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27 Nov 2016, 05:37
Kudos
Bookmarks
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?
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?
01 Dec 2016, 14:05
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your profile! I’m glad to see you’re starting the process early – there’s a lot to do. Let’s start by addressing your GPA since that’s the most obvious weakness in your profile and it’s unfortunately not something you can change. First and foremost, scoring highly on the GMAT can help offset your undergrad performance. It looks like you’re experiencing a pretty wide range on your practice tests but a score of 740 or above would be a strong statement. You can also consider taking an online course if you performed especially poorly in undergrad in a relevant subject (such as statistics, finance, econ, accounting, etc.) Regardless of the above, I would address your GPA in the optional essay, explaining the different grading methodology in your country and providing evidence for why your GPA is not indicative of your ability to handle the MBA curriculum. Pointing to your CFA and examples from your work experience could come in here as well. If there are only 2-3 actual PE funds in your country, then the fact that you secured a position at one of them speaks volumes about your skillset – be sure to highlight that!
I assume that you’re a US citizen? If so, that will help with recruitment from a work authorization perspective. Your career goals seem logical, realistic, and ambitious. It makes sense why you’re pursuing an MBA. For the purposes of your application, though, you’ll want to provide a stronger reason than “to secure a job in the US”. Exploring the various learning and networking opportunities that an MBA will provide is a good place to start.
In terms of which schools you should apply to, I would encourage you to consider a range of schools. You have a lot things going for you that make you competitive for the top 10 programs but your GPA could still give some adcoms pause. So you’ll want to hedge your bets. In light of your career goals, schools like Columbia, NYU (can’t beat the NYC location) and Chicago Booth make a lot of sense. If you’re open to smaller schools, Tuck and Cornell Johnson would be great options as well. A global program such as Georgetown could be interesting for you to round out your list, as could UNC Kenan-Flagler. You have time to do your research so take advantage of that now and see which schools stand out to you as you learn more. Scholarships will be more likely outside of the top 10/15 programs but you should certainly apply to anything you’re eligible for. The schools’ financial aid websites contain a lot of helpful information for applicants so definitely check those out.
Best of luck! Let us know if we can help you further with your applications!
Best,
Melody
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your profile! I’m glad to see you’re starting the process early – there’s a lot to do. Let’s start by addressing your GPA since that’s the most obvious weakness in your profile and it’s unfortunately not something you can change. First and foremost, scoring highly on the GMAT can help offset your undergrad performance. It looks like you’re experiencing a pretty wide range on your practice tests but a score of 740 or above would be a strong statement. You can also consider taking an online course if you performed especially poorly in undergrad in a relevant subject (such as statistics, finance, econ, accounting, etc.) Regardless of the above, I would address your GPA in the optional essay, explaining the different grading methodology in your country and providing evidence for why your GPA is not indicative of your ability to handle the MBA curriculum. Pointing to your CFA and examples from your work experience could come in here as well. If there are only 2-3 actual PE funds in your country, then the fact that you secured a position at one of them speaks volumes about your skillset – be sure to highlight that!
I assume that you’re a US citizen? If so, that will help with recruitment from a work authorization perspective. Your career goals seem logical, realistic, and ambitious. It makes sense why you’re pursuing an MBA. For the purposes of your application, though, you’ll want to provide a stronger reason than “to secure a job in the US”. Exploring the various learning and networking opportunities that an MBA will provide is a good place to start.
In terms of which schools you should apply to, I would encourage you to consider a range of schools. You have a lot things going for you that make you competitive for the top 10 programs but your GPA could still give some adcoms pause. So you’ll want to hedge your bets. In light of your career goals, schools like Columbia, NYU (can’t beat the NYC location) and Chicago Booth make a lot of sense. If you’re open to smaller schools, Tuck and Cornell Johnson would be great options as well. A global program such as Georgetown could be interesting for you to round out your list, as could UNC Kenan-Flagler. You have time to do your research so take advantage of that now and see which schools stand out to you as you learn more. Scholarships will be more likely outside of the top 10/15 programs but you should certainly apply to anything you’re eligible for. The schools’ financial aid websites contain a lot of helpful information for applicants so definitely check those out.
Best of luck! Let us know if we can help you further with your applications!
Best,
Melody
