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

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Hi Guys, This is a Master thread for all profile evaluation requests for MS Finance applications. We do not want random profile evaluation threads everywhere on the forum. This will help people get some consolidated advice from consultants and help others learn as well. Post your profile here if you want! Suggested Template Background and nationality Undergrad Information GMAT/GRE Work experience and leadership Community and others Post Master goals Anything else?

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Hi Experts & Gmatclub!

I'm from India,
Undergrad- BBA ( General) Grade 7.92/10( Top 10% of Batch), Public University NAAC- A Accredited, Currently pursuing a Post Grad diploma in Finance, if that may add value!
GMAT- 720, Appearing CFA level 1 before Fall 22.
Work ex-
Internship 1 : Sales & Marketing in a Startup( Edtech)
Internship 2: Finance at Fortune 500 Manufacturing Company ( Reliance Industries)
Work ex : Operations Analyst at a global top 3 Market Research & Analytics Firm- NielsenIQ( 6 Months)
Target Programs: Masters in Finance/International Finance/Financial Analysis
at HEC Paris,LBS,LSE
Post Masters Goal- 1)BB M&A Investment Banking
2) PE
Please let me know what may be my chances & where can I improve to stand better for Finance Programs.

My main goal is to get into M&A IB, that is the reason for being a bit selective towards BB M&A focused programs. I understand that work ex might not be very well aligned to that but I'm adding CFA,and some corporate finance internships soon.

I'll be grateful for any other solutions & advise on my profile & if I should also apply any other schools in EU/UK & even US to boost my chances of making into BB M&A.

Thanks for your support!

Hello all. I want to apply for Masters in Finance programs or Masters in Management, hoping to get a career as an analyst in M&A, PE, and VC, as well as fund management, later on. I will list my qualifications and skills. Please can you give me feedback on my application? It would be much appreciated

Nationality: Lebanese
Age: 20 (at time of application)

University degree:
Bachelor's in Business Administration specialty in Finance from American University of Beirut (AUB) ranked 1st in Lebanon and the Middle East
GPA of 3.2/4 (so far)

Test scores: GRE (verbal: 162 and quantitative: 165) total is 327

Licenses and certifications:
Student stock exchange trading competition in collaboration with Lebanon's largest bank
Python and Statistics for Financial Analysis from Coursera
PE and VC from Coursera
LinkedIn Microsoft Office

Internships:
2 months internship in Deloitte Qatar
1-month internship in middle-eastern regional engineering giant
1-month in a local Lebanese bank investment division

Extracurricular:
Student Fundraising for the red cross
Volunteering and assistance with NGO for the injured in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion (supervised a team of 4)
Led freelance volunteering and assistance team in the aftermath of the other explosion in Tripoli
Freelance mathematics tutoring for senior high school students.
Webull paper day-trading

Languages:
English: bilingual proficiency
Arabic: native proficiency
French: bilingual proficiency
Spanish: elementary proficiency (in progress)

Target programs:

Masters in Finance: LSE, LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Warwick, St Andrews, HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, EDHEC, SciencesPo, Nova SBE, IE, Esade, Bocconi, RSM, Stockholm SE, CBS, WHU Germany, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Cornell, Brown, Michigan, Kellogg
Masters in Management: LSE, LBS, Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, HEC, ESSEC, INSEAD, ESCP, EDHEC, NOVA, BOCCONI, RSM, SSE, CBS, ESMT, Cornell

Please get back to me as soon as possible! Thank you in advance.

Dear Experts / All,
Please find my profile below.

Age: 30
Nationality: Indian
College: IIT Roorkee
Degree: B.Tech
Work experience: 7+ years, in startups and Product Manager. Have started up a firm earlier.
GMAT: 700 (Quant 51)
No Work experience in finance directly.
My Maths is strong from earlier, and I have interest in Finance and want to do MS finance to enter the finance domain. But as mentioned, no experience in finance.
I wanted to understand, are colleges open to consider relatively older candidates such as myself for MS finance. Which colleges should I try, that have higher chances?

I would be thankful for any response, feedback, comment.

Posted from my mobile device

Hello everyone,

I am undergrad in Business Administration and am now looking at Mfin programs. I have a few programs that interest me, but not sure about my chances with any of them, so any comments, ideas and recommendations will help.

Profile:
Undergrad: 3.7GPA (from non-target University in France (majors inFinance))
No GMAT for the moment I would want to know all possibilities without or if you advice me to do it.
Big4 Audit Internship
At time of application roughly 6 months full time work experience at a Nomura in asset management team. I have a summer internship at GS.
Plan is to work to IB or Asset management after graduation (most likely in Europe, but possibly in the US)

What do you guys think?
I am preparing the GMAT but I am not very optimistic for my final result so I would want to know the options for a Ms finance without gmat in case.

