MS Finance Profile Evaluations [Master Thread]: Post all Profiles Here

I do a lot of candidate evals and this is easily the best post I’ve read in terms of a holistic summary of your candidacy. *So much* of this process is strategic positioning and knowing yourself and your personal brand. In this sense, knowing yourself from the front end is so important and differentiating. Given that so much of admissions is strategic positioning, it’s also quite hard to evaluate somebody when all they give is stats - GPA or GMAT or whatever - without any material on what could differentiate their essays. You’ve done that here which should hopefully provide more color with which to evaluate your candidacy. The schools you are targeting could easily fill their classes 5 times over with candidates who have excellent GMATs/GREs and GPAs - that’s the reason why candidate eval requests that only focus on stats are nearly impossible to evaluate. Schools want leaders with demonstrated impact, and it’s impossible to see whether a candidate has that unless they talk about it in their eval request.

There’s nothing wrong with not being 100% sure about a very expensive degree! You want to make sure the ROI is there and that’s totally understandable. A lot of people get into H/W/S MBA and defer or decide not to pursue MBA, so you are right to apply that same paradigm re a masters in finance. Harvard MBA has a ~91% yield. This means that 9% of admits don’t attend. These admits literally have the best ranked business opportunity available (from an academic standpoint) and they make the calculated decision not to take it. Granted, some of these people go to other universities (often on a significant negotiated scholarship with their HBS acceptance as leverage) but many don’t pursue MBA at all. Don’t be peer pressured into applying anywhere and paying tens of thousands for a degree that might not be useful.

Generally speaking, the higher ranked the school, the better the recruiting outcomes, and the better the tuition ROI and the opportunity cost justification. Also, non-MBA masters are typically 1 year, so you don’t lose out on as much earning potential. Talk to alums in your network from your target list -- do they think their masters was worth it? Look at the school’s website to find out post-masters exit salary. Some schools also offer data for 3 and 5 years out. Is this more than you think you could make without the degree? Look to your personal network. Do you have a strong business network today? Look on linkedin to find out where these alums are going after their masters. Is it worth paying for this program to gain access to that personal board of directors? These are the questions you should ask yourself about whether the masters advantage is real and if it’s worth it to you. It may not be, and that’s totally fine.

Your GPA is what it is. For the schools you are targeting it will indeed be on the lower end. But you’ll face fewer demo headwinds as an underrepresented US minority and a domestic applicant generally. I’m not sure your GPA is low enough to “explain” in your optional essay, especially if you don’t necessarily have a “reason” for it (other than generic college malaise, as it sounds like is the case here). So while it’s true that your GPA isn’t awesome and it’s true that it would be better if you were coming from a more prestigious school, your work experience is objectively more impressive than most non-MBA masters applicants. The best programs are dominated with internationals and the bar is very high for those demos with regard to scores and grades. Many people join right out of undergrad without any real work experience besides maybe one financial services job between junior or senior year. But the truth is people who have a great IB gig or consulting offer to start right after senior year aren’t applying to masters programs until MBA 3-5 years out. So you aren’t going to be competing with people who have as strong of a resume from a professional standpoint as you.

In light of your GPA realities, you’ll want to meet or exceed the GRE/GMAT averages for the schools to which you apply in order to have a realistic chance. Your 167/164 breakdown is probably high enough, if a bit on the lower end, for some of the schools you are targeting. I’d try a practice GMAT, too. Most of these schools will accept both and you may favor one over the other.

Your strategic positioning essays will be good if you are thoughtful about them. You have the resume to really come across as a leader - manager of a proven entrepreneurship (honestly if this was your first 2 years at college and your GPA was low, I think you could write an essay on *this* to explain why your focus was elsewhere) leader of 300 person club at school, elective thesis, etc. Most masters students won’t have these credentials. You just need to spin them the right way in your essays (showing rather than telling, etc.) and making sure that your narrative about what you want to do in the future is 1) imminently achievable based on your prior success 2) ambitious enough to keep the company of the peers of the schools to which you are applying 3) matches up with the LOR you get from managers/professors in terms of your personality/achievements/stated goals.

