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MBA Applywire

15
April 25, 2025 9:29am ET
Applying: Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Columbia, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, London Business School, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern, U. Chicago Booth, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: Nuclear Engineer
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Accenture , Bain , BCG , McKinsey
GMAT: 740
GPA: 3.3
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: Canada
Post MBA Location: USA or Middle East
Notes:

Work Experience: Worked 1 year as a process engineer for an Aerospace and Defense company and now work as a radioactive waste management engineer working in nuclear energy with 2.5 years of experience and would have 4.5 years of total work experience by the time I would matriculate.

Goals: Did a few co-ops in water treatment and now work in clean energy and have a passion for environmental solutions. But don't necessarily enjoy technical heavy work and want more towards management side of this. Looking to pivot to strategy consulting, specializing in sustainability.

EC: Community Outreach Executive for Nuclear chapter at my work where I give speeches at elementary schools to promote STEM careers; Communication representative for my Union; some volunteer work with my local food bank and some other small community involvements.

Target: UVA / Duke / Cornell / Yale / Dartmouth
Safety: McCombs / Tepper
Reach: Kelloggs / Booth / Columbia

Does my profile have a shot at this? I have applied to Round 2 for INSEAD but outside of that, will properly apply this fall. Would love any insights/opinions/recommendations!

7
April 25, 2025 9:04am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Rice / Jones, UCLA Anderson, USC / Marshall, UT Austin / McCombs, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: Sales Engineer
Post-MBA Target Industry: Entrepreneurship, Other
GMAT: 728
GPA: 6.1
Years of Work Experience: 4.5
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Post MBA Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Notes:

I am looking to apply to MBA programs with focus on energy and sustainability. I want to stay in the west coast and I am currently based out of here. Please recommend admission consultants too. The biggest caveat: I am unemployed currently (left my job in Dec 2024 to focus on my passions and figure out long term plans) and currently doing part time unpaid work as a VC scout and in a climate startup.

Profile Snapshot

Demographics: US citizen by birth but grew up in India. Indian female, currently based in SF bay area

Academics: Undergrad from top Indian engineering school (Bachelors of Engineering in EEE) (low GPA) - 6.1

Two research papers in undergrad with 40+ citations currently. Low GPA due to death in family and other problems but have strong ECs and papers in undergrad.

GMAT: 730

Work Experience (4+ years, diverse)

1.5 years at strategic analytics consulting & AI research firm in India – front-office, European clients - Medical devices and FMCG (F500). Title was imagineer (role is mix of business, data and engineering)

0.4 years at another analytics consulting firm – data engineer, FMCG client (TC: 120K) in Austin Texas

2.4 years: Series D startup Agentic AI space. Title Sales engineer in SF, California (GTM role working with enterprise Fortune 50 clients). Two unofficial promotions - no title change but got salary increase of 10k each and unofficial lead sales engineer. (TC - 180K plus options)

Currently unemployed. The AI field left me very concerned, rapid job loss and I was part of the problem among other concerns. I left since I wanted to focus and transition to the energy sector. Currently working with a cleanTech venture firm as VC scout and a sustainability startup. No money. Might start looking for jobs soon

ECs:

Founded Non-profit during undergrad. Still running in my undergrad school

Chief Marketing Officer of my undergrad alma mater in the bay area: organize events with 100k plus is revenue. Lead team of 5 and have one VP under me.

Toastmasters: was ex-VP

Passionate about animals and children education. Donate and fund multiple programs in India.

My strongest value system is giving back to my community hence I want to go into energy and sustainability.

Goals

Short-term: Work in energy startups - Go to Market in CleanTech, P&L or Development roles in public utilities, strategy role in an energy firm

Long-term: PE targeting the energy sector or VC in renewables

Dilemma
Will I get any admits? concerned about low GPA and unemployment.

Would love your views on:

Do I have a realistic shot at (M7 / T10)?

6
April 24, 2025 7:07pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: LDP into Program Manager (global role)
Post-MBA Target Industry: Pharmaceutical, Entrepreneurship Companies: Amgen , Astra Zeneca , Merck , Roche
GMAT: 685
GPA: 3.2
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: Bay Area
Post MBA Location: Bay Area or San Diego
Notes:

Haas is part-time. Rest are FT. Curious as what the best option is for both ROI and long-term value.

-Currently make $200k+ TC.
-BS in STEM (3.20) low rank state school
-MS in Management (3.9+) low rank private school
-Good ECs/Volunteering/Hobbies -- Founded an org that is still ongoing. On the private school's alumni relations board.
-Good story for personal statements and interviews. First-gen everything, low income.

