May I please have a profile evaluation?

[mba2011hopeful]

Hi Stacy and team,

Thank you very much for the evaluation.

I am a 29 year old male (will be 30 at matricualtion) who has spent the past 4 years in the residential lending industry. I began at a brokerage and then started my own small mortgage business 2 years ago with a team of nearly 10 employees. I shut my business down at the end of 2007 at the beginning of the crash and I now want to get my MBA in Finance to do asset management on the public side - ideally for a real estate fund

GMAT - 720 - 48q (84%) 40v (89%)
Undergrad - Humanities BA from Cornell University - 3.75 GPA

My work experience prior to real estate was freelance production work in entertainment industry and a year of management consulting before that (hated it).

I have a good bit of extracurriculars/volunteering but nothing groundbreaking or that I led

I applied to Columbia J-Term 2009 and received an interview but was not admitted.

I now want to focus on NYU and Wharton for Fall 2009 as they have very strong Finance programs.

Do you think I am a competitive candidate?

Thanks,

2011 hopeful

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear 2011 hopeful,

I think you are competitive, but with these programs, it comes down to which candidates present the most compelling applications. Perhaps think about working with a consultant or trusted friend to present the best application possible? In addition to these two schools, you might consider applying to a safety option as a backup plan. While it is possible you will be at NYU or Wharton next fall, having a safety option will ensure that you will be in business school. I think you will find many good options in the 15-30 range where you will be happy versus disappointed.

Best of luck,
Lisa