Profile Evaluation

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Profile Evaluation

by BSchool1 » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:25 pm
Hi,

I would greatly appreciate any effort in helping my understand my candidacy potential and areas I should work on for my application to a top 5 MBA program.

Personal Demographics:
Male, 22, Caucasian, from an affluent area in New England

Undergraduate information:
Business school of a large public university (the business school is ranked in the top 25 for public universities, but nothing stellar).
Graduated with a Finance degree in May, 2010, and a math minor
Honors Program (Honors thesis involved the venture capital industry)
Magna Cum Laude
GPA: 3.8/4.0 (3.9 in major)
Awards: Honored as one of the top 3 graduating seniors at the business school, based on academics, extra-curricular activity, and community involvement, in addition to several other academic awards and scholarships.
Extracurricular: Extremely strong extracurricular activities. Held a leadership role in 7 student organizations, including president of one of the largest organizations on campus ($200,000 budget), and starting two other organizations. Also sat on two well-known committees which made important decisions for the school.

GMAT: 740

Work experience:
Two internships during college, one at a large investment bank in the operations department, and one in a large insurance company.
(1 year so far) I in a financial leadership/management program at a fortune 500 conglomerate, rotating every 6 months into different positions within finance. I have held some leadership positions within the program, and have had good reviews at my rotations so far, but I have not been able to secure permanent leadership positions in the office due to the rotational nature of the program. I plan on finishing the 2-year rotational program with some international work experience and moving into corporate strategy until B-School.

Post-college extracurriculars:
I volunteer at nonprofit that small business owners. I do counseling sessions, give financial planning presentations, and critique business plans. I am also a certified tennis instructor and do some tennis instruction by request, but nothing formal. I plan on increasing my involvement as personal situations clear up.

Target Programs: Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, other top schools.

Career Goals:
Corporate strategy or management consulting in the short-term. Long-term goals include starting my own consulting firm or working in venture capital/private equity.

Many thanks!
Source: — Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant |

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by Tani » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:43 pm
You have a great foundation for a terrific application but...(you know what is coming)...your work experience is light. You will be up against people with outstanding records at major international companies, some with five or more years experience and multiple promotions. You need to finish your rotation and find a permanent position in which you can demonstrate potential. There will be many people with comparable backgrounds so you will want to look for things to separate you from the crowd. Watch out for opportunities to take on unusual challenges. Securing exceptional recommendations will be key, as will demonstrating leadership whether formal or informal. With another two years under your belt and a solid record of achievement, your strong stats should put you in a good position.

Be sure to keep up with your extra-curriculars, focusing on leadership positions in that environment as well.

The schools you are targeting are exceptionally competitive and no one is guaranteed a position, no matter how string the stats or recommendations. The simple truth is that the top schools see many more exceptional candidates than they can accept, so there are always disappointments. Once you start the application process, think seriously about adding one or two safety schools to your ambitious list.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff