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Apr 2310:00 AM EDT
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Admissions committees evaluate the GMAT/GRE in context — your background, your representation in the applicant pool, the strength of everything else in your file. The same score works for one candidate and falls short for another with identical numbers.
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01 Jul 2014, 04:11
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Dear Linda,
I'd really appreciate your expertise in evaluating my profile. I have decent stats but I'm concerned about my insufficient leadership experience. Also, my current employer and my university are unknown in the US. (As a matter of fact, I couldn't even select my university in the MBA educational profile as it wasn't in the list!)
26 y.o. male Asian Australian (actually, dual citizen Australian and Filipino but Chinese ethnicity. Should I emphasise one over the other?)
GMAT: 740 48Q 42V
Education:
Graduated 2007 Finance & Accounting double major at Australian National University (#2 in Australia). 3.5 GPA (not sure about the conversion. I got a 75% Australian average. 80% is an equivalent A+)
Passed 3 CFA exams. Charter should be granted before applications.
Professional Experience:
I've been working in a boutique portfolio management firm for the past 5 years. 3 years as a buy side research analyst and 2 years as assistant portfolio manager. Role involves equity research, investment pitches to portfolio manager, portfolio maintenance and monitoring, client meetings, and portfolio evaluation and attribution. Also revamped portfolio management software.
Previously worked over a year part-time during uni in one of Australia’s leading financial advisory firms as a stockbroking analyst. Job involved drafting statements of advice, creating stock-offering allocation spreadsheets, marketing stock recommendations to clients. Also oversaw some interns.
Extracuriculars
Part of college football and basketball teams.
Volunteered for Oplan Hatid – drove displaced Filipino victims of typhoon Haiyan home.
Served as facilitator for church events.
Goal: Buy side analyst for major hedge fund.
Target Schools:
Round 1 2014-2015 Wharton, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, LBS
I’m concerned that the adcom will see through my lack of leadership roles and extracurriculars. I know Harvard is real stretch but are my hopes for Wharton also too ambitious? Which schools (perhaps outside my list) would I have a realistic chance of being admitted?
Thanks!
I'd really appreciate your expertise in evaluating my profile. I have decent stats but I'm concerned about my insufficient leadership experience. Also, my current employer and my university are unknown in the US. (As a matter of fact, I couldn't even select my university in the MBA educational profile as it wasn't in the list!)
26 y.o. male Asian Australian (actually, dual citizen Australian and Filipino but Chinese ethnicity. Should I emphasise one over the other?)
GMAT: 740 48Q 42V
Education:
Graduated 2007 Finance & Accounting double major at Australian National University (#2 in Australia). 3.5 GPA (not sure about the conversion. I got a 75% Australian average. 80% is an equivalent A+)
Passed 3 CFA exams. Charter should be granted before applications.
Professional Experience:
I've been working in a boutique portfolio management firm for the past 5 years. 3 years as a buy side research analyst and 2 years as assistant portfolio manager. Role involves equity research, investment pitches to portfolio manager, portfolio maintenance and monitoring, client meetings, and portfolio evaluation and attribution. Also revamped portfolio management software.
Previously worked over a year part-time during uni in one of Australia’s leading financial advisory firms as a stockbroking analyst. Job involved drafting statements of advice, creating stock-offering allocation spreadsheets, marketing stock recommendations to clients. Also oversaw some interns.
Extracuriculars
Part of college football and basketball teams.
Volunteered for Oplan Hatid – drove displaced Filipino victims of typhoon Haiyan home.
Served as facilitator for church events.
Goal: Buy side analyst for major hedge fund.
Target Schools:
Round 1 2014-2015 Wharton, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, LBS
I’m concerned that the adcom will see through my lack of leadership roles and extracurriculars. I know Harvard is real stretch but are my hopes for Wharton also too ambitious? Which schools (perhaps outside my list) would I have a realistic chance of being admitted?
Thanks!
06 Jul 2014, 12:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
First, when you say you lack leadership, do you mean official leadership roles? Often when I work with people who initially feel they lack leadership experience, they are thinking of specific titles and designated roles. When we deeply examine their experience, we usually can find leadership, even if “unofficial” – i.e., times they exercised leadership on their own – perhaps they provided thought leadership, or resolved a brewing conflict, or found the key that enables consensus, or convinced a senior person or a client to innovate or take an outside-the-box step, etc. So, I suggest re-evaluating your experience with an expanded view of leadership.
