Hi Pooh,

Your profile is very well-rounded and stands out with both strong academic consistency and impressive extracurricular achievements. A 7.91 GPA from Delhi University, coupled with 4 years of experience in FX and Commodities Hedging at Larsen & Toubro, highlights solid quantitative and analytical exposure — a strong foundation for your post-MBA goals in global markets or hedge funds. Your leadership as President of the Dramatics Society and involvement in cultural and volunteering initiatives add great depth to your profile and speak to your overall personality and impact.

For your target schools including ESADE, SDA Bocconi, NUS, IESE, and HEC Paris, your experience aligns well with their finance and global business tracks. However, given the highly competitive nature of these programs, especially for Indian applicants, a higher GMAT Focus score would significantly boost your chances. If possible, you might consider a retake to cross the 90th percentile mark, which would make your academic profile more balanced relative to your professional and extracurricular strengths.

Overall, you have a compelling story with strong professional growth and personal engagement. We’d be happy to work with you to further strengthen your positioning, identify key themes for your essays, and refine your school strategy based on your goals in hedge funds and global finance. If you’d like to explore this further, please reach out to us at contact@involve-consulting.com or connect via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/naikhemal/

Regards,
Hemal (Rep, Involve Consulting)

Hi @Pooh_17,
You have a strong and well-rounded profile with 5 years of experience in FX and Commodities Hedging at Larsen & Toubro, earning multiple awards - Top Performer and the Young Achievers Award in Risk Management. Your academic record and strong extracurriculars—President of Dramatics Society, trained classical dancer with 100+ performances, and active volunteer work—reflect leadership and depth. Your post-MBA goal of moving into hedge funds or global markets aligns well with your professional background. The main area for improvement is your GMAT Focus score (595), which is below average for top-tier global programs; retaking it and targeting 655+ would significantly strengthen your competitiveness.
Highlighting your leadership, professional achievements/tangible impact, relevant skills, career goals, unique experiences, and fit with the program effectively will be crucial in crafting a compelling application. 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.

@Pooh_17 - interesting profile overall, given the undergrad pedigree, FX/ Trading exposure, employer brand and well-rounded extracurriculars.

However, your GMAT score is on the lower side particularly for programs like HEC Paris, IESE and NUS. A retake, aiming for ideally a 665-675+ would be recommended to strengthen your chances at these 'Ambitious' schools.

It'd also be crucial to have a strong narrative covering your experiences, career goals, and how the MBA fits in at this juncture.

Feel free to reach out for a discussion.

Regards,
Arvind (Founder, admitStreet)
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