As you are crafting your story, it probably makes sense to talk to talk to as many of the alums of the schools you are targeting as possible. If you are in NY, there’s probably a way to do this through your alum network, even over zoom calls given the pandemic. If you want to talk to an admissions consultant who is also an alum at one of these schools, they may also be able to help you strategically position your story and help you evaluate where you would have the best chances of admission. Feel free to email claudia at [email protected] if you’d like a free consultation with a consultant at Admissionado.

Congratulations on your GMAT score - a 770 will likely exceed the average for most of the schools you’ll be targeting. Your GPA from Nottingham will also be a strong indicator of academic performance.

All schools want international diversity in their student body, so depending on the strength of your kiwi bona fides, that might bode well for your candidacy, also. It almost certainly would for US schools of similar caliber. (Speaking of, is there a reason why MIT, Wharton and Duke aren’t on your list?).

Though I think your chances are strong at ESSEC, HEC and SKEMA, I think you’d have a better selection if you apply to more schools. You’ll be better at negotiating potential scholarships, too, if you have more acceptances.

Prestige of firm matters a great deal to these schools. Equity research is good work experience for top schools, but being at a reputable shop that the AdCom recognizes will also be important. The reason why they care about this is because *other post-masters recruiters* will care about this, and other recruiters (and what they pay, and what % of the class they employ) play into a school’s ranking. If you don’t come from a well-known equity research firm, then you’ll want to pay up what you do as much as possible in terms of the outside-of-the-box, wearer-of-many-hats opportunities that come with being an analyst at a smaller company (e.g., more client/stakeholder exposure, closer relationships with companies being reviewed, etc.).

One thing I’d get on top of are your extracurriculars. I know you probably spend a lot of time at the office but you need to make extracurricular leadership a priority. Right now it looks like you don’t have any hobbies or passions that you’ve actively pursued since college (forgive me if that’s not the case, all I can go by is what you write in your candidate eval request). Also, you need to make sure that your civic engagement is more than just that of a “foot soldier” (e.g., classroom volunteer vs. coordinator of classroom volunteers/president of club). These schools have a lot of good selection of people with top grades and scores -- what they want is leaders who have demonstrated impact who have lives outside of work (since these are the people who make for actively engaged and successful alums).

You have the table stakes already - scores and grades and (probably) work experience. But in order to better understand how you should be applying from a strategic positioning standpoint (e.g., exit career goals that are imminently achievable based on prior success but also ambitious, how you plan to contribute as a student outside of the classroom, etc.). If talking about your unique strategic positioning with an admissions consultant might be helpful, feel free to each out to Claudia at [email protected] if you’d like a free consultation with a consultant at Admissionado.

Hey everyone. I really appreciate this community and all those spending their valuable time to help out young applicants. Here's an overview of my profile:

Nationality & Background: Indian, Business/Finance grad with CFA Level 1 cleared

Undergrad Information: 3.3 GPA, Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) - Finance Specialization from NMIMS University (BBA Course Ranked #1 in the country)

GMAT: Not given yet. Expect to score at least 700-720, more if I prep longer.

Work experience: No Full time experience, only internships
Current: Intern at US-based VC Fund (past 1 month), Pro-bono strategy consultant at a social startup in India (past 5 months)
Past: Merchant Banking Internship & Real Estate Investment Internship (2 months each)

Community and others:
Mensa India Member, University's Social Impact Club Member, Have training in Bloomberg Terminal/SAS/Python, done a number of virtual internship programs and certifications.

Programs Interested In:
LBS MFA
LSE MSc Finance/other finance courses
Oxford/Cambridge (if i get an exceptional GMAT Score)
These programs are targeted at applicants without work ex, and I believe my CFA Level 1 and VC Internship help my cause, even though i have a low GPA

Post Master goals: Wish to work in IB Advisory in London. I'll also be giving CFA Level 2 in May.

Additional Info:
So I am a bit behind schedule, and just started preparing for the GMAT 2 weeks ago. I perform well in aptitude exams usually, and got a 700 in Official Practice Test 1 two weeks ago (albeit under terrible sleep deprivation) to get a baseline. The Economist/LBS website test gave me a range of 740-770, but its not as reliable. The official questions and OG question sets I've attempted till now (while timing myself), I've been hitting 80-100% accuracy. So I strongly believe I can get a high score if I prepare well.

