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Profile Evaluation - Feeling undifferentiated

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Profile Evaluation - Feeling undifferentiated [#permalink] New post 22 Oct 2012, 07:18
Would love any thoughts on my profile - whether the schools I'm looking at make sense and how I could make myself stand out. I'm worried that my undifferentiated story, no-name undergrad and age at application (will be 28) will make things difficult. Thanks in advance!

1) Background/Experience: 27 y/o white male - grew up on a farm in the midwest. 2.5 years of Big 4 Accounting (Audit, promoted to Senior Associate), networked like crazy to get to M&A at a top middle market investment bank (Baird, HW&Co., Piper Jaffray) and spent 2.5 years there, will have 2 years of middle market private equity experience ($1+ billion fund, currently only a few months in). Top rankings at each and should be able to get very good recs from partners/founders/b-school donors.
2) GMAT: Will be taking soon - shooting for 720+ based on practice exams
3) Undergrad: Lower tier (100 - 200 ranking on US News) state school, 4.0 GPA, triple major in Econ, Accounting, and Finance, graduated in 2007.
4) Extras: One year of varsity football (walk-on), officer of student investment fund and member of several clubs in college. After college, was a board member of non-profit with ~$3 million budget and member of a special committee that led a merger with another major non-profit. Board member of a professional organization. Other volunteer work through United Way.
5) Designations: CPA
6) Schools: Reach: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton. Target: Kellog, Booth, Columbia, Tuck. Others: Not sure - maybe Haas, Yale
7) Goal: Transition away from standard LBO into growth equity, with a particular focus on consumer businesses in emerging markets.
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Re: Profile Evaluation - Feeling undifferentiated [#permalink] New post 28 Oct 2012, 15:53
While it's true you may be accused of underachieving in undergrad (since you got a 4.0 at a lower tier school), there may be reasons behind it and the career progression you have had since makes up for it. If you are able to get the 720 you are targeting, it's very likely you can get attention from your second tier targets. H/S/Wharton and the like are always a crap shoot and your background may sound a bit less interesting when compared to applicants to those schools. I am not saying that you can't get into those schools but the sheer number of applicaitons alone makes it difficult. Start to think about how to cast yourself against other applicants with similar backgrounds and work experience. Also begin to make your story very personal. Definitely bring for example, how being raised on a farm has helped shape who you are. These kinds of things are unique and can help you be more memorable than the typical accounting or m&A applicant. Only you have your unique story, so don't blow it by merely describing the typical attributes that any applicant with your background has.
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Intern
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Re: Profile Evaluation - Feeling undifferentiated [#permalink] New post 29 Oct 2012, 06:17
Thank you for the feedback. Really appreciate you taking the time to provide some insight.
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