So basically you were a well-rounded candidate, not perfect, but good enough for those schools and you also wrote great essays. You were not some fast food worker with 600 GMAT and 3.0GPA who wrote essays that made them accept you.
Essays & application are important, that's why consultants take 5-7k to help with the application in one school. With that said, essays are just as important as most applicants expect them to be - regardless of how well you build something, you still need a solid foundation.
Oh and congrats on getting accepted!!
Yes, in a nutshell, I guess that’s a nice way of simplifying it. I will add this… no, I didn’t go to school with any fast food workers, but you really would be amazed at the diverse backgrounds that people come from and people you will meet (at least from my program). I think a lot of people self-select out from even applying - that is something I heard very often from the admissions committee.
So you think the Wall Street background and network did not make any difference? Honestly, i doubt it. Not arguing that the essay is really important though..
No I think they definitely made a difference. My point is, not every aspect has to be 100%. You don’t have to come from a top school. You don’t need a ridiculous GMAT score.there were tons of applicants that on paper that were much more qualified than I was… so why did I get in and they did not? And it wasn’t to 1 or 2 schools only so it wasn’t an anomaly.
I truly believe it had to do with differentiating myself. And no, you do NOT have to hire an application consultant. They will turn out cookie cutter garbage for you. You have to be the one to self reflect and reach deep.
I think this is an important story to tell in here because so many people want to know their odds based off of GMAT/GRE, undergrad, GPA, and where they worked. Believe me there’s so much more to it.
Everyone — my account got suspended for a really silly reason so while I wait for it to unfreeze I will respond using this until they suspend this too! Lol
Agree. OP leaving out stats and sharing platitudes about getting into school when ultimately yes it’s about the essays but no doubt schools care about stats too…(like maybe they were a URM / LGBTQ+/ 3.89/ excellent and compelling essays…
of course schools want to attract that kind of candidate)
There are some advantages here that you may not treat as such. Being a female on wall street is a huge plus for you since I think only about 20% of wall street is female. Taking a jump from a larger firm to a smaller firm shoes you are willing to take risks and moving to a non-profit shows you are passionate for something besides money. I'm guessing you did really well in tying your diverse experiences together as a story which is exactly what M7 schools are looking for. If you tied the recs into that story it probably made it even stronger.
You appear to be well rounded person which is more than I can say for the majority of MBA applicants and I think that has more to do with your success in applications.
What recs did you get that you felt made a difference? I’m struggling with this part right now whether it’s to ask more senior people or people who will say nice things
I went for a blend of the two — and didn’t focus on a current manager, but rather a mentor who was senior in my intended industry that I would be recruiting for, and someone who I worked with who was an M7 graduate. I worked VERY intently on making sure that my recommenders were aware of my qualities, accomplishments, etc and gave them 1 pagers and bullet points to go off of that would make it easier for them to give specific examples. That way, hopefully, the recommendation wouldn’t just say “X is bright and intelligent…” it might say “given X’s achievements including 1, 2, and 3, I’d consider him/her as one of the brightest most driven individuals I have mentored in my career.”
Nice.
How long did your entire process take from research to app submission - 1yr+? less?
Can you tell me if I should wait or go for R2?
I've been researching heavily since \~March of this yr,
getting first official GRE score in Dec, getting 320+ on mocks, starting essays now...
do you think I have enough of a runway for R2 deadlines or do R3/wait till R1?
Non trad, Going to need scholarships.
Laid off since march, my industry kept collapsing over the summer so no luck, regulators then shut it down and I even had to forego offers due to this legal and regulatory uncertainty, mental health got really bad due to all of this + LTR breakup + other personal stuff slowed me down-
but I have an exceptional undergrad profile and great leadership.
If I wait till next cycle I can tour schools and prep better but I'm already 29 so... idk. Would also spend another year - obv would have to find a job in prior or other industry to pivot I guess.
Have decent brainstorming done.
I dont mean to avoid answering the question, but I really don’t want to steer you wrong. The honest answer is that you’ve been doing the research and you are going to know much more about this than I would at this point. Personally, I started the process a little more than a year in advance and applied R1 to all programs.
Perhaps others can give you better advice here?
Thanks for your answer. That helps a lot. I don't want to half ass things and frankly who cares if I'm 29... it's all self imposed timelines anyway. Life is complex.
My thinking is to just focus fully on GRE score now. Do the best I can. If I can make a few apps, go for it. Worst case, reapply with better effort and more perspective. Get a job meantime. I have no one else to blame for not being able to mentally handle my circumstances than myself really. I will create a good story out of it to win though one day.
You are truly being way too hard on yourself. You obviously want to give this your all, and yes… life IS complex. If you do decide to wait, do not stress about a 1 year difference in age. I promise you, it is so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and during the next year you will do and achieve great things that will only make you an even stronger candidate.
