Hi @GaurangAsopa
Thanks for sharing your profile

Your academic record is solid across the board. A 3.75/4.0 GPA is very competitive. Moreover, passing all three levels of the CFA Program and acing the US CMA exams adds further weight to your profile. However, you still will be a part of the overrepresented Indian male+finance background applicant pool. That’s where your GMAT score, essays, goals, etc. step in.

A 695 GMAT Focus score is just below the median for the schools you’re targeting. A 20-point bump can make all the difference. So yes, do consider giving the GMAT another shot so that your profile will have a solid footing among other applications.

You work ex at Goldman Sachs (another profile booster by the way) shows a good career progression as seen in your transition from Risk Management to Real Estate Asset Management, a high-responsibility vertical. Five years is a sweet spot for top MBAs, and your move into a more front-facing, asset-heavy function in 2023 is well-timed. However, since both roles are within GS, you’ll want to emphasize the scope, leadership, and impact of your work. For example:
- Were you managing specific assets or portfolios?
- What kind of risk were you analyzing (market risk, credit risk, or operational risk)?
- Were you supporting any investment desks or product teams (e.g., derivatives, equities)?
- Are you involved in deal analysis, lease structuring, or asset disposition?
- Any quantifiable results (returns, cost savings, risk reduction)?
- Any client exposure or international collaboration?

You’ll also need to connect the dots from real estate asset management to your post-MBA finance goals (e.g., IB, buy-side, PE, corp dev, etc.). Just ensure that you have a very good pivot story in place and highlight experiences that relate to your future goals.

Stating that you want to stay in finance post-MBA is not sufficient as this can ‘make or break’ your application. Be more specific,
- Are you aiming for investment banking, private equity, real estate PE, impact investing, or corporate finance?
- Are you planning to stay in the US, return to India, or keen to explore global market opportunities?

This specificity is also very important as each school has different recruiting paths. Wharton, Kellogg, and Columbia are strong for IB and PE, whereas, LBS opens doors to London PE/IB roles, especially in real estate or infra.

Your extracurriculars are incredible assets in your profile. Your IMA board roles show leadership beyond work and domain expertise. Cricket captaincy and other athletics demonstrate that you have interests outside the classroom. Volunteering experience will illustrate how you are eager to contribute to the society. Also, it’s good that you have a published research work, just ensure that you mention what the research was on and where its was published (journal). Emphasize on all these points very strategically in your essays.

Apart from the schools you have mentioned, also consider adding INSEAD if you want to target finance roles in Europe, MENA, and Asia. Columbia is also a good school if you’re targeting the New York finance market.

To understand which other colleges are competitive/feasible for you, we need to drill deeper into your profile.

Hence, we’d love to offer a 1-on-1 profile evaluation to dive deeper into your strengths, discuss more about your portfolio, talk through your fit across schools, and co-create a tailored application game plan!

Feel free to reach out to us at the coordinates below!
Email: gwyneth@thembaedge.com
Phone/WhatsApp No: +91 88502 49409
Website: https://thembaedge.com/

Warm regards,
The MBA Edge Team

Hi GaurangAsopa
So the reason we've mentioned improving your score by another 20 points is so that you can be even more competitive to the schools you are applying. As you might be aware, the applicant pool in most of the schools in your list is extremely competitive and hosts high-calibre candidates, some with similar profiles. Hence the suggestion.

Regarding how you are positioned as a candidate at certain schools, I would suggest that you get on a profile evaluation call with us. This is because we have to holistically analyze your profile to assess school fit and what better way to do that than a 1-on-1 conversation.

You can reach out to us through either of our coordinates.

Email: gwyneth@thembaedge.com
Phone/WhatsApp No: +91 88502 49409
Website: https://thembaedge.com/

Warm regards,
The MBA Edge Team

Hey GaurangAsopa
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile looks strong and well-balanced with excellent experience and strong academics, and a deep track record of extracurricular involvement and leadership. The 695 GMAT Focus is competitive but not ideal for M7 schools—retaking could be worthwhile, especially if you feel a 715+ is realistically within reach.

Your target schools are a bit of stretch but feasible, especially with strong essays and recommendations that highlight impact, leadership, and global potential. You may also want to consider Tepper, Yale SOM, Cornell, and Fuqua as strong fits.

Would you consider applying to a few schools in Europe as well like INSEAD, IESE, Oxford?

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for top MBA programs to see where you stand and how to boost your chances— happy to help!
No pressure, no strings—just helpful insights on where you stand and how you can strengthen your chances.

Feel free to connect- Click here

📄 ARINGO is offering a free resume review to 5 lucky applicants.
Get expert feedback on how to highlight your impact, leadership, and global potential.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR A FREE RESUME REVIEW

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

Hi Gaurang,

Thanks for the detailed profile. You've built a solid foundation: Goldman Sachs brand, dual finance roles, top-tier academic credentials, and CFA + CMA trifecta make you stand out.

However, your GMAT Score of 695 is concerning, especially as an Indian male in finance, a highly competitive field. Even with your depth in credentials and leadership (youngest board member, published researcher, etc.), top programs like Wharton, Columbia, and Kellogg typically expect a 720+ to take you seriously, unless you're bringing in a unique diversity angle.

That said, your candidacy is strong for LBS and possibly Columbia with a well-crafted story.

Wharton and Kellogg are reaches unless you can push closer to 715+. Given your profile's upward momentum, I’d recommend a retake, especially since you believe 715 is within reach. It could significantly improve both admission and scholarship outcomes.

Also, look at schools like Duke, Tuck, and Ross as strong targets. Let's talk through school strategy and positioning in detail.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule a free 1-on-1 call with me for a detailed profile review
https://calendly.com/ameer-khatri/profi ... th=2025-04