Profile Evaluation

Question

Applying Round 2 this year for matriculation in Fall 2009

25 year old white male
3 ¼ years work experience now, 4 years at matriculation
GMAT: 710 (92nd percentile) Q 48 (84th percentile) V 41(92nd percentile)
BS in Accounting from top 4 undergraduate accounting program at top 25 US private university
GPA: 3.10 Cumulative and 3.30 Major
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)

Work Experience:
-All 3.25 years in Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services practice at a Big 4 accounting firm
-Promoted from staff associate to senior associate on time
-Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
-Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) – conferred from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
-I was the only senior associate in my office due to attrition. Thus I took on much more responsibility than peers in other offices around the country.
-Managed the weekly compilation of the lead search and marketing effort in our office. Responsible for giving assignments to the first and second year associates, monitoring their progress and compiling their work at the end of each week for distribution to office executives. 
-Rated in the top 5% of all senior associates (senior 1, senior 2 and senior 3) including those up for promotion to manager 
-I have experience on many SEC and Department of Justice corporate fraud investigations such as stock option backdating cases, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) cases involving the bribing of foreign government officials, and expert witness testimony cases (testimony preparation)
-Career Counselor for 3 summer interns during my summer as a first year senior associate.
-Selected by the partners of the practice to the People Advisory Committee made up of 20 individuals (350 individuals nationwide in the practice). This Committee reports directly to the US Fraud Investigation Managing Partner regarding ways to improve the “People” pillar of the practice.
-Led on-site project teams from 3 people to 16 people including people who are older in age and/or at a higher level within the firm. I am responsible for reviewing my teams work and managing the expectations of the project executives.
-One of the original 8 members nationwide in the firm sponsored Increasing Community Engagement initiative aimed at getting the Fraud Investigation practice more involved in the community. We he get ideas for and plan office initiatives and community projects aimed at using forensic accounting skills in the community.

College work experience:
-Financial accounting teaching assistant for my senior year. 
-Responsible for administering tests and quizzes, office hours twice a week, and conducted a weekly lab session with 25 students per class.

Community Service:
-IRS Certified Volunteer Income Tax Preparer in IRS’ VITA program.
-Volunteer preparer of income tax returns for low income families as part of the IRS’ VITA program in San Francisco for the 2007 tax year.
-Rebuilding Together San Francisco 2008: Spent the day painting and fixing a school in a low income neighborhood in San Francisco.
-Junior Achievement 2008: Participated in the Junior Achievement in a Day program where for one day I took over a 3rd class to teach them about businesses and the flow of money in the community.

Extracurricular Activities:
College:
-Fraternity member for all 4 years
-Accounting Society, member
-Golf Club, member

Post College:
-Guest Lecturer at San Jose State University in 2008. I Lectured for 2 forensic accounting classes at San Jose State University.
-2008 Trans Lake Tahoe Swim Relay. 6 man 11.5 mile swim relay across Lake Tahoe with no wetsuits.
-Avid golfer and basketball player.

Goals:
My long term is to be a CFO of a technology company in Silicon Valley. I want to be an ethical CFO who uses my CPA, background in fraud investigation, and my certification in fraud examination to champion corporate ethics. I need a solid management education to complement my accounting knowledge in order to be a successful CFO. I also want an education that will help further my knowledge of corporate ethics and socially responsible business practices.

My short term goal is to become a management consultant in order to build a better understanding of business strategy and management.

Schools I am considering: Stanford (dream school), HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, and Berkeley.

Am I foolish to consider Stanford? Would I be wasting my time if I tried HBS?

I know my GMAT is not killer but in the 80/80 percentile range and my GPA is low. I just really want to know if I am targeting the right schools and what my chances are or if I am better off choosing schools around the Tuck, Michigan, Duke area or lower?

Thanks

Accepted.com · Answer

mbaguy513,

You have a distinctive profile, which fact is a big asset for you, and your numbers, while not great, put you in the running of most top schools. Stanford and HBS will be longshots but if you can run with your profile's distinctive elements, that is, make the most of them in your essays, it might not be "a waster of time" to apply to them. They are long shots, that is, but not in the sense of "impossible."

You have a better chance at Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, and Berkeley, though all of these are arguably slight to definite reaches for you, given the increasing competitiveness of this admissions year. Given your consulting and GM goals, you might also consider Darden, Tuck, Michigan, and Duke.

Good luck,

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