MBA LiveWire

I am extremely passionate about mitigating income inequality, seen up close through my upbringing in New York City. While there are a myriad of ways to "do good", my whole motivation for going to business school is to strengthen my skills and network to be a strong business leader who acts with advocacy in mind. Short term, I'd like to intern at an organization like the Nonprofit Finance Fund, where I can apply MBA skills in financial planning to advocacy projects. After graduation, I'd like to still join a corporation to bolster my experience and network before switching to government or non-profit. Companies I would be interested in include Bridgespan or Wachs Strategies, or within the corporate social responsibility or policy arms of big consulting firms or tech firms.A born and bred New Yorker, I witnessed socioeconomic disparities firsthand, and its impact on education and opportunities. Prior to joining Big 4 consulting, after graduation, I worked at the New York City Council, a food injustice non-profit and a public policy firm. This spurred me to study economic policy analysis and urban planning at a highly regarded state university. Today, as a senior business consultant, I engage with major decision-makers e.g. Wall Street chiefs and hedge fund C-Suites. Realizing the impact corporations have on the national landscape and reconciling this with my background in non-profit work, I want to leverage my relationships for stakeholder buy-in on policy issues. During an MBA, I'd build skills in strategy, particularly in corporate social responsibility, develop my communication skills, and take courses in purpose-lead marketing and impact investing, in order to pursue roles where I’d utilize business acumen to shape policy or social impact.

My childhood dream of becoming "everything" when I grew up might have seemed unrealistic, but in hindsight, it perfectly reflects my career trajectory. Growing up in a middle-class Indian family, stability and predictability were valued. This steered me towards Chartered Accountancy, a secure and respected profession. While I excelled in this role, a nagging curiosity about technology and a desire to make a real impact simmered within me. This internal conflict would become the driving force behind my professional journey – a constant exploration of where my passions and purpose intersected.

Embracing the analytical rigor of Chartered Accountancy, I honed my attention to detail and problem-solving skills. But the call of technology proved too strong. So, I made a bold move, transitioning to consulting at Deloitte. Leading the Accounts Receivable module for Ford USA was a crash course in project management and cross-cultural collaboration. The success of the project, `which led to my promotion to Senior Consultant` , was a testament to my ability to deliver under pressure. However, the fragmented nature of consulting left me yearning for a deeper connection to the product development lifecycle.

This yearning led me to Vera Solutions, a social impact organization that perfectly aligned with my values. Beyond the social good aspect, I saw a chance to leverage technology for positive change. Fueled by my analytical background, I spearheaded the development of an analytics tool, diving into vast datasets to identify user behavior and client satisfaction. These insights helped us tailor communication strategies, leading to a remarkable 5% reduction in churn rate. This experience underscored the power of data-driven decision making in the product world. Furthermore, I streamlined the design process flow, defining key stages and milestones to ensure a smooth development pipeline. These achievements cemented my passion for product ownership and the impact technology can have on social initiatives.

`My passion for social impact extends beyond Vera Solutions. I actively volunteer with Resolution Project and Tavishi, NGOs focused on child safety and education. These experiences have provided me with invaluable insights into the challenges faced by underprivileged communities, further reinforcing my commitment to using technology for positive social change.`

My vision for the future is clear – to build a social impact company that harnesses technology to create lasting change. Business school represents the next crucial step in this journey. The opportunity to learn from diverse individuals, develop my leadership skills (mentioning examples of leadership from your career or volunteering work), and gain a comprehensive understanding of various industries will be invaluable assets on this path. My short-term goals align with this vision – to hone my product management skills in a Big Tech company or contribute strategic insights as a consultant to understand the constraints and solve for such issues in varies sectors across companies and projects. Throughout my career, I have actively sought challenges, constantly seeking new avenues to learn and grow. Business school represents another exciting chapter in this continuous learning process.

As the first person in my family to pursue this path, I am not only driven to excel academically but also to contribute meaningfully to the business school community. The prospect of collaborating with like-minded individuals who share a passion for innovation and social good fills me with immense enthusiasm. My diverse experiences, unwavering commitment to growth, and burning desire to create positive change make me a strong candidate for an MBA.

I've had a government focused career in the US Senate and at Goldman Sachs. I am interested in making a career shift to a new field.

American white male, 27
I'd really appreciate any input on my chance at my target schools. I have two primary concerns about my app: undergrad GPA and LOR (which I'll explain).

Education:
BBA in Marketing from decent school (ie Maryland/Georgia/Ohio State)
GPA: 3.0 (Don't have any real excuse for this. Have Ds in classes like Film but got As in classes like Accounting and Econ. Worked 25-40 hours per week every semester to pay for school if that's relevant.)

GMAT:
695 -- I believe I could get higher if I pushed but felt like I should focus on other aspects of my apps

Career:
- Started at a very well known consumer products brand as a marketing associate in their early careers rotation program.
- Wanted to mix things up a bit and get a different perspective on marketing and 'brand building', so took an advertising strategist role at an agency where I worked with primarily CPGs.
- Jumped jobs to another agency (not well known) after a year, for step up in responsibility and pay. Worked across lots of client industries, led projects autonomously.
- Unfortunately was laid off after less than a year; am now an Associate Marketing Manager at a telecom.

Extracurriculars:
In school, I ran a radio show at our student station for 4 years. Was also active in our marketing club. Not really an extracurricular but did multiple in-semester (?) internships, one of which involved a lot of organizing and collaboration with school clubs.
Outside school, I participate in athletic activities but have not done much else.

Why MBA:
Although getting laid off was against my will, jumping roles across industries and client-agency side was not. I wanted to get a holistic perspective on how marketing is done, and feel like I've achieved that. My goal in the long-term is to shoot for a CMO-type role, so I'm now seeking an MBA to supplement my marketing-specific experience and knowledge with a broader business acumen. So, my short-term goal would be to either start working at a consumer-facing company with high growth/potential, or to join a consulting firm for a few years to develop my overall strategy chops before exiting to something similar.

Concerns:
Again, my GPA is a big concern for me. Any perspective on how much that will affect me would be appreciated.
My second concern is LORs. My boss and I have a great relationship. I'm sure in a vacuum she would write me a great rec no questions asked. However, I have worked here for less than a year so my concern is she may balk a bit at my request. However if I wait until next year to ask, I'm confident she'd be willing to write me an excellent reco which I feel may be necessary given my poor GPA. I'm wondering how much a great vs. average reco would impact my application given the schools I'm targeting.