Profile Eval - 700 GMAT/10 years management/weak undergrad

[tpeterlee]

mbaMission -

Thank you for taking the time to evaluate my profile. My situation is a little unique being that I didn't go to college after high school, but instead joined the US Navy. I like to find out whether I should consider applying for a top 5(Booth or Kellogg) or a top 20(Loyola, Notre Dame) part time.

GMAT - I took it for the first time today and got a 700(90 percentile) with 43 on Math and 42 on Verbal.

Undergrad - Just graduated from DeVry in January. Finished Bachelors in two years in Business Administration with a 3.8 GPA while working full time.

Career - As I mentioned earlier, I joined the military right after high school. I was honorably discharged 4 years later and received the Naval Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal while in service After the military, I worked full time in IT growing from a Network Specialist into Management. I am currently an Engagement Manager for SWC Technology Partners. In my role, I engage with mid to enterprise size businesses to provide technology strategy to align with their business goals, manage a team 30 engineers, and lead the Desktop Deployment Solutions Practice. In my five years at SWC, I have risen from being the youngest consultant in the company to my current role. Overall, I have 8 years of management under my belt.

Volunteer Work - I am a regular participant in Chicago Cares, a volunteer group that organizes events to assist with community matters.

[mbamission]

Hi tpeterlee,

Thanks for writing. Candidates with military backgrounds often grab the attention of admissions committees since they likely have a strong background in leadership. While your application will likely be atypical, I'd encourage you to at least try one top-5 school to test the waters. You can use your essays to clearly explain your situation, and point to your 700 GMAT, accelerated work at DeVry, and strong work performance as evidence that you could handle top-tier MBA coursework. You could also offer to take additional pre-term coursework if needed.

Good luck!

Daniel Richards
daniel@mbamission.com