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

Hi all

Hey Miroslav456,

Congratulations on your academic achievements, particularly at UCL, one of the best schools in the world. While your GPA of 3.3+ is a strong point, work experience carries significant weight in the admissions process, accounting for around 30% of the evaluation criteria.

You mentioned that you were involved in poker, therefore, showcasing any business links you may have, such as family members or friends in the industry, can showcase that you were involved in certain business activities. This can fill in the gap of one and a half years.

Additionally, your work as an investment manager at Blockchain VC is a valuable asset, and quantifying your achievements and emphasizing the impact you made on larger deal sizes can demonstrate your skills and expertise.

Highlighting your extracurricular activities, particularly your leadership roles in societies or events, can also be beneficial. Providing details such as the number of people you led and the impact of the events you organized can showcase your leadership skills. Additionally, volunteering can demonstrate your dedication to making a positive impact in the community.

Taking financial courses from reputable sources such as Coursera or Udemy can demonstrate your interest in and knowledge of the finance industry, and improve your chances of admission.

Regarding your target schools, LBS and LSE are some dream schools, while schools like Bayes, King’s College London, and UCL will be competitive schools for you. Your GMAT score of 710 is already impressive and with the added details mentioned above, you have a decent chance at getting accepted.

In conclusion, quantifying your achievements and emphasizing your experiences in business and finance, extracurricular activities, and volunteering can strengthen your application and give you a competitive edge.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hi all. I'm applying for MFIN in Sept 2023 (Europe)

1. British/French/Irish National
2. Undergrad Information: Bad uni in the UK (Business studies) - 1st class honours, studied in France for a year in 2020
3. GRE: 330 GRE 167Q 163V which is around 730 or 740 on the GMAT (Don't quote me on that)
4. WE: Summer Analyst in Algo-Trading (London) - Nasdaq Listed company with 2000 ee's
5. Community and others: Captain of Uni football team, avid traveller (been to 35 countries and counting)
6. Post master goal: IBD then MBA then VC then Startup

Ultimate goal is to move to the US for an MBA. Doing so before that would be great too.

Schools: HEC, ESCP, ST Gallen, Oxbridge, LSE, LBS, Yale, Columbia
I am considering applying to Bocconi, ESSEC, Insead MiM or Toronto uni but unsure at this point. Already applied to Yale and CBS.

Pls do recommend schools to apply for if you feel i should hedge by applying to more uni's .

Cheers !

Hey ArchegosCapital,

Let's dive into your academic background first. You mentioned your undergrad school doesn’t have a "brand name", but don't worry too much about that. If you attended a reputable university in France for your studies in 2020, that can definitely make up for any perceived lack of brand recognition. Plus, achieving first-class honours is definitely an impressive accomplishment!

But, work experience is a major focus for business school admissions. You mentioned your summer analyst role in an Algo Trading firm, which is a great experience to draw upon. Be sure to highlight specific tasks and accomplishments during your internship, such as clients you worked with or any process improvements you made. Even if you had limited time, be sure to emphasize how you excelled during your internship.

In addition to your work experience, don't forget about your extracurricular activities. These can account for up to 30% of your application evaluation! You mentioned some community work, but try to elaborate more on any other extracurricular activities you participated in, such as organizing college events or being a sports team captain. Highlighting leadership skills is always a plus.

As for courses and certifications, you can pitch that you're going to pursue CFA Level 1. Be sure to include any financial modelling courses or certifications you've completed, such as ones from Coursera or Udemy. The key is to create a profile that shows your dedication and passion for finance.

With your impressive GRE score of 330, you can certainly aim high with your business school choices.
However, keep in mind that schools like Yale and Columbia would be difficult to get into given the fact they will require exceptional profiles, whereas schools like LBS, LSE, HEC, and Cambridge can still be great options for you to target.

Ultimately, try to apply to a good range of 6-8 schools, including both dream schools and more competitive options. Focus on showcasing your strong academic background, work experience, extracurricular activities, and dedication to finance.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Greetings,

I have applied to the MSc in Finance at SSE.

22 y/o, Italy
BSc in Business and Economics: 3.4/4 GPA

Extracurricular: Leadership, English for Business
High school extracurricular: Public Speech, 2-weeks exchange to Belgium, 1-week trips to Spain and Portugal (very briefly mentioned them in the application trying give a more international background)

6-months internship in a bank (mainly wealth management)

GMAT: 680 (46, 38, 7, 6)
TOEFL: 110
“Entrepreneurship”: purchased and restructured a small property to sell it for profit.
CFI’s FMVA certification (was told admissions in general gives very little weight to such certifications, do you agree?)

