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Apr 2909:00 AM PDT
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What’s in it for you- Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschanow, CEO, ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.
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Apr 3010:00 AM EDT
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Apr 3010:00 AM EDT
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Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj will walk through why reach/target/safety produces the wrong list for many specific profiles, how admissions committees at different programs read the same background differently, and more...
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Starting at $975 and offering up to $545 of savings, our new Amplify Hourly Packages offer structure and support in certain high-value areas (story development, resume, essays, interviewing) to help get your applications across the finish line.
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Thinking about PE/VC? Most consultants are. Few actually make it. Learn how to position your profile, build the right skills, and break into Private Equity & Venture Capital.
May 0108:30 AM EDT
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Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great, learn how you can present a strong MBA application, and connect with an Admissions Director to get your questions answered.- May 01
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Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great and how you can present a strong MBA application. Explore the difference between our One-Year MBA and Two-Year MBA programs, talk to our admissions team, and meet students. 
May 0108:00 PM PDT
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NandoParrado
Joined: 07 Jan 2014
Last visit: 15 May 2017
Posts: 109
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 26
Location: United Kingdom
Concentration: Technology, Leadership
Schools: HBS '17 (A) Stanford '17 (M)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V41
GPA: 3.99
WE:Business Development (Media/Entertainment)
Products:
07 Jan 2014, 11:29
Kudos
Bookmarks
Cindy, huge thanks in advance for any feedback on the below. I feel I have a peculiar story to tell, but would like to understand any potential weaknesses in my profile, especially for applications at top US schools.
Male, Italian, currently 28. Lived in London since 2008.
GMAT
740 (Q49/V41), IR 8, AWA 6
Education
1) Bachelor in Management of Public Administration (taught in Italian) at Bocconi University, top Italian business school.
GPA: 4.0. Final Result: 110/110 cum Laude. Graduated in 2006.
2) MSc in Finance (taught in English) at Bocconi University.
GPA: 4.0. Final Result: 110/110 cum Laude. Graduated in 2008.
Awarded with 'Scholarship for Outstanding Students' (50 scholarships vs 2000+ students), with full exemption from MSc fees.
Exchange Programs: 3 months in a high school in South Africa in 2002 with American Field Service; 1 month at Shanghai’s Fudan University in 2005; 4 months at Copenhagen Business School in 2007.
Extra-curricular Activities
• 5-year volunteering with American Field Service (Intercultural Programs), 2003-2008. Appointed President of Milan's Local Chapter in 2006-2008, managed 25+ volunteers across all activities of the association. Invited by Italian Secretary General to be part of the national Committee for 3-year Strategic Plan in 2008.
• Wrote, played and produced (voice, guitar/bass, keyboards, drum programming) 3 albums between 2007 and 2011, distributed physically through e-commerce store and digitally on sale on iTunes and other retailers.
• Led a 3-piece cover band in 2009/2011, performed several acoustic gigs in small London venues.
• Studied Russian at London's main Russian-culture centre since 2011. Become a member of the association, and organised 2 events focusing on Soviet rock music.
Work Experience
Over 6 years of experience in London.
1) Morgan Stanley: my career started with a Summer Internship in 2006. Received full-time job offer, but decided to pursue MSc, thus converting the offer into a 2nd internship in a different division in summer 2007. Started full-time job in July 2008 (M&A Real Estate). Tough working conditions, partly due to the financial crisis that started back then, made me soon realize that banking career was not the one for me. I took the most difficult decision of my life and resigned in December 2008, with the dream of pursuing a heartfelt career in my true passion, music.
2) Universal Music: hired in March 2009. Rapid and consistent progression across 2 divisions (International and UK). Promoted from Analyst, to Manager, to Head role in less than 18 months. Involved in several key projects, and currently leading (i) analysis of existing business partners (ii) commercial negotiations for distribution of digital rights in the UK, dealing with wide range of partners (big tech companies, ISPs, supermarkets, music startups, etc.). Currently managing 2 analysts. Various examples can show a profound impact on the worldwide organisation, through leadership, innovation and adaptation of strong quantitative skills to specific industry challenges.
Why MBA Now, and Goals
I am very happy with my job, and I would like to raise the game in 2015. MBA would provide me with a wider angle on several industries and let me refresh/learn management principles I am currently not exposed to.
Short term: slight industry change. The aim is to get a directing role at a top global Technology company (Digital Content/Internet Services), either in the US or UK.
Long term: relocate to Italy with a senior exec position in a top global Technology company. My ideal goal would be to contribute to the development of Italian tech/digital industry – I could welcome involvement in the public sector at a later stage.
Target Schools
1R at Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Harvard, London Business School. US school would be preferable.
Male, Italian, currently 28. Lived in London since 2008.
GMAT
740 (Q49/V41), IR 8, AWA 6
Education
1) Bachelor in Management of Public Administration (taught in Italian) at Bocconi University, top Italian business school.
GPA: 4.0. Final Result: 110/110 cum Laude. Graduated in 2006.
2) MSc in Finance (taught in English) at Bocconi University.
GPA: 4.0. Final Result: 110/110 cum Laude. Graduated in 2008.
