Please evaluate my profile, thanks!

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ajguerre
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Topic: Please evaluate my profile, thanks!
PostWed Jun 18, 2008 11:09 am
Hi Scott & Nikhil,

I'm planning to apply for business school this coming fall. Please evaluate my profile, thanks!

Background
U.S. Citizen but lived in Ecuador until I was 20 so my native language is Spanish. Moved to the U.S. to go to college (Wharton - UPENN) and then stayed here working. I'm currently 27 years old.

Education
B.S. in Economics with concentration in Finance and Information Systems from Wharton (University of Pennsylvania)
GPA: 2.74

GMAT
650 (82%) - 47Q (81%) / 35V (75%)
Definitely plan to take it again. I have been scoring in the low to mid 700s in my practice test, so please assume I have a 700+ GMAT score.

Work Experience
3 years in Fannie Mae (Washington, DC) in a financial position - 2 promotions
2 years (current position) in Lehman Brothers (NYC) in a trading floor position - I'm up for a promotion this year.

Extracurricular
Streetwise Partners: Mentor adults and young adults who want to switch to a corporate career. Help them in the complete career preparation process (Goals, Pitch, Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Computer Skills, etc.)

Project Enterprise: Non-profit that specializes in helping up-and-coming entrepreneurs to start their business thru micro-financing, business consulting, networking, etc. I help with their program to Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs by translating articles and newsletters as well as by developing their business curriculum.

Schools
I'm targeting the more quantitative MBA programs, such as MIT (Sloan) and CMU (Tepper). I'm also looking into GSB, Wharton, and HBS.

My first choice is Tepper and I'm interested in applying to one of the school's dual-degree programs (MBA/Master in Computational Finance) which has an even more quantitative focus.

Given my below average GPA, do you think I have competitive application for the schools above? If not, what steps can I take to strengthen my academic profile? (i.e. additional courses, certifications, etc.)

Thank you so much for your time and expertise!!!
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PostThu Jun 19, 2008 12:25 pm
Hi AJ,

Thanks for your post. You have good credentials and are a good fit for many top MBA programs. However, as you mentioned - your GPA will be a concern issue. Definitely shoot for a higher GMAT score (at least 700+) if you want to be competitive for the schools listed below.

Other than a higher GMAT score, you could consider picking up a course in statistics or calculus, although I don't think it have a significant impact.

Regarding your low GPA, make sure you explain any possible reasons for the low score in your essay (i.e. EC commitments, worked during school, ect) in the Optional Section. Since this is a weakness on your application, you should try to address it.

Lastly, since this application year is going to be ultracompetitive, I would strongly encourage broading your school range to include more top 25 programs. Check out Veritas Prep's School Selector tool for more suggestions.

http://www.veritasprep.com/selector

Good luck!

NP



NP
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Nikhil P. | Admissions Consultant | Veritas Prep
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ajguerre
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PostFri Jun 20, 2008 8:36 am
Great advise NP!!

I definitely have a case for my low GPA. Also, I'm looking at which other school fit my ST and LT goals.

Thanks again for your time and expertise!!!
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PostFri Jun 20, 2008 10:01 am
No problem! Yeah, it doesn't hurt to broaden your school list with other non-top 10 schools, based on your ST/LT goals. There are many good top25/50 programs with good industry/function/regional strengths.

Good luck!

NP
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