For the application to SSE I also have 2 references, one from my corporate finance professor (with whom I also did the final thesis) and one from the banker I met during the internship.

Thanks and cheers.

Hi everyone!

I am an ESSEC MiM Student. Last year, I had offers from LBS, LSE,HEC, ESSEC, ISB and some US Colleges for multiple programs.

As a gratitude to the GMATClub Community, I am offering Free-of-cost, fully end-to-end support for college applications to any master courses
Be it profile review, GMAT Prep, interview, essay or even Visa process, I am here to help you with no monetary outlook.

Here is my email: tutelaah.2020@gmail.com.

Kindly write to me about the help you need with the subject: 'GMATClub Referred' (Using it for sorting mail, nothing else)

You can also DM me on GMATClub.

Lets connect and get you to your dream University soon!

Live Long and Prosper🖖

Hey Hustler99,

I'm glad to hear that you have applied to SSE. You have a pretty strong GPA of 3.4, which is definitely a good point and it's in your favour for most schools you want to apply to, including SSE.

We don't know what school you are from, but if it's a tier-one college in Italy, then that's definitely a valuable point in your favour. Your work experience is also important, and I think it's great that you worked as an intern at a bank for 6 months. What's even more important than just listing your responsibilities is highlighting the impact you made during your time there. Quantifying your achievements can be really helpful here, such as the deal size you worked with or the international clients you worked with. If you were the best intern there, be sure to mention that too!

If you have worked as an intern in a decent brand-named organisation in your country, then it will be great as schools abroad, including SSE, give more weightage to people coming from the Big 4s. However, your profile seems pretty good, and your CFI's FMBA certification is definitely a valuable addition. If you plan to apply to more schools, I recommend including more finance certifications in your profile, especially if you want to apply to schools like LSE or Imperial College London.

Regarding your GMAT score, a 680 is definitely a decent score and would work for SSE as well as many other schools. However, if you plan to apply to more schools like Imperial or LSE, retaking the exam by mid-March could be a good idea.

Overall, I think you have a decent profile, and I encourage you to keep quantifying your achievements and emphasising your passion for finance in your applications. Best of luck with your applications!

Hi everyone, do I have a chance in any of these programs?

I’m still in my third year of BBA in a noname uni in southern Italy, I should be graduating in September. My goal is investment banking, preferably london or paris.

Gpa: 3.54/4 ( 26.6/30) BBA from a no name uni in southern italy
Gmat : 680 Q43, V40 (not enough time to retake, already tried 2 times)
Internship: 3 months as a private banker intern at Mediolanum Bank (Top 5 bank in italy) and no other work experience
Some “additional activities”: a youtube channel about financial news with 20k subs, 2.5M view total( collaborated with "small" companies listed on the nasdaq) and an online sneakers shop, thanks to them I made enough money to afford a master
Some investment banking and excel certificates from coursera

Programs I'm applying to:
HEC and Essec MiF,
bocconi MiF and Afc ( Administration, finance and control)
and probably Esade mif

Unfortunatelly I can't apply to most programs such as st gallen, edhec, SSE because I will have my last exam on september and most programs want everything done by september, except the official degree. What are my chances?
Any other school I could apply to?

Hey Arturo1,

Your GPA of 3.54 is certainly noteworthy, as academics are a key differentiator in securing admission to top-tier institutions. However, it is important to note that colleges abroad also consider other parameters such as work experience, extracurricular activities, and the impact created.

In your profile, your internship experience can serve as a crucial differentiator. It would be beneficial to highlight the brands and clients you have worked with, as well as the innovative strategies you have developed during your time with the organisation.

Similarly, your extracurricular achievements and YouTube channel can add significant value to your application. It would be advantageous to provide details about the type of content you create and the impact it has on your subscribers.

It is also worth noting that while your GMAT score of 680 is decent, it is only a part of your overall profile. To increase your chances of acceptance to top schools, it is crucial to ensure that your application is well-crafted and highlights all of your strengths.

In conclusion, I recommend that you carefully consider the various aspects of your profile and present them in a compelling manner to maximise your chances of securing admission to your desired schools like HEC, ESSEC, Bocconi, and ESADE.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

I want to do Masters in Finance. I have completed my graduation. I have no work experience. My undergraduate university ranked very low globally and nationally.

Profile:

Nationality: Bangladesh

Undergraduate: 4 years BBA completed from very low ranked university from Bangladesh. CGPA 3.70

GMAT: 720

Work Experience: I have no work experience.