Thank you guys so much! I appreciate the help!

Posted from my mobile device

Hi ricksanchez , hope you are doing well. Great profile by the way and a high chance of making it to your top priority programs. Being a Lebanese national is a plus point when it comes to applying to highly competitive programs that focus on the diversity aspect.

Needless to say that a strong narrative that highlights your leadership skills, diversity and community initiatives, academic inclination and ability to contribute to the program will get you through the MiM admission process.

For MSc Fin particularly I advise you to cover the following points in your application to show a strong motivation for the program

• academic focus: Decent GPA and reasonable GRE score. Highlight any other academic accolades/scholarships/recognition if any

• Proof of enthusiasm and motivation for the study of the subject :

To give context around your choice of métier, you could talk about being passionate about banking and finance since early, and supplement your interest with examples of courses or internships you did. Your certifications in Finance and stock exchange trading competition make a strong statement for exploring various aspects of finance.

• Understanding, experience, and appreciation of the subject through real-life applications and projects:

For this, you can leverage insights from your internships in IB, or other finance-related projects. Talk about projects or finance-related topics that were pivotal in motivating you to explore this subject further.

• Super curricular – what supplementary books, articles, research papers, newspapers you read.
What podcasts do you listen to? How do these activities support and complement your interest in the subject?

I advise you to cover this point well in your sops

• Extra Curriculars
You have a variety of ECs and language skills are a plus point. Talk about the transferrable skills from ECs that will help you achieve goals as a future business leader

Other points to keep in mind
• Show originality and thought process in your application
• Show active engagement with the target school and potential recruiters post MBA (show how conscientious you are!)

If you wish to seek guidance on your strategy feel free to get in touch.

Best wishes
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Hi guys, I recently took the GMAT, I am delighted to tell you that I have totalized a score of 720 (Q51 V37 ir7 awaTBD)

I would like to attend a MSF in North America, from a worldclass business school. However my GPA is pretty low, it corresponds to an average value in my country but it certainly is way too low for american standards, it is 23/30 (italian grades).

What top schools should I consider? How realistic is the admission?
(I was also thinking about applying to Zicklin? Would they admit me?)

Here's my profile:

Background and nationality: Bachelor degree in Economics and Management from the Italian number 1 institution in the field. Italy.

GMAT: 720 (Q51 V37 IR7)

Age: 21

GPA: 23/30

Work experience and leadership:
Team Manager in a 3 month job in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Justice, CFO of branch of SEDS, Financial Specialist at the University Finance Club, Asset management analyst (since 1 month)

Community and others:
-Cofounder of a nonprofit organization, that connects students and stimulates their collaboration with projects and research
-National Mathematical Olympiad contestant
-Virtual Internship H2 Venture Capital
-ECDL certificate of proficiency (Excel, PP, Word)

Post Master goals:
To open a small Venture Capital fund

Languages:
•English 125 Duolingo (7.5 IELTS)
•French A2
•Arabic A2
•Italian native


What world class business schools would really consider me, and realistically admit me?

Posted from my mobile device

Hi all,

I feel like I am not really made for the GMAT but anyways improved from an initial 550 to 600 (Q44/V28/IR7/AWA 6.0) with a lot of preparation.

I would like to do a Master of Finance at a good European Business School but my GMAT might be too ****. Anyways I would like to hear some suggestions for schools, which are realistic to attend with my profile, open for all European schools. Not finally decided, if I am done with the GMAT...

My profile:

Nationality: German

Background: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from German non target university.

GMAT: 600 (Q44 V28 IR7 AWA 6.0)

Age: 24

GPA: 2.2 (German Grading System)

Work experience/Working Student:
- Accounting // Real Estate
- Marketing // Startup
- Abroad Internship Top Financial Services Firm
- Accounting & Finance // Startup
- Corporate Banking/IB Internship at good known European Bank
- Additional M&A Internship planned before masters

Community and others:
- Lots of sports clubs being an active member, participating in events etc.
- International travelling (4 months) prior to my bachelor including some volunteer work

Post Master goals:
Corporate Banking, IB, M&A Boutique

Languages:
- English Toefl 108/120
- German native
- really really basic French/Spanish from high school days

Hello Louisgmatprep hope you are doing well

Let us weigh the positive and the not-so-positive aspects of your profile

The Positives
1. A good GMAT score with a stellar Q51. This is expected from a strong MsF applicant. Verbal is decent for a non-native
2. Strong Pedigree in Undergrad (#1 economics institute in Italy)
3. Interesting work ex in collaboration with some high-value stakeholders
4. Active ECs
5. Proficient in 2 languages and intermediate in another 2 languages

The not-so-positive
1. Mediocre GPA

As you can see the # of positives outweigh the one aspect you are not happy about and therefore you should give your best shot at your target schools. With a plausible explanation for a mediocre GPA and some good work on the application, you could manage to create a strong case for your candidacy. Get exceptional recommendations too!

