to be doing all the right things. If you reach out to the leaders of the clubs that interest you, that might yield some additional insights and connections. (1)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1245 Thanks so much for the glowing review of the podcast - I indeed remember reading it out on episode 146! Alex covered all the bases here with his feedback, but I just wanted to say that I think the admissions teams will be drawn to your non-traditional background in PR/communications, your liberal arts education (with solid marks!), and your very clear goals in the short and long-term; it all makes a ton of sense. Of course, your biggest hurdles will be: a) showing that you can survive the quantitative rigor of the MBA (MBA Math, plus a perfectly respectable result on the GMAT should help there), and b) demonstrating fit/a desire to be active at your target programs - despite your being a bit older/juggling other priorities. One final question: is there a reason Duke didn't make your list in light of your geographic preference? Best of luck as you begin this journey and please keep us posted as to how it goes!
(2)

pdx404 Likes Earned: 32 Duke is certainly a school I’ve considered. The simple answer is that I’d rather go to the other schools on my list, and I need to cap my target schools at some point and seven seems to be on the high side of what you recommend. If I were to add more schools to my list, they would be MIT, Duke and Georgetown. My reason for applying to UVA instead of Duke (they’re in a similar category from what I can tell) is that I have several friends who went to UVA for either business or law school and, to a person, they loved the setting, the community and the academic rigor. I’ve also had a handful of conversations with professionals in other markets (other than the Southeast) who still think of Duke as a basketball school. Not a fair or accurate assessment, but the parent brand is very important to me because I’d like to work for an international company. (1)

pdx404 Likes Earned: 32 I appreciate the feedback, Graham, and thanks for the question! I'll be sure to keep you all updated as my application journey progresses. (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1677 More details on this candidacy in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2021/05/episode-164-wire-taps/ (0)