Looking for advice on applying R2 this fall or delaying application until next year. M7/T15

I have 4 YOE in healthcare in a rotational management program with the goal to pivot to healthcare consulting post-MBA (ideally MBB). However, I’m about to start a new job as a SC at a Big 4 in healthcare consulting. I still want to get an MBA for a variety of reasons.

Is it worth delaying until Fall ’24 to have the consulting experience on my application as well as the chance my post-MBA goals change?

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Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Stats:
- WM
- 3.4 undergrad GPA in economics large state school (honors college)
- took the GMAT a few weeks ago (650) & targeting a 720 in retake

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What did you do to increase that many points in 3 weeks?

TWO BIG QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER FIRST: Why do you want an MBA?
How will you make your application stronger in R2 this year versus next year?

Goals wise:
- It sounds like you’ve essentially achieved your “post-mba 🥅 minus the extra prestige of MBB”
- Writing about doing healthcare consulting post-mba at mBb could sound v generic to adcoms and would require a lot more oomph with long term aspirations.

Stats wise (which I think actually matters less than I thought before applying but is v easy to quickly judge)
- Assuming WM = white male who studied econ, you’re an overrepresented demographic.
- You have a sub T15 GPA average (also weirdly low for a honors student in Econ), which isn’t helped by being from a large state schools that typically have decent grade inflation.
- You have a sub M7 GMAT average even if you score a 720 on the retake.
- if you apply this year, you’ll enter with 5 YOE. if you wait, you’ll have 6 YOE which is still certainly in range, but you’ll be competing with people who have fewer YOE and can be at the SC level.

Things that you haven’t shared that could change the discussion
- you’re from a low-income first generation college student background OR had to learn English as ESL in college OR you had some very extenuating 🏥 condition/event OR you have a strong upward GPA trajectory like 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 3.5, 3.75, 4.00, 4.00 to justify the low GPA.
- you’ll do better on the retake than 720
- the work that you’re doing is super cutting edge and newsworthy
- you have other redeeming qualities/hobbies/activities that make you more of an interesting well-rounded person.
- your ability to obtain strong letters of recs now vs next year
- your ability to commit the time while onboarding to a new job to actually do apps
- the impact you’ve had in your work (idk how impactful you can make a rotational management program sound) vs what you’ll have in your new job to show on apps.

I don’t think I could answer your question with the infor you have provided alone.

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Thanks for the insightful response! I have answers for a lot of these, but hadn’t thought about some yet.

In an effort to try not to identify myself even more, I’ll just mention why an MBA.

Why an MBA?
- network, potential career pivot, learn new skills, try a new industry during summer internship, break from work, improve candidacy for senior leadership positions in the future
- long term career goal (as of now) is not consulting, but will use consulting to get more non-payer experience and learn which areas are better fits (provider, federal, biopharma spaces, etc.)

I’ve decided to delay my application a year to focus on improving my GMAT, networking with students, essays, getting more work experience, etc. with the added bonus of applying during Round 1

You could delay until next year. The experience may help with recruiting for the internship. First round is also slightly better than R2 and you will have more time to prepare essays and have more stories available.

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