MBA ApplyWire

Biology Undergraduate
Primary Career in Consulting
Hoping to get company sponsorship for my MBA
Stanford is my top school

22 yr old, recently graduated with a CS degree.

Founded a club in uni, collabed with various companies and organized events.

Intered as a PM role in 2 startups.

Started building my own startup in the final year, raised 40k$ capital and now would like to pivot into building other big stuff of work as a PM in a big company where I can build products that can actually bring some real value.

(need suggestions for schools based on my profile)

I haven't sat for the GRE yet. But I am actively preparing for it and hoping for a score of around 315-320.

My middle and high school is of STEM background. I switched to BBA because it had all the nitty gritty stuff that was needed to solve irl problems, especially the prominent ones in my country. But I lost all my enthusiasm when I found out it was lecture heavy and all you do is memorize for tests, not learn anything about actual business processes outside of theory. I easily got bored, slept in class, didn't prepare for tests and winged it. Instead I took up a freelance content writing jobs (no specific topic) and got into E-sports tournaments (always have been a fanatic for PC building, gaming and e-sports). That's why the relatively low CGPA.

However, three of my BBA courses, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management and Management Information Systems stood out. I was able to relieve my lust for analysis and problem solving and now I want back in. STEM focused MS programs like business analytics, supply chain analytics, operations management are my top choices right now.

I am currently enrolled in an MBA (Human resource management) at a public university in my country. My finals start from June 23, 2025.

Another thing is, I have funding issues. I can't pay 80k for business school. That's median yearly income for the top 1% in my country. But I don't want to enroll in schools that don't offer career/application oriented learning. So suggestions on which schools I should keep my eye on would be nice.

Boutique Firm Management Consultant from South Korea. Unsure about Post-MBA Industry yet.

Targeting Foster at UW as my #1 choice.

Accomplished U.S. Army leader with over 9 years of progressive experience in operations, logistics, and team leadership. Currently serve as an Operations Manager, overseeing 410 personnel and managing $67M in assets. Successfully led strategic planning and high-stakes missions during a Middle East deployment. Earned a B.S. in Communications (Summa Cum Laude, GPA: 3.9) from Bowie State University. Known for developing high-performing teams, optimizing processes, and delivering mission success in dynamic environments.

I majored in finance at the University of Richmond and have been working my whole career at Barclays in Sales and Trading. I have very good recs with bosses I am close with, but concerned about a low gre score.

Undergrad degree in finance from the University of Richmond, have taken the GRE once, but hoping to retake to get scores higher.

Intend to work in corporate strategy, internal consulting or product in tech companies.

I am currently working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Panama in the Youth Development sector, I have a strong background in domestic and international development. Before this, I worked as a financial analyst at Bank of America for 1 year. Prior to that, I worked for Habitat for Humanity as a Crew Leader for two years coming out of university and amidst the pandemic.

I graduated from the business school at the University of Iowa with an Economics Degree and Sustainability Certificate, in the top 10% of my class. During school, I worked at a restaurant, ultimately to the manager level when I finished with my studies.

No significant volunteering / leadership experience on resume, GPA is from a top 5 undergraduate business program. Is this resume good enough for T15? Should I shoot for M7 given this resume? Would an additional 20 points on the GMAT help a lot?

Personal Info:
Age: 33
Citizenship: Canadian, grew up in Canada since 2.
Ethnicity: First-generation immigrant (Pakistan). First gen college grad.

Academic Background:
Undergraduate Degree: Engineering (from a Canadian university)
GPA: 2.99 cumulative | ~3.5 upper-division
GRE: 337 (169 Quant / 168 Verbal)

Work Experience:
-9 years in municipal infrastructure and public sector engineering
-Senior engineering role at City of Toronto
-Managed large-scale capital projects along with managing City's relationship as key point of contact with other gov organizations.
-Involved in logistics for global events (FIFA, Olympics, etc)

Leadership & D&I Experience:

-Progressed from a technical engineering role into senior leadership, overseeing large multi-disciplinary teams on complex infrastructure and capital projects.

-Led cross-functional groups of engineers, inspectors, tradespeople, and consultants to deliver high-stakes projects on time and under budget

-Regularly engage with internal departments, external vendors, elected officials, and community stakeholders to align project goals and manage risk

-Spearheaded the design and implementation of a Diversity & Inclusion strategy tailored to operational staff (~5,000 field employees), ensuring inclusion practices were practical, measurable, and culturally aligned with the realities of frontline work

-Gained deep experience in project governance, team performance management, conflict resolution, strategic planning, and long-term stakeholder engagement

-Known for bridging the gap between policy and operations—often selected for initiatives requiring both technical fluency and organizational leadership

Certifications:
Professional Engineer (P.E. – Canada)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Energy Manager (CEM)
Certified Scrum Master
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt

I would love to festure on the podcast! Have been listening to you guys the past year and a half, and appreciate the content.

