SVP
Joined: 11 Mar 2008
Posts: 1579
Location: Southern California
Schools:Chicago (dinged), Tuck (November), Columbia (RD)
Re: Profile Evaluation Please
[#permalink]
31 Aug 2008, 20:19
I think you will need to focus on the leadership experiences you have had at work so far, as well as your future leadership plans. If you mention that you want to be a financial analyst in the future, it won't really scream leadership. You need to solidify your plans as far as what kind of "higher level analysis" you want to be doing. Do you want to be in corporate development/M&A? Strategic Planning? etc. Also, these are likely a short-term goal. What about long-term goals?
That said, I think you're competitive for Cornell, Michigan, and Rochester. Reach for HBS/Chicago, but you already know that. Have you thought about adding a few more schools to your roster? You may be competitive at Columbia ED, UCLA, Darden, NYU, and Duke. Not sure if any of those interest you. If you drop Rochester and pick 2 from this list, I think you will be well-diversified enough to not need a safety. You may also consider replacing HBS with Wharton - Wharton places a higher emphasis on high grades/GMAT scores and a touch less emphasis on leadership experience/ability. This is especially so if you went to an elite (top 30 US News) undergrad - Wharton really likes pedigreed candidates.