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Profile Evaluation Please :)

by bet4234 » Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:36 pm
Hi guys,
I would appreciate some profile review from somewhere experienced

Stats
- GMAT : 730 (50Q 38V, 8IR, 4.5AWA) (1 Attempt)
- Ugrad degree: Commerce (Finance) and Science (Computer Science) at the top university here in New Zealand.
- GPA: Equivalent to High Second Class Honours, missed First by just a bit (although both my degrees are not actually honours degree)
- Exchange program to Rutgers
- Passed CFA level 1 last year.
- Personal background: Dual Citizen (Thai and NZ) living in NZ.
- Age: 23

Work Experience: 1 year
 3 Months internship as Financial Analyst in one of the biggest banks in Thailand.
 1 year as an Analyst programmer in a company that provides IT solution to Utility and Airport organisation.

I do see my lack of work experience in an Investment bank or finance industry which I hope to later transition into eventually.
Kindly evaluate my profile and let me know which schools can be my targets.

More specially, I'm keen to understand
 What are my chances in my target schools : Columbia, Stanford, Havard, Booth, Sloan, and NYU.
 When should I start applying? I.e. Should I wait to gain more work experience or change work?
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by MargaretStrother » Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:41 pm
Hello Bet4232,
You're still on the young side for top MBA programs, so I'd definitely suggest investing another year or two in building your resume. Your numbers are great, so no issues there. You definitely get some points on diversity: Thai/New Zealand is not a combo I see every day.

Now, your goals versus your work experience: it's not unusual for people who are working in programming to switch careers through the MBA. But if you have, say, two years to invest in full-time work before you apply, how can you use that time most strategically? On the one hand, it's good to put in a couple of years in one place; top business schools like to see people grow within a company, not just hop from job to job. On the other hand, three years as a programmer won't help your case much. However, Leadership and Impact are the #1 drivers of b-schools admissions, so you'll want to think through whether you're likely to rise to a more impactful leadership role if you stay at your current company, or whether you will gain from building more professional experience in a financial institution. There is no easy answer here; you've got some research ahead of you. Use your time well: make PLANNED, strategic moves.

For your top-choice schools, leadership at work and in major community involvements are both important. So you'll also want to be sure that you're adding value outside the workplace, ideally in community leadership roles where you can have a consistent impact. Better to engage in one community involvement deeply and long-term rather than to participate in lots of one-off events.

One last thought: your list of schools is fairly predictable. If you do some in-person campus visits, you might change some of your preferences. Check out Forbes' newly released "Most Satisfied MBAs" list: https://www.stacyblackman.com/2015/12/04 ... sfied-mbas. You might be see some programs you haven't previously considered.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
Margaret Strother
Senior Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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