Targeted Program: MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, HEC, ESCP, LSE, LBS.

Semi Target: Vanderbilt University, UT Austin, Villanova University, University of Rochester, ESADE, BOCCONI,ESCP,EDHEC.

Post Master Goal: Investment Banking.

Will my undergraduate university's low ranking prevent me from being accepted into target or semi-target programs? Among the above programs, which programs do I have a higher chance of being accepted?

Posted from my mobile device

Hey nahid788,

You have an excellent GPA and a good GMAT score which adds brownie points to your profile. However, to increase your chances, gaining relevant work experience or professional certifications can showcase your expertise and commitment to the field. It's also worth researching other well-regarded programs that align with your goals. If you attended a low-ranked undergraduate institution, explain any challenges you faced and notable achievements in your application essays, CV, and recommendation letters. Emphasise any extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or academic projects where you demonstrated leadership and impact if you don't have formal work experience. For highly competitive business schools like MIT and Stanford, having two or three years of work experience is important. If you don't have that experience, you can create a strong finance profile by highlighting any relevant business experiences, such as family businesses or associations you're involved in, or taking finance courses from platforms like Coursera, or Udemy. Quantify your impact and leadership abilities in social organisations and clubs you've been a part of, highlighting any initiatives taken, people helped, and leadership roles held. While MIT and Stanford may be difficult to get into without work experience, schools like LBS and Imperial College London may be more accessible with a GMAT score of 720.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hello everyone, I am planning on applying to MSF Programs for Fall 2024 admission. I would really appreciate any feedback that anyone could provide on my chances and how I could strengthen my application.

Nationality: American
Age: 25
Undergrad: BS in Applied Math from Ivy League University (GPA: 3.15)
GMAT: 770 (51Q, 42V)

Work Experience: 5 years of starting and managing an investment fund for friends & family that is now just shy of $1 million. Annual compounded return of 25%.

Relevant Details: Passed CFA® Level 3 (passed all levels on first attempts -> Don't know if this will sound impressive or arrogant). Passed FRM Part 1. Completed Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) certification.

US Schools: Vanderbilt, WUSTL, UT Austin, USC

European Schools: LBS, LSE, INSEAD, Bocconi, Imperial, Warwick, IE, ESSEC

Post MSF Goal: Work in Investment Banking for a few years before moving to HF/MF. Long term goal is to be a portfolio manager.
Reasons for MSF: Get back into the recruiting pipeline for jobs, Solidify the skills I developed completing the CFA exams.

I am primarily concerned that my low GPA will hurt my chances, particularly at the European schools that tend to have GPA cutoffs.

Thank you for your time and advice.

Hey GrandVoid

Your application for the MSF program is impressive, as there is a strong brand name of Ivy League, a good GMAT score and CFA level 3. But there are a few areas you can further improve. You might need to address your GPA as some programs have strict cutoffs, but you can highlight your strong GMAT score and relevant certifications to show your academic ability to succeed.

Additionally, consider adding some extracurricular activities to demonstrate that you're well-rounded and can excel in various areas. Furthermore, it's crucial to show how the MSF degree will help you achieve your career goals and why each program is a good fit for your interests. You can mention specific courses or resources offered by the program that align with your career aspirations.

In addition to the above advice, one area you can further highlight is your leadership and quantifying impact at work. By giving specific examples of how you have led your team and made an impact on the fund's success, you can demonstrate your leadership abilities and how you have contributed to the success of your fund.

For instance, you can explain how you mentored and trained new team members, identified and capitalised on new investment opportunities, or made changes to the fund's strategy that led to increased returns.

Providing concrete examples will show the admissions committee that you have the skills and experience to thrive in the MSF program and beyond. Overall, emphasising your strengths, addressing any potential weaknesses in your application, and showing how each program is a good fit for you will make your application stand out and you can target all the schools in your bucket list. In fact, you can also aim for NYU Stern, Wharton, Chicago Booth, Yale in the US and HEC Paris, and INSEAD in Europe.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

I think your profile looks terrific. Add in the impressive GMAT and you are almost sure to get in.

GPA would not be an issue, trust us. I myself had a below average GPA and still made it to ESSEC and LBS.

Further, be focused on having good essays and being decent in the interviews, because that is where good profiles are grilled the most. You must find the right balance of highlighting your profile without sounding overly-proud or arrogant.

