Hello Prince,

Your CFA charter is a strong credential and adds weight to your finance career.

However, a 625 GMAT Focus and a 3.2 GPA are weak for your target schools, especially Stern.

Investment banking is one of the most competitive recruiting paths, and schools will expect stronger academics.

Goizueta and Kenan-Flagler are more realistic, but you should aim for at least a 675–690 GMAT Focus to increase your chances.

Your long-term goal of starting a PE firm in Africa is ambitious but should be framed more realistically in your essays.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Hi @Prince2050,

You have a strong and rare profile with 10 years in PE and a CFA charter, which positions you well for finance roles. However, your GMAT 625 and GPA 3.2 are below top-tier U.S. MBA norms, making schools like Stern challenging; targeting 675+ would significantly improve competitiveness for NYC IB roles. Your short-term goal of joining Investment Banking in New York is realistic with your experience. Your long-term vision of founding a PE firm focused on Africa while is compelling needs to be repositioned in a more achievable manner. Emphasize your decade of deal experience, CFA credential, and global outlook to strengthen your application narrative.

To maximize your chances, consider applying to a balanced mix of reach, target, and safety schools.
Feel free to book a free call with our MBA experts for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

Hey @Prince2050,
Strengths:
1. Demographics,
2. CFA Charter
3. Work Experience with PE (A weakness when your Career Goal is stated to be IB)

Weaknesses:
1. Low GMAT Aggravates your low GPA (685+ would be better, though 675 may also, but barely get you in)
2. Low GPA
3. Lack of clarity and Alignment in your Goals (IB is extremely demanding, and also requires very high quant skills)

Suggestion:
1. even for Emory and UNCKF (lower end of your basked), improve your GMAT preferably to 685
2. APPLY with a strong application AT THE EARLIEST. With 10 years already, you are already at the threshold where chances go down rapidly

Hope it helps
Bala

Thank you for sharing your profile @Prince2050 !

Strengths you should capitalise on: 10 years of PE experience + CFA charter: powerful domain credibility for finance roles and for b-school admissions when framed as senior-level technical mastery and deal leadership. CFA is respected by finance recruiters and is a valuable signal of technical competence. Focused career plan: IB in NYC → long-term PE in Africa is believable and strategically coherent. With 10 years, you bring maturity, leadership, and deal-level responsibility, a key asset for 1-2 year MBA programs that recruit MBAs into IB/PE roles.

GMAT FE 625 is below the median at your most competitive school (NYU Stern average GMAT is ~733). That will make Stern a reach unless you strongly mitigate with outstanding professional evidence, exceptional essays, and strong LORs. GPA 3.2 is modest, not fatal, but combined with a lower GMAT, it increases the admissions burden to prove academic readiness.

IB recruiting in NYC is hyper-competitive and tends to favour candidates with top-tier school brands, previous IB/BB experience, or stellar test scores. Recent market softness has made recruiters extra selective.

1) Try to retake the GMAT, aiming for 685+.
2) Create a deal-focused “transaction dossier” that shows the deals you led: role, size, valuation levers, model snippets, your contribution, outcome. Why: For admissions and IB recruiters, real transaction evidence + quantified impact is gold, particularly if your test score is lower.
3) Leverage the CFA, but don’t over-rely on it. Remember, CFA alone rarely substitutes for a high GMAT in admissions; it helps in recruiting and credibility.
4) Tighten your essays: emphasize leadership + client outcomes + Africa thesis.
Short-term story: Why IB now? Explain the pivot from PE to IB as a strategic move (like broadened client network, accelerated deal flow experience, NY platform). Show how a particular banking role will build the skills needed to scale your PE business later.
Long-term story (compelling): How will you build a PE firm for Africa? Mention market gaps, deal-sourcing advantage from local roots, and how MBA + NY experience builds that bridge.

Start contacting alumni at targeted schools who are in NYC IB groups; ask for recruiter/coach introductions.

Questions/ things to focus on for you:
1) Deal detail: Number of deals you led vs contributed to, typical deal sizes, and your most recent transaction example (feel free to redact sensitive figures).
2) Who can write your LORs (PE partners, clients, etc.)?
3) Are you flexible to start in NYC only, or would you consider other financial hubs (London, Toronto) that can later route you back to Africa?
4) How important is scholarship amount vs school brand vs internship access to you?

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond

Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile shows strong work experience with 10 years in PE. Plus, being a CFA charterholder, highlights your strong finance skills. Your clear career plan, moving into IB in New York and later starting a PE firm focused on Africa makes your story compelling. Strong essays and recommendations will be key.

You will also have to highlight major deals that showcase your potential in your essays. Also, do you have leadership experience (managing teams or projects) that can highlight your impact beyond technical skills?

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target 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
You can also email me at: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!