Manager
Joined: 04 Nov 2009
Status:Never give up!
Affiliations: Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Toastmasters Intl, HHonors
Posts: 197
Given Kudos: 27
Location: Raleigh-Durham NC
Concentration: Finance, Economics, Accounting
GPA: 4.0 UG and 3.6 MSA
Gauging realistic chances
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Updated on: 01 May 2011, 10:12
Repost from AlexMBAApply (thank you Alex), didn't notice the general forum, so hoping from some general feedback as well >>
Before I get too carried away with my goals, I just wanted to go over my profile. I would thereby really appreciate any info on which schools I realistically have a chance at. The boards have been very helpful in evaluating the top flight programs, and I think I have very good experiences to contribute to any school that are on par with mid- to top-tier applicants, but my leadership and community service are not on level. This complicated the school selection process a bit.
Perhaps I should also add a bit of color to why my experience is as varied as it is. I originally started off at a Big 4 thinking I'd end up a public accountant, but after 3 years I found banking and investments more interesting. But switching to I-banking or investment management from public accounting isn't that easy, so I took a chance with a national banking regulatory agency to better understand the industry. I've since leveraged my experience with that position and finally work for a large I-bank, but in credit analysis rather than as a buy- or sell-side analyst or in investment management. Now I feel I am ready to make the intended switch to I-banking or into a PE firm / hedge fund / mutual fund.
Here are some more details >>
Nat:
US Citizen, South Asian descent (which I'm guessing qualifies me as "a dime a dozen")
Gender:
Male (same)
Age:
32 in September
Undergrad:
Public Mid Tier (regional state university in Northeast Ohio); GPA 4.0, Finance and Economics double major. Graduated a salutatorian. Lots of leadership experiences here (see below).
Grad:
Private Top Tier (Midwestern Catholic university); GPA 3.64, Master's of Science in Accountancy. Part of a competitive work-study program with a Big 4 firm (fully paid for, hard to get). Some leadership.
GMAT (6 years ago; will take again later this year):
660 (V: 42, Q: 38)
Work Exp:
1. 3 years, staff accountant for a Big 4 firm (during the whole SoX period)
2. 3.5 years, associate bank examiner for a major regulatory agency (during the recent housing crisis)
3. 6 months to present, credit analyst at large multinational investment bank
Certs:
1. CPA / attest (California)
2. Planning on CFA
EC: Lots during undergrad -- president of four clubs (including the umbrella business organization of all clubs), active with community service (actually did a food drive during graduation day), very good rapport with professors / deans / students. More intense grad school -- member of a committee, but otherwise working. Not much since -- first two jobs were travel jobs, so little time for community service; current job is a desk job, so more time. Now -- VP of two positions for local Toastmasters chapter, volunteer 2x/month at the local food bank.
Goals / Potential paths: Investment Banking (Bank M&A), Consulting (Banks), Investment Analysis (Financials), Investment Management / Portfolio Analysis
My school choices were based on:
1. GMAT, BusinessWeek Rankings
2. Personal preference (location, brand, class size)
Dream Schools / Little Chance: Wharton (#1 choice by far), Stanford, Booth, Kellogg
Reach: Duke, UMich, Columbia, UVA, MIT, UC Berkeley
Better Chance: UNC, NYU, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA
My guess is that with a very high GMAT score (ie, >700), I at least have a shot at the Dream Schools and a good chance at the Reach schools. But I may be kidding myself -- so I'm asking if my levels for school choices / planned applications is even realistic. If you have any thoughts or comments or recommendations, they will be most appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time and help in advance!
Originally posted by
anstance5 on 28 Apr 2011, 12:41.
Last edited by
anstance5 on 01 May 2011, 10:12, edited 1 time in total.