Profile Evaluation - GRE (161/158/5.5) + Re-applicant

Hello!

I am applying to the following schools in R2: Dartmouth Tuck, Cornell Johnson, Emory Goizueta, Toronto Rotman, and UNC Kenan Flagler. Tuck is my top choice, with Cornell coming in second. I'd also like to add that I am a re-applicant at Tuck. I would be highly appreciative if you give an overview of my chances at my target schools. Also, if there are any other schools you could suggest based on my profile that are not on the list, that we be welcome.

I'd like to give you a brief overview of my background, as I believe that is what sets me apart. I am an Indian citizen, but I have lived in over 7 countries, including Sudan, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, Singapore, and a few more. My father was a diplomat, so we traveled a lot. I finished my high school at the American school in Venezuela and then went to a top liberal arts school in the New England area (think Bates, Colby, Grinnell).

1) I have roughly 5 years of work experience, starting at a boutique management consulting firm in Boston, moving onto a sustainability-focused equity research role in India, then a hedge fund internship with the 3rd largest fund in Asia, and most recently I have started my own investment advisory business focused on family offices and high net worth individuals.

2) The GMAT is an interesting part of my application because even though I was a double major in Physics and Economics at a top liberal arts school (and have written papers on Einstein's field equations) I am not too hot at timed math. So I took the GRE instead and scored the following: 161 V (87%), 158 Q (71%), and 5.5 AWA (98%).

3) I double-majored in Economics and Physics, with a GPA of 3.13. I had a bad first year because of having to come up with money for tuition. Being from India, education tends to be expensive in the US.

4) Most of the leadership work I have done has taken place outside a formal setting. I have started my own initiatives in India, such as providing free tutoring to underprivileged children, teaching western cooking to local house maids to increase their employability, working with local slums to reduce open defecation, and also fighting for animal rights in Mumbai. In college, I was part of the debate team and also coached novice debaters and was the treasurer of the cinematography club.

5) I do not have any additional certifications.

6) The post-MBA goal, in the short-term, is to grow my business to incorporate more institutional investors as clients. The long-term goal is more imaginative, if we can use that word. In the long-term, I would like to either sell my business and directly serve as a Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at or have my business consult for organizations that are involved in areas that I deeply care about, specifically scientific education and wildlife preservation. In this regard, opportunities are ubiquitous in scientific education via working at or consulting for university endowments. However, I believe a significant need exists for social-minded investment professionals in wildlife preservation. For example, the efforts of individuals such as Kevin Richardson, a South African lion conservationist (aka “the lion whisperer”), and Big Cat Rescue, a Florida based wildlife sanctuary, are constantly hampered by an inability to secure long-term funding. I think if they were supported by social-oriented investment advisors or officers, these organizations would have an opportunity to become self-reliant – allow their current cash to generate future funding.

Thank you very much and a happy new year to you!