Good experience, nice you returned to east Asia. The weakness appears to be your out of work activities, so the extent to which you can strengthen this area and illustrate real impact, that will help. Apply in round 1 if you can. You are aiming for the best, you will have a shot I think. cheers, Alex

Hi there,

Jumping in here since I went to an M7 school and have actually worked with a couple of clients with very similar backgrounds to yours (who were admitted to top programs). I completely agree with the advice above on applying in round 1 and focusing on building your resume (leadership experience, ownable achievements, etc.) between now and when you apply. I would strongly encourage you to consider early admission/decision at the schools that offer it in order to increase your chances. Both Columbia and Tuck offer that option, for example, and only Columbia's is binding. You also have the chance to further demonstrate leadership through your extra-curriculars. Perhaps there's more you can do there?

As for your career goals, I would actually urge you to consider an intermediate step between your MBA and long-term goals of going into PE. The fact is it will be very challenging to gain traction in post-MBA PE roles without prior IB or PE experience. It's not impossible, but the adcom may view that path as a risk. Instead, would you consider doing a couple years in IB to gain valuation / deal experience before moving into PE? The banks are more open to hiring MBAs without prior finance experience. They also typically offer structured training and development programs which you would likely benefit from. Even if you dual-path your recruiting strategy once you're on campus, it would be worth considering a less risky path for the purposes of your application if that's a plan you would genuinely be excited about. If you're still unsure, I would suggest connecting with recent alums from your target schools who went the PE route and get their take on the current recruiting environment. Perhaps they can provide further reassurance that you can include in your essays.

Best of luck to you! Let me know if I can be of further help!

Kindly,
Melody