MBA LiveWire

I'm a college senior at a T20 undergrad institution majoring in psychology with a minor in business. I'm looking to apply for deferred MBA programs. Post-grad, I'll be doing consulting at MBB. During college, I've had multiple leadership roles, co-founding 2 clubs and working on my own startup (although likely won't be continuing to work on this during MBA).

I recently scored a 725 overall (99th percentile) on the GMAT Focus (converts to 760 on the original GMAT) but got 48th percentile in verbal reasoning (I got 100th percentile in Data Insights and Quantitative Reasoning). I think my overall score is competitive, but I'm not sure if my low verbal reasoning is a red flag. I don't think this score is representative of my verbal abilities, and I think I can show strong communication skills in the essays, interviews, etc., but am not sure if this alone could be a reason I'm rejected. Would only want to retake the exam if this could be a deal breaker for the admissions committee so would appreciate guidance on this! Also, if I don't retake the exam, should I mention this in the optional additional info essay (to explain candidate circumstances)?

I am an African American man and a first-generation college graduate who earned a full-tuition, merit-based leadership scholarship from the Posse Foundation to attend Connecticut College, where I majored in Economics and minored in Africana Studies. Despite challenges from a sports-related concussion, a broken wrist, and GPA translation issues from my study abroad program, I finished strong in my junior and senior years, earning a place on the Dean’s List.

During my study abroad at Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana, I completed a thesis on micro-level challenges in the cocoa sector and worked on a research project converting coconut waste into activated charcoal.

I have slightly over four years of experience. I began my career in investment banking at Mesirow during the peak of M&A activity in 2021, working at a lower middle market firm, where I closed four deals before being promoted internally to the Mesirow Private Equity Group, where I worked for nearly three years. Currently, I hold a financial strategy role at Paylocity, a human capital management cloud SaaS company, where I collaborate cross-functionally with corporate development, M&A, product management, and engineering teams.

Beyond my professional endeavors, I am deeply committed to nonprofit work, mentorship, and financial literacy. As a first-generation college graduate, I actively support organizations that help underrepresented students access higher education and career opportunities. I serve on the Advisory Board for the Posse Foundation, which has awarded over $2 billion in scholarships, and on the Board of Directors for Genesys Works Foundation, helping high school students secure corporate internships. Additionally, I serve on the Chicago Scholars Associate Board and mentor through Link Unlimited, guiding students from freshman year through college matriculation.

I am currently enrolled in the new MLT 2-Year MBA Prep Program, preparing for the GMAT with a 700+ target score, having already scored 705 on the traditional GMAT practice test. To strengthen my academic profile, I am taking community college courses to boost my GPA (currently 3.17) to ~3.25-3.4. I also plan to participate in The Consortium and the Toigo Fellowship when I am eligible.
I have a strong passion for technology, particularly in education technology and healthcare technology. Given my experience in nonprofit work, I want to combine my knowledge and passion with my professional expertise, but I do not intend to work directly in the nonprofit sector. Instead, I aim to leverage technology to drive meaningful change in education or healthcare, as these fields align with my values and offer opportunities to make a real impact. While my career so far has been in for-profit industries, I see this next stage as an opportunity to pursue purpose-driven initiatives that create lasting, positive change.

I am also developing two ventures:

• A financial literacy podcast (launching Q3 2025) aimed at making financial guidance as accessible as healthcare, with plans to provide budget templates and curriculum in the future. Also, the first two seasons are already recorded but I am still working on marketing roll out which has caused the delay.

• An EdTech startup (launching Q2 2026, currently in stealth mode) designed to bridge the gap between different learning styles for students in private and public middle schools. Our team is initially building the MVP around one student group, with plans to expand the platform to multiple education levels.

Questions:

1. What steps can I take over the next two years to strengthen my candidacy?

2. Given my interest in strategy, product management in tech, and entrepreneurship, are there other schools I should consider?

3. Would a Johns Hopkins dual-degree (MBA/MPH) add value, given their top health programs, or is their MBA too niche? Could it evolve like Yale’s did?

4 years experience @ Kirkland & Ellis London - Restructuring & Special Situations Group

During Undergrad - Citi IBD Summer Internship + Return Offer, Morgan Stanley IBD Summer Internship + Return Offer

Undergrad extracurriculars - President of world's largest in-person student investment conference (LSE Alternative Investment Conference) - speakers like Bill Ackman (Pershing Square), Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates) Boaz Weinstein (Saba Capital) , Jonathan Lavine (Bain Capital) + Chess Coach + Animal Charity President

MBA Letter Angle - Combining Law & Finance experience into a coherent story / transition - haven't decided 100% yet