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a03b
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Profile evaluation for M7 15 Apr 2015, 01:06
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Hi,

Hi, I am a 27 year-old (at matriculation) male candidate from Turkey. Targeting Wharton, Booth and Columbia. Here is my background:

GMAT: 750
Ugrad: mechanical engineering from top 3 school in Turkey, GPA: 2.7
Grad: ms finance from top 3 school in turkey, GPA: 3.97
Work exp 1: 1 year corporate banking at #1 commercial bank in turkey
Work exp 2: 2 years investment banking at BB (think UBS/deutsche/Citi)
CFA levels 1-2 cleared

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks!
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Profile evaluation for M7 15 Apr 2015, 08:47
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What are you looking to do post MBA?

Your GMAT offsets your weak GPA, but it is far from a done deal. But perhaps there is a logical explanation (which you should include in optional essay). Strong grad GPA helps. You have done what you can here.

Otherwise, your international background will help differentiate from other finance applicants. Extracurriculars could also be very helpful so keep those in mind if they exist. You really have to look at your candidacy inside and outside to find differentiating factors and then work to tell a cohesive story about why MBA and what you are looking to do with it.
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a03b
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Profile evaluation for M7 15 Apr 2015, 21:10
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Hello, thanks for the reply. I have a couple questions, actually regarding your follow-up questions:

1) My post-MBA goal is private equity. Will mentioning this in the essays lower my chances? (Since it's very hard to get a PE job after MBA, especially as an international) Should I just say that I want to continue in investment banking? (This is a safer route)
2) Is this a valid answer to "Why MBA?" question: I want to live in New York for some time.
3) Is applying to Columbia ED a logical choice for me? Or do you think I would be competitive at Wharton? (If I apply CBS ED and get admitted, I'll always wonder whether I had a chance at H/W/S)

Thanks and kind regards!
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Profile evaluation for M7 22 Apr 2015, 18:56
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Your target schools won't like your undergraduate GPA, but Wharton for one is known for showing preference for GMAT over GPA, so at least for Wharton, you have a better shot. Certainly the perspective you have as an investment banker from Turkey will put a different and more attractive diversity play on your profile vs. all the US based investment bankers, but you will need to elaborate on how this perspective is unique and advantageous vs this large applicant pool with mostly western banking backgrounds. There are a lot of different angles you can use for this, but in the end as long as you are passionate about your post MBA vision and can compellingly convince them that now is the ideal time for you to go back to school, you should get attention.

REgarding your follow up questions:


1) My post-MBA goal is private equity. Will mentioning this in the essays lower my chances? (Since it's very hard to get a PE job after MBA, especially as an international) Should I just say that I want to continue in investment banking? (This is a safer route)

Yes it's nearly impossible to get an "entry level" post MBA job in PE, so I would not mention that as a short term goal.

2) Is this a valid answer to "Why MBA?" question: I want to live in New York for some time.

That would be a better answer to Why Columbia. You can live in New York without an MBA, so I would not use that as a primary reason for Why MBA.

3) Is applying to Columbia ED a logical choice for me? Or do you think I would be competitive at Wharton? (If I apply CBS ED and get admitted, I'll always wonder whether I had a chance at H/W/S)

REgret is a terrible thing. Always apply to your dream schools, that way you never have to wonder....