First off let me just say thank you so much for your willingness to do all this - truly helpful. I was wondering if you could tell me if I am at all on basis with my target schools and what my odds would be of getting in.

Here are my stats:

Target date: Fall 2013
Schools: HBS, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago, and Yale SOM

Caucasian male, 25 (will be 26 at matriculation)
GMAT: 740 (Q48 V42)
GPA - 3.63 from University of Utah - Honors Finance

Current job - Associate at PE/VC Fund in NYC - $500m AUM - top decile returns for our vintage - lots of very brand name investments with good stories to tell on their returns and how I was involved. I have been working at this job for almost four years now. Out of college I was lucky enough to get both offers from investment banks (bulge bracket in NYC) as well as the PE firm I am at now. I was able to start at the associate position right out of the gate.

I had a ton of work experience in college:
I spent three years working for the largest student run venture capital fund
I worked for the University of Utah Endowment
I interned with UBS special situations group (research on public equity for buyside clients)
and I worked for a private equity arm of a family office
Also while in college I helped run the student investment fund
I also helped produce some data and run some analysis on a best selling book (Breakthrough).

While working I have also spent some time volunteering - doing consulting for small businesses as well as doing some charity races. In addition I have also run a small fund (of family money) on my on for the past five years that has nicely beat the market.

I spent some time growing up in Japan (3.5 years) otherwise I have lived stateside.

I ultimately would like continue along in the alternative asset management industry maybe making a bit of a switch by focusing a little more on public equity rather than private equity. One day I would like to run my own fund which would have an opportunistic mandate (i.e. I can invest in both public and private, debt and equity).

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.