Background and nationality: 27F Asian Indian from USA

Undergrad Information:
Public university, Chemical Engineering
GPA: 2.97 -- Ouch, I know. No real excuse, was super involved on campus (I wanted to do everything, especially my passion for outreach/education but I was still learning how to time manage. Maturity and experience has made me better about that now) and I really, REALLY struggled with organic chemistry (we had to take all the pre-med classes in our curriculum, it sucked)

GMAT: 750 (50Q, 41V)

Work experience:
- (Current) 2 yrs (will be almost 3 years by matriculation) Product Manager at a mid-size (~1000 employees) software company with a promotion after 1 year, leading a team of ~10 engineers (no direct reports). Presented at company conference to launch new features.
- Before that, my first job out of undergrad, ~3.5 yrs in tech consulting at a wall street bank (pick one JPM/GS/MS) with 1 promotion (rigid promotion cycle based on # of years)

Extracurriculars:
In college
- Worked all 4 years in the Engineering school's office of student outreach to help increase under-represented minorities in STEM careers (planning visits to inner-city HS, helped launch a summer program for SAT/college prep, helped students find and apply to scholarships)
- VP and Charity lead for a religious club that I was part of all 4 years (planned an annual charity dinner, local volunteering events at place of worship)
After college
- Participating in diversity networks at first company (wall street bank), helping with Girls Who Code events, campus recruiting, and helping to plan a consulting skills training week at HQ
- Founder and president of the diversity network at my current company. Launched the network within 3 months of joining, after meeting with HR and company founders for sponsorship. Since then, we have held several networking events, from social (happy hour) to educational (book talk/speakers). Personally developed the first official employee in-person training on discussing diversity at work, reaching ~100 employees in the first year. Currently have a network of ~150 members and allies.

Post MBA goals
Transition from product management to strategy

Hi coffeecat,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. Also, welcome to the GMAT Club!

Your experiences seem solid ( I like the leadership experience, being the face of launching a new feature at the company conference, and your multiple promotions). You also have an excellent GMAT and community engagement. The area that may hurt your application is your undergraduate performance. While you should definitely apply to Wharton, this may be a reach school (which is often the case). I recommend you expand your school scope to include a few target and safety schools.

Also, don't underestimate the power of a strong narrative. Now is the time to be introspective: demonstrate your growth, why you require an MBA, why Wharton, and why now.

I am happy to take this conversation offline. When ready, please reach out.

Good luck!

Susna




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What are the chances of someone with a GMAT score of 720 (Q48 V42) and a work exp. of 12+ years in Credit & Finance?
The Wharton has an experience range of 2-16 years however mean is 5 years only.

Can't really answer this based on one variable but here goes the1aspirant. Things get dicey after 9 years of experience; it's likely they will direct you the EMBA route. If you decide to apply to the full time program, make sure your goals are realistic for your age. If you are trying to get into IB or MBB where there is a structured recruitment process, and you are over the hill for US standards, the odds are much less. If you state your goals to be a product manager or something less age-oriented much improved odds. If you are just looking to gain a network and climb the ranks, I would recommend applying to the Wharton EMBA; odds are better, the program curriculum is identical to the full-time MBA.
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Background and nationality: 27 male from China

Undergrad Information:
Top Chinese diplomacy university, Major in English Language and Literature, Minor in International Relations
GPA: appox. 90/100 (my alma mater does not offer 4.0 scale GPA but the equivalent varies from 3.7-3.9 according to different metrics). Awarded national scholarships by Ministry of Education of China.

GMAT: 740 (Q51 V38 IR8 AW 5.5)
TOEFL: 115/120, I know most people on this forum don't need TOEFL scores but just put it as a reference

Work experience:
- (undergraduate) internship abroad at a United Nations regional hub, and Ministry of Finance of China, both working on policy analysis
- Joined one of China's policy financial institutions as client coverage officer since graduation, negotiating sovereign loans to local governments along the Belt and Road Initiative countries. Sectors are mainly focused on infrastructure, power, energy and resources.
1.1.5 years working in Beijing covering ASEAN countries
2.then fast-track promoted to regional manager on Asia and CIS (Russian-speaking countries) and worked for 2 years from Beijing, led a team and closed several deals, one of them was a Deal of the Year Award by a prestigious forum
3. relocated to Africa Office covering Eastern and Southern Africa. expected to have 1.5 years of WE upon matriculation. Lead negotiator for several mega sovereign debt restructuring (over 7bln USD) and interpreted for Company executives' meetings with African heads of states and government ministers.

