No “Blue Chip” College or Work Experience

Elisabeth desperately wanted to attend UVa Darden, the business school ranked #2 in the world by The Economist. However, she had attended a solid but non-elite state college, and had worked for a local company that was also solid, but not exactly a household name.

Without an elite degree or a Fortune 500 employer on her resume, how could she get in to such a prestigious MBA program?
  • Our solution: The strengths & weaknesses and resume modules gave her specific advice for how to portray her employer in the best light possible. The company she worked for might not have been a household name, but it was doing some exciting things, and her “brand” could benefit by association. She just needed the ApplicantLab’s guidance on how to explain that to the AdComs.

    She also realized, thanks to the brainstorming module, that admissions committees are looking for relative impact. At her small company, she had truly been a “big fish in a small pond”, driving some major initiatives and helping shape the company’s direction.

    Our step-by-step essay writing modules helped her tell her unique story in her own voice (while avoiding common mistakes) and her recommenders were well-prepped thanks to the guidance ApplicantLab gave her.
  • Result: Accepted to UVa!