Berkeley / Haas - 09-09-2022 | Clear Admit ApplyWire

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September 8, 2022 8:18pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Rice / Jones, UCLA Anderson, USC / Marshall, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2023

Pre-MBA Career: Higher Education

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Venture Capital Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , Ernst & Young , McKinsey , Other

GPA: 3.27

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: Los Angeles Area

Post MBA Location: Los Angeles / Oahu

Notes:

Hi Alex and Graham! I have been listening to the podcast for three years now, learning more and more about the MBA application process over the years. I am now serious about applying in Round 2 of this cycle, and am looking to take the GRE in mid November. I am aiming for a 330.

To address to lower GPA, I have taken MBAMath. I also feel I have a compelling personal experience that helps to explain the semesters in which I did not perform as well as others.

Happy to answer any more questions about my candidacy, too.

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Show Comments (6) Last: September 19, 2022

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1696 Showing impact and growth at work, will be very important. Are you also involved in activities outside of work? Be good to hear a little more about your post MBA goals, noting that VC is very tough to break into, etc? Glad you’re enjoying the podcast! (0)

elijahpantoja Likes Earned: 9 Hi Alex, thanks for the questions. At work, I am tasked with leading digital marketing and communications strategy for the development office of a top 3 liberal arts university. Last year, we surpassed our fundraising goal by over 15%. Of those dollars, I had a hand in 2/3 of the total fundraising dollars. Through my position, I have developed new reporting dashboards, advocated for and onboarded new technologies, and increased our measurable engagement with alumni, families, and friends of the college. Outside of work, I was the Co-Director of Marketing for the 2022 Diversity MBA Conference (DMAC), bringing together most of the T-25 programs and students from underrepresented backgrounds for a single-day MBA fair. Additionally, I was selected as a Riordan MBA Fellow in 2021 and graduated from the program this spring. I also volunteer with a college access not-for-profit in the Los Angeles area, mentoring 2-3 high school students at a time through the college application process. Post-MBA, I'd like to land at MBB, Deloitte, or EY. After a couple of years of working in consulting is when I'd like to break into VC or other growth stage opportunities. (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1696 Doing MBA Math and gaining a high GRE (330) should really open opportunities for you, at these programs. I’d really encourage you to investigate how realistic your goals are for VC. If the VC pathway doesn’t work out, are there other long term scenarios that would be appealing? (0)

elijahpantoja Likes Earned: 9 I should be finishing MBA Math soon and believe I am on track to hit the 325-330 range on the GRE. 330 is my goal, though. I am not sure if this is useful information, but I am applying to all schools through the Consortium except for Kellogg as they will are not a member of Consortium until next cycle. In regards to other long term career paths, certainly. I am interested in impact investing, endowment/trust management, and then the "end game" being the launch of a social enterprise or trust to preserve native Hawaiian culture and expand Hawaiian ownership of land and business on the islands. Cheers. (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1696 I think a long term goal, related to Hawaiian land ownership might well be very interesting for adcom, assuming it’s both plausible and ambitious. Then tieing everything to that long term goal, in some way. (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1696 More details on this candidacy in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2022/09/wire-taps-252-south-african-candidate-strong-numbers-nigerian-candidate-works-in-london-higher-ed-candidate-may-seek-impact-investing-role/ (0)