Age: 25/M
Ethnicity: African-American (Both parents: Africa)
GPA: 3.2 / Major: 3.4
GMAT: In Process
School: Top 20, Public-Private, #2 Undergraduate Business Program
Major: Accounting, Minor: Economics
Designation: Licensed Certified Public Accounting (CPA) & currently pursuing Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM)
Profession: Privately Held – Public Accounting and Management Consulting Firm

Target Schools: H/W/S, Columbia, Darden, Chicago and MIT.
Applying fall 2008 for fall 2009 admission

Work Experience: 3 years full time work experience
Year 1 – Staff
Responsibilities were general financial accounting for private and federal clients as well as new business development (assisted in obtaining several new contracts for the firm)
Year 2 – Senior
Co-led 10 professionals to create the approach and design for a federal agency’s first comprehensive Subsidized Multifamily Loan Sales Guidebook through research, analysis, interviews, quality assurance and timely delivery of reports.
Year 3 – Manager
Currently lead 15 professionals, across four practice groups: financial statements, operating procedures, policy, and expense allocation. My team was able to get the client a clean audit opinion despite numerous client imposed set backs, my leadership during the event led to my promotion.

Affiliations

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
State CPA Society
National Association of Black Accountants (NABA)
Association of Governmental Accountants (AGA)
Undergraduate Alumni Club
Minority Undergraduate Alumni Club

Extracurricular (college)

Student Council Presidential Candidate and Representative,
Founder, Off Campus Tour group
Prospective Students Moderator
Minority Alumni Roundtable Contributor
Big Sibling Program
Business Fraternity

Community Service

Founded community based non-profit aimed at increasing the number of certified minority professionals through speaking, mentoring and networking. In the process of securing grant money from federal government, working on a summer camp through donor funding, will hold a speaker series and networking events in the spring.
Board of Directors, Discipleship Program training leaders
Trustee at Church in charge of monitoring financial wellness of Church
Professional Mentoring Non-profit, Volunteer
Democratic Campaign, Volunteer

Private Business Pursuits

Production Company: Founded May 2005, Exit April 2007
Social Network Internet Start-up: Founded November 2007, in the funding and beta testing phase

Reasons for pursuing an MBA

Challenging leadership
Broader exposure – People and Topic Areas
Education/Information
Entrepreneurial Networking
Professional specialty

Questions

1. My question is what else can I do to stand out and find uniqueness in my story?
2. How can I differentiate myself and make a case for admission at my top choices?
3. I read an earlier post about blue chips, vagabonds and average joes; I think I fit somewhere between a blue chip and an average joe; how do I become more blue chip and less average joe?


Thank you very much for your time!

Focus less on "how do I become unique" and more on "how do I make sure I put together a strong application" - they are not the same thing. Most people aren't unique - but they are able to put together essays, rec letters, and interviews that are compelling and that stick - and you do that by being specific, not by trying to be one-of-a-kind unique.

In any case, you seem to have a solid all around profile. I would say you are more average joe than blue chip. My guess is that you went to either UVA or Michigan for undergrad, and you work at a Big-4. That's not really blue chip to be honest - you have a strong profile overall, but the places you've worked at aren't exactly "prestigious" or exclusive compared to the Ivy/Stanford/MIT and more exclusive professions (strat consulting) or firms (McKinsey) -- and I personally hate that word "prestigious" but you know what I mean. Anyhow, don't focus too much on it -- focus more on being the strongest candidate that you can be - do well at work, stay engaged and involved outside of work, and do as well as you can on the GMAT. At this point, all you can do really is to focus on the GMAT, and then focus on the applications. If you really want to make yourself more "blue chip" you'll need a time machine - go back, retake the SATs, get into an Ivy, get a job at McKinsey/BCG/Bain instead of a Big-4, and so forth.

My guess is that looking at your profile, you're competitive for Columbia, Darden, Chicago and MIT. Wharton is a realistic reach (i.e. if there is one dream school where you have a fighting chance, it's Wharton), and HBS/Stanford are reaches or hail marys.

Good luck

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

Dear Alex:

Thank you very much for the spot on sobering advice. I guess in one ear I hear, “you are a great candidate – blue chip (AA, CPA, Manager, active in community)” in the other ear I hear, “average joe. (Non-Ivy, Public Accounting)”

I think you make another great point that the “packaging” -- essays and recommendations will ultimately determine my fate at these top institutions. I also agree and understand the “prestige” you mentioned in your response as a prototypical path to the top schools (i.e. IVY – McKinsey/Goldman – H/W/S) is pretty common.

You touched on this is briefly in your response.

1. What else would you recommend I do specifically, “do well at work, stay engaged and involved outside of work, and do as well as you can on the GMAT”, in the next 6 months to move H/S from reaches/hail marys to realistic reaches, save build my own time machine?

2. In your experience what have successful H/W/S candidates, with similiar profiles like myself (AA, Non-Ivy, CPA, manager, public accounting), emphasized or mistakenly de-emphasized in their applications?

3. What GMAT range will realistically put me in a position to Eagle a shot at H/W/S?

Thank you

p.s.

What is the title of your book?

With a six month timeline, there's not much you can do that's transformational that will significantly change your candidacy. In other words, 6 months worth of work won't significantly change the cumulative years of college and work achievements you've had to date.

Like most things in life, we can all be who we wish to be, but the reality of making that change doesn't happen overnight. It often takes years.

With six months, all you can do is just continue doing what you're doing, and most importantly, NAIL THE GMAT. A great GMAT won't get you in, but a bad score (below 660) can really shut you out even if your application is strong. Shoot for 700+ if you can.

As for folks like you when it comes to written applications, you have to make sure you don't caricature yourself. Force the adcom/reader to see you as an individual first, and not a "profession" or a "ethnicity". If you can put together a set of essays, rec letters, resume, and interview that shows you as an individual, you at least won't get lost in the shuffle.

Now how you show yourself as an individual is what makes the application hard - there's no secret recipe - it just takes lots of hard work, patience and willingness to accept feedback from others whether it's friends, family, current MBA students, or admissions consultants. If you speak to any MBA student at a top school, most if not all of them will say they worked their tails off on the applications.

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com