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6
February 9, 2020 9:21pm ET
Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2021
Pre-MBA Career: Pharmaceutical Operations
Post-MBA Target Industry: Pharmaceutical, Entrepreneurship
GPA: 3.68
Years of Work Experience: 2
Notes:

Hi Graham and Alex! Thanks so much for all of the work you do on the Clear Admit MBA podcast, I’ve listened to most of the WireTaps episodes and found them to be very informative. I’d really appreciate it if you could review my profile on one of your upcoming shows.

I studied biomedical/mechanical engineering as an undergrad and was able to show significant progression starting with a 2.77 my first semester and ending with a 3.68. During this time I was also extremely involved on campus as treasurer of a non-profit organization, student justice on hearing board, supervisor of 20+ students working at student union, and president of leadership honor society. Spent a semester abroad in Ecuador where we started a female economic training initiative that still exists today. Also filed for patent on senior engineering project and inducted as honorary member into the National Academy of Inventors. I am currently working at a top pharmaceutical company in an operations leadership rotational program where I’ve gotten to work on several high level initiatives with positive impact. I will be finishing the program in a few months and will receive a promotion, however I need to decide on a department to join after program completion. I am stuck between supply chain and quality assurance/control...do you have any insight as to whether adcom will look down on Quality assurance/control as it does not involve as much high level strategy as supply chain? I am worried if I pick that department I may be at a disadvantage applying. My short term goal after business school would be to transition into a strategy/finance role at a large pharma company where I can leverage my existing experience yet move away from engineering. As for current extracurriculars, I serve on 2 national HQ level committees for the leadership society I was a part of in undergrad and also am the alumni advisor for my local chapter. I also am working with Big Brothers Big Sisters organization as well as a few other volunteer engagements. My experience with my undergrad extracurriculars has led me to start a youtube channel focused on college organizational strategy as well as general leadership/professional tips. I am hoping to grow this into a business with podcast/book in the future as there is a large gap/market in this area. My mid-term goal would be to start or work for a non-profit in the leadership/professional skills development area. The MBA would also benefit me here in learning business operations and adding to my leadership knowledge.

I’m planning on applying to Business Schools in the fall of 2020 and will have 2.25 years of experience at the time of application with 3 years of experience upon matriculation. I have not taken the GRE/GMAT yet but have a strong history with standardized tests (took SAT cold and got a 2200/2400 which included 800/800 in reading).

My main questions are which department you think will look better to the adcom, are undergrad extracurriculars given much weight, and if I can get some success going with the youtube channel will that look positive on my application?