Demographics:

26-year-old white male from South Africa

Will have ~4 years, 8 months work experience at matriculation

Education:

Undergraduate degree in Accounting 72% (top 15% of class; university does not use GPA system)

CFA Level 2 candidate

GRE: 335 (Q169 / V166 / AWA 4)

Work Experience:

Tech Firm (Not family business)

Rotational Program:
• 1.5 years as Data Analyst
• 6 months as Product Owner

New Product / Department (Current Role - 1.5 years so far):
• Spearheaded new financial product team
• Scaled product from £50k to £1.5m in annual net fees (now ~5% of company revenue)

Non-Profit (NPO):

Founded animal welfare organisation in 2023 (closed March 2025)

Held regular events with ~50 attendees, did stuff like beach cleanups and collections for animals.

Extracurriculars:

Started and ran NPO

Family business product strategy (informal/ad hoc support over weekends)

Organise padel matches at work, building community and informal leadership

Post-MBA Goals:

Short-Term: Management Consulting (focusing on Tech) or Tech

Long-Term: Scale family tech business and launch credit products for underserved communities in South Africa

Overall feedback on profile and competitiveness for HSW and M7. But I would love to join Wharton (as H/S feels out of reach)

White Male 25, American. Come from low income state & family, first gen. Bachelors in Civil Engineering from SEC state school. Took GRE during junior year and scored a 317 without much/any studying, will have to retake it before MBA.

Work Experience: Interned at a big civil engineering consulting company while in school, converted to full time doing design work on dams. Left after 6 months to become a Power Line Engineering at a medium size engineering firm. Working on renewable projects as well as existing infrastructure. Got promoted to Design Engineer after a year there. At 2.5 years there I left to go join a electrical contractor who builds solar farms, I'm creating a power line engineering department here, only engineer of my discipline here. Official title is only Engineer 2 though, so title doesn't do it justice. Creating standards, process, reviewing things, etc. Technical Expert in power lines for the company. I want to move into management but believe that road will take a long time, hence why I want to get an MBA and transition to something else. I've passed my PE and will be licensed soon, which is a major deal in civil engineering. Current compensation is $110k base.

Aside from my full time job, I started a side hustle company consulting for tradesmen, helping them win commercial work and transition from residential projects (driveways, etc.) to bigger projects (gov. contracts, subcontractors, etc.). I help with their estimating/proposals/bidding. I've only got 1 client so far but have completed ~20-30 projects for them. Having trouble growing this business and its slowing down so might shut it down soon unfortunately.

Extracurriculars: In college I was in a social fraternity for my last 2 years, was voted onto the executive board for a year. Helped run the school's civil engineering club (ASCE) as an officer, increased our weekly attendance/membership from ~10 people to ~40. Volunteered with various philanthropy events in college. After college I've tried to help out the community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and the local Animal Shelter, but only infrequently maybe once every 3 months. Recently joined my town's Young Professionals group, but no leadership opportunities there yet.

Why MBA: Personally, I want to get out of civil engineering and into a more lucrative field with more upwards potential. On the applications I plan to say: I want the opportunity to make a greater impact than I currently am and help lead others toward success. Opportunities to learn about the bigger picture side of the green energy industry and refine my skills in business, finance, management, strategy, etc. Getting an MBA and start working towards a cleaner future by leading others. Looking for more ways to influence others to drive success. I'll probably hire admissions consultant to help me define/refine this part of my application.

Post-MBA Goals: Consulting (Not MBB or bust, am fine with T2's.) or Leadership Development Programs (Caterpillar, NextEra Energy, Ford, etc.)

Schools I'm interested in: Duke, UNC, Michigan Ross, Georgia Tech, Cornell, MIT, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Yale. I could use some help narrowing this list down.

I hold a BCom/LLB(Hons) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand’s top-ranked university, where I double-majored in economics and finance and earned multiple first-in-course awards. My academic journey includes a strong upward GPA trajectory after overcoming a medical challenge early in my studies. I published my honours dissertation in the university’s law review and co-authored a book chapter on corporate responsibility with the Dean of the Business School. I also won a national postgraduate essay prize in law and economics (as an undergraduate), and recently completed a graded 10-week course on business and climate change through Oxford University’s Smith School with top results. I scored 695 on the GMAT Focus Edition.

Professionally, I work as an Associate at L.E.K. Consulting in Australia, where I’ve focused on strategy projects across energy, infrastructure, and climate. I’ve helped lead engagements that include a national emissions reduction plan projected to cut Australia’s emissions by 1%, a state-level plan to cut emissions by 1.5%, and a strategy project delivering $50 million in annual savings. I was selected for a global secondment to L.E.K.’s Sustainability Centre of Excellence as the sole APAC representative, helping shape the firm’s sustainability knowledge and IP. I also led our local community engagement committee where we raised ~$20k for a local charity partner, and held several pro bono projects with them. I’m on track for early promotion, and have received consistently strong reviews for leadership, execution, and initiative.

Outside of work, I’ve maintained a strong focus on impact, education, and communication. At university, I founded a social enterprise that provided free tutoring to more than 200 underserved students and also lead the university's flagship innovation and entreprenuership program which had a six-figure budget and ~40 volunteers. Since then I have created a sustainability and business newsletter aimed at demystifying the climate economy for professionals. I also built a carbon emissions calculator for SMEs, which has been used by over 500 users. Internationally, I was born in the UK, raised in New Zealand, and now live in Australia. I completed an internship in China through New Zealand's Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, and have family ties to Brazil — experiences that have shaped my global perspective and deepened my commitment to climate & business.

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!