Profile Thoughts

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Profile Thoughts

by CompBanker » Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:31 am
Hi Stacy Blackman,

Would love your thoughts on the level of competitiveness of my application given my current statistics. I am pretty comfortable with my selection of schools, though I'd like to get a better understanding of how realistic it is that I don't get into any of my targets and am left empty-handed. Also, my goal is to pursue a career in Private Equity in the U.K. / Europe -- can you speak to whether or not matriculating at these schools will likely aid me in achieving this goal? Many thanks for your time.

My target school list is:

Harvard
Wharton / Lauder
Stanford
Chicago
INSEAD
London Business School
MIT

And my profile:

Race/Gender: White / Male
Undergrad GPA of 3.7 in Computer Science at a relatively unknown private school in New England.
GMAT: 720
Extracurriculars in College: Held many leadership positions, including captain of an intramural sports team, a year stint as a vice president in student government, and also worked as a resident advisor & math tutor for 3-years. Studied abroad for a semester as well.

Work Experience: Two years in middle market investment banking doing M&A followed by two years of middle market private equity. Was ranked at the top of my class both years at the investment bank. Letters of recommendation are top-notch and from HBS alumnae.
Extracurricular: Play soccer for a sponsored team in the Massachusetts State Soccer League.
Personal: Self-taught advanced-level Spanish language proficiency (some college introductory courses, but the vast majority of my language proficiency has come from studying in my own time).

That's it. Thanks again for your thoughts.
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by Lisa Anderson » Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:58 pm
Dear CompBanker,

Based on the limited information provided, I think you have the foundation for a competitive application to your target schools. However, you are targeting some of the most competitive/selective business schools. As such, your essays, recommendations, and interviews are critical to the ultimate decision. Be sure to convey your successful leadership and teamwork experiences in your essays as well as a solid rationale for getting your MBA in relation to your past experiences and future career goals. With regards to securing employment in the UK/Europe post-MBA, I think you might find already being in the EU an advantage. Basically, all schools place predominantly in their own region as your job search does not have the additional hurdle of geography. Thus if you really want to be in the EU, then you might consider applying to more schools in the EU than in the US. Finally, you might want to add 1-2 safety schools to your list. While you have a good shot at one of your target schools, it is always good to have a backup plan.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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