looking for some guidance...

Hi Hjort!
I’m looking for some guidance. I want to go to a school either on the west coast or perhaps near Chicago, and I definitely want to return to Washington State after I’m done. I’m looking to pursue a career in investment management or corporate finance.

I’m trying to figure out if my credentials would be competitive at these schools: Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Chicago, Northwestern, UW.

Here’s my background:
GMAT: 730
GPA: 3.6 (but drops to a 3.5 if study abroad is included)
Undergrad: tier two liberal arts college in WA State
Exp: 3 years as accountant/operational trader for fund of hedge funds
Leadership: 4 years on varsity tennis team in college, co-team captain senior year
Professional designations: Level 3 candidate for CFA

Not sure what else schools look for besides information from the application process, such as the interview and essays…also have no idea how much each category is weighted.

Here are my questions:

1.) What are my chances at the schools listed above?

2.) Since I know I want to come back to WA State, at which point would it be better to go to UW…i.e. would UW be a better choice over UCLA?


Any insight would be greatly appreciated!