Here's hoping these tips would help you

https://gmatclub.com/forum/checklist-fo ... 84207.html

Best wishes
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Hi all,
I would like to ask for anyone's opinion of my chances at getting into MSc in Finance programs at the following Universities: ESSEC, HEC, Bocconi, LSE, Imperial, Warwick

I am applying pretty late (right now). I have also received an interview offer from NUS MSc in Finance - thoughts on the program anyone?

Background: Caucasian Male. Greek and born in Greece, moved to Singapore at 10 years old after the financial crisis.
GMAT: 690 (Q48 V36 IR8 AWA6)
GPA: 7.69 from University of Amsterdam (equivalent to US letter A in the Dutch system) - BSc Economics and Business Economics, spec. Finance
Have a pretty interesting history, making 15,000$ when I was 14 off trading online game items, building a decently successful website for in-game trading when I was 17, and some further freelance work. I also co-founded a tele-health website this year and have been working on that, although I'm not sure if it's pertinent enough to include in my applications for a Finance program. No internships.
Languages: Fluent in English, Greek, and well-versed in Mandarin (Chinese).

I am especially considering retaking the GMAT, as I scored between 730-770 in my practice tests, but I got a lower score in my actual attempt. Is this going to be a factor in applications or would I be wasting my time?

Thanks for your help,
dmnsq

Hello everyone. Urgently need some help and advice.
I wasn’t accepted to MscFin in Bocconi in 3rd round 22/23 and I need to understand whether the reasons are my qualifications or it is more about politics.
#STANDWITHUKRAINE

I am 21 yo Belarusian girl. Graduated last year from the best uni in Belarus from the most reputable faculty which has the highest entry exam requirements with a specialisation in World Economy.

GPA - 8.8/10, I had a reduced fee for good academic performance and active community service. Relevant courses: Business Economics, International Management, Marketing, International competitiveness, Practice of International Business, Innovation Financing and Management, World/ Micro/ Macro economics, Econometrics, Statistics. Degree paper: “M&A as the means of business value enhancement”. I also chose to study Italian as 1st language and French as 2nd as my English is better than on average in English class.

Passed GMAT 650 (Q42 V38). Combined preparation with my job and had like work-GMAT style of life for half a year: 4-5 hours on weekdays and 10+ hours on weekends, so I really have nothing to blame myself for.

I have 2,5 years of experience as investment analyst in Private Equity and M&A, from which 2 years are specifically full-time job. Multiple M&A case studies and various courses, including FMVA, Investment Foundations from CFA, small courses from EY and some courses from local PE firm + business school on financial analysis and valuation. In addition I had scientific publications in university’s collection of articles on economics.

I had multiple activities at uni as organizer of events and olympiads and university’s athletic team member.

I was amazed by Bocconi’s MscFin at first sight and at the same time it is almost the only option I can afford due to optimal scholarships on financial need basis, as the av monthly salary in my country is <500 USD.

The only thing I want in this life is to be able to develop professionally, in M&A specifically, and this thing is impossible in my country, basically this country stays in hell since 2020. And the only way for me to leave this ****** country and jet the job of my dream is to get a masters at a reputable European university, as 2 tier universities might be insufficient for a non-EU citizen.

I was dreaming about Bocconi for 2 years and this time I finally had enough money to fund all the expenses (exams, documents, translation etc) and at least some time to prepare as I have just finished my bachelor.

I was sure that I had pretty good chances as I have substantial work experience and good GPA, but today I got a not admitted result which I was completely broken by as this was my only way to leave Belarus this year.

I’m begging you to help: am I really that bad for Bocconi or it could happen because of this horrible war in Ukraine?

*I want to highlight that 97% of Belarusians are again war and do everything they can to support brave Ukrainian nation. #STANDWITHUKRAINE

Hello dmnsq hope you are doing well

You certainly have a differentiated profile, therefore if you wish, you could apply for these schools this late in the application cycle and still expect a positive response. With a narrative centered around your experiences where you developed an interest in financial management at the crossroads of personal experiences (moving borders because of the financial crisis) and professional initiatives from a young age, you will surely get consideration for the last few seats remaining at these top programs.

