Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! I’d first like to apologize for the delay in responding! It’s perfectly understandable that you want to get multiple opinions so no issue there!
Diving right in, your background is quite unique and I can understand your desire to pursue an MBA and the value you would get out of it. In terms of your career goals, they seem quite specific. I’d love to understand the reasons that are driving you towards that goal. Depending on your objectives for the long-term, a Masters in Finance could make a lot of sense for you and it’s also generally a 1-year program.
Your work experience is solid, with varied exposure to the financial services industry and – I’m assuming – rich leadership experience given the “project” nature of most rotational programs. Your extra-curriculars are quite strong, with further leadership experience there. All great inputs for your applications!
With all that said, your education background is going to be a challenge in your applications and to answer your question directly, will be the greatest challenge to gaining admission to a top MBA program. In general, qualifications for admissions are specific to each school so I recommend checking out your target schools’ admissions websites, reading through the FAQ, and even calling the office of admissions to explain your unique situation and get their feedback on whether or not you should apply. From my experience, you will be encouraged to apply. And I think that the structure of your certification program – a combination of classroom theory and “real world” application – could be really interesting for the adcom.
In terms of what you can do to strengthen your profile, hitting a home run on the GMAT will be key – I would aim for 720+. Demonstrating superior professional achievement throughout your applications (resume, essays, letters of recommendation, etc.) will also be important in offsetting your education background. Basically, you want to outperform on all the other application elements in order to maximize your chances. Ultimately, it will be up to each school how they evaluate your application, but in my experience, providing a thorough and direct explanation in your essays (incl. an Optional Essay) will go a long way in alleviating any doubts.
Best of luck to you! If you’d like any additional help with your applications, let us know! You can email me directly at
melody@vantagepointadmissions.com.
-Melody
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