JonAdmissionado wrote:
Hey there!
Well the big question for me regarding your profile is whether or not you should take the GMAT, and whether or not you should delay your application in order to do so. You have a few quite strong points in your profile: 1. Real leadership experience 2. Healthcare industry 3. International experience 4. Female candidate...
Which leads me to think that you can get into some very nice healthcare programs. The thing is the big gaping hole for you is the GMAT - this is your obvious application weakness. My tendency would be to say that if you believe you can get 30+ points higher, it is worth it to consider retaking even at the expense of delaying your application by one year, if you can get even higher then even moreso. The thing is you go to ONE single MBA, and you only do this ONCE in your life, so I think in general it is wisest to go to the best program possible... Of course you may have other personal/ professional reasons for applying now, but at least take this into consideration.
To give you an idea of the difference, let's assume you retake and get a 710... now instead of having "Some chances" at a school like Ross, your chances go to being good, and then your profile becomes strong enough to apply to other Top Healthcare powerhouses like Duke, Kellogg and Haas.... so it may be worth it if you think you can do better.
Otherwise, if you do want to apply to the part-time programs below, I think you can apply this year, as part-time programs tend to be far more flexible regarding their GMAT expectations.
Would you be working during your MBA? And is that your reason for pursuing a part-time MBA?
Well the big question for me regarding your profile is whether or not you should take the GMAT, and whether or not you should delay your application in order to do so. You have a few quite strong points in your profile: 1. Real leadership experience 2. Healthcare industry 3. International experience 4. Female candidate...
Which leads me to think that you can get into some very nice healthcare programs. The thing is the big gaping hole for you is the GMAT - this is your obvious application weakness. My tendency would be to say that if you believe you can get 30+ points higher, it is worth it to consider retaking even at the expense of delaying your application by one year, if you can get even higher then even moreso. The thing is you go to ONE single MBA, and you only do this ONCE in your life, so I think in general it is wisest to go to the best program possible... Of course you may have other personal/ professional reasons for applying now, but at least take this into consideration.
To give you an idea of the difference, let's assume you retake and get a 710... now instead of having "Some chances" at a school like Ross, your chances go to being good, and then your profile becomes strong enough to apply to other Top Healthcare powerhouses like Duke, Kellogg and Haas.... so it may be worth it if you think you can do better.
Otherwise, if you do want to apply to the part-time programs below, I think you can apply this year, as part-time programs tend to be far more flexible regarding their GMAT expectations.
Would you be working during your MBA? And is that your reason for pursuing a part-time MBA?
Thank you Jon for evaluating my profile. Yes, I would continue working while studying part-time.
The biggest motivation for me to consider a part-time program is the tuition reimbursement I would get if I stay employed(around 10,000$). Then relocating with a toddler would be a pain for the entire family and I don't want the family to be affected by this. I am ready to sacrifice social life for 2 years
So a lot has gone in considering part-time.
I have few more questions -
- Few years down the road, does it really matter if you have done part-time or full-time MBA ? Do companies prefer full-time and judge candidates based on this ?
- I have heard Fisher is very selective, do you think I need to focus on some specific area to increase my chances to get in to Fisher.
- Do you recommend any other top part-time B-School program where I might stand chance with my profile?
- Am I too late in the game or on time to hit October deadline ?
- Lastly, can I send same LOR to all the B-schools. I am planning to send an LOR from my current Director who was also my manager last year, one other professional LOR and one personal LOR from a friend. What do you think ?
Thanks again !