29-Year-Old Nigerian-American Applicant Accepted to UVA Darden, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, Michigan Ross, and Cornell SC Johnson with Full Scholarships Despite Low GRE and GPA
Samuel is from a small town in Nigeria, and completed his undergraduate education at a local public university in Nigeria. When he came to the United States, Samuel dreamed of attending a prestigious MBA program to further his career goals. He had already done some research, and narrowed in on four top schools. When he first reached out to The Art of Applying®, he thought he only needed help with his essays. After his Breakthrough Call, Samuel realized the Application Accelerator® was the ideal path to help him pursue his dreams.
Before working with The Art of Applying®, he was focused on comparing his GPA and GRE scores to the admitted student profiles of his target MBA programs. With the help of his consultant and The Art of Applying® team, Samuel learned to think beyond GPA and GRE scores. As Samuel realized, “You shouldn’t just rely on your stats and compare that to the school program you are looking to apply to. It’s all about the holistic view of your application.”
Samuel’s consultant helped him craft his essays and tell his unique story. He worked with the Writing Center to perfect his essays. Beyond essays, Samuel took advantage of the other resources offered in the Application Accelerator®. Samuel used our Client Ambassador list, and reached out to our former clients who are now students and alumni of Samuel’s target schools.
Before working with us, Samuel had saved enough money to pay for his MBA. Now he can invest that money elsewhere and attend graduate school on a full scholarship. His goal was to be accepted to an elite MBA program, and he reached that goal along with the financial aspect—which supports his long term career goals in a new and exciting way.
“When I look back, [working with The Art of Applying®] was a big investment to make at that point. But, now having a full-ride scholarship to the three schools I wanted to go to that I felt were beyond my reach, that investment is just a drop in the bucket,” Samuel shared.
We are so excited for Samuel and can’t wait to see what school he chooses!
Service: Application Accelerator®
Join Date: July 2019 | End Date: May 2020
Applicant Information
- Nigerian and American Dual CItizen
- Age: 29
- Undergraduate: public university in Nigeria
- GPA: 3.17
- GRE: 320
- GMAT: 640
Acceptances
- University of Virginia Darden School of Business
- University of Michigan Ross School of Business
- Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business
- Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business
Scholarships
- UVA Darden: Darden School Foundation Full Scholarship and the Consortium Scholarship
- Michigan Ross: Dean’s Fellow Full Scholarship
- SC Johnson School of Business: Merit Full Scholarship
Notable Quotes
Samuel’s advice to others thinking that they can work on their MBA admissions essays alone:
“You might think you know it all, or you might think your essays are good enough. But, I think one thing that set the The Art of Applying® consultants apart: they took my words and refined them to goals. All the feedback was really great. You need the lens of an admissions counselor. You should be able to articulate your story to anybody and you should have a story that resonates.”
The holistic Application Accelerator® package gave Samuel the resources he needed to apply to business school and network with students and alumni at his target programs:
“I am glad I went through the [Application Accelerator®] package. I used my mindset coach. She would tell me the reasons why I was procrastinating, and how I could be more efficient with my time. I am glad I did the whole package instead of just looking for help on my essays. [The Art of Applying® former client] network benefited me as well.”
Samuel loved the diverse community The Art of Applying® offered:
“The clients and consultants are very diverse… You have consultants who went to the schools [you are applying to] and were accepted. I really liked when people posted on the [The Art of Applying®] client page that they submitted their applications or finished an essay, it motivated me. And, when people started posting their acceptances it was great to celebrate together!”
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