The Application Process

Hi,
I gave the GMAT last month and scored 750(V40,Q51,AWA-6,IR-8).
I am planning to apply to R2 for the programs starting 2013.
I have currently 2 years and 4 months of Exp. in a leading Investment bank(though not exactly finance work). But I want to pursue my MBA in Finance only.
I had good academic records , and decent extra curricular in my college(IIT Roorkee if you will ask).
So , the plan is to apply to the Finance programs , but i am not very confident about it.
So should i go ahead and apply for Harvard,LBS,Booth etc. or wait for a year and strengthen my profile and exp.
Or perhaps apply to other programs where my chances are higher ?
Any insights will be appreciated.

Prakhar,

Congrats on the gmat! However, I don't think you are providing enough information for an exeprt to give you a sense.

What was your adademic score/rank?
What is your job at the I bank? Do you have reports? Have you been promoted?
What are your decent extracurriculars? Any since graduation?

Also, many top MBA programs don't give you an MBA in Finance, so get to know the schools better in terms of what they offer.

Regards,

Alex

Hi Alex,
My High school grades are good (90%).My GPA was 8 on a scale of 10 , I did my B.tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Roorkee.
My Job at the I Bank is mostly technical , I am in a team that creates and modifies the trading platform for the bank's private bank branch.I have decent exposure to the financial side of the work , but i don't get involved in the decisions regarding the requirements as i am not qualified enough yet.I want to have a better understanding of these things hence the Finance MBA plan.
And I have changed teams but not a promotion as such..yet.
In my extra currics --
I was the Convenor for my department for the technical festival of my college and managed many events , and also the Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Student's society.
I have also been doing some work with a Children's NGO for about a year now.(I am not sure that counts as extra-currics or useful).

What are my options to venture into studying some Finance program ... ?

Regards,
Prakhar

That is a strong gpa for Indian university. And yes that NGO experience can help, particularly if you were leading any projects or doing something more "managerial" then purely individual volunteering.

In terms of programs, not as many purely technical folks get into MBA programs in the same numbers as do marketing managers or PE analysts or management consultants. I think that your gpa/gmat give you the right to apply to some MBA programs in the top 20 (top 7-10 may be tough but worth a shot with strong essays), and I would focus the essays not just on individual analytical achievements but on leading others, training others, persuading others....

That all said, depending on your career goals, you may want to look at some masters is finance programs vs the MBA. Some schools that offer solid programs are BC, Villanova, Vanderbilt, LBS, George Washington, Olin...

Good luck researching those!

Alex

Professional experience is the biggest eligibility for international MBA admissions. Therefore, your work profile is very crucial, especially for Finance.

Richer the profile, the higher your chances to understand the subject during your MBA, and therefore, brighter will be the probability of your selection. Awards & recognition are immense boosters to your prospects.

You need to understand how much of finance your job has if 'not exactly finance.' You will in fact need to justify your choice. What makes you think you are fit for finance? What have you done to stay near to your field of interest?, etc. are some areas you will need to clear up in your essays and interviews, as applicable.

For the other streams, you may be positioned right. But, again, your head should be sorted on what career you want and how you plan to take it further. Dig yourself very well and find out what interests you. You might surprise yourself with the results. It may be only Finance, some other stream of MBA, or something altogether other than an MBA.

Go with your aptitude. You will grow much better.

Here is the link to the best business schools in finance
https://jkmasterscareer.com/blogs/mba/67 ... in-finance