Hey @FD97 , I hope you are doing well.

Your profile looks good and well-positioned for top MBA programs, particularly for finance-focused schools like Wharton, Booth, or LBS. Your GPA and 720 GMAT score is competitive, and your Chartered Accountant qualification further demonstrates strong analytical and quantitative skills.

Your professional background in investment banking, with multiple closed deals and an accelerated promotion at a Big 4 firm, highlights your impact and leadership potential. Winning a firm award highlights your exceptional contributions. Additionally, your prior experience at your family’s financial services firm provides unique entrepreneurial insights, which could be a differentiator.

However, your volunteering experience is great but is relatively limited. Strengthening this area by taking on more impactful roles or aligning it with your long-term goals could enhance your profile. For instance, focusing on financial literacy programs for underserved communities would resonate with your finance expertise.

For your application, articulate clear short- and long-term goals, focus on how an MBA will bridge your current expertise and aspirations to transition into investment banking. Leverage your family business background in interviews to showcase your entrepreneurial spirit and plans to innovate in investment banking post-MBA.
What's going to matter most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story to stand out from other applicants in the pool.
If you’d like, we are happy to discuss your profile in depth and assess your chances to top B-schools and strengthen your application with impactful stories.

Register for a Webinar on Path to Success for Top US schools.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Email: valuecreation@mbaandbeyond.com

Hi FD97
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, I can see a strong foundation in IB, backed by your CA qualification and about 6 years of solid work experience. During your years at a Big 4 accounting firm, I can see that you have achieved an accelerated promotion, closed multiple deals, and earned a performance award, this clearly demonstrates your expertise and leadership abilities. While your previous experience at your family’s boutique financial services firm also highlights entrepreneurial exposure and a deep understanding of business growth.

Your short-term goal of transitioning to a bulge bracket investment bank in the US or UK is slightly ambitious but on the other hand it also aligns perfectly with your proven track record. Meanwhile, your long-term vision of building an investment banking vertical at your family business speaks to your entrepreneurial drive and ability to think strategically. Additionally, your volunteering experience adds a meaningful layer of personal depth and demonstrates your commitment to giving it back to the society.

I think that what will set you apart from the pool of applicants is your combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial mindset, and leadership potential. Booth and Columbia will value your analytical rigor and career focus, while Tuck’s emphasis on collaboration and LBS’s global perspective are a natural fit for your ambitions. Work on highlighting these unique strengths and craft a standout application.

Feel free to connect for a detailed discussion.

Click here to connect for a detailed discussion.
You can also email me your CV at: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!

A quick glance at the school profiles and you will understand that 720 is below median score for most of the schools that you have shortlisted specially coming from the Indian pool. Most adcoms would expect you to have an above media GMAT score given your demographics. Mind you quite a few banks also at times can ask for your GMAT score as a means to assess your quantitative skills.
You can either retake the GMAT and aim for a slightly higher score to enhance you profile or maybe look at different set of schools which feed into New York / London Banking industry. Big 4 is experience overrepresented across all major classes so wont be a major differentiator, try to to focus on other aspects of your application to enhance your profile.

All the best!

The MBA Edge,
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