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sk818020
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2 top 10 apps, but where? 27 Oct 2010, 20:49
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Hello to all and thank you in advance for any advice you may impart. At this point I'm at a bit of a cross roads. I'll post my stats in a second but first I think its important to understand my quandry. I've applied to 3 top 20-30 programs and I think I stand a very respectable change of simply getting in and getting a little bit of money. These weren't exactly safety schools as they are still competitive, but they are the schools that I felt comfortable that I should get in. I would now like to submit 2 top 10 applications but I am having a lot of difficulty deciding where. With that in mind I concluded that I should post here for suggestions.

My stats:

GMAT: 700 90%
For whats its worth:
Quant: 46 75%
Verbal: 40 89%
Undergrad GPA: 3.5
Undergrad Major: Bach of Science in Econ
Undergrad school: State school
From: Texas, seeking school outside my comfort zone.
Relevant Info: I switched from a respected private school to a state school after a year because my family had financial problems and I had to begin to pay my way through school.
Work:
1.5 year long internship for a world-wide risk management company.
1.5 years of consulting risk management experience after graduation.
1.5 years of data analyst work in a large energy company after my risk management consulting job.
(Switch due to lack of growth oppurtunities)

I want to apply to two top level program but I'm having a difficult time deciding which I should apply to based on my academic and professional experience.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jared
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PersonalMBACoach
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2 top 10 apps, but where? 30 Oct 2010, 06:11
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What are your goals after MBA? That has a big impact on what school you should apply to. What schools have you already applied to as well?

Once you provide this, I can give more specific recommendations that will be more helpful for you.


-Scott
scott@personalmbacoach.com
www.personalmbacoach.com
--Free application strategy discussion & initial essay review
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sk818020
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2 top 10 apps, but where? 30 Oct 2010, 09:34
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I'm hoping to break into investment or corporate finance. I also want to have the CFA done with a couple of years after I graduate. One other thing I am looking for is a school that networks well.

The schools I have applied to are Vanderbilt, Rice, and SMU.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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PersonalMBACoach
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2 top 10 apps, but where? 31 Oct 2010, 23:38
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Ok, that is helpful. Given your background and your interests post MBA, I would advise choosing from this list:

Columbia, Chicago, Yale

Columbia is great for finance, and NYC location really helps you network with the right people
Chicago also great finance school and a rigorous curriculum
Yale I like a lot because it is easier to get into than Columbia or Chicago, but also has a good finance program, behavioral finance and also there are some nice job opportunities out of Yale due to its small class size, the ratios to get good jobs is much better than either of the other two.

Let me know if you want assistance putting together any of these applications, thanks!

-Scott
scott@personalmbacoach.com
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--Free application strategy discussion & initial essay review