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Pre GMAT Profile Evaluation

by MarkPaul » Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:02 am
I am interested in applying for business school this fall and would look to take the GMAT this summer. Assuming I get a 700+ what would be my chances at top 20 business schools?

Profile - White male, 24, will be 25 when apps are due this Fall, from New Hampshire currently living in New York City.

GMAT - 700 (Assumed)

Education - Undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, 3.2 GPA, Double major in Finance and Marketing

Experience - Consumer/Retail industry, 3 years of corporate finance and strategic marketing experience with the same Fortune 100 Company. Internship at Merrill Lynch and CFA Level II Candidate.

Career Path Summary - I started out as a financial analyst for the regional group of the company in corporate finance doing capital and expense planning. After a national company consolidation I became the financial analyst for the national organization with increased coverage and responsibility. Most recently, to gain broader exposure within the company, I accepted a promotion to marketing manager where I deal with the strategic marketing and the financial aspects of the marketing organization.

Reason for Business School - Recently, the learning curve at work has fallen off and I seek greater opportunities with increased responsibilities and more challenging work. I have a strong interest in the consumer retail and financial sectors and would most likely seek post graduate opportunities in corporate financial management or consumer retail investment banking.

Misc Info - Fraternity President and House Manager, Interfraternity Council, Homecomming Commitee, Real Estate Club, Club Lacrosse Team, founded a successful painting business, studied abroad in the Dominican Republic (Spanish) and Mexico(Sciences) in high school.

Thanks!

Mark
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by Tani » Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:03 pm
You are wise to start working on your application and your GMAT early. You will need a great score to offset your somewhat soft GPA. Your work experience is solid and your advancement following the consolidation speaks well for your performance.

Your extracurriculars can be used to paint a strong picture of someone who is a leader and a self-starter.

Your reasons for going to business schools are solid, but be sure you portray them as going toward a career goal and not away from a dead end. Always think in positive terms when talking about your motivations and interests.

Top ten schools would be a stretch (though not necessarily impossible, depending on how well you tell your story), but the next tier should be doable if you can get the GMAT score where you want it and put together a killer application including great recommendations. You should be sure to target at least one school for which your stats beat their average profile.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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by MarkPaul » Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:38 am
Tani,

Thank you so much for your reply. I understand the GMAT's will be very important for me and I'm confident I can deliver my story well. I would most likely look to apply to the following schools. Based on my expectations how realistic would the following schools be?

Dartmouth (Tuck)
Columbia
NYU (Stern)
Duke (Fuqua)
Cornell (Johnson)
Emory

Thanks,

Mark
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by Tani » Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:21 pm
That is a tough school list. Not impossible, but you don't really have a safety there. Your GPA puts you below the average for all but a couple of the top 50 schools. Even with a 700, that means you will have to tell a very strong story. You have some good material to work with, but expect to spend 3-6 months putting together a great application. You have a good chance of being accepted to one or more, but no guarantees.

Have you taken a practice GMAT yet? A 700 is a tough hurdle; only 8% of all the applicants ever get there. If you need to raise your score by 100 points or more expect to spend 100-150 hours in study. That's a real time commitment.
Tani Wolff
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