Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Hi, I present relevant aspects of my application profile for your honest consideration. Thanks very much in advanced.

General:
Male
Age: 29 (when applying)
Nationality: Colombia
Other: 1 child (10yr old)

Undergrad:
Double Degree (BBA) in International Business and Finance
Berkeley College (New York): Relatively un-known college (GPA: 3.9/4.0) (Merit Scholarship-President´s List)
EAFIT University (Colombia): High ranked college in Colombia (GPA: 4.1/5.0)(aprox. 3.4/4.0)
GPA shows consistent ascending pattern throughout the entire career.
Extracurriculars in College: Member (but not director or founder) of Management Club. Received award for outstanding membership. In general however, I think this aspect is weak since I had to combine work and fatherhood during college.

Work experience:
Worked for 2 years as a research analyst at boutique investment bank in NY. (1 promotion)
Worked for 4 years (when submitting application) as senior analyst at biggest investment bank in Colombia (1 promotion)
Ample transaction summary. Closed several deals in M&A and Project Finance, both locally and internationally. Strongest point of the application. Good recommendation letters from current bosses.

Community & Activities:
Juror and advisor for the principal entrepreneurship contest in Colombia (last 2 yrs)
Undergraduate Professor of Financial Analysis at alma mater (Last 2 yrs at EAFIT)
Completed 3 pro-bono projects advising local NGO´s in expansion projects (last 3 yrs)
Lecturer and motivational speaker for low-income young people under Mayor´s Office plan
Recently founded a furnished- apartment rental business on the side for extra-income

GMAT:
Have not taken it yet (Practice tests b/w 650-700 but still completing the prep.)

SCHOOLS:
Sloan, Columbia, NYU, Haas

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:
Any major holes you spot in my profile? Any interesting aspect that I should exploit more aggressively? Any tip to differentiate from other international Invt.Bankers?
Won´t be looking for job in the US since I´m returning to my employer. Will this give me any edge?
Might apply as Fulbright scholar through my sponsor. Given my profile, would this be a major boost or just another minor piece?

Thanks very much for your advice.

Juanse

I think you have the makings of a strong profile. Your international banking experience will help set you apart from many of the hundreds and hundreds of other bankers who will apply to these schools, so definitely be sure to emphasize that in your application.

Re: whether going back to your employer will help, I think it will slightly. Placing international graduates -- particularly international bankers in this economy -- is a challenge for the career office at any top business school right now. So, the fact that you're returning to your employer will help remove any questions of "How easily will we be able to place this guy?" but I don't think it will be a huge advantage.

Your extracurriculars and NGO work sound very intriguing to me. Ironically, if you have a risk there, it's that you may come off as too unfocused or as a "dabbler" if you're not careful. In particular, the side business may sound like a distraction -- I'd probably downplay that.

Good luck!
Scott

Thanks very much for your helpful insight. I´ll appreciate if you could elaborate a little bit more on the extra activities.....by "intriguing" you mean a negative connotation? Maybe I should just focus in one or two? They certainly provide for different experiences since some may be more "leadership" oriented (juror, professor) and the others more "giving-back-to-community" oriented (NGOs, Speaker). I thinks there´s a lot of essay material to extract here, especially since this is an aspect that many of my peers applying to BS simply dismiss (it´s just really tough to make extra-time in IBanking)


Thanks

Juanse

No, when I said "intriguing" this was only positive! I just meant that they sound interesting and promising, but obviously I don't know much about them.

You're right about focusing on just a couple of activities where you can show the most impact. Always go for quality over quantity!

Scott