Hope you’re doing well! I’d really appreciate your thoughts on my chances of cracking the top 4 Finance schools of US and what should be my strategy across R1 and R2.
Quick Profile Snapshot:
30-year-old Indian female with 8 years of experience across Private Equity and Investment Banking (currently working with a domestic PE fund)
Education Qualifications -
10th - ICSE Board, Mumbai (~93%)
12th - University of Mumbai (~92%)
Graduation - BCom from Narsee Mongee College, Mumbai (one of the top colleges of Maharashtra)
Chartered Accountant -
CPT - 184/200 ( Missed rank by 3 marks)
IPCC (Inter) - 48th All India Rank
Finals - 44th All India Rank
(All levels in first attempt)
Company Secretary -
Finals - 16th All India Rank
(All levels in First Attempt)
CFA-
Cleared 2 Levels
Work Experience -
JP Morgan (3yrs) - Mid Office Investment Banking
BNP Paribas (1.5yrs) - Front Office Investment Banking
Creaegis (2.5yrs) - Private Equity Investments Team, with 2 investments executed (Creaegis is a $425mn fund established by ex-CIO of PremjiInvest)
Praakritik (1yr) - Investment Relations Manager at a INR20crs. topline D2C Startup
Currently working with Anicut Capital - Growth Equity Investing fund
8yrs of work experience
GRE Score - 322
Quant - 168
Verbal - 154
Exceptional academic pedigree with multiple All India ranks plus solid CFA progress. Strong, relevant experience across top-tier firms in IB and PE, with deal execution and portfolio exposure. This would be a strong match for top finance-heavy MBA programs. GRE (Q168) is solid; however you can look to improve your overall GRE score to strengthen your application.
Emphasize leadership in deals, clarity on why MBA now, and long-term vision in investing or fund leadership. Overall, you have a competitive profile.
GMAT Focus 635 is below average for LBS/HEC, especially as an Indian applicant in a competitive pool. I’d encourage you to retake the GMAT and aim for a 685+ score strengthen your application.
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