My main concern is regarding the LBS MFA application - which favors a CFA Level 1 and doesn't require such applicants to submit a GMAT Score. I also know that having a great (740+) score will definitely help my chances. However, Round 1 of LBS' applications close on 30 September - which is not enough time for me to give the GMAT and get the maximum possible score that I can - which i'll need to apply to other unis.

So my options are as follows:
1) Apply to Round 1 of LBS without a GMAT Score - just my CFA Level 1 and profile. Round 1 usually has higher acceptance rates.
2) Apply to Round 2/3 with a GMAT Score (lets say 720-740)

(Other unis I'll only apply to after giving the GMAT)

So do you think I have a profile strong enough to pick Option (1), or should I get a GMAT Score and apply in a more competitive round?

I hope this isn't all over the place and that it makes some sense. Let me know if you honestly feel i'm aiming too high! For the kind of jobs I am targeting, I want to ensure I get into a great course and be close to London. Appreciate the help.

H

Hey KQ,

I would like to start off by saying that your GPA is good and your GMAT is excellent so that totally works in your favor.

Internship in Big 4 is a strong point in your profile aim to highlight projects and make sure you include the skills you developed during that time

Accenture is also a decent firm so the work experience there can be an add-on to your profile as well..

Coming to your goal of Mfin, you lack the experience relating to it, so it’d be important to add relevant projects related to finance, any certification courses you might have done or CFA exam scores that will help you make your profile stronger if you plan to persist in the finance program.

Talking about the schools, All the targeted schools are in the dream category and highly competitive so you will need to make sure that you ace every part of the application (essays, GMAT, LOR, resume) to get noticed.

HEC, INSEAD, Oxford and Yale would be the toughest of the lot, followed by LBS, LEC which have a slightly bigger chance of getting in considering you craft a strong application that highlights your leadership skills and other valuable skills in the business setting.

You’d have to showcase a passion for finance and superior goal clarity along with any relevant experience in the financial field if you want to get into any of these schools.
If you provide us with more information on internships and projects we can help you frame your thought process better. But your chances can range anywhere from 40-80% depending on how strong your application is.

In my suggestion, it’d be beneficial for you to get a certification in finance and an internship in the financial field.
Further, We would be glad to help and figure out what are the best schools you can target and improve your admissions chances. Feel free to set up a call for a strategy session with one of our consultants and discuss all your queries.

https://www.mim-essay.com/book-an-appointment-form/

Hey Everyone,

Could you please comment on this?

Thank you so much!

Hi thenikhilseth,
Your Profile seems pretty good.

To start off your B.Tech GPA of 3.3 is quite a fair score. As you are targeting a score of 680 in the GMAT, I would recommend aiming for a higher score may be anything above a 690+. Since that opens up a wider variety of schools to target for you.

Speaking of your work experience, I see you have 1 year of work experience but I see that the brand is something that is not particularly strong.
However, you can always compensate for that by talking about the kind of projects you have undertaken, how you went above and beyond your work to achieve a target, initiatives taken and impact created. Basically showcasing how you have grown and progressed in your role at GATE Leaders over the past 12 months.

Apart from this, I see you are the founder of an NGO which is great and you have cubed your entrepreneurial initiative along with your volunteering initiative, showcasing your ability to take the lead and be a change-maker. Highlighting the impacts you have created here would definitely work to improve your profile. A good point which schools will appreciate.

Your work as a part-time fashion model while deviating from the norm is interesting. Though you can showcase your learnings from this role and how it has helped you grow and learn new skills. Maybe talk about how you applied your management skills here to organize an event or build a network of contacts. Highlighting these aspects could definitely work in your favor.

As for your internship at the NGO as a virtual volunteer, showcasing what you did and how you created impact is what will matter most. You are also pursuing a certification in Business Analyst Course which is great and can definitely be an add-on to your profile.