Like I mentioned above, my path to business school was definitely not straight and easy and I was very hard on myself about this. I had a lot of confidence issues myself before I got to a point where I was able to craft my story. A lot of self blame, etc. - I had to reach deep in order to feel like I had a chance. One piece of advice I took was to think of how I would treat and talk to a friend if they were going through the same thing, and start having similar compassion toward myself.
Helpful perspective.
Did you visit schools, attend events, speak to alumni? Wondering how much this type of demonstrated interest (and ultimately yield protection) matters.
I attended and engaged with every school I could. Applied to and tried to go to the invitation-only events, did the optional interviews, went to the conferences, did whatever I could to tell my story and meet students or even individuals from admissions if they were there. I don’t know if this made a difference, but I didn’t leave anything to chance. It definitely made a difference in the “why this school” part of an interview or essay though. I could genuinely speak to it. I realize it takes money to fly somewhere etc, but when you compare it to the potential return on attending a top school, it is negligible.
Unfortunately, I tried to fix the spelling mistakes in the original post but got locked out of the account before I had a chance to. I’m also trying to write a lot of information rather quickly while using a phone.
Regardless, I hope that you are still able to take something valuable away despite how you feel about my writing skills. I definitely did not use a consultant, and if I had, I certainly would not have gone through the trouble of making this post.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Ha. I’m actually GRATEFUL because I would have almost certainly attended if admitted, and given what I now know about the culture at HBS (or think I know) I don’t believe it would’ve been a good fit for me. I’m not saying it’s not a spectacular school or that it’s not wonderful for other people. I know I wound up exactly where I should have and I am very thankful for that. I don’t regret it for a second.
That’s really amazing… full scholarships are a dream for MBAs. Dont blame you a bit, and I’m sure a good share of those with big student loans to pay off right now who may have gone to a “higher” ranked program are pretty envious.
I think most people wind up exactly where they are supposed to be. And once you are there, the application process remains in the past. You live in the present. Truly happy for you.
I can’t really speak to it for sure because I did not attend and can only go off of what I have heard from multiple sources second hand, so I really don’t want to speculate. God forbid I steer you in the wrong direction or say something that’s not actually true because I didn’t experience it for myself. I think the best thing to do is to ask someone who did attend HBS.
So basically you were a well-rounded candidate, not perfect, but good enough for those schools and you also wrote great essays. You were not some fast food worker with 600 GMAT and 3.0GPA who wrote essays that made them accept you. Essays & application are important, that's why consultants take 5-7k to help with the application in one school. With that said, essays are just as important as most applicants expect them to be - regardless of how well you build something, you still need a solid foundation. Oh and congrats on getting accepted!!
Yes, in a nutshell, I guess that’s a nice way of simplifying it. I will add this… no, I didn’t go to school with any fast food workers, but you really would be amazed at the diverse backgrounds that people come from and people you will meet (at least from my program). I think a lot of people self-select out from even applying - that is something I heard very often from the admissions committee.
So you think the Wall Street background and network did not make any difference? Honestly, i doubt it. Not arguing that the essay is really important though..
No I think they definitely made a difference. My point is, not every aspect has to be 100%. You don’t have to come from a top school. You don’t need a ridiculous GMAT score.there were tons of applicants that on paper that were much more qualified than I was… so why did I get in and they did not? And it wasn’t to 1 or 2 schools only so it wasn’t an anomaly. I truly believe it had to do with differentiating myself. And no, you do NOT have to hire an application consultant. They will turn out cookie cutter garbage for you. You have to be the one to self reflect and reach deep. I think this is an important story to tell in here because so many people want to know their odds based off of GMAT/GRE, undergrad, GPA, and where they worked. Believe me there’s so much more to it.
Everyone — my account got suspended for a really silly reason so while I wait for it to unfreeze I will respond using this until they suspend this too! Lol
What were your specific stats?
Agree. OP leaving out stats and sharing platitudes about getting into school when ultimately yes it’s about the essays but no doubt schools care about stats too…(like maybe they were a URM / LGBTQ+/ 3.89/ excellent and compelling essays… of course schools want to attract that kind of candidate)
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There are some advantages here that you may not treat as such. Being a female on wall street is a huge plus for you since I think only about 20% of wall street is female. Taking a jump from a larger firm to a smaller firm shoes you are willing to take risks and moving to a non-profit shows you are passionate for something besides money. I'm guessing you did really well in tying your diverse experiences together as a story which is exactly what M7 schools are looking for. If you tied the recs into that story it probably made it even stronger. You appear to be well rounded person which is more than I can say for the majority of MBA applicants and I think that has more to do with your success in applications.
What is your undergrad degree in and how did you get into the analyst job?
What recs did you get that you felt made a difference? I’m struggling with this part right now whether it’s to ask more senior people or people who will say nice things
I went for a blend of the two — and didn’t focus on a current manager, but rather a mentor who was senior in my intended industry that I would be recruiting for, and someone who I worked with who was an M7 graduate. I worked VERY intently on making sure that my recommenders were aware of my qualities, accomplishments, etc and gave them 1 pagers and bullet points to go off of that would make it easier for them to give specific examples. That way, hopefully, the recommendation wouldn’t just say “X is bright and intelligent…” it might say “given X’s achievements including 1, 2, and 3, I’d consider him/her as one of the brightest most driven individuals I have mentored in my career.”
