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26 Jan 2017, 19:15
Kudos
Bookmarks
Personal:
- UK citizen (half English half Chinese), educated in the UK (boarding school), returned to Hong Kong in 2013 to begin career
WE:
- Current: 1.5 years at regional private equity real estate firm (investments associate)
- Previous: 2.5 years real estate investment banking at global commmercial real estate firm
- Internships: Fixed Income desk at bulge bracket i bank, Leveraged Finance at European bank, Audit at big 4 accounting firm, global property firm - commercial real estate brokerage
GMAT: Projected, 720-760
Certifications:
- CFA Charterholder
Education:
- 2:1 from UCL (London), graduated in 2013
- BSc: Economics & Statistics
Extracurriculars (College):
- President & Captain of Snooker & Pool club
- Guitarist - gigs around London with band
- Rugby club
Extracurriculars (post-college):
- 2 months at a Hong Kong charity (a food bank)
- Current: member of a local political debate forum/think tank
Interests:
- Rugby
- Golf
- Skiing
- Guitar / Music
- Swiss Watches
Target Schools (in order of interest):
- HBS
- Stanford
- Wharton
- Columbia
- Booth
- MIT
- NYU Stern
I would like to use the MBA experience to transition into a role in NYC (still within the private equity real estate / real estate finance space). I have Canadian citizenship which should ease the Visa situation slightly. Would love to hear your thoughts on my target schools (plan to apply to 5-6) and whether I have a shot at the top schools / what would be most realistic (and most beneficial given my focus on real estate in NYC).
Thanks all in advance!
- UK citizen (half English half Chinese), educated in the UK (boarding school), returned to Hong Kong in 2013 to begin career
WE:
- Current: 1.5 years at regional private equity real estate firm (investments associate)
- Previous: 2.5 years real estate investment banking at global commmercial real estate firm
- Internships: Fixed Income desk at bulge bracket i bank, Leveraged Finance at European bank, Audit at big 4 accounting firm, global property firm - commercial real estate brokerage
GMAT: Projected, 720-760
Certifications:
- CFA Charterholder
Education:
- 2:1 from UCL (London), graduated in 2013
- BSc: Economics & Statistics
Extracurriculars (College):
- President & Captain of Snooker & Pool club
- Guitarist - gigs around London with band
- Rugby club
Extracurriculars (post-college):
- 2 months at a Hong Kong charity (a food bank)
- Current: member of a local political debate forum/think tank
Interests:
- Rugby
- Golf
- Skiing
- Guitar / Music
- Swiss Watches
Target Schools (in order of interest):
- HBS
- Stanford
- Wharton
- Columbia
- Booth
- MIT
- NYU Stern
I would like to use the MBA experience to transition into a role in NYC (still within the private equity real estate / real estate finance space). I have Canadian citizenship which should ease the Visa situation slightly. Would love to hear your thoughts on my target schools (plan to apply to 5-6) and whether I have a shot at the top schools / what would be most realistic (and most beneficial given my focus on real estate in NYC).
Thanks all in advance!
27 Jan 2017, 02:18
Kudos
Bookmarks
hhc
Well dude,
Good to hear from you!
So far your profile looks pretty darned good. Hit your target GMAT score and it will be even better.
For your evaluation for top 10 or not, what will be critical is a) your employer b) what you did/how successful you've been c) how high your GMAT score will actually be.
Small differences here can make the difference between a top 10 and top 20 school.
Anyhow, I certainly don't think that Top 10 schools are out of range for you, but we will need to dig into the details to figure that out for sure.
Other than that for your question regarding RE finance - honestly just go to the best school you get into. If you get into HBS, you go to HBS. Other than that, CBS does have the cool and prestigious Paul Milstein center, which might tick things up int heir favor against a similarly ranked school (plus they got the NYC thing going down).
I hope this helps! And feel free to drop us a line for a free consultation.
Best,
Jon Frank
CEO (and fellow real estater
) 
VantagePointMelody
Expert
Joined: 19 Apr 2016
Last visit: 09 Apr 2026
Posts: 203
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1
Schools: CBS '13 (A)
Expert reply
Updated on: 03 Feb 2017, 16:23
Originally posted by VantagePointMelody on 27 Jan 2017, 09:37.
Last edited by VantagePointMelody on 03 Feb 2017, 16:23, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by VantagePointMelody on 03 Feb 2017, 16:23, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi there,
Sounds like you have what it takes to be competitive for the top programs. Your academic track record checks the box and if you can get your GMAT score closer to the higher end of your range, even better. Your work experience seems solid, although the details are really what matters here – leadership experience, level of responsibility/impact, complexity and rigor of your role, etc. Most important, however, is going to be your overall story – how you position your background/experiences/passion(s), how you will contribute, and how you will use the MBA to do great things in the future. That needs to be clear, succinct, and most importantly inspiring. (This is especially true for programs like HBS and Stanford that have very open-ended essay questions.) This is where you really have the opportunity to differentiate yourself from all the other finance professionals in the applicant pool. The good news is that you’re starting early so this is something you can start brainstorming and strategizing on now!
One other opportunity I see for you is around your extra-curriculars. They do seem a bit light post-undergrad although perhaps you play a larger role in the political debate forum? If not, you still have time to get more involved. This is important to show that you have interests outside of work and provides you another opportunity to demonstrate your leadership potential.
In terms of school selection, again I would say you have a shot at the top programs but you also want to hedge your bets (this goes for everyone!). Balancing out some reach schools with some target schools will help increase your chances of having options come December. To the extent that you can take advantage of early decision/action timelines, all the better as well.
I’m happy to chat further if you have more specific questions. Either way, best of luck to you!
Kindly,
Melody
Sounds like you have what it takes to be competitive for the top programs. Your academic track record checks the box and if you can get your GMAT score closer to the higher end of your range, even better. Your work experience seems solid, although the details are really what matters here – leadership experience, level of responsibility/impact, complexity and rigor of your role, etc. Most important, however, is going to be your overall story – how you position your background/experiences/passion(s), how you will contribute, and how you will use the MBA to do great things in the future. That needs to be clear, succinct, and most importantly inspiring. (This is especially true for programs like HBS and Stanford that have very open-ended essay questions.) This is where you really have the opportunity to differentiate yourself from all the other finance professionals in the applicant pool. The good news is that you’re starting early so this is something you can start brainstorming and strategizing on now!
One other opportunity I see for you is around your extra-curriculars. They do seem a bit light post-undergrad although perhaps you play a larger role in the political debate forum? If not, you still have time to get more involved. This is important to show that you have interests outside of work and provides you another opportunity to demonstrate your leadership potential.
In terms of school selection, again I would say you have a shot at the top programs but you also want to hedge your bets (this goes for everyone!). Balancing out some reach schools with some target schools will help increase your chances of having options come December. To the extent that you can take advantage of early decision/action timelines, all the better as well.
I’m happy to chat further if you have more specific questions. Either way, best of luck to you!
Kindly,
Melody