Talking about your extracurricular, they need a little more work. Three out of the four points you have mentioned are just about one thing — your modeling career. These are deviating from your activities in your undergraduate to more activities outside your UG, I would suggest adding a bit more activities from your UG time, that will help you draft strong essays enhancing your Admit chances.

However, you can showcase the modeling as a testament to your persistence and handwork and how you have climbed the ranks and won the title of Mr. India, which appeared in top magazines.
Talking about the learnings from this would definitely help but it would be clubbed under one title of modeling.

Talking about your NCC ‘A’ certificate while a great achievement, is something many people have done but nevertheless you can add your volunteering experiences as an extracurricular activity.

Maybe did deeper and look for any feasts or clubs, projects undertaken in your UG for example. These are all general points and you will need a brainstorming session to come up with more.

The schools you are targeting CEMS, Ivy, Queens, ESCP, Bocconi, ESSEC, IE would be under the competitive category and you have a 60-70% chance of getting admitted if you showcase your application to stand out from the other applicants.

For a more in-depth profile evaluation and more recommendations for schools and target programs you can email us your resume at [email protected] and further you can also check out this free profile evaluation tool for same :

[https://www.mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation/?utm_source=GMATClub&utm_medium=Profile%20Evaluation&utm_campaign=3-09-2020]https://www.mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation/[/url]

Hey Chimp1403,

I would like to start off by saying that you have a good profile.

Starting with your strong suits, Your education background is strong and relevant and can act as a bedrock for an application.
Your grades are good and as you graduated with a finance degree, it would serve as a good point to display your financial acumen, which schools really appreciate. Though, you should focus on showing your electives, your extracurricular activities, and other courses you undertook to build a strong financial foundation.

As for your work experience, PwC is a good brand name and will definitely help you in building a strong application. Aim to highlight projects and make sure you include the skills you developed during that time. That would help showcase how you used the knowledge you gained in your undergrad in real-life situations.

The ACCA certificate is also a highlighting point in your profile as it showcases your proactive attitude and how you have gone beyond the college curriculum to build your skill set and a stronger understanding of finance. Paired with your work experience, it would really be an interesting point to expound on.

Your GMAT scores are great and display your academic prowess and dedication. Hence, getting into Warwick won’t be a problem for you. With a strong application, you have a 60-70% chance of getting into the program.

Though, I would suggest you go beyond Warwick and apply to better schools such as LBS, LSE, ESSEC, HEC, Imperial, and Oxford as they are way better than Warwick. These schools can be your first preference and you can apply to Warwick as your second choice.

As you are still in the early stages of your application process, We would be glad to help and figure out what are the best schools you can target and improve your admissions chances. Feel free to set up a call for a strategy session with one of our consultants and discuss all your queries.

https://www.mim-essay.com/book-an-appointment-form/

Hey yusufxzy,

To address your doubts regarding FSFM, I would say that you need not worry about the quality of its education as it is one of the best schools in Germany.

Frankfurt is also the financial capital of the country so if you want to work in Germany after your post graduation, FSFM can help you achieve that.

Now coming to your profile, i would like to say it is a pretty decent profile.

Your education background of BBA in Finance is a strong point to highlight. Not only it shows your inclination towards finance but it also gives you a strong foundation of financial knowledge. You can showcase your financial acumen by talking about your research thesis, it can act as a bedrock for an application.

Though there is a lack of big brand names in your profile, you can easily correct that by talking about the kind of work you have done there. The projects you led, how you used your financial judgment to achieve great results, how you positively impacted the company etc.

Being a CFA level 1 candidate also works in your favour as well, it shows your proactive attitude towards improving your knowledge base.

Coming to your extracurriculars, it is always important to showcase leadership activities and how you led teams and created a substantial impact by being a part of those activities. You have to go above and beyond just simply participating in them if properly explained it will be a good differentiating point for your application.

If you are looking for studying in Germany, schools you can target would be WHU, Mannheim, HHL for the MFin program. You can also check out European schools such as ESSEC, ESCP, IE, Warwick etc, as they also provide a good working experience post graduation.

If you are planning to work as a student, German policies only allow an International student to work for 20 hours a week and with the written permission of their college or university.
So I would suggest you apply for various scholarships such as DAAD or the scholarships provided by your target schools to aid you in your studies as it would be a better option for you.