Reach out to us for any other queries at tutelaah.2020@gmail.com. Would love to help you with the application process

Background and nationality: Canadian National

Hey, thanks a lot for looking at this

Undergrad Information: top 3 undergraduate business program in Canada, GPA 3.35

GMAT/GRE: I have not taken it yet but I'm scoring between 650 - 660 on practice tests

Work experience and leadership: Internship in fixed income asset management, Internship in Energy trading, 1 year working full time in revenue assurance, Analyst for my university investment club. Was also orientation leader for incoming students

I want to work in fixed-income asset management

Target schools are Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, UT Austin, IU Kelley, Vilanova

please let me know if I have a chance at any of these schools or other schools that would also be ideal for me to apply

Hi All!

Background and nationality
I am a 23 year old planning to apply for the 2024 September masters intake in the UK/Canada.

Nationality: Eastern European, however have been in the UK for over 9 years (GCSE -> A-level -> Degree -> 2 years of work experience)

Undergrad Information
BSc in Accounting & Finance from a well-known University (not Oxbridge or LSE, but up there, consistently top 10 in the UK for this degree)

Finished with a 1st class with honours, graduated in 2021 (Side question, does this translate to a 4.0 GPA in Canada??). Second year averaged 2:1, third year a very strong 1st.

GMAT
Currently studying for GMAT using TTP (started 2 weeks ago). First mock - 650. Aiming for 730 in September, been doing and am planning to continue doing 21 hrs pw.

Work experience and leadership
Just under 2 years experience working at Deloitte in audit, very clear progression. Worked only on two clients, both huge names in the finance sector.
Associate -> Senior Associate in 6 months
Senior Associate -> Assistant Manager in a year
Assistant Manager - current role.

Worked as an operational analyst/consultant (Whatever sounds better) at an established hotel for 4 months straight after graduation, before Deloitte.

Have a very strong leadership achievement at uni - was elected by students with 600+ votes to represent the business school students in relation to student proposed policy matters. This was during covid, so worked on a lot of policies related to changing the education processes to remote, etc.

Some other stuff like volunteering, being a part of my Uni's investment fund (and then overseeing analysts in my second year in the fund), but nothing major.

Universities & Programmes I am interested in applying to:

UK:
LBS (MSc Finance)
LSE (MSc Finance/MSc Finance and Economic/MSc Accounting and Finance (MSc Finance interests me the most, but realistically I feel like I have the highest chance of getting into the MSc Accounting and Finance programme))
Judge (MFin)
Said (MSc Financial Economics)

Thoughts: LBS and Said are probably the less realistic options.

Canada:
Rotman (MFE)
UBC (MBAN)
McGill (MMF or MMA)

Thoughts: MFE in Rotman is the most competitive one, but UBC and McGill should be very do-able

Post Masters goals (current): MBB Management Consulting -> Private Equity/Venture Capital

Just want to know where I stand. Some days I think that I have great odds, especially if I get a high GMAT, put a tonne of time into my essays, etc. Other days, I think there is no chance.

Thank you for your time!

Hi guys,

I just entered my final year of engineering and would like to know my chances of getting admissions in a finance masters' program.

Target Schools (prefer to study in The UK):
LBS MFA
LSE Msc. Finance
Imperial Msc. Finance

Nationality: Indian
Background: Bachelors in Engineering with a Minor in Finance from BITS Pilani ( Tier 1 institute )
CGPA expected at graduation: 8.5/10
GMAT: 730 (Q51,V37)
Work-ex: Total 8 months
Summer Intern at leading Indian steel manufacturer
Big 4 Consulting Internship
Bulge bracket ( GS, JPMC, Morgan Stanley) Investment Banking Internship program
Leadership Positions: Coordinator for Department that manages the college tech-fest
Part of a 4-member Finance Committee that is part of the Placement Unit of the college

Extra-Curricular: Active member of the college Football Team ( won major tournament as well)
Post-study goals: Looking to enter IB and subsequently PE firms in London

I'm currently in the process of writing my application essay and thus would be really grateful of any critical evaluations of my profile.

Thanks in advance !

Hey Anirudh18,

Your grades and test scores are solid. Additionally, you have strong internship (particularly the IBD) showcasing a keen interest in Finance and Strategy which will be a positive for your application. Your chances look strong for the above mentioned programs, would add Oxford MFE to the mix as well since its a program will an established track record and the Oxford brand name will open many doors - plus work experience is not mandatory for them.
Will strongly advice that you also plan to write the CFA as that will help you immensely during the applications and even while recruiting with banks within London.
On a different note, is there any particular reason why the US MFE programs are not on your radar? They are good feeders in the quant and PM roles with large banks.

Hope that helps? Do reach out at info@thembaedge.com if you have any further queries.

All the best for the upcoming applications!