Your GMAT score is pretty good especially if you compare it to your country average (assuming Greek) at these programs, so even without a re-take, you could stand a good chance due to the Q48. Producing some strong SOPs, recommendations and essays could make all the difference in the outcome at this point.

Sharing some tips here to help you keep the SOPs crisp and succinct for an MFin applicant while covering the relevant areas that would show your motivation

https://gmatclub.com/forum/checklist-fo ... 84207.html

Best wishes
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Hello dmnsq,

Thanks for your query.

It is definitely late in the day; however, you do not have the most typical profile, either (keeping in mind nationality, entrepreneurial experience). The 690 is alright; however, what you were scoring in the mock tests definitely showcases that you have the potential to score much higher. Last rounds can always be tricky so one cannot really say how this will shape up. However, keeping in mind your profile, this would be worth a shot!

Good luck!
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Hi all,

I am planning on applying to MSF programs this fall (for 2023 admission). I am coming from a non traditional background where I am currently in the process of finishing a second bachelors degree in Finance.

My first bachelors was a general studies degree with a terrible GPA (2.5), long story short, I wasted a ton of time and money being young and dumb. In hindsight, I should have just crushed the GMAT and tried to get in before enrolling at the second school but I didn't know and thought this would be the only realistic was for me to rebrand as I did not have a strong quantitative background with my first degree. My goal is to break into the Investment Banking industry. I went through the recruiting process and was unable to secure an offer for Summer 2022 hence the reason for pursing an MSF at an IB feeder such as Vandy or UT Austin. Will having two bachelors degrees hurt my chances at getting into one of my target programs? I have started GMAT prep and plan to take it at the end of summer.

Age: 27, M, SE Asian
School: IU Kelley Business (satellite campus)
Grad Date: Spring 2023
Major GPA 3.3
Cumulative GPA: 3.1
Major: Finance
Spring Internship as an Investment Analyst at an RIA
Summer Internship in Commercial Banking at a regional bank
Leadership: Director of Outreach Kelley Finance Club (~380 Members)
Goal: Corporate Banking or Investment Banking to move into Private Equity

Goal Schools:
Vanderbilt MSF
UT Austin MSF
WUSTL MSF
Duke MMS (for potential fast track MBA)
ND Mendoza MSF
Villanova MSF
IU Bloomington MSF

Hello MRR0B0T hope you are doing well

I am concerned about your limited professional experience/exposure at 27 years of age but I hope that both the internships were at least 3-4 months each. A double bachelor's combined with no full-time experience could weaken your case for MSF.

If you still want to go ahead and apply, I recommend that you demonstrate a thorough understanding, experience, and appreciation of the subject through the two degrees and internships (connect academic learnings with practical applications). There are other ways to showcase involvement with this domain such as talking about any supplemental reading that you do, podcasts you listen to, current topics you are interested in, or any seminars you attended. Reflect on how these support and complement your interest in the subject. In order to show strong academic inclination in your SOP, evaluate experiences, internships and projects from perspective of furthering your learning in the subject of interest. Also, try to get a direct feedback on your profile from the admissions office to get an idea about the odds. But before you connect with the school make sure you prepare a strong case for your candidacy.

Best wishes
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Hi All,
I would like some opinion on my profile for application to top MSF, MiM programs. I would be glad to get some informed opinion on schools where I should apply and my selection prospects.

Age: 21 yo
Nationality: Indian , Male
Course: BCom(Hons) Accounting and Finance Major from one of the top 5 school in the category.

GPA: 8.31/10 ( till 5th semester, final result awaited)

GMAT: Not yet given but mocks scores are around 720-740

Work Experience: 1 month internship as a Social Media Intern at a Management Consulting startup
( however as of date, the organization has ceased operations)

2 month internship as a Finance Intern at one of the Largest Manufacturing Companies in the country

Extracurricular: Part of the Core Committee for organization one of the largest college level fest in India (with a footfall of 60K+ people throughout the fest)
Participated in International Commerce Conference at school level
Won State level Theatrical Competition at school level.