Goals (in order of best to worst case):
1) co-founding a startup and running with it (e.g. vc funding, fellowships, etc.)
2) Chief of Staff at a start up --> Head of Dept or C-level
3) Back into another LDP in the area of interest

7
April 24, 2025 2:12pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, NYU Stern, U. Washington / Foster, UCLA Anderson, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden
Intake Year: 2026
Pre-MBA Career: Boutique Consulting
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Deloitte
GMAT: 700
GPA: 3.91
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: San Francisco
Post MBA Location: New York
Notes:

Studying for GRE and estimated around 320 in mocks. Is a 320 GRE better than 700 GMAT (classic)?

MBA Livewire

April 26, 2025 9:49am ET
Accepted to Rice / Jones
Round: Round 4
Received via phone on April 21, 2025
Standardized Test: Granted Waiver
GPA: 3.68
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Houston, TX
Note:

Applied 4/12/25, 1st interview 4/15/25, 2nd interview 4/16/25

April 26, 2025 3:48am ET
Rejected at Duke / Fuqua
Round: Round 3
Received via portal on April 02, 2025
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.1
GRE: 305
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Other
Application Location: United Kingdom
April 25, 2025 11:38pm ET
Rejected at U. Chicago Booth
Round: Round 3
Received via portal April 25, 2025
Standardized Test: GRE
GPA: 3.7
GRE: 321
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Mumbai
April 25, 2025 4:30pm ET
Interview Invite to UVA / Darden
Round: Round 1
Received via email on April 20, 2025
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.9
GMAT: 655
Program Type: Deferred Enrollment
April 25, 2025 4:29pm ET
Interview Invite to Carnegie Mellon / Tepper
Round: Round 1
Received via email on April 01, 2025
Standardized Test: GMAT
GPA: 3.9
GMAT: 655
Program Type: Deferred Enrollment

MBA DecisionWire

CBS
April 26, 2025 8:16am ET
Enrolled: Columbia
Admitted: Columbia $
$96897
,
Duke / Fuqua $
$81000
,
NYU Stern $
$91524
,
UPenn / Wharton $
$30700
,
UT Austin / McCombs $
$30000
,
UVA / Darden $
$86400
Applied: Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, NYU Stern, UPenn / Wharton, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden
Entering Year: 2025
Post MBA Career: Consulting, Technology, Media, Other Companies: AT Kearney, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, McKinsey, Amazon, Facebook, Google, 21st Century Fox, Comcast, Time Warner, Walt Disney
GMAT: 655
GPA: 3.6
Location: NYC
Notes:

I almost didn’t apply this year because I only decided on business school in October so let me be proof that you can go far even in a short turnaround!

MIT
April 24, 2025 7:53am ET
Enrolled: MIT Sloan
Admitted: MIT Sloan $
$70000
,
Other $
$25000
,
Washington U. / Olin $
$80000
,
Northwestern / Kellogg $
$37500
,
U. Chicago Booth $
$70000
Applied: U. Chicago Booth, Other, Washington U. / Olin, UCLA Anderson, Northwestern / Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Harvard Business School, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Berkeley / Haas
Entering Year: 2025
Post MBA Career: Venture Capital, Private Equity, Entrepreneurship, Non Profit/SI
GRE: 323
GPA: 3.4
Location: Chile
Notes:

Can't go wrong with any of the top 3 options. Negotiated scholarship out of Booth and MIT. MIT and Booth both offer same outcomes, preffered Chicago as a city but MIT because of global brand, overall innovation environment and ties to the rest of school.

Sta
April 24, 2025 5:08am ET
Enrolled: Stanford GSB
Admitted: Northwestern / Kellogg $
$80,000
,
Stanford GSB $
$107,000
,
UVA / Darden $
$114,000
,
Yale SOM $
$120,000
Applied: Yale SOM, UVA / Darden, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg
Entering Year: 2025
GMAT: 760
GPA: 3.76
Location: India
Notes:

Shoot your shot!! Thrilled with the offers I received, but what a confusing process. Thought I was a great fit for both Sloan and Booth, but they both sent me to the WL post interview :') And really didn't see myself as a GSB-esque impact-maker, but here we are!

Cor
April 22, 2025 11:12am ET
Enrolled: Cornell / Johnson
Admitted: UVA / Darden $ , UNC Kenan-Flagler $ , NYU Stern , Michigan / Ross $ , Cornell / Johnson $ , Dartmouth / Tuck
Applied: UVA / Darden, UNC Kenan-Flagler, NYU Stern, Michigan / Ross, Dartmouth / Tuck, Cornell / Johnson
Entering Year: 2025
Post MBA Career: Investment Banking
Location: Canada

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