Next up in our MBA Profile Series we’ll introduce you to Jane, examine her profile, and determine the best MBA programs for her to apply to. See the third post in our series here.

Who is Jane?

Want to get to know Jane? Let’s find out what she’s all about…

1. Jane wants to go into marketing with a focus on digital marketing and then maybe start her own company. She prefers to live in the Southeastern region of the US.

2. Her list of prospective schools include schools in her desired region that meet her core learning needs, and schools outside that region that offer some special depth relevant to her goals, i.e. in marketing and/or IT (given her interest in digital marketing) and/or entrepreneurship.  Therefore, she’s considering applying to the following schools: Kellogg, Cornell, Haas, Duke, UNC, Ross, UCLA, Emory, UT McCombs, MIT, CMU Tepper

3. Qualifications

• GMAT: 680 with 65% on Quant, her highest score after 3 attempts

• GPA: 3.4 from public Ivy, class of 2010

• Transcript: Majored in econ and history; currently taking MBAMath and several quant classes at a local college to boost her math skills, counteract her low quant score, and prepare for the quant demands of b-school

• Work experience: Works as law firm manager in 20-lawyer office; has been in charge of publicity and social media for firm which has seen tremendous growth from that channel; started as a clerk after college and worked her way up

• Personal details: Married and has one child; husband can work from anywhere

• Extracurricular activities: Active in church and alumni association; runs 5K and 10K races; in college was officer in sorority

• B-school timeline: Wants to apply in 2016, matriculate in 2017, and graduate as the class of 2019

Where should Jane apply?

Jane will apply Round 1 to Duke, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Darden, and Kellogg. Kellogg is a stretch, but she really likes its strength in marketing and collegial culture, so she’ll include this as a stretch. Duke and Darden are still stretches, given her okay but not impressive GMAT and GPA, but she brings something distinctive by developing a successful digital marketing program for a law firm.  All of these well-rounded programs will give her what she needs and more, of course in different ways.  If not accepted R1, then she’ll apply to UT McCombs and Emory Goizueta Round 2.  McCombs will give her the business foundation she needs while offering particular depth in digital; and she’s excited by Emory’s breadth of relevant concentrations and electives.

Ask questions. Get answers. And then map out the route to the best MBA program for you. Grab your copy of Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One for more details.

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By Cindy Tokumitsu, author and co-author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports, including Why MBA and Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her fifteen years with Accepted.

Related Resources:

• What Are My MBA Admissions Chances Series
• Business School Zones
• 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools are a Good Fit for You