Hello,


I am an M&A advisory analyst working for top-tier M&A focused bank (front-office) in India. I was recruited as the only undergraduate analyst in the India team from the M&A practice of a middle-market investment bank (front office).


I have also been involved as a founding member with India's first political consulting firm and have worked with elected MPs and potential contestants on both electoral and public policy mandates. Although its a part-time job, I have been instrumental in making initial strategy, recruiting the first batch of employees and business development. India is expected to remain the fastest growing major economy for the next 2 decades and the bigeest hurdle in its path is a populist and often short-sighted Indian politics. The startup which aims to create a more rational agenda based politics has already garnered some very high-profile mandates and hopes to become a full-fleged public policy and political consultancy.


Having completed 2 years in M&A and am planning to apply this fall for the 2013 MBA batch.


The general trend in the US is to do a 2 year analyst stint at a bank and then work at a PE/VC/HF fund for 2-3 years before applying to business school. However, in India getting into a front-office banking role at a top-10 firm is much more challenging than most of the major economies since MBAs from India join as 1st/2nd year analysts and hence virtually no top-tier bank has an analyst program.


Given the fact that I want to enter B School with 3-3.5 years of experience and that I have a banking+public policy background, I am worried if I would be seen in the same light as the US banking analysts who often do a 2-3 year PE/VC stint after 2 years in banking


Profile:
Working for a leading global investment bank in India. Was hired as the first undergraduate and am working at par with MBAs from Indian universities.

GMAT 720+ (indicative, only taken mocks); First Division from India's best business undergraduate college but with comparatively lower maths scores; Led the debate team, social service team and annual festival at the college, also advised Indian Social justice ministry as a pro-bono consultant on my last job

Will really appreciate if I can get some realistic feedback on the matter and any suggestions to improve my candidacy.