As you are still in the early stages of your application process, I would suggest you to book a strategy session with us where our experienced consultants would help you brainstorm and figure out the best schools for you according to your needs and preferences.

You can book a session here-
https://www.mim-essay.com/book-an-appointment-form/

Hey yusufxzy,

To address your doubts regarding FSFM, I would say that you need not worry about the quality of its education as it is one of the best schools in Germany.

Frankfurt is also the financial capital of the country so if you want to work in Germany after your post graduation, FSFM can help you achieve that.

Now coming to your profile, i would like to say it is a pretty decent profile.

Your education background of BBA in Finance is a strong point to highlight. Not only it shows your inclination towards finance but it also gives you a strong foundation of financial knowledge. You can showcase your financial acumen by talking about your research thesis, it can act as a bedrock for an application.

Though there is a lack of big brand names in your profile, you can easily correct that by talking about the kind of work you have done there. The projects you led, how you used your financial judgment to achieve great results, how you positively impacted the company etc.

Being a CFA level 1 candidate also works in your favor as well, it shows your proactive attitude towards improving your knowledge base.

Coming to your extracurricular, it is always important to showcase leadership activities and how you led teams and created a substantial impact by being a part of those activities. You have to go above and beyond just simply participating in them if properly explained it will be a good differentiating point for your application.

If you are looking for studying in Germany, schools you can target would be WHU, Mannheim, HHL for the MFin program. You can also check out European schools such as ESSEC, ESCP, IE, Warwick etc, as they also provide a good working experience post graduation.

If you are planning to work as a student, German policies only allow an International student to work for 20 hours a week and with the written permission of their college or university.
So I would suggest you apply for various scholarships such as DAAD or the scholarships provided by your target schools to aid you in your studies as it would be a better option for you.

As you are still in the early stages of your application process, I would suggest you to book a strategy session with us where our experienced consultants would help you brainstorm and figure out the best schools for you according to your needs and preferences.

You can book a session here-
https://www.mim-essay.com/book-an-appointment-form/

Hey rudy15

You have a pretty decent profile.

Starting with the strengths of your profile. You have a strong academic background. Graduating from UCL would work in your favor as it provides you with a robust international experience.
In the academic part, you would need to highlight how you developed a passion for finance even though you were a computer science major.
The migration from engineering to finance would be an interesting point to talk about.

As finance was your minor, It would be crucial for you to display how you built strong financial knowledge based and developed your financial acumen. You can utilize your financial modules to further prove this point.

Coming to your work experience, I would say you have had a fairly strong experience. You should highlight your workings at KPMG and how it took you develop a further passion in the finance field if properly explained it will be a good differentiating point for your application.

Your experience at Microsoft is also a good one and you can talk about the kind of work you have done there, how you built a strong analytical foundation by undertaking various projects and how you showcased your leadership skills by organizing several workshops.

Working at a quant finance project with a startup is also an interesting point to highlight. It would also be really interesting to talk about your thesis as it proves that you have the financial intelligence and foundation knowledge to build a prosperous career in the field.

Moreover, your CFA would also strengthen your application as it would showcase your proactive attitude and how you are passionate enough for finance to go above and beyond in improving your knowledge base.

As you haven’t given your GMAT yet, I would suggest you to score anywhere above 700 as it would help you get into most of the schools you are targeting and widen up your options as well.

Most of these schools mentioned above have rolling admission deadlines so it would be better if you plan and give your GMAT by November and complete your application by December so you can be in time for round 2. Waiting till Jan can drastically decrease your admission chances, so better not to take a chance there.

Your GPA can be an issue for LSE and Imperial but you can sort it out by sending schools an email and ask them beforehand if you would be a fit.
Since your profile is on a strong end, make sure you ace every part of the application (essays, GMAT, LOR, resume) showcasing your passion for finance competently you can have a good chance in most of your target schools.

As you’re planning to apply for the 2021 intake, you can check our flagship service- All-In-One Solution to see how we assist applicants in preparing polished application materials (essays, LORs, resume, etc.).