Others: CFA, China CPA candidate, top employee performance award.
Traveled to over 30 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, mostly in a professional capacity.
Official passport holder (government representative stationed abroad other than diplomats at the Embassy).

Extracurricular:
In college
- President of Debate and Public Speaking Club, won a few national and international awards
After college
- liaison officer of Chinese government poverty alleviation program to an impoverished county (each policy financier like us has been assigned a pair-up county to help reduce poverty with our resources and expertise). Helped source experts and funding for local farmers to grow certain fruits and identified early stage buyers.
- Licensed English teacher within the company, offering regular English language and interpreting/translation training to interested employees as a part of the company's staff training module
-Also speak intermediate French (B1 proficiency under EU standards)

Post MBA goals
Work as an investment officer in infrastructure at one of the nascent China-sponsored multilateral development banks

Background: Applying Fall 2020.
Race/nationality: US
Sex: Male

Undergrad school/major: George Mason University, History (3.43 GPA)

Grad School: London School of Economics MSc. International History

GMAT Score: Have yet to take

Work experience and leadership: Have worked in political campaigns extensively ether as an intern or as a full-time employee before going to grad school, including for a high profile state party. I worked as a researcher for three prominent public affairs outfits. While I interned for several think tanks in college and on the Hill for a high profile member of the US Congress as well as for a House committee. I am currently working as a government contractor with a Federal agency. In these roles, I have worked with high-level donors, officials, and dealt with issues/risks impacting the business.

Community and Others:
Served as a board member and treasurer of my undergraduate social fraternity's alumni org.
Treasurer for a local political organization
Active in Washington foreign policy networking organizations.

Post-Grad Goal of MBA:
I want to work in energy finance/consulting, focusing on how political and regulatory risks impact this industry. Strong interest in emerging markets and their unique dynamics as well. Seeking a role that combines strategy, corporate finance and client advisory overall.

Hi Londinium,

How much is your total experience overall? Adcoms don't really count internships as work experience. However, since you were working in the same field which you joined after studying, it shows a strong inclination.

Secondly, what is the motivation behind energy finance? Do you have direct experience in this area in your current role? While the MBA helps in advancing one's career you should also specify why you need one and how it will build upon your education so far.
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Hi all!

I just wanted to request my profile evaluation for wharton.

GMAT: 750

Total work ex:7-8 years professional, 2 years full time startup of my own.

5 years work ex in engineering in oil and gas- worked with KBR (Kellog brown and root) . 8 months in US (Houston, Texas) 6 months in taiwan.
Pursued and cleared CFA parallely.(all levels cleared fist attempt).

Came back to India, resigned oil and gas job and worked on a startup - motivated from my time in US. ( concept: Indias first Android based health store). Prepared financial model, raised collateral free seed funding (interest based not equity based from nationlized bank (about 100,000$) Can provide details if required.

Worked as director for another similar startup, Collaborating my idea with one of indias promising milkshake chain.

Startup wasn't a success. Got back to job market.

3 years experience in finance.
2.5 years at Morgan Stanley (analyst) . (MSCI). Handelling mergers acqusitions, spin offs and inplementing corporate actions and assisting big institutional investors like blackrock in portfolio replications based on corporate actions. Supporting on complex factor based indices. (Enjoyed later part more but limited exposure at Morgan Stanley)

Currently working with national stock exchange of India as senior manager. Meeting fund managers, understanding market demand and factors that would enhance investor returns,and creating new debt and equity products.creating new indexes, strategy based indexes, thematic and factor based indexes (growth /value, momentum) and giving to clients and funds so that they can use the product for benchmarking and investing. Writing technical white papers, describing historical performance of stock portfolios during recessionary peroiods compared with other products,planning and launching new indexes.

Social impact would say moderate. Not very active. Have participated in a few events but not any leadership role in any organization per say.

graduation Bachellor of engineering from tier II college (one of the best for chemical engineering but non-IITs) and CFA (level 3 cleared) CGP around 4.2.

Awards:most innovative startup,
Morgan Stanley DCS innovation Award
Honors in chemical engineering.

Please consider this as urgent as I plan to apply for R1 deadline which I think is 20 September.


Thanks a tonne in advance.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi. Is this group even active?

Hi Mudit27021988,

Thank you for your post. You have a very compelling narrative with excellent quant. Without a goal, however, it's difficult to provide feedback on your chances. Why do you require an MBA at this point in your career?

If you would like an offline conversation, please reach out.

Good luck!




