Hi,

Found your blog/site very useful; and inline with others I would also request you to assess my situation.

I want to do an MBA in finance from preferably Chicago, while Harvard being one of the top 5 picks for me. I will be applying towards Fall 2009. My GMAT score is 750 (51q, 39v). I have 1.5 years job experience with Progressive Insurance, and since Dec '06 I am employed with HSBC North America. By Fall 2009 I will have 4 years of FT work exp. I have a masters in Industrial Engg from Arizona State, and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from one of the top schools in India. I have a few questions and they are as follows. I don;t have anything significant when it comes to extra curricular other than that I do a lot of stock trading.

1. Does my low verbal score (39v) affects my application?
2. Even though the applications for Fall 2009 are expected to be out in early Jul 08 (i am guessing) what can I do in the meantime towards creating a strong application?
3. What are your top picks for MBA in finance?
4. Lastly, in your perspective how strong a candidate I am for schools such as Chicago, Wharton, and Harvard?

Thanks for your help.