Link to our All-In-One Solution-

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Here, you can even Book a Free Consulting call to connect with one of our consultants.

Hi guys,

my name is Nelly and I'd love to hear your opinion about my profile and my chances getting into an MSc Finance. I'd like to apply for some programs for October 2021 intakte, as I get my Bachelor's end of September 2021. Otherwise I'd also be willing to wait another year and spend the time doing some internships.

Background and nationality: Female, 23 years old at time of application, German

Undergrad Information: Integrated Degree Program (quite selective, because you have to go through Assessment Centers at the cooperation-bank) at Berlin School of Economics and Law with a german GPA of 1,4 (corresponds to 3.6 in America, I guess?), thereby part of the top 4% in my year with my major, it's a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with Focus on Banking

GMAT/GRE: 700 (Q42, V42)

Work experience and leadership
only via integrated degree program with UniCredit Bank AG in retail banking, wholesale banking and back office (sme-consulting, real estate loans, credit analyst) -> in total approximately 1,5 years
class representative at university

Community and others
involvement in Fridays for Future Berlin (no proof thereof)

Post Master goals
career in suststainable finance (issuance of green bonds or asset management for green funds)

Anything else?
international experience via school exchange to france (3 months) and a year spent in china doing au-pair while visiting Shenzhen University for a language course (excellence certification)

CV attached as well

Preferred Schools/Programs: (always MSc Finance, if not stated otherwise)
- Bocconi
- SSE
- Mannheim (Master in Management)
- HEC Paris
- HSG
- LSE
- Cambridge/ Oxfird (open for other programs of them as well)
- Imperial College (MSc Climate Change Management & Finance as well as MSc Finance)

My main concern is my low Quant-Score. I don't really know what happened there. Should I retake the GMAT? Also do you have ideas for some extracurriculars in germany? We dont have any student clubs at my university.
Thank you so much in advance!

Hi Guys,

I am planning to apply to Imperial college London and London School of Economics for MSc Finance
My background:
Age: 24 (Male)
Nationality: Indian
Graduation: B.Tech CSE 2018
Graduation Percentage: 68.9(6.89 gpa)
GMAT score: 600
Work experience:
2yrs in IT industry

Can anyone of you please share your opinion if this meets the entry criteria and provide any suggestions.

Hey Brettcement,

First off I would like to say that you have a pretty decent profile and some really interesting work experiences.

As you are concerned about your profile and have a lack of confidence I’d like to start by highlighting all the good parts of your profile and how you can leverage them in your application.

Your entrepreneurial experience is a really strong suit, so emphasizing proven stats of your work such as how you grossed over 450k in 2 years will give a roadmap of your journey to your results, making it a very strong point strengthening your application. Usually, schools appreciate applicants having entrepreneurial experiences, so showing how you have managed to impact the revenue and gotten good results is a great point.

Reflecting on your skills, as you have led a team of six off-shore developers as well as a product marketing team, you can use that experience to display strong leadership skills and talk about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Your coordination and leadership skills can be good points to highlight in your application.

Further, the Trading work you have done is also an interesting experience and can be used to show you business prowess and how you have used the theoretical concepts in real life. Likewise, the kind of strategies you have used and how you accumulated and upped your skills can really showcase your financial acumen, especially if you are planning to apply in a MFin course.

Again, The internship experience at the hedge fund you gained is also a great way to showcase your skills. How you built upon the existing knowledge and impacted the company’s profits or productivity can be really strong points to talk about.

I can also see that you have a strong financial experience. As you have been a Vice President of a 300+ member Investment association and also a senior portfolio analyst. Thus, you can depict your involvement in extracurricular quite well by talking about the returns you created, the investment strategies you used, how many teams you led or the number of people you mentored in these positions. All of these things combined can be used to build a good holistic application.


Also, your Thesis paper can also be another great factor to showcase in your application, especially if it is related to the finance field.