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Posted from my mobile device[/quote]

Hi. Is this group even active?[/quote]


Just a heads up, I believe the R1 deadline is the 17th, not the 20th, so if you are planning to submit by R1 then keep that in mind

Hey everyone, just took my GMAT recently so I’m currently looking at my odds for admission in R1 2020.

White male American, 25 years old

Undergrad GPA: 3.85, graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees: BBA Finance and BA Chinese
Attended a Big 12 state school on the cusp of the top 100 in the rankings, was a National Merit Scholarship recipient

GMAT: 730 (48Q 42V)

Work experience: Just over 3 years in sell-side equity research covering tech (will be over 5 years at matriculation). I was promoted from analyst to associate this year, and now as the second-in-command on a three person team, my boss treats my position as the day to day “project manager” with one analyst working under me

Extracurriculars: Actively involved in our department recruiting team, served as team captain for a number of fundraising drives (United Way, United Performing Arts Fund). Part of my state’s top ranked club rugby team, with the team I’ve participated in quite a few community outreach activities, also helped plan and set up the nation’s largest summer rugby tournament.

Goals: Still working on crafting the best impact statement here, since I realize as a white guy in finance I’ll need something that makes me stand out from the pack. My goal is to remain focused on tech investing. Venture capital would be my dream, also open to public equity investing at a hedge fund/mutual fund, potential backup plan is corp dev at a tech company.

Other: Passed CFA Level 2, hoping to pass Level 3 next June and be a CFA charterholder at the time of application

Having read so many impressive backgrounds and stories made me realize that I was very lucky to have been accepted into Wharton as a WG16 as a Latin American applicant! Good luck to everyone!
_________________

Thank you all in advance for willingness to evaluate candidate profiles.
May I see if I could get some feedback on my candidacy for Wharton (+Columbia, Duke, NYU)?

Background and nationality: 32 Male Korean (permanent residency)

Undergrad Information:
University of Iowa, Triple majors in Chemistry, Psychology, Business
GPA: 3.47 -- It is likely on the low side given public school, but time management was difficult among three majors. I did achieve 3.93 (top 10%) on a 1-year master's program immediately after undergrad.

GMAT: 760 (50Q, 42V)

Work experience:
- (Current) 4 years in Business Development at top 3 contract research organization (CRO) (~24,000 employees) with a promotion from manager to associate director. As BD, helped Korean companies prepare and execute an overseas clinical trials.
- Previously, 3 years as analysts/manager at the top contract research organization (CRO) helping develop new offerings and helped the organization evaluate the current delivery model.

Extracurriculars:
- Vice president of student government (business school) at undergrad.
- Class president of student government at 1-year master's program (~110 classmates)
- I did make a mistake to leave the "extracurricular" field blank in my round 1 application, but my resume does reflect these above two activities, as well as Hurricane Katrina Recovery volunteer (2006)
- If I am invited to an interview, I can mention about managing an organized baseball team with folks in my field, serving in many different volunteering organizations in undergrad.

Others:
- 2 years in Korea Navy as mandatory service (but recognized for volunteer service as a US permanent resident, who has an option to opt out)
- Summer internship at Royal Bankd of Scotland in undergrad
- Fluency in English/Korean. Conversational in Japanese

Post MBA goals:
Immediately after MBA: Work in VC/PE/in-licensing function to bringing financial resources into Korean companies to actively pursue late-phase studies in major markets (US)
Long-term Goal: Familiarize with US market access to help Korean companies directly launch their products in Korea.

Any feedback on your honest view on the likelihood of admission will be helpful!
Also, how much would it cost that I left those extracurricular fields blank?

Thank you

Congratulations on a great GMAT score and solid work experience. On paper, you appear to be building good credentials for a Wharton application. The thing is, though, there are a lot of very accomplished Caucasian women applying to Wharton from a solid bulge-bracket finance background. Assessing your profile more holistically will require understanding of your extracurriculars and how you want to "sell" your prior professional success in the context of your future coals. The AdComs know that VC is HARD to get, EVEN for people COMING from VC or other competitive finance professions (e.g., PE). Most people who recruit for VC or PE don't get it, including some people who came from those fields and are looking for prestigious or remunerative placements post-MBA. Corporate VC is a little bit less competitive BUT there aren't that many roles that recruit MBAs. Wharton does have strong relationships with Comcast Ventures since it's local to Philadelphia and they take a lot of Wharton talent. You might look into that as it could be something to talk about in the essays (assuming of course that you have some time to media or tech or smart home or something that would make Comcast interested in your industry background). You also need to make sure that you come across as somebody who will be active and involved in the Wharton community while you're there. What kind of student will you be? What do you want to study? What clubs will you join? Are you an introverted or extraverted leader? Do you see yourself on stage for the Follies or in the sim lab preparing to crush a stock pitch competition? This is the type of material that I'd need to know in order to help you ascertain your chances. The bottom line is that Wharton turns down a lot of finance people with 750 GMAT scores. You need to make sure you have a water-tight application strategy in order to stand out. If you feel like a free consultation with a consultant might help you hone in on your Wharton application strategy, free free to reach out via the link below. https://admissionado.com/free-consultat ... sultation/ and we’ll get into it. Oh and take your time and really sink into the request form, the more stuff you say about your profile, the meatier the chat.