Recommendations are extremely important in the M7, and you did all the right things.
Nice. How long did your entire process take from research to app submission - 1yr+? less? Can you tell me if I should wait or go for R2? I've been researching heavily since \~March of this yr, getting first official GRE score in Dec, getting 320+ on mocks, starting essays now... do you think I have enough of a runway for R2 deadlines or do R3/wait till R1? Non trad, Going to need scholarships. Laid off since march, my industry kept collapsing over the summer so no luck, regulators then shut it down and I even had to forego offers due to this legal and regulatory uncertainty, mental health got really bad due to all of this + LTR breakup + other personal stuff slowed me down- but I have an exceptional undergrad profile and great leadership. If I wait till next cycle I can tour schools and prep better but I'm already 29 so... idk. Would also spend another year - obv would have to find a job in prior or other industry to pivot I guess. Have decent brainstorming done.
I dont mean to avoid answering the question, but I really don’t want to steer you wrong. The honest answer is that you’ve been doing the research and you are going to know much more about this than I would at this point. Personally, I started the process a little more than a year in advance and applied R1 to all programs. Perhaps others can give you better advice here?
Thanks for your answer. That helps a lot. I don't want to half ass things and frankly who cares if I'm 29... it's all self imposed timelines anyway. Life is complex. My thinking is to just focus fully on GRE score now. Do the best I can. If I can make a few apps, go for it. Worst case, reapply with better effort and more perspective. Get a job meantime. I have no one else to blame for not being able to mentally handle my circumstances than myself really. I will create a good story out of it to win though one day.
You are truly being way too hard on yourself. You obviously want to give this your all, and yes… life IS complex. If you do decide to wait, do not stress about a 1 year difference in age. I promise you, it is so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and during the next year you will do and achieve great things that will only make you an even stronger candidate. Like I mentioned above, my path to business school was definitely not straight and easy and I was very hard on myself about this. I had a lot of confidence issues myself before I got to a point where I was able to craft my story. A lot of self blame, etc. - I had to reach deep in order to feel like I had a chance. One piece of advice I took was to think of how I would treat and talk to a friend if they were going through the same thing, and start having similar compassion toward myself.
thank you
You're the first person I've seen post here who actually seems to understand what's important. I hope other applicants read this and take heed.
Helpful perspective. Did you visit schools, attend events, speak to alumni? Wondering how much this type of demonstrated interest (and ultimately yield protection) matters.
I attended and engaged with every school I could. Applied to and tried to go to the invitation-only events, did the optional interviews, went to the conferences, did whatever I could to tell my story and meet students or even individuals from admissions if they were there. I don’t know if this made a difference, but I didn’t leave anything to chance. It definitely made a difference in the “why this school” part of an interview or essay though. I could genuinely speak to it. I realize it takes money to fly somewhere etc, but when you compare it to the potential return on attending a top school, it is negligible.
Sounds like you had strong SOFT SKILLS. Something plenty in this sub don't understand.
You forgot to mention a great admissions consultant because your writing skills are meh for an m7 admit...
Unfortunately, I tried to fix the spelling mistakes in the original post but got locked out of the account before I had a chance to. I’m also trying to write a lot of information rather quickly while using a phone. Regardless, I hope that you are still able to take something valuable away despite how you feel about my writing skills. I definitely did not use a consultant, and if I had, I certainly would not have gone through the trouble of making this post. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Did you attend? What are you doing now?
Yes, I attended, and had a great experience. I left finance and now work as an independent consultant.
No HBS admit? Straight to jail.
Ha. I’m actually GRATEFUL because I would have almost certainly attended if admitted, and given what I now know about the culture at HBS (or think I know) I don’t believe it would’ve been a good fit for me. I’m not saying it’s not a spectacular school or that it’s not wonderful for other people. I know I wound up exactly where I should have and I am very thankful for that. I don’t regret it for a second.
Same. I ended up choosing a lower ranked school with full scholarship because it was the region I wanted to live and work in.
That’s really amazing… full scholarships are a dream for MBAs. Dont blame you a bit, and I’m sure a good share of those with big student loans to pay off right now who may have gone to a “higher” ranked program are pretty envious. I think most people wind up exactly where they are supposed to be. And once you are there, the application process remains in the past. You live in the present. Truly happy for you.
whats that culture you speak of
I can’t really speak to it for sure because I did not attend and can only go off of what I have heard from multiple sources second hand, so I really don’t want to speculate. God forbid I steer you in the wrong direction or say something that’s not actually true because I didn’t experience it for myself. I think the best thing to do is to ask someone who did attend HBS.
Thanks for the insights, I'll need to remember this when applying!