Now coming to the issues in the profile especially the ones that concern you the most, is your college ranking. College ranking is definitely an important factor but you can negate the low ranking by talking about how you have grown your knowledge base and skillset over the years and what kind of work you have done in college and how it has shaped you. As a first gen college student, you can also talk about your childhood and family background and showcase how you haven’t let your circumstances hold you back from excelling in your life. Even Though college rankings play a big role, they are not the only factor of consideration in the admission process.

It is unclear if you have graduated or not. If you are in the final year of your graduation, you can target the deferred mba programs at MIT, Booth and Wharton. Your chances of getting into those programs would be anywhere between 40-50% depending on your gmat score and the quality of your application.

You can definitely target MFE and MFin programs at Columbia, Brandon, Princeton, LSE, Oxford, LBS. However, your GPA can be a bit of an issue for UK schools so you’d have to check out the individual requirements of the target school but if you have a GPA anywhere above 3.2 then it won’t be that big of a problem.

Lastly, since the major chances of your admission depend on the quality of your application, you might be seeking professional help to secure your spot in your target schools. You can check our, All-in-One Solution, our flagship essay editing service, to gain insights into how we can assist in creating a strong application. A good GMAT coupled with strong essays and an early application should help you get into your target schools.

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Hey deafheaven11,

You have a pretty decent profile.

Hailing from Egypt gives you a diversity edge. There are not a lot of applicants from Egypt and schools are always looking for increasing their cohort’s diversity, so it can increase your chances of getting into the program.

Your GPA is quite satisfactory. Hence, coupled with your overall college experience & learning you can frame an application that showcases your skills and how you used them outside of the classroom.

And, your GMAT score of 710 is great as it conveys your academic prowess; opening doors for you, wherever you apply.

Given your interest in Finance, pursuing CFA is also a strong point as it addresses your passion to learn and better your knowledge & skills.

Professionally, your Internship at a bank would work in your favour. It showcases your financial acumen and passion for finance, something that would be highly appreciated by the admission committee. You would be required to bring to light the focus on the kind of work you have done, the skills you could build and utilize during your stint. Moreover, it would be great to take up another internship at another bank or IB firm to increase your chances of getting into the program.

Further, on the note of extracurriculars, you must be cognizant of the fact that schools seek applicants having a holistic profile . Hence, accounting for the same, you can take up some volunteering activities or join a business/ finance club. Extracurriculars are a great way to showcase your skills like leadership, networking, communication skills, etc. Thus, you must get your hands on some extracurricular engagements/initiatives to strengthen your profile.

Since you already have a strong GMAT score, I’d suggest applying in the first or the second round and undertake an internship in parallel. This would really help increase your chances.

On the whole, LBS looks for all-round excellence, thus, you need to fill in the gaps in your profile to meet their set criterias. Besides LBS, it’s ideal to consider other options as well to be on the safer side; you can apply to schools like LSE, Imperial, Oxford and Warwick. These suggested world-renowned schools provide an experience that is parallel to LBS.

As major chances of your admission depend on the quality of your application, you might be seeking an expert touch on your application to secure your spot in your target school. Thus, you can check our, All-in-One Solution, our flagship essay editing service, through the link given below to gain insights into how we assist in creating a strong application.

Link to our All-In-One Solution-
https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hey alchya,

I can say that you have a pretty good profile. As you have stated you are studying at one of the top 10 French B-schools with a perfect GPA of 4.0 which is outstanding and showcases your academic abilities and how you have been a great student throughout the program.

Speaking of your international exchange programs both the top scores at ASU and the German Dual Degree program further substantiate your outstanding scholastic abilities. Aside from that the international experience you have gained is also something that B-schools look for in prospective applicants. It showcases your ability to adapt to different cultures and environments and your wide perspective.

Coming up to your entrepreneurial endeavors, despite the limited success they can be used to showcase how you took initiative and went beyond just what you were required to do. Try highlighting your learnings that you derived from both these ventures, how you have grown.

Your work experience is also pretty wide, you have a good amount of internships and the work with the Big 4 company adds a brand name to your experience which is great. Apart from this while highlighting your work ex, talk about the project you undertook, the impacts you created, how you went beyond the scope of your job and any initiatives taken.

