Snapshot of a Successful SBC Client
Sometimes, it’s instructive (not to mention, fun!) to share a granular look at a successful SBC client and their MBA application journey. Today, we’ve asked SBC consultant Caryn (pictured) to reveal some of the details of an applicant she worked with during the 2019-2020 admissions season.
Let’s take a look at the particulars of this client case study. You just may find similarities between her profile and your own. Please note, we’ve anonymized some of the specifics of this candidate to protect her privacy.
Snapshot of a Successful SBC Client
Demography: White U.S. female, 26-years-old. First-time applicant
Education: Top 50 West Coast state school
Exam Scores Submitted: GMAT – 700 (V40, Q45, IR 6). Tried GRE instead for Round 2 application ( V158 Q162)
Professional Experience: She worked for four years in market research at a sports apparel company. She had interesting stories of leadership through project management and showed initiative through taking on roles beyond her existing position. Good global experience as well, leading international efforts in APAC.
Extracurricular: She had strong involvement during undergrad in student government with multiple leadership roles on a large campus. In addition, she had a solid track record of mentorship that began in high school and continued throughout college and beyond (albeit lighter post-college).
Post MBA Goals: In the short term, she wants to pivot to brand management at a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company. Her long-term goal is to become a chief marketing officer (CMO) at a CPG company.
Target Schools: Round 1 Kellogg School of Management, Michigan Ross School of Business, Duke Fuqua School of Business (all with GMAT score submitted). Round 2 Harvard Business School (with GRE score submitted)
Interviewed at: Kellogg, Ross, Fuqua, and HBS
Waitlisted at: Kellogg
Accepted at: Fuqua (with a significant scholarship), Ross (with scholarship), and HBS
What did this applicant do well?
We spent a great deal of time upfront on strategy. We wanted to ensure that her goals aligned well with her background and interests. In addition, we developed a robust school research/outreach plan. She did significant networking with the business schools she applied to (attending events, talking to current students and alums, etc.).
She also wrote compelling essays that highlighted her strong personality and communication skills. Specifically, she emphasized her leadership roles throughout all aspects of the application, in both professional and extracurricular capacities. It was clear she’d be a terrific team member.
Finally, we prepped for interviews extensively. She had great interviews (most likely a highlight of her application).
What, if anything, could she have done better?
She could have switched from the GMAT to the GRE earlier in the process. She had already committed a great deal of study time to the GMAT and remained laser-focused on seeing it through. However, even with continued practice tests, her scores were not in the ideal range.
Once she switched to the GRE, it enabled HBS to get comfortable with her scores. Plus, it potentially added to scholarship opportunities for her R1 schools. (She updated those programs with her GRE scores one month after submitting her applications).
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Thanks, Caryn, for sharing this successful SBC client profile with our readers! If you would like to learn more about how SBC can help make your MBA dreams a reality, get in touch for a free 15-minute consultation today!
