Profile Evaluation

[nit123esh]

Hi

I am originally from Delhi and currently working in London, and am looking to apply for an MBA in the US in the next year or so. I haven't given the GMAT yet, just evaluating my options. What do you guys think my chances are based on my profile?

Education: Glasgow University, BSc (Hons)Computer Science, 1st Class Honours
Work Ex: Web Development Intern in Brazil after my 2nd year, working as an Associate-level Business Analyst in an Equities Trading Platform Development IT team in a Bulge Bracket IB since graduating for 2.5 years.
ECs: Student Rep for department for 2 years, debating and trading club member then. I do regular volunteering work at museums and fundraising work for a few local NGOs on the weekends.

I am looking to get into front office IB through an MBA at a top B-school, and I understand that the biggest challenge is my background being too IT-heavy. I am also concerned that my undergrad university name could hold me back since its not got the brand name of the Ivy Leagues in the US or Oxbridge/Imperial/LSE in the UK.

Cheers

-Nit

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi Nit,

Thanks for your post. You appear to have a pretty good understanding of your strengths and weaker areas. I agree, you are part of an oversubscribed group of applicants, and thus you'll need to find a way to stand out in the applicant pool. Perhaps you have some potential experiences from your volunteer work that could work for leadership and/or team related essay topics.

You'll want to aim to score 720+ on the GMAT if at all possible. This will put you on par with top US program averages as well as the average of those in the applicant pool with similar backgrounds.

Lastly, I strongly encourage you to apply round 1. This is strategically the best round for all bschools since the overall applicant pool is smaller and all the seats in the class are open. This all sends a strong message to the school that perhaps it is your first choice and therefore you are likely to attend - all schools want a good yield.

Regards,

Stacey