Also, keep in mind, for work, it is important for top programs to show not just leadership, but impact and a track record of achievement that is strong relative to accomplished peers.
Regarding your current employer being unknown – in that situation (not uncommon), you do face the burden of ensuring that the adcom understands your company – its function, scope, structure, etc. But it's also an opportunity, because it means your work situation will be fresh -- and potentially interesting therefore. If your school is #2 in Australia,I believe they will know about it, even if it's not on the list. Also, they will understand the grading scale of an Australian university.
Regarding your ethnicity, I suggest not looking at it in such a calculated way – you are who you are, and present this aspect as naturally and “organically” as possible, which is the best way to show yourself as a confident, distinct individual.
Some other programs I think you might be interested in looking at in the US are Chicago Booth, NYU, and Berkeley Haas. Your current list comprises all reasonable reaches, with HBS being on the “outside edge” of reasonable, depending on the work track record. The schools I just mentioned would also be reasonable reaches. For a slightly less competitive program that might also be a good fit, look at Cornell Johnson.
Also, keep in mind, for work, it is important for top programs to show not just leadership, but impact and a track record of achievement that is strong relative to accomplished peers.
Regarding your current employer being unknown – in that situation (not uncommon), you do face the burden of ensuring that the adcom understands your company – its function, scope, structure, etc. But it's also an opportunity, because it means your work situation will be fresh -- and potentially interesting therefore. If your school is #2 in Australia,I believe they will know about it, even if it's not on the list. Also, they will understand the grading scale of an Australian university.
Regarding your ethnicity, I suggest not looking at it in such a calculated way – you are who you are, and present this aspect as naturally and “organically” as possible, which is the best way to show yourself as a confident, distinct individual.
Some other programs I think you might be interested in looking at in the US are Chicago Booth, NYU, and Berkeley Haas. Your current list comprises all reasonable reaches, with HBS being on the “outside edge” of reasonable, depending on the work track record. The schools I just mentioned would also be reasonable reaches. For a slightly less competitive program that might also be a good fit, look at Cornell Johnson.
06 Jul 2014, 22:20
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Cindy!
Thanks so much for the detailed evaluation. Your ability to present an applicant's profile in its best light is truly admirable. I hope other applicants who don't have a cookie-cutter ivy-league undergrad/IB background will be as encouraged as I am.
My work place only has a handful of staff so I haven't been able to demonstrated leadership in terms of managing teams. This has been one of my concerns for some time so your advice recommending me to highlight leadership in terms of track record and work output is truly insightful. You've also addressed my concerns regarding my unknown employer and university.
Regarding ethnicity, I think I was hung up on the over/under-represented groups from reading too many forums. I was also wondering if a Filipino, from a third world country, would have an advantage in terms of scholarships.
As for school choice, I was hoping to stay on the east coast but I'll keep Booth and Haas in mind for Round 2.
I'll need to brainstorm with some friends to identify any acts of leadership that I may have overlooked. I'll also work on providing the details of my work so the adcoms can appreciate my unique background.
Thanks again for all your help.
All the best,
Warren
Thanks so much for the detailed evaluation. Your ability to present an applicant's profile in its best light is truly admirable. I hope other applicants who don't have a cookie-cutter ivy-league undergrad/IB background will be as encouraged as I am.
My work place only has a handful of staff so I haven't been able to demonstrated leadership in terms of managing teams. This has been one of my concerns for some time so your advice recommending me to highlight leadership in terms of track record and work output is truly insightful. You've also addressed my concerns regarding my unknown employer and university.
Regarding ethnicity, I think I was hung up on the over/under-represented groups from reading too many forums. I was also wondering if a Filipino, from a third world country, would have an advantage in terms of scholarships.
As for school choice, I was hoping to stay on the east coast but I'll keep Booth and Haas in mind for Round 2.
I'll need to brainstorm with some friends to identify any acts of leadership that I may have overlooked. I'll also work on providing the details of my work so the adcoms can appreciate my unique background.
Thanks again for all your help.
All the best,
Warren
