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Profile Evaluation please

by wkhawaja » Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:34 am
Hello. Here is a brief profile snapshot:

GPA: 3.7 finance undergrad top 20 US university, 2006 grad
GMAT: 710 (Q85%; V81%)
WORK EXP: almost 6 yrs by 2012 enrollment
- 2 yrs investment banking bulge bracket
- 1.25 yrs private equity (got laid off when financial turmoil hit wallstreet)
- 2.5 yrs corporate development M&A at fortune 20 company
EXTRA CIRCS: several community svc activities
RECCS: likely to get top reviews
LEADERSHIP: can speak to various work and community svc related leadership initiatives and roles
DEMOGRAPHIC: asian american

kindly offer an assessment of my chances at the following schools:

stanford, harvard, booth, berkeley, columbia, ut-austin

i get the feeling MAYBE i will be a competitive applicant to this list of schools, provided i can make a case to distinguish myself from other applicants but i want to gauge your view as well. my prime concern is my work experience will be b/w 5.5-6 yrs by 2012 enrollment...knowing that the absolute top programs like stanford and harvard prefer 4-5 yrs at most of work experience. i see my gmat may be borderline average for those two programs as well but knowing that i can't see myself getting any higher than 730, should i retake? also please suggest what should be some key areas i should address in my application to maximise chances of success. stanford is my top choice, columbia is my main realistic target. thx a lot.
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by MBAPrepAdvantage » Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:54 am
Given we are now at the end of August (with 1st round deadlines drawing near) I would recommend you spend your time preparing your applications, especially because you feel your 710 GMAT score is close to your theoretical maximum. You are competitive for all schools with your present score. Although a 740 GMAT score would help your chances it is not necessary (last year I had multiple candidates accepted to HBS and Stanford with lower than a 710 score).

Good luck,
Michael Cohan
MBAPrepAdvantage Founder & AIGAC Board Director
305-604-8178
www.mbaprepadvantage.com

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by wkhawaja » Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:04 am
Thx michael, much appreciated. what's your take on my ~6yrs of work experience vs the 4-5yrs that is sweet spot for some top programs?
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by MBAPrepAdvantage » Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:18 am
You are analyzing this on too granular of a level (6 years versus 4 or 5). You have a slightly higher bar to show scope and scale in your work experience so make sure to be introspective and push yourself to prepare the best applications possible.

Good luck,
Michael Cohan
MBAPrepAdvantage Founder & AIGAC Board Director
305-604-8178
www.mbaprepadvantage.com

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Follow Michael Cohan on Image Image and BeattheGMAT.
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For a free assessment email [email protected] your target schools, goals, resume, GPA and GMAT or fill out our Free MBA Admissions Consultation Form.
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by FutureWorks » Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:35 am
wkhawaja wrote:Hello. Here is a brief profile snapshot:

GPA: 3.7 finance undergrad top 20 US university, 2006 grad
GMAT: 710 (Q85%; V81%)
WORK EXP: almost 6 yrs by 2012 enrollment
- 2 yrs investment banking bulge bracket
- 1.25 yrs private equity (got laid off when financial turmoil hit wallstreet)
- 2.5 yrs corporate development M&A at fortune 20 company
EXTRA CIRCS: several community svc activities
RECCS: likely to get top reviews
LEADERSHIP: can speak to various work and community svc related leadership initiatives and roles
DEMOGRAPHIC: asian american

kindly offer an assessment of my chances at the following schools:

stanford, harvard, booth, berkeley, columbia, ut-austin

i get the feeling MAYBE i will be a competitive applicant to this list of schools, provided i can make a case to distinguish myself from other applicants but i want to gauge your view as well. my prime concern is my work experience will be b/w 5.5-6 yrs by 2012 enrollment...knowing that the absolute top programs like stanford and harvard prefer 4-5 yrs at most of work experience. i see my gmat may be borderline average for those two programs as well but knowing that i can't see myself getting any higher than 730, should i retake? also please suggest what should be some key areas i should address in my application to maximise chances of success. stanford is my top choice, columbia is my main realistic target. thx a lot.
Hello

Looking at the 2012 class profile at Columbia the students scored in the range of 680-760 in their GMAT. So gmat wise you seem fine. However GMAT alone won't determine your chances of admission; beyond the academics will also help you in determining your candidature and your work experience plays a vital role as well.

Beyond academics plays an equally important role so make sure you showcase it well. Generally most of the applicants have a good 4-5 years of work experience. Although it is not just the work experience that counts but also what you did there like-what were your achievements, what initiative you took, what changes you drove in your workplace etc. So to leverage this if you can show that in 4 years you have demonstrated the skills business schools are looking for you could put in a strong set of essays. Hence the quality of your work, your academics and beyond academics will play an important role in determining your candidature.

Start thinking what makes you unique and what's that 'hook' that will be key to your application.

Find out where you stand with our Free Assessment Test or drop your resume at [email protected]
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