Goal Schools:
HEC France
INSEAD France
London Business School
MIT (for MFA)
Columbia Business School (deferred program)
Haas Berkeley
Judge School of Business

Additional Questions:
1) I would be grateful if someone could provide some info on MSc Accounting courses since there is a lack of information on their acceptance rates, job prospects and so on, but being from Accounts background, I am interested if they seem viable.
2) Any other college suggestions which could provide a faster residency
3) What are the potential safe schools that I should apply to

Thank you so much

Background and nationality- Indian
Undergrad Information- Bcom (hons) 2019 batch-gpa 3/4(74.07%) and MCom(Finance) 2021 batch-3/4(76.96%)
GMAT/GRE- scoring 600 in mocks
Work experience and leadership-Na
Community and others- Member of college societies
Post Master goals- Full time working in Canada
Anything else?- Prefer for Msc Finance in Mcgill university Hec montreal and some other B School under budget (total fee)-50k cad
have some certification courses as well in finance from isb yale etc

Hi All, I need some advice or any input for my profile

Background and nationality: 24 Years Male from Indonesia

Education: 2021 graduated from Business Management (Top 3 Indonesia University) with Finance Thesis; GPA: 3.71/4.00. Some national certification in bank, corporate finance, and financial planner.

Extracurricular: Project Leader of one of the biggest events in Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia Top School) with more than 600 committees for welcoming new undergrads.

Work Experience: 10 months in Local Consultant Firm as Financial Analyst (We prepared for 5 companies' IPO plan and projected 10 Million USD fundraising), and 3 months in Astra International as Internal and Risk Analyst (large conglomerate group in Indonesia and one of the subsidiaries of Jardine Matheson)

GMAT: 670-690 (average of 3 attempts)

IELTS: 7.0

Dream Schools: NUS (Msc Finance); RSM Erasmus (Msc Finance); Edinburgh (Msc Finance)
Safe Schools: Amsterdam Business School (Msc Finance); Singapore Management University (SMU) (Msc Finance); Lund University (Msc Finance)

Can you please give feedback for my profile and my chances? Thank you!

harshittahuja you need to bring up your GMAT score to the 650+ range to stand a chance at these schools. The rest would depend on how you present your story.

A general template to make sure you do not leave any loose ends:
For MSc Fin applications I advise you to cover the following points in your application to show a strong motivation for the program

• academic focus: Decent GPA and reasonable GRE score. Highlight any other academic accolades/scholarships/recognition if any

• Proof of enthusiasm and motivation for the study of the subject :

To give context around your choice of métier, you could talk about being passionate about finance and eco since early, and supplement your interest with examples of courses or internships you did.

• Understanding, experience, and appreciation of the subject through real-life applications and projects:

For this, you can leverage insights from your internships or other finance-related projects. Talk about projects or finance-related topics that were pivotal in motivating you to explore this subject further.

• Super curricular – what supplementary books, articles, research papers, newspapers you read.
What podcasts do you listen to? How do these activities support and complement your interest in the subject?

I advise you to cover this point well in your sops

• Extra Curriculars
A variety of ECs and language skills are a plus point. Talk about the transferrable skills from ECs that will help you achieve goals as a future business leader

Other points to keep in mind
• Show originality and thought process in your application
• Show active engagement with the target school and potential recruiters to learn about the post-MSc prospects (show how conscientious you are!)

If you wish to seek guidance on your strategy feel free to get in touch.

Best wishes
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Background and nationality
-Canadian Male Late 20s

Undergrad Information
-Public School in Toronto
Bachelor Math
Bachelor Economics
Master Economics
Master Computer Science
Undergraduate GPA 3.75/4
Master Economics GPA 3.6/4
Master Computer Science GPA 3.7/4

Undergraduate Courses: calc 1,2,3 A, ODE A, complex analysis A, Intro to Stats A, Math Econ A, Linear Algebra 1,2 A, Econometrics 1,2 A, Probability 1,2 A, Time Series A, Machine Learning A, Data Science A, Discrete Math A, few Comp Sci courses.
I did not do well on some of the electives such as Politics, or History courses. These pulled my GPA down.
Graduate Courses: Econometrics 1 B, Econometrics 2 A, Discrete Math B+.
I had number of B's in my graduate courses.

GMAT/GRE
GRE: 325
I have no intention to rewrite it.

Work experience and leadership
-Market Risk Analyst 3 years State(Government) Bank.
-CFA LV2 candidate

Post Master goals
-Systemic Fixed Income, Market Maker, something math related.....

I am interested in MPhil Finance Cambridge, and M. Financial Math Imperial or similar programs.

Thank you for the evaluation,

Hello harshittahuja,

Thanks for writing in.

You need to work on having more specific career goals that are in sync with your experience thus far and the degree you wish to pursue. Besides that, you must aim for a GMAT score in excess of 700 for your to have a competitive chance of making it to a school such as McGill. Needless to say, how well you bring out your achievements through the essays too is going to be very crucial.

Should you feel the need for a detailed discussion, please feel free to request a free profile evaluation session with us.

All the best!
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