My first recommendation would be to retake the GMAT as you also have a low GPA, but you are not keen on doing that, so lets move forward from there. You have selected some very ambitious b-schools. Do you want to take a shot with these programs only and ditch the MBA plans, should these not work out? If that's not the case, you should widen your list. Many more b-schools can help you get into investment banking and will be good fits considering you are an older applicant. Examples would be NYU Stern, Fuqua and Tuck. Stern and Fuqua are comparatively easier on their GMAT requirements and that could be an advantage for you.
Overall, your profile can be presented strongly. You've worked in multiple industries and also run ventures- use this as a strength, not as a weakness, as you state in your post. Your resume should reflect the $$ impact you have made on all your organizations as well as your leadership skills and go-getter attitude. It will be super important for you to have a solid career goals story that ties in your varied experience to what you with to do in the future and what is the key motivation that drives you to that goal.
I'd need more details to understand your roles at the Equity and MBB (were these support roles?). You could possibly use this experience to show that you are adept at number crunching and quant-heavy analysis. Your recommenders can make a note in support of this.
Namita Garg,
Founder,
www.MBADecoder.comEmail:
contact@mbadecoder.comReach out to us for a Profile Evaluation Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011
Protein247
Hi,
I took the GMAT FE this week and scored 665 (Equivalent to like 710 old GMAT?), with all sections above the 80. I'm a mid 30s Asian American with experience in the US military, as an equity analyst, and at an MBB firm. I graduated from a Top 10 undergraduate program, but with a low GPA around 3.0. I did a startup during the undergraduate which took off and still growing nicely, but don't think this can be an excuse for skipping all classes.
Between jobs, I launched a few startups, some were profitable. I've pretty much tried everything I wanted in life, but I now realize that came at the cost of not sticking with one path long enough to build deep expertise. At this point, there is nothing else I want to pursue other than becoming an expert in finance and using that to fund meaningful projects and companies.
I now want to go into investment banking, and hopefully private equity in the long run. I'm planning to apply to
Wharton, Columbia,HBS, and Booth, mainly for their IB pipelines and long term PE access.
That said,
I’m concerned about my below average GMAT and GPA. Do I have a realistic shot at any of these four schools with this profile? I feel like I am average in other areas compared to other candidates, but I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been admitted to these programs with similar numbers. I am good with interviews and in getting jobs with that GPA was surprisingly never a problem.
I’m not looking to retake the GMAT. Thanks in advance for your insights.