tusharmittal98 wrote:
Hi - please see below details of my background. I am looking to apply to LBS this year. Thank you for doing this. I look forward to your feedback!
Basic details: I am 23 years old, and have lived in four different countries, including India, South Africa, The Netherlands and now, England.
Education: 3-year Bachelors Degree (BSc Management) at the London School of Economics with a First Class Honours (not sure what the GPA equivalent is).
Currently pursuing a professional CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification.
Work Experience: I have been working at J.P. Morgan in London as a Finance & Business Management Analyst since September 2019. I am part of a 3 year rotational programme. See below for rotations:
(Sep 2019 - Oct 2020) - P&L Controller for one of J.P. Morgan's largest UK entities.
(Oct 2020 - Present) - Business Manager for Corporate & Investment Bank Equities Operations (tasked with supporting senior Business Heads in the Equities Operations organisation).
(Oct 2021 - TBC) - Equities Financing Product Controller.
Before my full time job, I also interned at J.P. Morgan (Equities Valuations Control Group), alongside KPMG (Deals Intern) and SaturnF1 (E-Learning Analyst for the e-commerce arm of Apollo Tyres).
My current GMAT score is 710 (Q49 V38), but I am preparing for a resit to improve my score.
Extra-curricular activities: Playing cricket (was part of the team that won the national youth Dutch tournament). In addition, I was the Vice President & Treasurer of the LSE SU India Forum, which is a day-long conference that hosts dignitaries from India across fields such as Business, Finance, Sports, Politics and Entertainment. In addition, I was also the Designer and Treasurer for the LSE SU India Society. I have also had the experience of co-hosting the Captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team and the Captain of the Indian Men's Football Team in an online webinar, which I organised alongside a friend. Currently, I am part of the Learning & Development Pillar of the F&BM Analyst Committee at J.P. Morgan, which organises and hosts training and development sessions for graduates on the programme. Also a volunteer in the J.P. Morgan Markets Operations Diversity & Inclusion Council. In my free time, I engage in financial literature and enjoy reading about business leaders and management.
Post-MBA aspirations: I wish to transition into Investment Banking for a few years to enhance and develop my skill set (e.g. analysing company fundamentals, teamwork and leadership skills etc.) following which I would like to pursue opportunities in Social Enterprise/Impact Investing.
Hi Tushar,
Everything looks great on your profile. Your international experience shall be valuable to b-schools such as LBS, Wharton, STanford and INSEAD (although you haven't mentioned this one)
Your undergrad is at a very prestigious college, and you have done well for yourself there. You don't have to convert your GPA- report the real transcripts and b-schools will evaluate them as they are.
Rotational programs are typically very selective, so its an achievement to be part of one, and JP Morgan is a solid brand, so that's a double point for you (also JPM is a feeder and recruiter at programs on your target list, so you have the right brand name on your resume). If there's a chance to be sponsored/ join back then it decreases the risk b-schools will take on you- that can again be a positive point. You can discuss this option internally within your org.
My concern with regard to your work experience is that you will have only 3 years work experience on matriculation. That would place you among the youngest in class. So it will be important for you to demonstrate through your application that you have accumulated quality experience in your short career, you have gained the needed maturity level and you will be an able contributor to your peers- both in the classroom and outside, in community initiatives.
Your ECAs are on mark. Use these to show some leadership capabilities- LBS asks a 400 word question on ECAs and this is where you can mention some meaty activities where you made impact.
Lastly, GMAT! A 710 can fly at LBS, but as you are willing to retake, and because you are applying to several of the top US programs, I endorse your re-attempt.
Feel free to reach out for a profile evaluation at :
https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-profile-evaluation/