Cornell / Johnson - 02-15-2024 | Clear Admit ApplyWire

February 15, 2024 2:15am ET

Applying: Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, UCLA Anderson, USC / Marshall, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Big 4 Auditor

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , Ernst & Young , McKinsey , Bank of America , Deutsche Bank , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan , Merrill Lynch , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Google , Microsoft

GPA: 4.0

Years of Work Experience: 3

Post MBA Location: San Jose, California

Notes:

- Goal for the MBA would be to pivot to a more strategic role that allows for growth making forward looking decisions.
- I want to avoid taking the GMAT if possible and wanted to see if my stats make me competitive for a top 25 program with an exam waiver.
- US citizen and Southeast Asian ethnically
- CPA by time of application
- I was class rank #1 for my department for my undergraduate (top 100 state school) with a perfect GPA (4.0/4.0 GPA)
- Had a full ride scholarship to a Master of Accounting program with emphasis in Data & Analytics. The program was at a top 5 accounting institution. Obtained a 3.79/4.0 GPA. The cohort was only 25 students and only admitted those with a sponsorship with corporate sponsorship.
- Foster a volunteering relationship between my firm and a nonprofit.
- Host local office trainings for new interns and associates.

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Show Comments (5) Last: February 26, 2024

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 You may be able to waive the GMAT, and gain admissions to some top 25 programs. But, if you take the GMAT or GRE, and score well (hit the medians of the top programs) you’ll likely have better options, and more opportunity for scholarships, etc? I would really encourage you to take a test.

Showing impact and growth at work will be important. Are you involved in activities outside of work, also?

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medium Likes Earned: 1 Thanks for the quick response. Outside of work, I am volunteer for a Vietnamese American nonprofit organization outside of work that provides cultural enrichment and aid to the local community. I don't consider myself a natural test taker and am not sure on the opportunity cost of doing an exam is why I was considering applying to a few programs with waiver to see where I can land before the time commitment. I don't know if age matters, but I forgot to include I am 24. I was able to finish my undergraduate in two years, so I would be younger than the average applicant. (1)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 Age, by itself, shouldn’t matter. Establishing “why now” will always be important. I know the test takes significant effort. So do adcom, hence why there is reward for taking the test. Clearly, if you think you will score well below the medians, then a waiver might be the right approach. (0)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1155 Given that we are more than 6 months out from the deadlines, I would absolutely take the test. You have ample time to take a course/get a tutor and prep for it, and given that there are elements of your profile that will be well-represented in the pool (Asian American, Big 4/audit), a test result may be helpful. As Alex points out, the test may improve scholarship opportunities as well as give you a broader array of programs to choose from. Keep in mind that as COVID fades into the rear-view, and application volume increases at the top MBA programs, the test waivers process may become increasingly complex.
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alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 More details on this candidacy in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2024/02/mba-wire-taps-340/ (0)