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May 0108:30 AM EDT
-09:15 AM EDT
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great, learn how you can present a strong MBA application, and connect with an Admissions Director to get your questions answered.- May 01
08:30 AM EDT
-09:30 AM EDT
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great and how you can present a strong MBA application. Explore the difference between our One-Year MBA and Two-Year MBA programs, talk to our admissions team, and meet students. 
May 0108:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
May 0507:00 PM EDT
-08:00 PM EDT
In this live 60-minute masterclass, How to Get Ahead of MBA Recruiting Now, we’ll walk through the four biggest mistakes incoming MBAs make and how to avoid them so you’re not scrambling to catch up once recruiting begins.
May 0710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj is covering this live on YouTube, May 7: how admissions committees actually evaluate goals statements, who is in the room, and why the goals statement most applicants submit wouldn't survive that conversation.
VeroK
Current Student
Joined: 07 Aug 2020
Last visit: 30 Nov 2021
Posts: 7
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 5
Location: United Kingdom
Schools: LBS '23 (A)
GRE 1: Q165 V155
Products:
07 Aug 2020, 07:47
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello mbaMission,
i kindly ask for your opinion on my profile:
Demographics: Russian/Ukrainian/German, Female, Investment Banking (trading floor)
Education: BSc (Hons) Management from Top UK University. Prior to that: International Baccalaureate (35 points) from UK private school, German and Russian school education too.
Postgraduate qualifications: CFA and CIPM charterholder
Languages: Native Russian and German speaker, fluent English, basic French
Age: 30y
GMAT: 600 (Q43, V30)
Work experience: 10y employment on trading floor at UK Investment Bank. Always front office and always in FICC Sales covering different clientele and asset classes. Clients have been Financial institutions (Hedge Funds, Asset Managers, Banks, Central Banks) and corporates, often based abroad in Europe and CEEMEA requiring frequent travel. Lots of international experience in terms of working with clients, but always based in London. Moved internally several times between Sales times, client changed usually. Currently Vice President level. Have been promoted twice since start of graduate program. Have been on one maternity leave during this time and have just started my second maternity leave.
Extra-curricular:
1. One of four leaders, who created an internship at my bank for extraordinary bright school leavers from underprivileged backgrounds
2. Volunteering with Age UK society and helping elderly person by being their friend
3. One World Week UK Day Manager during my University days4. Scuba diver (Advanced Open Water PADI certified)
5. Performed dancing and acting at Europe's largest show palace for 8 years (earning salary) as a child
6. Currently taking guitar lessons and took piano lessons for 6y as a child
7. Actively investing in start ups such as Revolut (and others, not just Fintech)
Additional information: mother of 2y old child and second baby due in couple of weeks
Post-MBA goals: Ultimately looking to become an entrepreneur and start my own company, not necessarily straight after MBA. I would be open to consider going back to the Finance industry, but more towards buy side roles. Also keen to explore Fintech industry and others, hoping to assess these alternatives during MBA.
Target School: LBS
Specific questions:
1. My GMAT score is at the lowest acceptable LBS range and way below 701 average. This is due to unforeseen circumstances in 2020 due to Covid-19 and not having had any childcare for my toddler because of lockdown rules and having had to work from home whilst looking after my child and being pregnant. Hence, I couldn't study as much as I wanted. Should I retake the GMAT and apply to round 2 instead of round 1? Keeping in mind my second baby is due any day now and I will unlikely be able to dedicate a lot of study time over next few months with 2 children.
2. Could my profile balance our my low GMAT score and should I still try and apply now in round 1 with this score?
3. Does having CFA and CIPM charters and given above explanation demonstrate enough academic capabilities to balance out low GMAT?
4. How successful does my profile overall look (with 600 GMAT or if I retake and get a higher GMAT)?
I am only applying to LBS and believe I would be a great fit. However, my current low GMAT score and personal situation of having another child makes my strategy re retaking GMAT and applying to LBS unclear. I would really appreciate any opinions on my profile.
Many thanks!
i kindly ask for your opinion on my profile:
Demographics: Russian/Ukrainian/German, Female, Investment Banking (trading floor)
Education: BSc (Hons) Management from Top UK University. Prior to that: International Baccalaureate (35 points) from UK private school, German and Russian school education too.
Postgraduate qualifications: CFA and CIPM charterholder
Languages: Native Russian and German speaker, fluent English, basic French
Age: 30y
GMAT: 600 (Q43, V30)
Work experience: 10y employment on trading floor at UK Investment Bank. Always front office and always in FICC Sales covering different clientele and asset classes. Clients have been Financial institutions (Hedge Funds, Asset Managers, Banks, Central Banks) and corporates, often based abroad in Europe and CEEMEA requiring frequent travel. Lots of international experience in terms of working with clients, but always based in London. Moved internally several times between Sales times, client changed usually. Currently Vice President level. Have been promoted twice since start of graduate program. Have been on one maternity leave during this time and have just started my second maternity leave.
