Columbia - 08-28-2021 | Clear Admit ApplyWire

August 28, 2021 3:32am ET

Applying: Columbia, Harvard Business School, London Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2022

Pre-MBA Career: Worked in large marketing company (1Y) then joined my family business first in marketing now in strategy (2.5Y)

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Family Business, Entrepreneurship

GMAT: 730

GPA: 3.5

Years of Work Experience: 3

Notes:

I graduated with an Upper Second Class Honor from a top London University (LSE/Imperial/UCL) which I'm approximating as between 3.3-3.5 GPA. After that, I joined the largest marketing company in my country (developing Asian country). My main responsibilities were to research and help plan the marketing strategies for companies. After a year I left to join my family business (worth around $5bn). I started off in the marketing department but quickly transitioned to the strategy department where I help oversee and decide the strategic direction of the company. I have been there for approximately 2.5 years. After my MBA I would like to return to family business and we have plans to acquire a startup in our industry and I hope to manage and integrate the startup into our pre-existing business.

Some of my extracurriculars include being involved with Red Cross & I'm on the board for a large women's group in my homecountry.

I have a few questions regarding referencers. 1 of referencers will be a non-family board member. As for the other reference would using one of my uncles be ok? We have different last names as they are my mother's brother. I could also get a reference from a famous HBS alumni but we have no direct professional involvement. Would this make a difference?

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Show Comments (4) Last: September 27, 2021

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1577 Please, neither is a viable option for a second reference. Perhaps consider someone from your prior experience, or a non family member you work closely with at your family firm. Lots of positives, here. Impact at work, and outside of work will be important. Should you also consider INSEAD? (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1577 More details on this candidacy in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2021/09/episode-184-wire-taps/ (0)

anon37995 Likes Earned: 0 Thanks for taking the time to comment and discuss my application in the podcast. I have actually decided to not apply for the upcoming year but for the following year instead (2023 intake). I'll still be sunder the median age for 2023 intake. I've actually limited my school choices to just Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and potentially MIT as I don't think the other schools in terms of network are suitable for me. My question is as I have a year to improve my application are there any areas I should address? If so, how should I address them? Regarding the second reference would another independent board member be ok? We don't work together too often as he doesn't usually get involved with the day to day running of the business but he knows me pretty well. I know in the podcast a reference from a client/outside company was suggested but the other companies I tend to work with are often the other companies within the conglomerate and they are headed by otther family members (uncle/aunt/mum). (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1577 Over the additional year, consider both your impact at work (seek out more projects that can showcase this) and impact outside of work, with your women’s group. Have you kept in touch with anyone from your first experience? That might be an alternative. Otherwise, yes, the other board member may work. Use the optional essays to briefly explain your constraints with selection. (0)