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omgmat
Joined: 01 Apr 2013
Last visit: 16 Feb 2018
Posts: 25
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Location: United States
Concentration: Finance, Accounting
Schools: HBS '18 CBS '18 Wharton '18 Yale '18 Stanford '18 Stern '18 Duke '18 Tuck '18 Booth '18 Johnson '16
GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42
GPA: 3.75
WE:Asset Management (Accounting)
Schools: HBS '18 CBS '18 Wharton '18 Yale '18 Stanford '18 Stern '18 Duke '18 Tuck '18 Booth '18 Johnson '16
GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42
Posts: 25
Kudos:
32
01 Jul 2014, 10:51
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello, I would really appreciate a moment of your time for a profile evaluation.
- Recently graduated a smaller, regional private school (non-target) with a B.S.
- Double major in Accounting and Business Administration and a concentration in Finance.
- GPA: 3.76, Accounting GPA: 3.77, Business Administration GPA: 3.85
- GMAT: 720 (47 Q, 42 V, 5.5 AWA, 7 IR)
- Will begin working at a Big 4 firm in audit department for financial services clients this fall
- Reasonable extracurricular activity while in school, including Student Government, Investing Club and others
- Member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Beta Alpha Psi business honor societies
- CPA candidate, passed 2 of the exams while in school, 2 more to go
- CFA Level 1 candidate (took exam this June, results are still pending)
- I plan to find a new volunteer activity soon now that school is over, but I am not sure (potentially Coast Guard Auxiliary)
After 1 year Big 4 experience, I want to move into another field (investment banking or maybe equity research at a boutique firm) to boast my experience.
The schools I hope to get into include Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, or Yale. (Duke and NYU are options, but I would much rather prefer one of the first 4).
Do you think I can apply in Fall 2015 (after 1 year Big 4 and hopefully beginning a transition into a different job at a new company for 1 year before matriculation)
OR would it be better to wait until Fall 2016 to apply? Regardless, how do I look for these programs?
I also noticed there are several M.Fin programs that interest me, such as Princeton's. This seems much more competitive than MBA programs, how do I stand to compete if I applied to Princeton's M.Fin. this year? (since it seems Work Experience isn't as important in that application - note: I don't have any stand-out math credentials/highest level math is Calc 2)
Thanks for your help
- Recently graduated a smaller, regional private school (non-target) with a B.S.
- Double major in Accounting and Business Administration and a concentration in Finance.
- GPA: 3.76, Accounting GPA: 3.77, Business Administration GPA: 3.85
- GMAT: 720 (47 Q, 42 V, 5.5 AWA, 7 IR)
- Will begin working at a Big 4 firm in audit department for financial services clients this fall
- Reasonable extracurricular activity while in school, including Student Government, Investing Club and others
- Member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Beta Alpha Psi business honor societies
- CPA candidate, passed 2 of the exams while in school, 2 more to go
- CFA Level 1 candidate (took exam this June, results are still pending)
- I plan to find a new volunteer activity soon now that school is over, but I am not sure (potentially Coast Guard Auxiliary)
After 1 year Big 4 experience, I want to move into another field (investment banking or maybe equity research at a boutique firm) to boast my experience.
The schools I hope to get into include Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, or Yale. (Duke and NYU are options, but I would much rather prefer one of the first 4).
Do you think I can apply in Fall 2015 (after 1 year Big 4 and hopefully beginning a transition into a different job at a new company for 1 year before matriculation)
OR would it be better to wait until Fall 2016 to apply? Regardless, how do I look for these programs?
I also noticed there are several M.Fin programs that interest me, such as Princeton's. This seems much more competitive than MBA programs, how do I stand to compete if I applied to Princeton's M.Fin. this year? (since it seems Work Experience isn't as important in that application - note: I don't have any stand-out math credentials/highest level math is Calc 2)
Thanks for your help
01 Jul 2014, 15:55
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Bookmarks
Hi there omgmat,
Thanks for posting in our home on the interwebs! It's fantastic that you're thinking ahead and I'm happy to give you a few thoughts.
Overall, you're starting out in a strong position. Great GPA, strong GMAT, business background. Not a feeder school but that's ok. And now you're heading off to a blue chip company. So far, so good!
If you want to change careers after a year, that's ok. Folks do that - not terribly often but you do get a bit of natural attrition in professional services after a year or two. However, that said, if you DO transition, you can't apply after only a year of work experience regardless of what you have lined up afterwards. It's just not enough - a year as an analyst in a Big 4 company isn't going to help you stand out when you're going toe to toe with folks who have 2 or 3 or 4 years of experience. You won't be different than them and they'll have a much, much stronger profile.
