Harvard/Stanford/Wharton For This Silver, Not Gold Resume?

In this Friday’s With Sandy video episode, HBSGuru.com founder Sandy Kreisberg and P&Q Founder and Editor John A. Byrne assess his chances. Sandy offers some unusual advice to Robert to increase his odds at Harvard and Wharton and counsels him on how to shape his story to gain an admit at Columbia, Berkeley and Kellogg.
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[@apierre6]

They were a little harsh on him but for good reasons. This guy is in the same situation as a lot of people with high paying jobs with upper mobility. Outside of Harvard, Stanford or Wharton this guy probably shouldn't go to business school. They're not kidding when they say that business school would cost him over $500k (2 years of no income and then another $150k+ for tuition and cost of living). If he doesn't get into the top three, he's better off just staying at his current job and progressing that way.

[@accountsequity5587]

I agree.

[@mango-strawberry]

But won't the MBA help him to break into MF PE?

[@apierre6]

​@@mango-strawberryan MBA from a top three school will likely help him. Schools below that rank don't help his chances that much and he's better off staying on his current path

[@snafu4714]

This guy took the feedback like a champ.

[@MM14JR]

Robert moved to San Francisco and started working for DoorDash in September

[@pacifiquebusiness]

#universityharvard 👨‍🎓#universitystanford

[@Martinmqrck]

There is a good balance between realism and optimism here. You guys helped me with my interview, so I would like to thank you both.

[@MM-br1hm]

Looking good!

[@apierre6]

For those wondering, Robert ended up not getting an MBA. He left William Blair, moved aroundmto other companies and now He's a VP at William Blair

[@AnkushSharma-zv5hv]

thanks for these interviews

[@visnjaav]

Oh wow. Is this where we're at now? "You're a white guy"... can't we just judge people on their record/character/achievements?

[@apierre6]

They're being realistic. Whether they say it or not, schools have specific numbers of spots allotted for people of different races and from different backgrounds. There are a ton of white men with private equity backgrounds applying to HSW. This guy's competing against the cream of the crop and while his stats and background are great, they're not HSW great If he were a URM with similar stats, his chances would be much higher. Even if you were a white guy with the same stats from a different background (non-profit for example), he'd have a better shot.

[@visnjaav]

@@apierre6 I get it but it still sounds so.... ugly.

[@kristinlorentzen3149]

Can you please include if these people end up getting in or not?

[@apierre6]

@@kristinlorentzen3149 I checked his LinkedIn page and it doesn't mention anything about business school. With Coronavirus impacting the economy and forcing most business schools to go online, many business school applicants deferred to next year

[@mango-strawberry]

@@apierre6 he's at his IB firm

[@dyan785]

He has a very strong profile. I feel this is a little overblown.

[@anjunaec309]

Nah, bro. I know a number of candidates like him. But they went to Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc. then went to KKR, Blackstone, Apollo, etc. That's the top class of finance applicants that he's competing with.

[@pranav7471]

If he wasnt white, it would be a really strong profile. Seems racist and bigoted but thats the reality