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Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
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Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 4:51 pm
Location: New York
GMAT Score:760
Hello! I would love to get some advice on what my chances are for HBS, Wharton, Stanford, MIT, and Columbia. Multiple perspectives welcome, and if an expert or two can reply I would be thrilled.

- Graduated Ivy League 3.21 GPA, liberal arts
- 5 Years work experience (by summer 2011) in major NY investment bank working mostly as a business analyst/business lead for back office/infrastructure projects (many diverse types of projects supporting multiple financial products). Projects were process-improvement and risk mitigation related and involved building significant relationships with IT. Successfully promoted twice and had leadership roles.
- Canadian
- Last year I took NYU continuing education courses in calculus, statistics, financial accounting = A's
- International experience (every day working with global colleagues, worked in London office for 1 year)
- Captain of recreational football team
- 760 GMAT (third time, 710 both times before) 44V/49Q

My biggest concerns are 1) my GPA is significantly below the median for these schools, 2) I support the back-office at a bank as opposed to being a cool I-banker or trader (revenue generator), and 3) I have very little volunteer experience. Last tax season I worked 4 hours a week preparing tax returns with an IRS sponsored program (every week from the first week of January to mid April). This year I am applying to be a team leader for this same program. This is my only significant volunteer experience because I have very little time after work to make significant commitments.

I want to go to business school to switch careers and move out of financial services and into a brand management role. I have researched brand management careers, attended seminars with groups like Forte, talked with alumni from my school who work in brand management in consumer products. A goal of mine is to attend Brand Camp at P&G the summer before business school to gain an inside look into the industry. I am also possibly interested in consulting.

Many thanks for all of your help!
Source: — Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant |

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by paulsbodine » Wed Nov 24, 2010 9:19 pm
710girl,

Your GPA may be an issue at HBS but at other schools (and to some extent even at HBS) your GMAT score will largely compensate. Your backoffice role in itself is not an issue, so long as you can point to leadership, which it seems you can (two promotions helps too). A lack of extracurricular leadership *is* an issue at the top schools, since the majority of applicants will be able to point to it. To offset your weaknesses, you will need to accentuate what is distinctive about your profile: your IB to marketing career change (goals), perhaps your international experience, and hopefully a strong or interesting personal story (even your gender can help you to some extent). So I would call HBS and Stanford longshots, Wharton a reach school, and MIT and Columbia more doable. A compelling personal story and essays with personality could make a big difference for you.

Feel free to send your resume to me at [email protected].
Paul Bodine
Author, "Great Applications for Business School," "Perfect Phrases for Business School Acceptance," "Perfect Phrases for Letters of Recommendation"
https://www.paulsbodine.com/
[email protected]
(858) 869-1959