Energy industry reapplicant to Oxbridge

Jorge transitioned from the in-country office of a major oil company to headquarters, using an MBA he got in his mid-30s.

The Challenge

It’s pretty easy to see the issues here: GMAT and age. Jorge needed to convince the adcom that he was ready to return to academia at age 34, despite the fact that he had done quite poorly on his only recent academic test—the GMAT. All this was compounded by the fact that Jorge was applying to most of his target schools for the second time, without a significant change in his professional status. Really the only difference between his first attempt and his second was be the fact that he had enlisted some help from us.

Possible Approaches

The benefit of age is wisdom and a LOT of experience. Jorge had been everywhere and done everything—10+ years spread over three continents, working in finance, NGOs and energy. There were also a number of impressive quantitative achievements 5+ years back on Jorge’s resume, which we could have used to prove that his GMAT experience was a fluke. It would be tempting to try and convey the genuinely impressive BREADTH of Jorge’s experience in our application. That’s what Jorge had tried to do on his first attempt.

The Admissionado Approach

However, we recommended the opposite. Jorge had more experience than most applicants, but we suggested he focus only on the last six years—his time in the energy industry. Not only was this the most impressive experience on his resume (he led teams of 50+ people), it also helped explain why Jorge was applying for an MBA “late.” By writing off his time in finance and NGOs as “finding myself” or “dabbling,” we positioned Jorge as someone who was essentially six years into an energy industry career. This, coupled with goals that required an MBA, created a sense of urgency that had been missing on Jorge’s first attempt. It was clear that he needed an MBA, and he needed it NOW.

The Result

Jorge was accepted at both Oxford and Cambridge.

Personal Shoutout

“Admissionado’s targeted advice initially made me feel confident in going with this firm. I felt like my value proposition was understood and I can get the help I really need here.”