Dartmouth / Tuck - 08-25-2022 | Clear Admit ApplyWire

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August 25, 2022 7:20am ET

Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2023

Pre-MBA Career: Tech Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Pharmaceutical Companies: Apple , Google , Other , Amgen , Johnson & Johnson , Merck , Pfizer

GRE: 319

GPA: 3.47

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Midwest

Post MBA Location: Denver/ Mid-Size City in Midwest

Notes:

28F and 5 years of work experience at time of matriculation. Engineering undergrad at a state school; tech consulting background. I was a first gen college student from rural midwest, and received a full tuition scholarships and worked 2-3 jobs at a time to pay for school.
I was also very involved in extra curriculars during undergrad (president of honor's program stuco, ambassador for engineering and honor's program were the main ones) and after post-undergrad (member of large woman's community service organization, play in local sports leagues weekly). I've also worked in youth sports (referee) since I was 14. I'm involved in local official's organizations and work games 40+ weeks out of the year. I've done this regularly since high school. Post MBA: I'd like to get into product management in the health/fitness space. I think this will give me the opportunity to combine my pre-mba experience with my passion in the space that I've demonstrated by my involvement. I've also had some health challenges that have motivated this too. Currently going through mba prep program through Forte. I know my grades and GRE is lacking a little bit, so not sure if my overall application is even competitive or if I'm targeting the correct schools?
I love the podcast and think it's so helpful to listen to other reviews, so I appreciate any feedback!

Like (1)

Show Comments (5) Last: September 6, 2022

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1674 There’s a lot to like here (your passion for fitness/sports playing into your goals, being a boostrapper/striver etc). The GRE might raise a concern. Have you considered a retake? There’s no rush for you to apply in Round 1, better in Round 2 if you think you can improve your test score. You might also consider MBA Math/HBS CORe, but an increased test score should have most impact. Glad you’re enjoying our podcast. Forté is a great Organization, too. (1)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1224 Thanks for your post, and for the kind words about the podcast! There is a TON to like here, as Alex points out. I do think, however, that applying in R2 with a stronger result on the GRE would benefit you a great deal. Have you taken the test more than once at this point? Have you worked with a tutor or taken a test-prep course? Spending the next couple of months focusing on adding even 4-5 points to your total score could have a significant impact (and open doors for more scholarship dollars too). Everything else seems to line up well, and I do like your target schools for both their ability to help you realize your career plans, but also for their close-knit, collaborative environments. Best of luck to you!
(1)

22mbamo Likes Earned: 27 I took the test in July and got a 157V/162Q. I've taken the GRE once before, but that score expired (and this one wasn't that much better even though I actually studied, unlike the first time). I was a little disappointed with my quant score, but completely burnt out on studying at that point to think about retaking. I feel like I'm close to my ceiling with my test score. Fuqua is my top choice, and I'm really trying to apply R1 to at least 1-2 schools (and most likely Fuqua, so I can make R2 decisions). Obviously I want to put my best foot forward here, but I don't have a lot of confidence in my test score. Thank you again for the feedback! (2)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1674 If Duke is your top choice, I’d encourage you to apply to them in Round 2 with a GRE retake. Select 1-2 other programs to target round 1. You might well be successful with your current score, but any improvement (even 1-2 points) will make a difference. You’ll have the same chance of admissions in round 2, versus round 1, so there’s no rush. (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1674 More details on this candidacy in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2022/09/wire-taps-250/ (0)