Extra-curricular:
1. One of four leaders, who created an internship at my bank for extraordinary bright school leavers from underprivileged backgrounds
2. Volunteering with Age UK society and helping elderly person by being their friend
3. One World Week UK Day Manager during my University days4. Scuba diver (Advanced Open Water PADI certified)
5. Performed dancing and acting at Europe's largest show palace for 8 years (earning salary) as a child
6. Currently taking guitar lessons and took piano lessons for 6y as a child
7. Actively investing in start ups such as Revolut (and others, not just Fintech)
Additional information: mother of 2y old child and second baby due in couple of weeks
Post-MBA goals: Ultimately looking to become an entrepreneur and start my own company, not necessarily straight after MBA. I would be open to consider going back to the Finance industry, but more towards buy side roles. Also keen to explore Fintech industry and others, hoping to assess these alternatives during MBA.
Target School: LBS
Specific questions:
1. My GMAT score is at the lowest acceptable LBS range and way below 701 average. This is due to unforeseen circumstances in 2020 due to Covid-19 and not having had any childcare for my toddler because of lockdown rules and having had to work from home whilst looking after my child and being pregnant. Hence, I couldn't study as much as I wanted. Should I retake the GMAT and apply to round 2 instead of round 1? Keeping in mind my second baby is due any day now and I will unlikely be able to dedicate a lot of study time over next few months with 2 children.
2. Could my profile balance our my low GMAT score and should I still try and apply now in round 1 with this score?
3. Does having CFA and CIPM charters and given above explanation demonstrate enough academic capabilities to balance out low GMAT?
4. How successful does my profile overall look (with 600 GMAT or if I retake and get a higher GMAT)?
I am only applying to LBS and believe I would be a great fit. However, my current low GMAT score and personal situation of having another child makes my strategy re retaking GMAT and applying to LBS unclear. I would really appreciate any opinions on my profile.
Many thanks!
11 Aug 2020, 11:09
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi, and thanks for writing! First of all, congratulations on Baby #2!
You have a very accomplished career in finance following an impressive academic experience. While the GMAT is well below the LBS average and could pose a challenge, your strong undergraduate record, the fact that you are a CFA/CIPM charterholder, your career progression, and the extenuating circumstances around Covid-19 lead me to feel that you still may be in contention for the program, and you can explain your circumstances in the optional essay.
That said, the other concern I have is your level of work experience. The average # years of work experience for a full-time program in Europe is about 5-6 years. Given that you have 10 years, you'll want to explain in your application why NOW is the right time for you to pursue an MBA, and the motivations behind your immediate post-MBA goals - what drives you to want to enter buy-side? Since there isn't a lot of time for exploration during the MBA program, schools want to see that you have a concrete ST MBA path and a solid idea of your long-term goal as well (even though they might end up changing) so that they are assured of your focus and of your need for an MBA at this point in your career. So, do some reflection on finance-related post-MBA goals that genuinely interest you, as they will be the most feasible given how much time you've spent in the industry. Then, you'll be prepared to make a case for why MBA and why LBS is the best fit for you.
If you are open to expanding your school list given that it will be a competitive year and the uncertainty around GMAT, I would certainly consider Oxford Said and Cambridge Judge.
Hope that helps a bit!
You have a very accomplished career in finance following an impressive academic experience. While the GMAT is well below the LBS average and could pose a challenge, your strong undergraduate record, the fact that you are a CFA/CIPM charterholder, your career progression, and the extenuating circumstances around Covid-19 lead me to feel that you still may be in contention for the program, and you can explain your circumstances in the optional essay.
That said, the other concern I have is your level of work experience. The average # years of work experience for a full-time program in Europe is about 5-6 years. Given that you have 10 years, you'll want to explain in your application why NOW is the right time for you to pursue an MBA, and the motivations behind your immediate post-MBA goals - what drives you to want to enter buy-side? Since there isn't a lot of time for exploration during the MBA program, schools want to see that you have a concrete ST MBA path and a solid idea of your long-term goal as well (even though they might end up changing) so that they are assured of your focus and of your need for an MBA at this point in your career. So, do some reflection on finance-related post-MBA goals that genuinely interest you, as they will be the most feasible given how much time you've spent in the industry. Then, you'll be prepared to make a case for why MBA and why LBS is the best fit for you.
If you are open to expanding your school list given that it will be a competitive year and the uncertainty around GMAT, I would certainly consider Oxford Said and Cambridge Judge.
Hope that helps a bit!
VeroK
VeroK
Current Student
Joined: 07 Aug 2020
Last visit: 30 Nov 2021
Posts: 7
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 5
Location: United Kingdom
Schools: LBS '23 (A)
GRE 1: Q165 V155
Products:
12 Aug 2020, 09:42
Kudos
Bookmarks
Thank you for the profile review and the congratulations!!!
I will focus on explaining in detail why an MBA now is the right time given 10y work experience in the optional essay and will try to retake the GMAT somehow with a newborn. I will also think about my post MBA goals in more detail.
Thank you again for the evaluation, much appreciated!!
I will focus on explaining in detail why an MBA now is the right time given 10y work experience in the optional essay and will try to retake the GMAT somehow with a newborn. I will also think about my post MBA goals in more detail.
Thank you again for the evaluation, much appreciated!!
