Profile evaluation: Distressed PE; 620 GMAT

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Profile evaluation: Distressed PE; 620 GMAT

by eluoma » Thu May 31, 2012 11:15 am
Thanks in advance for evaluating my profile. My GMAT and GPA are below average (for my target schools), and I am not sure how much higher I can get my GMAT. I am wondering if my experience will outweigh my shortfalls and make me a contender at the following schools:

UVA, Duke, U of Texas - Austin, Michigan, Cornell, Emory, Georgetown.

Profile:
- GMAT: 620 - 39M, 37V
- I graduated with a 3.0 in Economics from a top 20 liberal arts college in the Northeast (NESCAC) where I also played four years of varsity lacrosse.
- I then spent 3 years a big 4 public accounting firm doing M&A consulting, primarily financial analysis. I traveled domestically and internationally working with $1mm to multi-billion companies and their respective CFO and CEO's.
- I will have spent my next three years at a PE fund which invests in lower-middle market distressed companies. Responsibilities include due dillgence, modeling, underwriting and portfolio management. I have significant interaction with CEO's and CFO's and have sat on the Board (or as an observer) of three different companies. Also domestic and international travel and I have gained turnaround management experience and familiarity with the bankruptcy code.
- I have passed Level 1 of CFA.

I know I fall out of the 80% range for some of these schools, but are they still willing to consider my entire package? I am confident I will get great recommendations and interview well. Are any of my targets notorious picky about GMAT's and GPA?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
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by MBAApply » Thu May 31, 2012 12:16 pm
For the schools you listed (except for Darden and Duke), you have a strong enough profile that it could outweigh your GMAT/GPA (i.e. your background is likely stronger than the majority of admitted students to those schools). Darden and Duke will likely be a big stretch if not a long shot with that GMAT.

Give the GMAT another try. You can do it.

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by Jon@Admissionado » Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:46 am
For your list of schools you need to retake. Every single one of the schools listed above have average GMATs of 680 or higher, which means you are a stretch here. So, I would suggest either retaking or switching around your list. Yes, a good story can go a loooong way, but you want to come up first with a strategy that makes sense and that will make you competitive and get you your admit.
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