LOL. You got 99th percentile. There is no point in retaking really though as these programs will not take you just because you have a high score. You meet the requirement and outperform most of other applicants. You will be fine not retaking really unless you have a personal goal. 705 is 99th percentile and 715 is even higher (tiny bit)

It is good you are thinking about CFA 1. Not sure how instrumental it is for your recruiting but that will show your commitment and interest for the AdCom. So if you feel like pursuing it, absolutely. I would say that you need to communicate a clear and supported goal about switching roles and why you want to move from one industry/space/role to another so it makes sense to admissions. Some folks have written safe essays (e.g. staying in healthcare as the goal) and then recruited in their preferred space as it was a stronger and easier to explain story. AdCom like easy story with people progressing towards goals and showing repeatable success as that's less risk that you fail and make the school look bad. So something to consider as you write your story.

P.S. Looking at your background again I would say that since you are working in healthcare/pharma, have a Tech management degree, and thinking of Doing CFA, it would look to the Admissions as though you are not very focused and switching around. (I am not saying you are, I am saying it will look like it) and then in their mind, MBA is just another direction which you will take and probably switch somewhere else. This is the type of applicants they prefer to avoid so I would suggest maybe stick with a tech story for your applications and keep CFA from your resume so it does not confuse AdCom. You can recruit into anything you wish and you can put it on your resume after admission, but for the AdCom, and to an extent employers too, they want simple people who are predictable. Red flags are usually diverse experiences that have little in common or switching jobs a lot if this makes sense.

I am not saying you will have problems or anything like that a lot of really smart people had very diverse talents and abilities. That's what made them exceptionally brilliant but I am saying you may want to present a certain list of details/accomplishments that paint a simple story without many complications that raise questions.

Hi Barryanseng
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, 5 years in Singapore's healthcare and pharma sector, transitioning into design engineering with patent filings, looks like a solid foundation. Plus, a 715 FE is very strong.
The cross-border experience and the master's in technology management adds a nice layer of depth. Now, tech or finance post-MBA looks ambitious, but is achievable. The Big 3 internship and CFA efforts show you're serious about your work.

Here's the thing: your story, those patents, that career pivot, that's what's going to make you stand out. To really nail this, though, we need to dig into why these schools, why tech or finance, and how your unique experiences connect to your goals. For instance, how did those Australian team dynamics shape your leadership style? And what specific tech or finance roles are you eyeing, and how does your patent work tie into that?

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You can also email me at: priyankak@aringo.com

@Barryanseng- you have a very strong profile. Definitely don't take the GMAT as yours is a solid score.
on your career goals- you will have to be specific about what you want to do between finance and technology. What kind of work are you thinking about when you say finance? IB recruits MBAs from multiple backgrounds, other than that it can be impossible to break into finance without prior experience and a CFA may not help much. Also, I agree with @BB's point in his second comment that you don't want to come across as not being focused. There's always a lot an applicant can do in the six months prior to submitting applications for profile building, and so, use your time wisely. I would encourage you to delve deeper into your career goals and the need for a CFA. Talk to students at your target b-schools. Also try talking to recent MBAs who are working in your target firms - it will give you an idea on your eligibility as well as need for a CFA in your target roles.
Would be happy to chat with you on this.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: contact@mbadecoder.com
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