Background:
27/M/Caucasian
GPA: 3.69 from small NY State School
Major: Poly Sci graduated in 4 years in 2005
Fairly decent extracurricular activities in undergrad: golf team, finance and judicial boards, honor societies, mountain bike and stock market club
Took about a year to get my first job after grad due to traveling and prepped for LSAT before deciding not to attend law school(general malaise I saw in current and recently graduating peers, and that's when things were still decent).
W/E in financial operations (back office):
-had a paid financial internship in an accounting dep during undergrad which got me the following job after grad
-3 years Financial Operations at Lazard, NYC – Securities Pricing and Index/Benchmark maintenance
-1 year and currently at State Street IMS, Irvine CA – margin desk for HF
-Sporadic volunteering
Based on my background and W/E what GMAT score will make me competitive for acceptance to the p/t USC program? If there is a general floor that would help as well.
I ask since I am horrible at these types of standardized tests and really need to gauge what type of time commitment I will need to achieve my target score for acceptance. what steps can i take to be an ideal applicant other than solid essays and good recs with one from a USC alum? also i might consider applying for the 2011 since i am
Side note: I visited the UCI program and was basically told if I took the GMAT in three weeks and scored somewhere above 550 I would be accepted based on the above. I think the program had a couple unfilled seats and my NYC exp might have been helped as well (i think).