eternaloptimist wrote:
Hello,
Hi @eternaloptimist, sorry to be a bit delayed in this- last minute efforts for my R2 clients has been relentless over the past week- but happy to review now. See comments below.
I'm in the midst of applying for Msc Management and similar programs now and am looking for any suggestions on how to improve my applications / what to emphasise on my profile.
My Profile -
Asian-Singaporean, ethnic Chinese
GMAT: 780 (Q51, V45), AWA 5.5 Wowsa- certainly emphasize the GMAT!!
Undergrad Degree: LLB Law, Durham University, UK (currently in my final year)
Grades: Low 2.1, 62% average You may need to address this in optional essay- was something going on outside of school that had your gpa lower? Does not fit with your potential from GMAT.
Extra-curricular activities:
- Participated in a few Europe business games, placed in finals for a couple challenges
- Various student club leadership positions at university (pretty law-related)
- captain of college basketball team (more of a school club thing rather than university-level competition)
Work Experience:
- 1 internship at a small tech startup
- 3 internships at big law firms in Singapore (M&A, Intellectual Property, Commercial work)
- 2 years in the Singapore military as a sergeant (probably will not emphasize this) Don't necessarily shy away from this- you probably learned some strong leadership lessons here so think about how to best present this in the leadership training light.
My weaknesses I feel would be my poor undergraduate grades and not-too-exemplary extra-curricular activities. Most of my previous work experience has been law-related as I've only recently come to a decision to not pursue the law path.
My dream in the long haul would be to do an MBA in the US at a reputable business school and work in the US afterward. My short-term goal would be to do an MiM in Europe, preferably London, and to go into consulting after for a few years, hopefully MBB but also at other firms such as Strategy&, etc.
The schools I am applying to are:
US, MBAs - HBS 2+2, Yale SOM
UK, MiM - LBS, LSE, Imperial College London
Paris, MiM - HEC Paris
I'd consider approaching MBB consulting even as you graduate now to see if you could get in the pre-MBA pipeline. Unlikely with that GPA- but if someone falls in love with your GMAT... always an outside chance...
You might look at MBAs in US in the 20-30 range as some of those schools would be really excited to get your GMAT score into their averages- and might be willing to overlook the gpa. I would practice how you message the pivot from law-
but realizing after learning more that it does not suit you is a legitimate finding- then think about why consulting appeals and what you could leverage to be successful there- strong analytical thinking?
Would like advice on my profile for Masters applications and the viability of me getting into these schools. Also on which schools would give me the best chance of getting into the MBB consulting firms, or if there are any schools I may have overlooked. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!
I think with that gpa you may have to take the back door into consulting- meaning go beyond MBB and just get the strategic consulting experience- and if you can get a sense that MiM can be that pipeline- ok. But I think in the long term the MBA is the more versatile degree.
Unless you just want to keep going to school... I would do some research now for other pathways to consulting work beyond just going to MiM route.Thanks a lot Donna this is really helpful, I'll look into other routes into strategy consulting as you have advised. But I think the MiM is probably what I am going for for now!