Profile Review for M7

Question

Hi All,
Would appreciate any feedback and advice.

Ethnicity:  24 y/o Male, Indian citizen 
 Education:  Completed CA and CFA L2, would complete L3 by the time of MBA applications.
 GMAT:  Currently studying for GMAT Focused Edition

Work Experience:

- 1 year in a leading Data Centres Company as a MT

- 1-2 years in 5th largest Stock Exchange in the world in Fixed Income Valuation at the position of DM

Extracurriculars:

- 1 Year Volunteering at UN's online volunteer program.
- 1 Year at an NGO for teaching under-previliged children

Goals:

My goal is to study at a M7 and post-MBA work in Private Equity.

Questions:

Other than the prospective GMAT score, where does my current profile stand in terms of landing an admission at the M7 B-Schools. 
Also what target GMAT score would be appropriate for me given my profile.

dee1pug1 · Answer

You will have a very strong candidature with a CA + CFA L3 if you fall within the sweet spot of M7's work experience at the time of matriculation (i.e. 4-5 years) and if (as Indian, male) your GMAT score is at least 30–40 points higher than the average of the schools. Aim for 725+.

However, all these data points just give you a strong defense, i.e., potentially getting shortlisted. These alone don't ensure admission. To cross the chasm, you will need strong applications content - CV, LoR's, Essays, etc.

psa1199 · Answer

Hi
Thanks for the reply
Would switching to JPMC Mid office in Fixed Income, improve my chances ??

Posted from my mobile device

dee1pug1 · Answer

Your career moves should not be driven by your MBA plans. Every such move should stack up on its own merit. Switch if that is what you want to do. Hypothetically, what if you switch, believing it will improve your MBA chances, don't like the new role, and are not successful in the MBA applications - then what?

bb · Answer

The rule of thumb for B.A. application, you want to get as far in your career as you can and you don’t really need to position yourself for business school. You just need to be successful and good at what you do. You will be evaluated against your peers so make sure you can succeed at what it is you are undertaking. It’s no good to work in a sexy department and have average performance. It’s better to really stand out.

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

MBAGuide · Answer

psa1199 your profile has potential, especially the academic skills, and the CA and CFA certifications will give you the boost you need to ace the top b-school admits. But it's a bit presumptuous to talk about your work experience. For schools that focus on finance - Booth/Wharton - it's easy to measure your skills in finance. They need to evaluate your professional progress to measure your competence. Letters of recommendation and resumes reveal your professional accomplishments. Transcripts demonstrate your aptitude for the post-MBA role. But rarely does an MBA candidate achieve extraordinary feats by doing only the bare minimum for a job. The inclusion of such candidates can reduce the cumulative brand value of M7s. Your extracurricular activities can have an impact here but you need to be careful while picking the right experiences. Look at the preferred traits of a candidate with a finance background - openness to experience, strategic decision-making, extraversion, agreeableness and empathetic leadership(sensitive to feedback yet confident). Feel free to reach out should you want professional guidance Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi  psa1199 ,

To answer your question:

1.) Your profile will have a strong standing among the pool of applicants with your CA +CFA qualification. To apply for M7 business schools, you need not only strong matriculation but also a star profile when it comes to your ECs, 4-5 years of work experience, community service, short and long-term goals, and last but not least - how it all effectively culminates into a story in your supplemental essays.

2.) Keeping in mind your overall profile, you need to aim for 720+

We're happy to connect with you and understand your profile in detail. Our MBA consultants would review and help you build a future roadmap that will help you customize your plans. You can schedule your free call with the team  here .

You can also connect with the team directly via call at +91 7780769732

psa1199 · Answer

Thank you for the feedback and guidance.

Apart from the academics, is my current work experience appropriate in terms of designation, role and employer brand value or is any improvement required in this area as well.

AugustAcademy · Answer

Hi there,

You have a good profile and with a 725+ score, you should be a good candidate for the programs of your interest.

Not sure which of your experiences is current - I'm going to assume it would be the Fixed Income profile. That leads nicely into a finance career, along with your qualifications. PE may be a bit of a stretch - so you may want to rework your goals a bit.

You'll get to PE eventually.

Feel free to reach out if you want to chat more:  https://bit.ly/GM_AugAcd_Profile_Evaluation

admitStreet · Answer

@psa1199 - Your work-ex and CFA are interesting angles. Would like to understand your professional journey, achievements, and Extracurriculars deeper to assess better. Latest class profiles and employment stats at M7's are here FYI. Aiming for 20-30+ points above the average GMAT scores (GFE equivalent) would be ideal as an Indian Male applicant. PE recruitment is tricky (though not impossible) for internationals immediately post-MBA, given it requires sector and geography specific know-how to execute deals. Most grads who enter PE do so after some consulting or finance/ IB exposure, so that's another angle to consider. To that end, having a strong narrative (linking your experiences and motivation for MBA/ goals) would also be crucial. Hope this helps some. Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

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