Hello all! I need to leverage the admission experts to get an idea of what schools i should apply to (strike zone and reach schools). Here is my profile: Undergrad: Middle tier UC (Just below UCLA and UCB) Undergrad Major: Managerial Economics (switched from Chem Eng half way through, stayed an extra two quarters) GPA: cumulative = 3.2, major = 3.85 (major is upper div in managerial economics) Study Abroad: London School of Economics (2 classes - 4.0 GPA) Extra curic: Finance Club Exec, Internships, Study Government, Fraternity Post College 2 years at institutional investment consultant with 1 promotion (well known shop in industry) Started an analyst forum at the at the firm (basically a forum for analysts to participate in mind share and speak publicly) Completed CFA program Approaching 1 year in lower to middle market private equity firm as investment analyst (models, bottles, well mainly models, some operations exp) Volunteering: i have some volunteer stuff, but nothing to tell a great story about GMAT: in progress, i am shooting for a ~720 score With the above profile i would love to know what you think. I am also a white male who was born and raised in one of the poorest cities in Central California, i.e. had no help, all public schooling, etc. thanks!

Hello, Thanks for your post. On the positive side, you've shown some progression and had some recognition at work, and you seem like someone who would likely be involved on campus based on your prior experiences; the CFA is also a plus and you've shown some examples of taking initiative (such as the forum you started). As for potential weaknesses or challenges, your GPA is on the lower side, and overall based on the info here it's hard to pinpoint what if anything might help you stand out from other similar applicants, which would be critical for a spot at a top 10 school for example. Plus your GMAT is still unknown which makes it tough to assess an approximate 'tier' of school to aim for... as of now I'd say top 10-15 are likely going to be a reach; beyond that you can probably find some good target schools and again the GMAT may shift that focus in one direction or another. Good luck on the process and keep us posted on how we can help!