I'm feeling a lot of anxiety about apps -- I think I have a story to tell, but I'm nervous about some of my stats. Any thoughts on my chances?
Applying to: HKS, Harris, SIPA, Georgetown, Ford
Undergrad Institution: Top 5 undergraduate business school
Undergrad GPA: 3.5
Undergrad Major: Finance
GRE: 160Q / 154V / 5.0 (tests have never been my strong point -- this makes me nervous!)
Work Experience: Total: 5 years (plus significant side projects outside of my day job). 2 years on wall street a top global bank and then transitioned to a notable tech company with a strong international focus for my role; I also started a company during college (it's success and failures are a huge part of my story and reason for going back to school). Somewhat related to this venture, over the past two years I started a non-profit with a global presence and international team (the mission ties to my mpp goals in some ways). This has led to some exciting speaking opportunities and recogonition, particularly in the past year.
LORs: Solid.
SOP: Pretty decent. I usually consider myself a solid writer and I try to take an edgy approach with my writing when it seems relevant and suitable.
Thoughts: I'm mainly worried about my stats. My GPA isn't that strong, though in a competitive major. But my GRE is a big issue. I think I can slide by with my quant score, but my verbal is totally not representative of my skills.