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

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.

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

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. Is this group even active?

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

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!
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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.

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.

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.