Masters in Finance / Financial Engineering Profile Evaluation

With a high GMAT, it would help you with middle of the road and lower MSF programs. The top ones will most likely deny you because of that low GPA.

Hey there,

Can you please help evaluate my profile for a MFE in either UC Berkeley, UCLA or Columbia University?

I am also considering a Master's in Business Analytics from McCombs or Tepper.

I am a female from India.

Here is my details :
1) Class 10 CBSE - 97%
2) Class 12 CBSE - 95.4%
3) Bachelor in electronics engineering with CGPA - 9.11
4) Did summer internship in IIM Calcutta on building a Social Startup for underprivileged children
5) Did a research assistant internship in IIM Calcutta on the base of the pyramid evolution
6) Currently working in Goldman Sachs as a Cyber Security Analyst (2+ years)
7) Have shown a few leadership initiatives in office however no promotion.
8) Age 25
9) GMAT mock Score - 730
10) Proficient in C, Python and Excel

It would be very helpful if you could please evaluate my profile... Thanks

Posted from my mobile device

Hey Manick9,

When you are thinking of a specialized finance degree, here are a few things that schools look at:

- GPA
- Undergrad college rank (This criteria mostly applies to the top schools which are notorious for recruiting from the tier-1 UG colleges)
- GMAT/GRE
- Prior experience in finance
- Finance Related Certifications
- Activities that showcase a strong quantitative acumen
Apart from these, having a diverse set of extra-curriculars (Eg: Social Volunteering, Student clubs, Awards) will go a long way in showcasing your profile as a holistic one.

Now NTU has a decent ranking in Asia, so that looks good.
You have mentioned that your GPA will convert to 2.8/4, which is a bit on the lower end. Now a high GMAT cannot completely offset your low GPA, but a combination of 700+ GMAT and other profile strengths ( You will need to dig deep into your profile to come up with such experiences) will help you compensate for the same.

You will be competing with applicants with a far wider experience in finance, hence it is advised to take up at least one internship in the field before applying. In case that is not possible, look for a strong project through which you can showcase your financial acumen.

I would also suggest looking into CFA - Schools value this certification which can differentiate your profile from the others.


Economics and finance are the two sides of the same coin, so while they might have similar end goals, the singular focus will be different for both the programs.

For MFin, it will be corporate finance, asset management, and financial services.
For MFE, it will be microeconomics, risk management, and financial trading.

Regarding your target schools, MIT and HEC are super-selective, so it is going to be pretty tough.
IE and ESSEC are in the competitive range - You can add Vanderbilt to the list as well.

I have given you an overview based on the information provided to me, I will be able to give an in-depth analysis if I get more comprehensive details.

I would suggest you take up a profile evaluation to get better insights
Here's the link: https://mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation?gcf

Hey Sahapamela,

You have a pretty decent profile overall, here is a brief on what works for you and what can be worked upon.

- Your GPA is pretty good - above the average of your target schools. You have not mentioned your UG College rank though. Top schools are notorious for recruiting from top UG colleges, so having a good college rank would help.

- Your GMAT Mock results look optimistic. If you score within the same range in the actual test, it can be another profile asset.

-Goldman Sachs is a great brand and if you are articulate about how you portray this work ex in your application, it can give you a competitive advantage. Again, this totally depends upon how can you articulate this - As you have mentioned that you have not had a promotion in the past 2 years, you will need to look for other activities that can showcase a strong work ex.

- Social volunteering experience looks good, however, it lacks the impact created. Remember that adcoms are looking for quantifiable impact rather than just participation, so highlight what you have achieved during this experience.

Eg: What was the total of children who were impacted? Was the impact long term or short term?

- Apart from the social volunteering bit, not a lot has been mentioned about extra-curricular activities. Are you missing any details? College clubs, Sports achievements or courses undertaken or papers published maybe? I would suggest you to dig deep into your profile and highlight any other such experiences that you may have missed.
Also, MFin and MFE Schools value the CFA certification, so you can think about taking this up to boost your profile.

Now, about your target schools - Berkely, Columbia and come in the dream schools category, while UCLA , Tepper, and McCombs can be considered as competitive schools.

Now all 3 MFE Schools.have an emphasis on the quants part, so make sure that you are highlighting your quantitative acumen through properly - Can be through the GMAT Score, any quant-related projects, certifications, etc.

Overall, I would say that you might have a fair shot at the competitive schools with a strong application - I would need more profile details to correctly estimate the chances though.
Can you take up a profile evaluation so that I can get back with a detailed analysis?
Here's the link: https://mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation?gcf