If you do make a switch, then you could maybe make a case for applying after your second year. But that's a bigger if. That's a question better revisited in the late Spring of 2016. You'll have to take stock of where you and see how that stacks up against other people who'll be applying. That's not an answer I can give with certainty now.
If you do well, you have a shot at some of those programs like Columbia, Yale, and Stern. To make it into the H/W range you're going to need to really just knock the next few years out of the park. And that's going to be difficult. You're a consultant. So you're going to have to be best darn consultant out there. Top ratings every year. Amazing projects. Impactful involvement that goes above and beyond what anyone else is doing. And, to top it all off, something in your profile that just makes you stand out as an absolutely unique applicant.
A Masters in Finance - let me ask you this first - what do you want to do after your MBA? Or advanced degree, whatever that might be. Because the options available after an MBA and a Masters in Finance are different. Very different. So help me understand what you're looking for, and then I can help you figure out if a Masters is a good option.
Bhavik
Thanks for posting in our home on the interwebs! It's fantastic that you're thinking ahead and I'm happy to give you a few thoughts.
Overall, you're starting out in a strong position. Great GPA, strong GMAT, business background. Not a feeder school but that's ok. And now you're heading off to a blue chip company. So far, so good!
If you want to change careers after a year, that's ok. Folks do that - not terribly often but you do get a bit of natural attrition in professional services after a year or two. However, that said, if you DO transition, you can't apply after only a year of work experience regardless of what you have lined up afterwards. It's just not enough - a year as an analyst in a Big 4 company isn't going to help you stand out when you're going toe to toe with folks who have 2 or 3 or 4 years of experience. You won't be different than them and they'll have a much, much stronger profile.
If you do make a switch, then you could maybe make a case for applying after your second year. But that's a bigger if. That's a question better revisited in the late Spring of 2016. You'll have to take stock of where you and see how that stacks up against other people who'll be applying. That's not an answer I can give with certainty now.
If you do well, you have a shot at some of those programs like Columbia, Yale, and Stern. To make it into the H/W range you're going to need to really just knock the next few years out of the park. And that's going to be difficult. You're a consultant. So you're going to have to be best darn consultant out there. Top ratings every year. Amazing projects. Impactful involvement that goes above and beyond what anyone else is doing. And, to top it all off, something in your profile that just makes you stand out as an absolutely unique applicant.
A Masters in Finance - let me ask you this first - what do you want to do after your MBA? Or advanced degree, whatever that might be. Because the options available after an MBA and a Masters in Finance are different. Very different. So help me understand what you're looking for, and then I can help you figure out if a Masters is a good option.
Bhavik
omgmat
Joined: 01 Apr 2013
Last visit: 16 Feb 2018
Posts: 25
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Location: United States
Concentration: Finance, Accounting
Schools: HBS '18 CBS '18 Wharton '18 Yale '18 Stanford '18 Stern '18 Duke '18 Tuck '18 Booth '18 Johnson '16
GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42
GPA: 3.75
WE:Asset Management (Accounting)
Schools: HBS '18 CBS '18 Wharton '18 Yale '18 Stanford '18 Stern '18 Duke '18 Tuck '18 Booth '18 Johnson '16
GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42
Posts: 25
Kudos:
32
01 Jul 2014, 20:01
Kudos
Bookmarks
CriticalSquare
Thanks so much for your quick response and insight!
While my immediate goal would be in investment banking or preferably private equity if the opportunity came about, my long-term goal that I would probably focus on in my application would be running my own business and, much further down the line, potentially politics. Like I said though, these are long term goals and ultimately the recruiting for IB/PE would be essential for me post-MBA/masters.
I have several questions from your response if you don't mind:
- Time frame: If i applied in fall of 2015, that would ultimately lead me with 2 years experience upon matriculation (just less than 2.5 including my internship) even though it is only 1 year upon application. I understand this makes me less competitive, but if I explained my eagerness in my applications and expressed myself well, could it hurt to give those few schools a chance and worst case reapply next semester? Are reapplicants not favored as much? (In other words, I don't mind the application process if I have a reasonable shot and it doesn't hurt future attempts.. I want to go sooner rather than later)
- Regarding the switch: ultimately you need 1 year in accounting to get the requirements necessary to fulfill CPA license, plus a Big 4 audit busy season experience is good to have. However, I don't see audit as a long term career, and I understand "promotions and progression" is an important element to MBA application. Since Big 4 promotions are based purely on seniority and not skill or performance, it is incredibly hard to stand out that way. I figure a move to a boutique firm for equity research or investment banking may show the career progression necessary to highlight my work experience. Can this potentially hurt my application/would you advise against the early switch?
