Profile Review | 24 Chinese Male | Deferred MBA programs : Ask mbaMission

Hi,

I'm wondering if my profile is competitive enough to apply for deferred MBA programs at M7 schools. I am pretty concerned about my education background (Mainly in China) and my GPA. Also, as for the test, I decide to shift to GRE after 3 trials at GMAT, but I don't know if GMAT is still better than GRE from AO's side. Do you mind taking a look and providing some insights?

24-year-old Chinese Male
Interested in Kellogg, CBS, Haas, and Wharton.

Education:
University of International Business and Economics (Top 10 Business School in China), Fin Major, GPA: 3.63(Ranked 3 out of 120+)
Tsinghua University (Top 2 University in China), Msc in Management (2.5 years program), GPA: 3.6
Baruch College, Undergraduate exchange, GPA: 3.94

Test scores:
GMAT: 710 (V35, Q50, find it hard to break the ceiling board then decide to shift to GRE)
GRE: 336 (V166, Q170)
IELTS: 7.5 (Expired and will re-take in few weeks)

Professional Experience:
Internships at 3 leading Internet Companies in China as strategy analyst or strategic investment analyst
Internships at 2 FMCG company (Well-known MNC & a China-based F&B Unicorn) as strategy analyst or management trainee
Joined the part-time assistant program at 2 consulting firms
Incoming associate at MBB

Leadership Experience:
VP/Mentor at consulting club
Project leader at Impact Consulting Association, led a team of 15 to conduct consulting service for an educational NGO
Student consultant for a leading luxury company
Volunteer works focused on education equality and biodiversity protection

Career Plan:
I will start my career at MBB, work as a generalist for 1-2 years, and apply for a international transfer to other APAC office if possible (SEA, Australia, etc.), and then work as a senior associate for another year.
As for post-MBA job, I will return to MBB and finish as a position of consultant, and then shift to consumer goods industry (Specifically, working as a strategy/commercial/new venture manager at an international CPG Company, such as Pepsi)

Thanks for your time!

Hi ballerfactor,
Thanks for posting your profile. I think there are a lot of strengths in your profile - Tsinghua is a top university in China, so I don't think your education background should be a concern. The top business schools are looking for graduates from a diverse range of universities from around the world. Your undergrad and graduate results also look strong to me. As well, your GRE score is very competitive (more so than your GMAT). Schools do not prefer the GMAT over GRE - they accept both test scores. I recommend submitting your GRE score.

As well, your internship experiences look very robust, and if you already have an offer with MBB, that's a strong start to your career. Your extracurricular activities seem well-rounded to me, and I like that you are an active student leader on campus.

As you pull your apps together, be sure to describe what motivates you to be passionate about your career goals. Why MBA? Especially since your post-MBA goal is to return to MBB. What specific skillset or knowledge are you seeking at business school that you don't think you would learn on the job? Or that would help you reach your long-term goal?

If you can articulate this compellingly in your essays, that would be the key to your application success. If you would like to discuss your profile in more detail, feel free to schedule a 1:1 consultation with us. Wishing you the best in your MBA journey!

Sincerely,
Debbie

An excellent GMAT score coupled with a rich work experience gives you an edge over others.

Best of Luck, friend.