I see you have close to 1.5 years+ of volunteering experience which is great, it showcases your ability to take leadership, be a team player and it highlights the empathetic part of your profile. Talk about the people you have impacted here and show the school what kind of value you would be adding. Schools are looking for future leaders and this is definitely something that will add to your profile.

For the GMAT you hope to get a score of 670-710, so I would suggest target nothing below 690. Getting a 690+ will bolster an already great profile and open up a wide variety of schools you can target.

Coming up to your extracurricular I see a lot of sports taken up and a lot of roles as a team captain which is great as it showcases your leadership. You can highlight the traits and skills you imbibed while doing this. Probably talk about how it has instilled perseverance and helped develop a confidence to take up any challenge. Basically adding value from this experience and how it helped you grow holistically.
Overall I would say you have a pretty holistically developed profile and can target most of the schools that you are aiming for. The only thing is your GMAT, anything above 690+ should do the trick.

Speaking of the schools, HEC, LSE, Oxford and St Gallen all come under the dream category. Which means they have an acceptance rate of 8-15% that said a well prepared application will allow you to stand out from the other applicants.

I see you have mentioned MiM and MiF, both of these are different programs. MiM is a more generic management program while MiF is a specialised masters program so only go for it if you have a strong interest in finance and are inclined to build a future career in the same.

By properly showcasing how you would be a value addition to the schools and highlighting the facts that make you different from the other applicants will increase your chances of getting admitted.

For a more in-depth profile evaluation and more recommendations for schools and target programs you can email us your resume at [email protected] and further you can also check out this free profile evaluation tool for same :

https://www.mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation/

Hey mrmonkey03029,
You have a very different profile. KCL is a pretty good college and you have an unusual UG with the B.Sc. in Political Economy which can highlight the diversity element since most colleges are looking for students from a diverse background.

I see you have taken up quite a lot of modules on the finance side so that would help you showcase your drive for finance. Adding on, the kind of research you did and are doing as an Undergraduate research assistant would need to be linked to the finance side of things to again show an orientation for finance.

The admin roles in the societies are good, they show leadership and empathy. But again the kind of work done, initiatives taken and the impact created is what will matter most.

Though you lack an internship part here, so any work done or paper written on the finance side of things will help you make a stronger application for finance.

For GMAT anything above a 690 would be fine for a lot of these schools, Imperial does not even require a GMAT and for EDHEC even a score of 650 would work.

On the whole, on the finance side your application is a bit weak because you do not have any experience in finance. Try to accomplish some research work, internship or a certification that can really help your pitch for the MFin programs.

That said you definitely have a stronger chance at MIM program, but you would need to have a different strategy as to what your goals are, and we would need to link it back to the experiences you have. Basically putting up a goal which is more in sync with what you have done so far.

On the other side, you can definitely target the M.Sc. in economics if you want to build a career in economics or political research or consulting research. Your profile is suited for that, but it again depends on your goals.

Since MFin and MIM have exactly the same job prospects you can use either to get closer to your goals. You can definitely target these programs if you pitch your profile correctly.

Hope this helps.

For a more in-depth profile evaluation and more recommendations for schools and target programs and how to properly showcase your profile you can email us your resume at [email protected] and further you can also check out this free profile evaluation tool for same :

https://www.mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation/

Hi, need a profile evaluation for MIF at LBS for 2021. I will be based in London for next three years so limiting my search to colleges in London and around

Background and nationality:
- 32 years old Indian with a 2-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (full time) from one of the newer Indian Institutes of Management (around 9 years ago)

Undergrad Information:
- BA Hons Economics from one of the best institutes in India
- University topper

GMAT/GRE:
- GMAT total score: 700

Work experience and leadership:
- 10 years total experience in MNC
- 2 years in equity research (HSBC) and 10 years in Strategy, portfolio advisory and commercial advisory (Shell)
- 1 year International experience in Netherlands

Community and others:
-Sitting on Board of Governors of IIM as the alumni representative
- Set up Alumni Committee back in PGDM days


Anything else?
- CFA Level 2
- I am still considering both Part time and full time as I have to manage my finances carefully (married with a child). Husband working in London
- Focused on getting scholarships to lower cost so if someone can advise on this in terms of my profile, it will be great.