Request for Profile Evalution

Hi Team,

Thanks a ton for evaluating my profile!!

Before I start would like to say that I have read as many questions as possible and have got answers/more clarity to many of questions/doubts. As much as I have got answers to my questions, I also understood that each candidate is unique and that what he/she requires to do in the way forward also differs which is why I put forward my case to you.

About me:

- Xth class: 80.4%
- Xth class: 94.4% (stood first in the school in commerce and could easily be amongst the top 20 in India cos my score was 472/500)

- Post schooling went to a well known reputed college for B Com but discontinued after 20 days as I wanted to focus on my Chartered Accountancy course (CA). Pursued B Com through distance education and scored 58% overall.

- Performance in CA was good with all the 3 levels cleared in the first attempt with good scores. In the first and the second level called PE-I and PE-II got scores close to all India 30th rank and all India 50th rank resp. In the final secured All-India 38th rank. Here I can probably justify my low score in B Com which really does not carry much value and also given the fact that I wanted to focus on B Com and did so quite effectively. Your thoughts pls...

- I also did my 3 year internship during CA with PricewaterhouseCoopers. This was almost a full time job with leadership responsibilities for team sizes of 2/3 in the last year.

So academically I think I am quite well positioned. Please let me know your thoughts. My only concern is that adcoms might raise eyebrows over my dismal B Com scores which I hope justify through my much better scores in a professional exam, CA. Am I right?

- Post qualification, I have been working with Morgan Stanley for the past 30 months in the investment banking division. However, this is the back office of Morgan Stanley. The role is comparable to a pre-MBA role in most of the premier PE fund houses in the US Working on live deals, pitches, etc. The quality of work, level of rigour and analyses and the level of understanding of the business and the work is all the same between the back office and the front office. The one thing that makes the difference is the limited client interaction. However again, though it is not popularly called so, it is very similar and comparable to the pre-MBA analyst roles in the US PE fund houses.

- My professional experience has been great and have been part of several deals (about 10) and have made significant contributions. My contribution has always been highly regarded and have been taken on board on most of the high profile assignments to handle many complex tasks independently. My knowledge of the sector as well as my technical and analytical skills have been acknowledged by senior bankers. Overall a v. good professional experience and can get good recos from my seniors to this effect.

- Testimony to my performance was that I was selected for a 4 month rotation with the banking team from amongst 10 candidadates all of whom were my seniors.

- So guess, professionally it has been pretty good and enriching. However my concern is that my experience is in the back office. Though it is similar to a pre-MBA role it probably lacks client interaction and the tag of an i-bank. However I can tell you with confidence that within my given profile at the work place, my performance has been v good and have excelled in more occasions than not and have good year-end evaluations to that extent.

- On the community service, been a part of an effort initiated by a group of professionals to semi-adopt an under privileged kid studying in a particular school for the last 15 months. This means that I sponsor the education of one kid, follow the progress of the kid, talk to him regularly, motivate him to get higher scores, talk to the school teachers and parents about his progress. In addition, for the group of kids as a whole, we take them out for some special occasions to restaurants/gaming
places that they cannot afford and take classes on every weekend. Have played a significant role in bringing together people, coordinating meetings, getting new members, arranging team outings, etc. Though we work together we are also individually responsible for ensuring the progress child that we have semi-adopted. Am also a part of the charity committee of our office where we organise various programs/drives.
So been involved in community service only post qualification but guess have done justice.

- Extra curricular has been pretty decent. Been a part of the school football team and was the vice-captain in 11th and then the captain in 12th. No college after 12th and hence limited scope for extra-curricular activities. Have formally learnt chess and have participated in tournaments and won some prizes. Have learnt vocal classical music and have participated in many competitions and won a few prizes too. Continued learning vocal music even after 12th for about 2 years when my internship took a toll on my time where I had to discontinue. Keen on keeping my association with classical music cos of my interest, have been learning classical music on an instrument for the last 14 months and hope to continue learning for as long as possible.
So extra curricular to me was football, chess and classical music.

- Finally, GMAT where I am confident of getting a good score that would make the top schools consider me for a moment. 750 is what I am aiming though it is too early for me to talk give a number.

- At the end of the story, and if you have been reading all the way till here a special thanks for that, I would like to know the following:

1. How my profile looks for an MBA finance from the top b-schools?
2. What should I do to improve my chances/compensate for the shortfalls that I cannot do much about like say my B Com score or my back office experience (if at all that really matters)?
3. May sound like a stupid question, yet do u think there is something that I can do which will secure my chances of getting an letter of acceptance? I am willing to take any effort and go the extra mile
4. What do you think is the character/accomplishment/strong point that stands out JUST WITHIN MY PROFILE? Did not mean to brag here. Honestly wanted to know it so that I can leverage on it effectively.
5. Please list the best schools for finance.

Thanks again if you are still reading it and would be very happy if you could answer my questions above. Happy to give you further details if you want. Thanks again!