Hey Graham and Alex, love the podcast and wanted to chime into the wire.

I'm currently doing marketing & digital platform management for a wine startup in the Philippines - a high-impact role in a small, but growing company. Prior to this, I was doing an LDP at a regional bank and got some short-term assignments abroad. Looking to pursue an MBA in the US in the near future (applying R1 of 2021 for intake in 2022). Post-MBA career goals include tech & tech-oriented consulting in the short-term, then pursuing venture capital in my home region (Southeast Asia) in the longer-term.

Graduated with a five-year double degree in Econ and Business from a top 3 school here. I'm well aware my GPA is significantly below average; worked most of college and had extracurriculars galore. Looking to mitigate that over the next year by taking targeted UCLA/Berkeley Extension Classes. (Math & Stat)

ECs: I do community fundraising on the side, and will possibly have some LGBT community involvement soon. (When Pride comes back on the streets!) I'm a freelance writer in the tech space and have a fairly large published portfolio. Strongly conversational in wine-speak, like "I can smell notes of plum, leather, and roasted apple wood" or "This grenache is aging quite well."

My top choice is Tuck. It seems like a strong fit, culture and recruitment-wise. Mostly targeting rank 8 to 15 schools + Stanford. Not because I have a good chance (I definitely don't) but I want to take a crack at the introspection that comes with the "What matters most" essay.

Hoping for a decent scholarship too; otherwise, I'm going to be wearing a potato sack to orientation.

Thanks, guys!