giv453 wrote:
Hello Linda and Jennifer,
I am trying to decide whether I should enroll at Indiana (with full-scholarship) or reapply next year to Wharton and Columbia (as well as apply for the first time to other strong investment management schools, such as Wisconsin’s Applied Security Analysis Program).
I was waitlisted to Wharton, Columbia, and MIT. I was denied to Chicago. I’m currently still on the waitlist at Wharton and MIT. Columbia removed me from their waitlist.
I want to get into investment management on the buy-side. I became a CFA charterholder in September 2008 and tried unsuccessfully to get a job in the industry after the credit crisis.
I thought that I would be lucky enough to get into one of the top schools (Wharton, Columbia or Chicago) and didn’t do enough research on other schools such as Wisconsin’s Applied Security Analysis Program. I applied to Indiana because there was no application fee and they said that I would be considered for a full scholarship.
My question is whether I should go to Indiana. Or would it be better to wait and reapply to Columbia, Wharton next year? Specifically, can I get a job on the buy-side from Indiana? I know it’s possible, because I’ve spoken to current and former students from Indiana who are on the buy-side, but over the long-term, what is the smartest choice? And do I even stand a chance to get admitted to Columbia and Wharton next year?
The other factor is that I’m fairly old for full-time business school programs. I’m currently 31.
Thanks very much for your help.
My profile is below:
1. 7 years work experience in sales and product development for a large technology company. Clients are in finance, i.e. hedge funds, broker dealers, and institional investors.
2. 750 GMAT, 50 quant and 41 verbal.
3. Fordham University, 3.76 GPA, economics major, graduated 2002.
4. Volunteered at non-profit law firm for one year (through Jesuit Volunteer Corps) helping homeless and low-income individuals, and have volunteered for the past three years preparing taxes and dealing with credit issues with low-income individuals.
5. Became CFA charterholder in 2008.
6. Target programs: Columbia, Wharton, Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin.
7. Post-MBA goal: become a buy-side investment management research analyst.
I am assuming that you have impressive work experience or you would not have been
waitlisted at Wharton, Columbia, and MIT . Given your stats and goals, in your case I recommend
reapplying as you outlined above provided that you can show growth in improvement in next year's application.
Here's hoping you get in from the waitlist and don't have to reapply!
Best,
Linda
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Linda Abraham
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