tigerlj wrote:
Hi Paul,
Would you please evaluate my profile and answer questions at the end of this post?
- Background
. 27 years old, Korean, male
- Academics
. Undergraduate: Double major in Business and Computer Science from top 25 university in the U.S.
. GPA: 3.59/4.00
. GMAT: 690 (Q49, V34) -> 1st attempt
-> Since this score is unofficial, I do not have the AWA score yet.
- Work Experience
. 6 months : Joint venture with a friend (Didn't work out)
. 3 years : Working as a R&D project coordinator for one of the major cellphone manufacturers
I do not have direct management experience, but my role basically manages R&D projects.
- Extracurricular activities
. Before College : Active church member, Taekwondo
. During College : Member of Business Association and Korean Club
. Currently : IEEE member, Church fellowship team for, active stock trader
-> As you can see, I don't have much extracurricular activities.
Would you recommend some extracurricular activities that I can start soon?
- Community activities
. Volunteered for 2 years during high school
. Volunteered for 6 months during college
. Currently, planning to teach a basic computer class or supervise a computer lab
-Why MBA
. My interest for the financial industry (especially in stocks) started after college graduation.
I would like to get a job in the financial industry.
Since I have not worked in financial industy, I think that MBA is needed for the career change.
- Career Goal
. Right after MBA : Equity Research Analyst at fortune 500 finance company
. Long Term goal : Manage my own fund, concentrating particularly on countries in Asia such as Korea.
- Target Schools
. Wharton, Chicago, Columbia, NYU, Anderson, Ross, Tepper
(I chose these schools based on Finance Rankings.
If you could recommend any other program to me, that would be fantastic.)
- Question
1. Should I retake the GMAT?
(I have been getting 680 ~ 700 on my practice tests.)
2. How important is AWA score?
Should I retake the test if I receive a low AWA score?
3. How are my chances at getting into above target schools
4. Should I apply in Round 1 or Round 2?
5. Any additional advice?
I look forward to your advice. Thanks in advance.
tigerlj,
I can't recommend specific community activities to get involved in. What matters is that you get involved at a leadership or high impact level, ideally in something you care about. Since you are applying to several top schools you may want to raise your GMAT. Although is a solid score your profile doesn't seem terribly unusual so you will need all the help you can get to get into Wharton, Chicago, Columbia, and NYU. Michigan and UCLA are more doable, with CMU the most likely admit for you. If you get a 5 on the AWA you'll be fine. Definitely aim for round 1. Other good finance schools to consider where your chances would be better include Duke, Rochester, Yale, and Texas.
Good luck,
close
07 Jun 2007, 20:58
