Hi guys, could you kindly evaluate my profile? Thanks!
32 years (33 while starting the program)
5.5 years of work experience
Target Schools:
- INSEAD, LBS, Said, Judge, Bocconi, Kellogg 1 year.
Nationality:
Brazil
Education:
-BA in Economics from a tier-one university in Brazil
-Summer Course in Investments in the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics
GPA:
Very low - I had a very serious health issue during college, which took me 9 years to finish it. And that's why I'm 32 with 5,5 years of WE. I will address this issue in the main essays (as something that I overcame) and in the optional ones (for extenuating circumstances).
GMAT:
Not taken yet. According to my performance in the past mocks, it will be something between 660 and 680. I think I won't have time to improve my score since my wife is in the last months of pregnancy and after the kid is born I'm dead
Work Experience:
1) 3,5 years of full-time exp. in a top investment bank in support areas (intern -> trainee -> analyst)
* 1 year as a trainee (super competitive job rotation program) in strategy/product/intelligence areas,
* 1,5 year as projects analyst (some nice stats to show),
* 1 year as a strategy analyst
2) 2 years in Didi (Uber competitor, from China, but in Brazil), with one promotion
*1,5 year as an operations coordinator in the ridesharing division, leading one whole category by myself and managing 5 people (with different nationalities) - won a couple of international prizes due to high performance. One project yielded me an acknowledgment letter from a state governor and I appeared in local newspapers.
*0,5 year as strategy manager in the fintech division, managing a team of 2.
Extracurriculars:
- Volunteered for 2 years providing financial education to unprivileged adults (I went to public schools specialized in late literacy, to teach some basic concepts about finance).
- Helped an NGO in my hometown to rebuild a historical heritage building. I was part of the fundraising team.
Languages:
-Portuguese
-English
-Spanish
Others:
- First from my family to have an undergrad
- Low-income childhood
- Passionate about electronic music: I've been to 10 countries to follow my favorite DJs (don't know if it helps in the "international exposure" box), I learned mixing in a very famous dance club in Brazil and practice sometimes in my bedroom.
- I also practice indoor biking and crossfit
Post-MBA Goal:
- Short-term: Come back to Brazil as senior manager (Strategy) of a mid-sized fintech, with good chances of becoming a partner
- Long-term aspirational goal: contribute to the Brazilian financial education scene
My concerns:
1) College bad times (9 years to finish):
* Although in the range of WE, I'm a little bit above average with age.
* Very low GPA
2) Don't know if I'll have enough time to achieve a good GMAT score. I know that I won't reach Round 1 and I don't want to put Round 2 at risk. (I'm applying for the September/22 intake). I know that some South Americans can get in with a 650-ish GMAT, but I don't think they have the same concerns as I do.