Awarded with 'Scholarship for Outstanding Students' (50 scholarships vs 2000+ students), with full exemption from MSc fees.
Exchange Programs: 3 months in a high school in South Africa in 2002 with American Field Service; 1 month at Shanghai’s Fudan University in 2005; 4 months at Copenhagen Business School in 2007.
Extra-curricular Activities
• 5-year volunteering with American Field Service (Intercultural Programs), 2003-2008. Appointed President of Milan's Local Chapter in 2006-2008, managed 25+ volunteers across all activities of the association. Invited by Italian Secretary General to be part of the national Committee for 3-year Strategic Plan in 2008.
• Wrote, played and produced (voice, guitar/bass, keyboards, drum programming) 3 albums between 2007 and 2011, distributed physically through e-commerce store and digitally on sale on iTunes and other retailers.
• Led a 3-piece cover band in 2009/2011, performed several acoustic gigs in small London venues.
• Studied Russian at London's main Russian-culture centre since 2011. Become a member of the association, and organised 2 events focusing on Soviet rock music.
Work Experience
Over 6 years of experience in London.
1) Morgan Stanley: my career started with a Summer Internship in 2006. Received full-time job offer, but decided to pursue MSc, thus converting the offer into a 2nd internship in a different division in summer 2007. Started full-time job in July 2008 (M&A Real Estate). Tough working conditions, partly due to the financial crisis that started back then, made me soon realize that banking career was not the one for me. I took the most difficult decision of my life and resigned in December 2008, with the dream of pursuing a heartfelt career in my true passion, music.
2) Universal Music: hired in March 2009. Rapid and consistent progression across 2 divisions (International and UK). Promoted from Analyst, to Manager, to Head role in less than 18 months. Involved in several key projects, and currently leading (i) analysis of existing business partners (ii) commercial negotiations for distribution of digital rights in the UK, dealing with wide range of partners (big tech companies, ISPs, supermarkets, music startups, etc.). Currently managing 2 analysts. Various examples can show a profound impact on the worldwide organisation, through leadership, innovation and adaptation of strong quantitative skills to specific industry challenges.
Why MBA Now, and Goals
I am very happy with my job, and I would like to raise the game in 2015. MBA would provide me with a wider angle on several industries and let me refresh/learn management principles I am currently not exposed to.
Short term: slight industry change. The aim is to get a directing role at a top global Technology company (Digital Content/Internet Services), either in the US or UK.
Long term: relocate to Italy with a senior exec position in a top global Technology company. My ideal goal would be to contribute to the development of Italian tech/digital industry – I could welcome involvement in the public sector at a later stage.
Target Schools
1R at Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Harvard, London Business School. US school would be preferable.
15 Jan 2014, 07:16
Kudos
Bookmarks
Your profile is not only strong in the sense of well qualifying you – it’s inherently distinctive and also impressive. I believe you’d be a credible and strong applicant at the top programs in US and globally – including those you mention.
That said, the core content/info will clearly get the adcoms’ attention, but when you are competing against the best in the world, you also must perfect your applications (your presentation), aligning it to each school/program and making it all add up to “greater than the sum of the parts.” One pitfall when you know you have strong core content is to keep it at the factual level – “did this, did that.” To truly show that you are bringing something valuable to the table, you must have something to say about what you did and what you want to do. The quality of your reflection and insight matters, particularly for schools such as Stanford where each individual student carries immense weight in the class.
Your career change is fine – in discussing it, explain it straightforwardly just as you did in the message. You early recognized the lack of fit, made a plan to address it, and executed the plan. Your judgment was correct; your subsequent path has been a better fit.
That said, the core content/info will clearly get the adcoms’ attention, but when you are competing against the best in the world, you also must perfect your applications (your presentation), aligning it to each school/program and making it all add up to “greater than the sum of the parts.” One pitfall when you know you have strong core content is to keep it at the factual level – “did this, did that.” To truly show that you are bringing something valuable to the table, you must have something to say about what you did and what you want to do. The quality of your reflection and insight matters, particularly for schools such as Stanford where each individual student carries immense weight in the class.
Your career change is fine – in discussing it, explain it straightforwardly just as you did in the message. You early recognized the lack of fit, made a plan to address it, and executed the plan. Your judgment was correct; your subsequent path has been a better fit.
NandoParrado
Joined: 07 Jan 2014
Last visit: 15 May 2017
Posts: 109
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 26
Location: United Kingdom
Concentration: Technology, Leadership
Schools: HBS '17 (A) Stanford '17 (M)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V41
GPA: 3.99
WE:Business Development (Media/Entertainment)
Products:
16 Jan 2014, 01:40
Kudos
Bookmarks
CindyTAccepted
Cindy, thanks so much for your kind encouragement and suggestions. I will closely follow your advice about bringing my own experience to life in the application - I read the report you linked and found it very useful. Also, I think I have narrowed down my choice of Bschools to 4 candidates for R1. I will research every possible bit of information I can, beyond visiting each school and talking to alumni, and I will try to understand whether and how I can be a good fit for the school, and vice versa. All the best!
