Hi there!
Your reasons for doing your MBA in the US make sense. The fact that you're already working in PE (which sounds quite rare there) is great, so make sure to highlight the networking skills that landed you that job and will help you be successful in making another career transition. Your GPA is going to make it tough at top schools but a high GMAT will help (the CFA helps too), plus consider taking a supplemental course or two (especially to "replace" any particularly low/failing grades on your transcript in business/quant areas). I'd look primarily outside the top 10 schools -- check out schools like Stern, Cornell, Georgetown, McCombs, Boston College, etc. for strong finance reputations. Difficult to predict scholarship chances for anyone but yes, it will be tougher in your case, though may be possible if your GMAT ends up well above the school's average.
Good luck!
Kate
dlod0
From the Philippines. Planning to apply for Fall 2018.
Background
- Work Experience: 1 year PE, 3 years IBD M&A
- Extra Curriculars: Invested/co-managed a small food stall.
- Undergrad: Mathematics in a Top 2 university in the Philippines, but not ranked highly internationally (around 400-500 range)
- Other education: CFA Charterholder (took cause despite being for investment management, the CFA holds a lot of weight in the Philippines for virtually any finance job)
- Race/nationality: Born in the USA, but raised and lived my whole life in the Philippines. Filipino parents.
- Sex: Male
Stats
- GMAT Score: haven't taken yet but I'm scoring 700-750 for practice tests
- Undergrad GPA: 2.6 (I know, I know, this is what hurts me most. I wish I took a different major. Though I do feel like our grading schemes are different from Western schools. Only a very small portion of our population get GPAs of 3.6-4)
MBA Info
- Goal: Transition to IBD/PE/Corp.Dev in USA. With my background, I have virtually no chance of working in those fields in the US. An MBA would ideally give me a better chance of working in the States. Hoping to come back to the Philippines eventually when I have enough experience and prestige for me to start my own fund (there are only about 2-3 actual traditional PE funds in the country)
- Target Schools: nothing specific, ideally Top 30 with a good Finance program
With my background, which schools would you suggest I apply for? And is a scholarship out of the question?