Congratulations on a solid GMAT score and already-differentiated list of professional accomplishments. One positive aspect of your application is that you are not applying from a super-overrepresented professional field among Chinese applicants such as tech. Your english competencies, combined with the intersection of your finance work with policy and infrastructure make you a compelling candidate. It sounds like you have bulge-bracket banking names on your resume, which Wharton especially cares about (since it's recruiters want their employees to have corporate pedigree). Lots of people with backgrounds like yours find themselves in D.C. working for the IMF or World-Bank or a sovereign wealth fund or Temasek. I like your extracurriculars - there seem to be quite a few that would make you stand out from the many Chinese applicants who apply - but what really matters is how you SELL these extracurriculars to the AdCom. How will these passions make you a more involved, value-additive member of the Wharton community? Will you be leading clubs? Winning competitions? Also important, how will they contribute to what kind of involved, civically-engaged alum you'll be?

I probably don't need to tell you this, but admissions for international applicants, and Chinese applicants in particular, is especially challenging. Wharton (as well as most other top MBA programs) is targeting a roughly 40% international student population. That means that non-US students (ALL non-US students) have only 40% of the spaces. So all the top Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, etc. hopefuls are competing for fewer than half of the spots. There are many applicants who get turned down with stellar academics and GMAT scores. What usually happens in these cases is that the APPLICATION STRATEGY was the problem. The candidate did not present a differentiated resume in terms of existing professional success, ambitions but unique goals and memorable essays and extracurricular passions.

A more fulsome analysis of your background and your Wharton-specific chances (as well as an evaluation of your application strategy -- probably the most important variable in assessing your candidacy) can't really be done with merely the information you provided. If you feel like a free consultation with a consultant might help you hone in on your Wharton application strategy, free free to reach out via the link below. https://admissionado.com and we’ll get into it. Oh and take your time and really sink into the request form, the more stuff you say about your profile, the meatier the chat.

At a young age, you are already building a differentiated and compelling resume. You are still a good bit younger than the average Wharton accepted student (usually in the 26-28 range), so it's best to be strategic about how you use these next few years (I would wait several years to apply). It's awesome that you are studying for the CFA. If you are worried about your GPA, passing CFA exams and achieving an excellent GMAT score will help you prove that you can handle a high-stakes testing environment like Wharton. Of the CFA and GMAT, the GMAT will be more important to AdComs, so if you are stretched then, that's where I would recommend you putting your studying hours. If you can handle both, though, more power to you.

MANY, MANY Indian applicants apply from the tech field. What you have going for you, though, is that it sounds like you are much more entrepreneurial than most and, as a result of working at start-ups, you've gotten some cool leadership and people/project management experience that other Indian tech applicants who are at larger (though potentially more prestigious) companies won't be able to write about. You should definitely continue to reach for new "growth" opportunities at work so that you can continue to differentiate yourself in this way.

What is interesting to you about Investment Banking? It seems like a departure from your historic work experience and education. It's possible that IB could be sell-able in your application (I'd need to know more about your background and your long-term career objectives to know for sure) but you need to be able to make your interest in this field credible and genuine (vs. merely an interest in lucrative & prestigious employment). Along with consulting, IB is a very common application essay topic. This doesn't make it BAD, necessarily, but it does necessitate the need to put together a differentiated application package. Depending on your prior work experience, espousing interest in tech or entrepreneurship or data analytics may be more sell-able -- you may appear more imminently employable in those fields than IB. Wharton wants you to be imminently employable in the field you chose.

Most top US MBA programs, including Wharton, are between 30-40% international. That means that all the top applicants from China, India, Pakistan (all countries outside of the US), are vying for less than half of the spots. For Indian men coming from tech, the odds are especially tough. You simply must make sure that you are putting together the best possible application strategy, flawless essays, and that's in addition to checking the important boxes of GMAT, GPA, work experience. If you feel like a free consultation with a consultant might help you hone in on your Wharton application strategy, free free to reach out via the link below. https://admissionado.com and we’ll get into it. Oh and take your time and really sink into the request form, the more stuff you say about your profile, the meatier the chat.

