New Memeber Looking to Establish a Game Plan

Hello Scott and Omari,

I am a new member on this forum. I recently finished the book Your MBA Gameplan and would like to work on my own game plan for earning an MBA—hence, my decision to join this community and the reason for this post.

I'd like to get your advice before posting an in-depth profile of my academic and professional career. Here's a quick snapshot of my profile:

• I attended St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida, cumulative GPA a perfect 4.0/4.0, major in finance and minor in economics (I finished my four-year degree in three years).
• My work history is sort of choppy as I have worked mostly in sales-oriented jobs.
• I have just over three years in the mortgage industry thus far; I worked as a processor, loan originator, and underwriter.
• Currently, I am on a team of three individuals who will be building out our secondary marketing division for my current company.
• I have very little in terms of extracurricular activities when I was in school.
• GMAT still not taken, although I will be studying for it.
• Plan on applying to business schools in one to two years from now (I'm 25, turning 26 in December, so I feel I have time)
• No involvement in community service; I do plan, however, to volunteer as a tutor at a local community college for a start.

Obviously I have some major holes in my profile, which is why I want to spend at least a year or two fixing up these problems so that I can be a well-rounded candidate.

Why do I want to earn an MBA? Well, to begin with, I would like to build a solid foundation in finance. My goal is to work in a marketplace like New York City or Chicago. Being that I am in the mortgage field and I will be working in secondary marketing, I believe an MBA would serve as a platform for understanding the dynamics of the mortgage-backed securities market, and what the implications are from a global macro-economic perspective. Hedging strategies are integral to managing a portfolio of mortgage loans that will be sold to Wall Street, and therefore I would like expand my knowledge of derivatives. Outside of the quantitative reasons, I would like to immerse myself in a multi-cultured environment (I have hardly any international experience), and would like build my skills in management.

My dream schools would include Columbia, NYU, and Chicago, but I also looked at Rochester, Vanderbilt, and the University of Maryland.

There's more to the story, but please advise on my current situation and if I am able to take the steps necessary to attend a top program. Again, time is no issue, and I'm willing wait as long as necessary before applying.

I can provide a more detailed profile if necessary.

Thanks!


Gary