UCI Merage MBA Deadlines 2026-2027

CPA, masters degree (3.5 gpa), 1.5 years of local non profit board experience, 615 gmat focus. Promoted to senior associate after 2 years at big 4.

Looking for an honest assessment of whether M7 schools are realistic for me, or if I should focus more on T10/T15 given my GPA.

I'm a South Asian applicant who graduated from the top business school in my country with a 3.44 GPA. My GPA was dragged down by some weaker semesters early on, but I was above 3.6 throughout my last two years and showed a pretty strong upward trend academically. A lot of the early struggles were related to ADHD, which wasn't diagnosed until later during university.

I also have a 334 GRE (169Q, 165V).

Career wise, I spent 2 years at a research agency where I was fast-tracked to a leadership role, and the last 4 years at a Fortune 500 FMCG in consumer insights. My current company relocated me from my home country to their Tokyo office, where I've been working for the past 2 years, so I do have international experience and exposure to global stakeholders.

Outside of work, I volunteer as a freelance consultant for an NGO back home, helping them secure international grants and design vocational tech courses.

My post MBA goal is to pivot into strategy consulting in the US.

One thing I'm unsure about: I was diagnosed with ADHD during university and have been on medication since. Is this something worth mentioning in the optional essay to explain the GPA, or would it be better not to bring it up at all?

Would appreciate any thoughts on:

Whether M7 is a realistic target

How much my GPA hurts relative to the GRE

Whether the international transfer to Japan adds meaningful value

Whether mentioning ADHD is advisable

7 years of SWE at Big Tech
US undergrad with CS & Math major at Top 10 schools
330 (162 V, 168 Q)

Asian Female. Worked and lived in Asia, US, and London. I have various startup experiences (from internship and my side project).

Short-term: I want to pivot into PE or Infrastructure funds on tech/energy.

Long-term: I have family business on energy and power plants in Asia, which I want to expand into investment and operating platform on energy with technology.

Questions:
- I am thinking these 4 schools as round 1 (or maybe 1 more) and thinking part-time as round 2. Any change of programs/additional school recommendation?
- I know this is rather a hard career pivot and because I don't have previous experience on my family business nor finance, it is hard to weave in or show adcoms that I am serious. Thinking about previous startup experiences as the way to connect the dots. Any preference or advices on candidates for family business but without the family business background?

I am a judge advocate in the military, and will have 4 years in as a CPT when I would matriculate. I have worked in administrative law, trial counsel as a prosecutor, and a special assistant fed prosecutor, and now I work on large complex events in charge of the legal side. My undergrad and law school GPA are 2.5 my law school curve was a C. My undergrad degree was poli sci. I held local elected office while I was going to school and worked full time/raised a family with my wife. I am trying to build a realistic gameplan and expectations to maximize my outcomes. I am location agnostic. I am currently studying with TTP about 30 hours a week, and taking the GRE in mid December. I took a diagnostic without practice and got a 313 162V 151Q. I am heavily studying the quant sections to boost those numbers.

I’m a 26-year-old, LGBTQ+, with a very nontraditional background in fashion/creative entrepreneurship, and pageantry/live entertainment. My undergrad is from the top fashion school in France, specializing in haute couture and lingerie.

I founded a couture/creative company and co-founded a fashion brand in partnership with one of the nation’s largest pageant platforms. My work has grown from pure design into creative direction to leading one of the biggest national events. I was also selected for one of Thailand’s prestigious national recognitions for artisans.

Pageantry is a major cultural industry in Thailand and Southeast Asia, especially for the lgbtq+ community, intersecting with tourism, creative economy, entertainment, and the country’s growing medical/wellness economy. Thailand is also a global center for transgender pageantry. As a trans woman working in this ecosystem, I’ve had an opportunity to meet and work alongside my community leaders from around the world. This shaped how I see pageantry as a platform that can influence how people and communities are perceived.

EC: I also founded a nonprofit initiative using my expertise in creative media and entertainment to expand professional opportunities for trans sex workers and shift public perception, recognized by and partnered with leading national nonprofit and government institutions advancing transgender inclusion. I’ve also volunteered with UN-affiliated initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ youth entrepreneurship across Southeast Asia.

LORs: One is a senior executive leading one of the world’s largest pageant organizations, who has worked closely with me and can speak directly to my progression, leadership, and impact within the industry.

The second is a senior Thai government leader/former Director-General of the Ministry of Culture, who can speak in depth about my leadership, broader national impact, and the significance of the pageant industry to Thailand’s culture and economy.

Long term: I want to build businesses around pageantry/live entertainment and the wider creative economy. This is why I’m pursuing a traditional MBA rather than a fashion/luxury degree: the problems I now want to solve are business problems, which is how these cultural platforms scale, capture value, and create sustainable economic opportunities across adjacent industries.

I will be attending Fall 27 as a U.S. permanent resident through the EB-1A extraordinary ability green card, based on sustained national and global recognition, leadership, impact, and original contributions in my field.

GRE: 323 (165Q/158V). With HBS CORe, “Pass with honor.” For GRE, with another retake, I think I could reach roughly 325–328, but I don’t expect 330+ this round. Given R1 timing, further test preparation would take time away from other parts of my applications, particularly translating a very nontraditional career into an MBA context. I’d appreciate thoughts on whether a few additional GRE points would materially change my prospects at HSW, or whether the 323 is sufficient to focus elsewhere.