Hello, I am curious as to what my chances of getting into Wharton are. Thank you in advance for any and all insight.

1. GMAT: 740 (Q48/44V)
2. Undergrad: mid-tier US private university 3.7 GPA, business major
3. Additional coursework: 1 HBS Online course
4. Experience:
3 years Active Duty US Army (will be 4 when class starts)
-1 deployment to the Middle East
-2 roles leading ~ 20 people each time and responsible for $3M/$20M worth of equipment
-by name selected for a third role to deploy in position above rank
5. 25-year-old white male
6. Additional experience/extracurricular:
Student Class Representative while in college
Army ROTC
7. Post MBA Goal
Either start or be early in a company

I am an Indian male.

Background: Civil Engineering
Undergrad Information: 8.9/10 CGPA, Department Topper for Civil Engineering, Continuous 100% scholarship for all 4 years based on previous years performance.
The college is ranked 37 according to the government of India but it is one of the Top 5 private colleges in India. I chose it because of the scholarship and distance from my home.
GMAT: 710 (Q49 V38 AWA5 IR8) first attempt(was sick that day) and 770 (Q50 V45 AWA5 IR8) on the second attempt
WE: no full-time work experience as I am applying for recently announced Advance Access deferred programme
Leadership: Have been actively involved in numerous activities on campus. Most notably I have worked for three years organising the annual Model United Nations Conference where I worked my way up to the position of Director-General with over 100 people working under me. I am also the president of the Entrepreneurship Club of the University and have organised multiple one of a kind events and interactions on campus. Also involved in the Student Chapters of multiple organizations in various capacities. I am one of two the elected class representatives for my batch.

Outside of campus, I have also been involved in social work. I have worked for two years with an NGO working for the rights of women and children in mainly an editorial role but contributing on the ground as and when required.
I have completed my certifications in Lean Management and Lean Six Sigma from the British Standards Institute as well as many certifications in Data Presentation and Project Management from Coursera.

Post MBA Goals: Finance has always been of great interest to me. I want to get into Venture Capital (maybe Impact Investing in particular) as I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and I like meeting new people and listening to new ideas. India is a great growth market for VC and I want to come back to India and contribute to the growth story here.

I plan to work in an early stage startup or a VC fund in the two years after graduating and start my CFA.

Congratulations on your 770 GMAT score. Given your competitive demo, it really helps that you rocked the GMAT. Wharton will care most about the higher score of the two, so don't worry about the initial score and there is no need to "explain" it on your app. Since you are applying for Advance Access, your application strategy is unique and requires special attention. Wharton has only relatively recently offered Moelis Advance Access to non-Wharton undergrads. Usually it is college seniors to apply, though it seems from your post that you have already graduated from undergrad. Is that the case? (It isn't totally clear from your post). Advance Access cares quite a bit about work experience (even though its applicants are applying as college seniors, they go by internships). It is super helpful if you can land a prestigious internship during a college summer to put on your resume. They also want to see incredible extracurricular leadership (and likely have a higher bar for the kind of club leadership that they expect from college students since they naturally have more schedule flexibility than a traditional MBA applicant like a IB analyst or associate or management consulting associate who works and/or travels constantly).

Startups are probably reasonable goals for immediately post-MBA but VC probably isn't unless there are special circumstances you didn't list here. Reason being that respectable VC with traditional carry and everything is incredibly hard to get post-wharton and the adcom knows this. The exception is if you have deep VC chops already prior to going to school (but you necessarily won't have this if you are Advance Access).

Your model UN stuff could definitely resonate if you spin that leadership the right way (social impact/government aspirations?). Although your post contains a lot of helpful details, it's really hard to offer you the in-depth advice that you could probably benefit from without hearing more of your story and your aspirations and how your prior success backs up those aspiratoins. We'd need to develop a cursory roadmap with your prior passions and work experience demonstrating that you are qualified for your future goals.

I probably don't need to tell you that the competition among your demographic - Indian Engineers - is incredibly fierce. There are IIT engineers with 770+ GMAT and incredible work experience that get rejected from the top US schools every year. You have a very competitive profile, but you need to make sure that you have a memorable and watertight admissions strategy and you need to make sure that you are talking about your ECs and your post-MBA goals the right way. This is the only way you can beat those odds. This is a challenge that we face a lot and with which we have a lot of successful prior experience. If talking to an admissions consultant might be helpful to you, feel free to reach out for a free consultation here: https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/