Candidacy Strength Evaluation pls?

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Candidacy Strength Evaluation pls?

by jamie2377356 » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:47 pm
Hi there, your honest opinion would be highly valued.

Here we go:

Undergrad:
Went to a Canadian Uni relatively unknown. Took 2 extra years to graduate for the reason of my father dying and having to take care of my family.

GPA:
First two years averaged 75%, last 2 years averaged 85%. Honours Econ.

Work experience:
Moved to London UK and have worked for a boutique Private Equity advisory as an Executive where I helped raise $1billion and was promoted.
Spun out with colleagues to start our own Private Equity Derivatives firm currently regulated by the FSA (quite innovative idea).

Community:
Founding President of a PE association with 50 members managing $75 billion.

Age:
29 now, will be 30 when applying in the fall, will be 31 when entering. I am wondering how this will be viewed because although I would be above the average age, I would still have the average amount of work experience..

GMAT:
Have not taken it yet

Here is the thing, I am already in the private equity industry but I would like to get into the principle investing side of it, and generally would like to formally learn the language of business.

It would only be worth it for me to attend a top 5 school.

I am quite confident that after a few months of studying that I could score 720+ on the gmat.

What I am asking is do you think that I would be a good candidate for any of the top schools listed below under the assumption that I score a 720 on the gmat? If the chances are very slim then I would prefer not to waste the time studying for it and just push on with my career. However, if I have a decent shot then it would be worth it to try.

Schools:
Harvard
Stanford
Wharton
Sloan
Columbia

Weaknesses Summary:
31 years old upon entering
worked for boutique firms no big names
Unknown undergrad school
Okay GPA

Strengths Summary:
International experience
Trade association president - leadership
Entrepreneurship - Innovative new company in the PE industry
Great PE contacts
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:55 pm
Dear jamie2377356,

I get what you are saying, but I have to tell you that I don't agree with your assessment. Your weaknesses summary is off base, in my opinion. It is not a weakness to be 31 when you enter business school--you are simply on the high end of the majority of students, but by no means the oldest person in the class. Working for boutique firms is definitely not a weakness as there is no preference for big names or particular industries; what matters is the quality of your professional experience and your progression during your career. Likewise, it is not a weakness to attend an undergraduate institution that might not be recognized outside of Canada. Admissions folks encounters universities they are not familiar with often and have reliable resources to determine the quality of these institutions relative to others. Finally, your GPA seems to be around the average or slightly above average, so I'm not seeing that as a particular weakness either. Assuming you do score 720+ on the GMAT, then you would have the desired academic profile for the top 5 MBA programs.

Now having said all that, it is possible you could get into one (or more) of the top 5 with a strong, overall application. That means that you have a great set of recommendations, well-written essays, a fabulous interview, and the 720+ GMAT. However, there are no guarantees and decisions will also depend on how you look relative to the rest of the applicant pool that year. So, I think that you have to decide 1) if you absolutely need the MBA for what you want to do and 2) if so, is a full-time program the best option for you or would a part-time/weekend program make more sense? Based on your post, I think you need to decide whether or not you really need the MBA for your career goals and what type of MBA program makes the most sense for you.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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