Worth it to take additional classes to improve profile?

All depends on your test scores, and even if your Q turns out low, I would retake a GMAT/GRE before taking a quant class.

Focus on the other aspects of your profile beyond academics. How is your work experience and leadership? Are you a career changer? Have you started doing things that align with your intended career path. The best things you can do to improve your profile are to kill it at work (go for leadership roles and promotions if available), study hard and do well on the GMAT, and get some solid ECs under your belt. If you haven't been active in anything outside of work since undergrad then take a page from your college book and re-engage in activities that are similar to what you were involved in then (but beer pong doesn't count ). This will help you show a track record of involvement in this particular area. If you're already doing all of these things then just keep doing what you're doing. You're on the right track.

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Focus on the other aspects of your profile beyond academics. How is your work experience and leadership? Are you a career changer? Have you started doing things that align with your intended career path. The best things you can do to improve your profile are to kill it at work (go for leadership roles and promotions if available), study hard and do well on the GMAT, and get some solid ECs under your belt. If you haven't been active in anything outside of work since undergrad then take a page from your college book and re-engage in activities that are similar to what you were involved in then (but beer pong doesn't count ). This will help you show a track record of involvement in this particular area. If you're already doing all of these things then just keep doing what you're doing. You're on the right track.[/quote]

Thanks, Cheetarah. A lot of good points. I think I have most of these covered. Not sure if I'd be considered a career changer... I went through an IBA program at a regional bank and now am in corporate banking. Overall goal is to get into PE, with a short-term goal of strategy consulting out of school. I've heard that trying to get into PE straight out of school with no direct experience is an exercise in futility and may get you dinged by admissions due to likely negative impact on placement rates. I'm originally from Europe and would like to end up there eventually, ideally capitalizing on emerging market opportunities. Just struggling to find a way to develop my "international/global story" given that I don't have any international work experience and have been here for over 10 years.

Focus on the other aspects of your profile beyond academics. How is your work experience and leadership? Are you a career changer? Have you started doing things that align with your intended career path. The best things you can do to improve your profile are to kill it at work (go for leadership roles and promotions if available), study hard and do well on the GMAT, and get some solid ECs under your belt. If you haven't been active in anything outside of work since undergrad then take a page from your college book and re-engage in activities that are similar to what you were involved in then (but beer pong doesn't count ). This will help you show a track record of involvement in this particular area. If you're already doing all of these things then just keep doing what you're doing. You're on the right track.[/quote]

Thanks, Cheetarah. A lot of good points. I think I have most of these covered. Not sure if I'd be considered a career changer... I went through an IBA program at a regional bank and now am in corporate banking. Overall goal is to get into PE, with a short-term goal of strategy consulting out of school. I've heard that trying to get into PE straight out of school with no direct experience is an exercise in futility and may get you dinged by admissions due to likely negative impact on placement rates. I'm originally from Europe and would like to end up there eventually, ideally capitalizing on emerging market opportunities. Just struggling to find a way to develop my "international/global story" given that I don't have any international work experience and have been here for over 10 years.[/quote]
Have you traveled abroad, do you have family abroad, or have you worked with clients in multinational companies? Any of these will help explain your interest in emerging markets. I was born and raised in the US but used my family ties in West Africa as a basis for my long term goals. It's not a stretch as long as you can make some type of connection to the area of the world you're interested in (and it doesn't have to include previous in country work experience). Corporate banking --> consulting --> PE would definitely make you a career changer. Figure out what the skill gap is between consulting and what you're doing now. Figure out ways to use your time outside of work to prepare yourself to move in that direction. You could offer your expertise in finance to a local small business. You could join the board of a non-profit organization in a finance capacity. You could mentor university students who are interested in finance. Any of these would show that you are working towards building the skillset necessary to be a consultant. Then it makes the switch from corporate banking more logical. You can say, "I've developed my interest in this line of work by doing A and B. Now I need an MBA to learn C and D to complete my skillset."

You have a year (which is a lot of time and not a lot of time). Research your short and long term goals and then try to find activities that interest you and also align with the skills needed to be successful in those career fields. HTH.

Hi ZED07.

I agree with Cheetarah1980 when he/she suggested that you "Focus on the other aspects of your profile beyond academics" - like gaining work experience and leadership.

Instead of taking formal classes outside of work, how about using that time to gain additional leadership, strategy, and team building skills? Consulting a struggling nonprofit or small business with some of its financial, operations, and marketing challenges could be just the trick to elevate your profile.

Consider partnering with a volunteer organization such as SCORE, Net Impact, USALC, or Taproot. These orgs provide strategy consulting assistance to emerging organizations in need. They partner with volunteer professionals like yourself to provide this assistance.

Thank you again & good luck,

Maxwell Roper
Outreach Director
USA Leadership Corps (USALC)
www usaLeadershipCorps org

Related, what if you're just not good at standardized tests and expect a low quant score? Could recent courses in calculus and/or stats make admission people not focus too much on a lower quant score? I've earned 4.0 on recent classes, but I'm testing low on GMAT practice.

It is probably better than nothing and shows dedication but unless you get a really low quant score (below 44) I am not sure that you need to explain it and take a class

As long as your profile/essays are solid the quant score should not be the big focus (unless a qualified admissions consultant disagrees with me and throws my point out out if the window).

However if the class helps you score or do better on the test that may be a double positive.

Can I go for choice C: neither of the above.

With a 3.7, I don't see how adding more classes into the mix will really help you out. I mean it can't look bad, but if your purpose here is only to improve your candidacy, I feel like this is pouring energies into the wrong thing. Same thing for the CFA, esp if we are talking about level 1 (which a lot of candidates have). Sure, it can't hurt, but if you want to make efficient use of your time to invest in improving your candidacy, I'm not sure if this is the best way.

Of course if you want to take the CFA anyway or the classes, by all means, do that, it's great!
I would just focus on the GMAT, and do whatever it takes to get as high a score as possible. Otherwise it's like trying to ride two horses at the same time, and you many find yourself being taken in two separate directions.