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Do you mind assessing my profile?

by OKComputer » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:39 pm
3.2 gpa from university of virginia. 2 years work as a paralegal, 2 years in institutional sales for top 5 bulge bracket. 710 gmat. passed level 1 cfa and level 1 caia. will have great recs from current managers (1 vp, 1 md).

haas is top choice, will also apply to ucla, michigan, uva, unc, texas.

thanks for the feedback.
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by beatthegmat » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:05 pm
Hi OKComputer:

Amy and Stacy will probably need more information from you to do decent first-pass evaluation. Check out this thread for more info: https://www.beatthegmat.com/viewtopic.php?t=129

Good luck!
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by OKComputer » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:36 pm
3.2 overall gpa from uva; 3.7 major gpa in english
english honor society; uva honor counsel
2 yrs in new york as a government relations paralegal
2 years in san francisco as an institutional equity sales assistant for banc of america securities
in the past 2 years have passed series 7, level 1 of cfa, level 1 of caia and taken gmat (710 (93%); quant 48 (85%) and verbal 40 (89%).
haas is by far my top choice and i'm putting a lot of effort into essays, showing that it is where i want to go.
will have strong recs from two of my bosses.
have raised money and participated in walk for america.
white male us citizen.

other schools i'm considering...ucla, michigan, texas, unc, uva, columbia.
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by Amy » Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:57 pm
Hi OKComputer,

Given your work experience, I am wondering what your career goals are? I think if you answered that question in a logical way and were able to demonstrate your leadership and management potential in your essays you seem like a solid candidate.

Your academics sound solid, and my only question would be career goals and extracurriculars - aside from raising money, you'll want to show how you have taken a leadership role in a volunteer/non-work capacity.

Good luck!

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by OKComputer » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:30 pm
Thanks for the help Amy.
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by OKComputer » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:23 am
Hi Amy,

Another quick question. From the list I gave you (Haas, Anderson, McCombs, Kenan-Flagler, Darden), which ones would be stretch, which would be safer bets? Any to add?

Thanks!
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by Amy » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:27 am
Hi OKComputer,

The admissions process can be surprising - from my personal experience, I was admitted to a top 5 school and not the top 20 school which I had tapped as my "safety." Many other people I know have had similar experiences. Once you have the basic qualifications, it does often come down to fit and other qualitative criteria.

So, with the caveat that it's all a bit unpredictable, I think Darden, Haas, and Anderson are a bit more competitive than McCombs and Kenan-Flagler.

Good luck!

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by OKComputer » Sat Oct 20, 2007 5:42 pm
Thanks again for the help Amy. I guess my question is - given my "stats" and work experience - am I in the right ballpark with these schools?

Thanks again.
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by Stacy Blackman » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:58 pm
My gutt says you can gain admission to a handful of the schools on your list. Haas will not be a sure thing for you so it is good that you have some other great schools on your list. My biggest concern is your current work experience. I do not have enough information to know either way, but my concern is around your ability to demonstrate leadership, progression, teamwork, intiative, etc... You will be more successful if you can showcase these things with respect to work or extracurriculars.
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by OKComputer » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:20 am
thanks again!
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by OKComputer » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:25 am
okay - i know you've spent a lot of time on me so far so understand if you ignore.

that being said - 710 was what i was making on my practice gmats. took the actual test yesterday and got a nice surprise - 750 (49/89 q; 42/95 v). obviously the higher score makes me more competitive....am i a competive applicant at hbs/stanford/columbia/tuck? or am i better off focusing my efforts on haas, anderson, darden?

thanks again for the help.
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by Amy » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:42 pm
Hi OKComputer,

I firmly believe you should apply to your top "dream" school regardless, and then form a list that includes a range of schools. Honestly, the range between your first list: hbs/stanford/columbia/tuck and your second list: haas, anderson, darden is not huge. They are all competitive. HBS and Stanford are a bit more competitive because of the volume of applicants both attract.

Stacy's advice about work experience is something to pay close attention to for all top schools. A stellar GMAT is great, however, once you are in the general range for the school it becomes very important to set yourself apart on some of the leadership and management potential aspects.

Good luck!

Amy
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