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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.
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19 Jul 2014, 19:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
I am applying for B-school round 1 this year and am currently looking for a consultant agency to help me with my application process. If you can give me a profile evaluation and tell me a bit more of your service, I would most appreciated.
Profile:
Age 29
Nationality: Chinese
GMAT: 710 (Q49,V38)
Major : Economic
GPA 2.9 @ UCLA. (Had 3.8 at the end of 2nd year. Then I had to work full time during 3rd and 4th years to pay off tuition while functioning as a director of fundraising in our student community service committee. At beginning 4th year, i already got a job offer from a pre IPO company so I didn't work as hard as should. After graduation, I had taken many UCLA extension courses graduation and never have a grade lower than B while working full time. I also past my CPA test with only one try.
Professional Experience and Accomplishments:
Experience:
As a Senior Accountant:
4 years of working experiences in Real Estate.
Senior Accountant @ Westfield: 1 years - budget, forecast of corporate overheads over $38M.
Senior Accountant @ CB Richard Ellis: 3 years - assisted with property annual reforecast and budget with revenue over $5M while managing the whole accounting of a property over 900 square feet.
As a Financial Analyst:
2 years at Entertainment Industry @ Universal Music Group - Provide actual, forecast, and budgeted tax provision for all entities across Universal Music Group
Project Accomplishments:
Lead a major SAP implementation for Universal Music Group's new billing procedure
Helped marketing director in CB Richard Ellis in bring in new revenues for the property.
AICPA License
International Exposure:
- Universal Music Group is owned by French, and I worked on the foreign tax reconciliation - well versed on the impact of change of exchange rate has on business . In fact, the new implementation I worked helped to mitigate exchange rate risk.
- Westfield parent company is in Australia. My work deals with financial requests from the Australia parent company.
- Currently ongoing: paired with a Chinese company to propose a new business model to bring in a new stream of revenue at Westfield. We will be ready to present the package in October. (unfortunately, that won't make it to R1 deadline)
Outside Work Activities:
- College: fundraising director for the UCLA student community service committee
- Current: Volunteer my time as a financial adviser for a nonprofit organization.
- Current: Participant in Fundraising event for special Olympic game for the toy and game function of the fundraising event.
Career Goal:
Short Term: Work and make to the managerial level at top financial consulting firm
Long Term: Open my own financial consulting firm to help business, hopefully focusing on nonprofit or small business owners.
I am applying for B-school round 1 this year and am currently looking for a consultant agency to help me with my application process. If you can give me a profile evaluation and tell me a bit more of your service, I would most appreciated.
Profile:
Age 29
Nationality: Chinese
GMAT: 710 (Q49,V38)
Major : Economic
GPA 2.9 @ UCLA. (Had 3.8 at the end of 2nd year. Then I had to work full time during 3rd and 4th years to pay off tuition while functioning as a director of fundraising in our student community service committee. At beginning 4th year, i already got a job offer from a pre IPO company so I didn't work as hard as should. After graduation, I had taken many UCLA extension courses graduation and never have a grade lower than B while working full time. I also past my CPA test with only one try.
Professional Experience and Accomplishments:
Experience:
As a Senior Accountant:
4 years of working experiences in Real Estate.
Senior Accountant @ Westfield: 1 years - budget, forecast of corporate overheads over $38M.
Senior Accountant @ CB Richard Ellis: 3 years - assisted with property annual reforecast and budget with revenue over $5M while managing the whole accounting of a property over 900 square feet.
As a Financial Analyst:
2 years at Entertainment Industry @ Universal Music Group - Provide actual, forecast, and budgeted tax provision for all entities across Universal Music Group
Project Accomplishments:
Lead a major SAP implementation for Universal Music Group's new billing procedure
Helped marketing director in CB Richard Ellis in bring in new revenues for the property.
AICPA License
International Exposure:
- Universal Music Group is owned by French, and I worked on the foreign tax reconciliation - well versed on the impact of change of exchange rate has on business . In fact, the new implementation I worked helped to mitigate exchange rate risk.
- Westfield parent company is in Australia. My work deals with financial requests from the Australia parent company.
- Currently ongoing: paired with a Chinese company to propose a new business model to bring in a new stream of revenue at Westfield. We will be ready to present the package in October. (unfortunately, that won't make it to R1 deadline)
Outside Work Activities:
- College: fundraising director for the UCLA student community service committee
- Current: Volunteer my time as a financial adviser for a nonprofit organization.
- Current: Participant in Fundraising event for special Olympic game for the toy and game function of the fundraising event.
Career Goal:
Short Term: Work and make to the managerial level at top financial consulting firm
Long Term: Open my own financial consulting firm to help business, hopefully focusing on nonprofit or small business owners.
21 Jul 2014, 08:42
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hey there,
Thanks for the post and REALLY love all the info - makes my job a smidge easier
. So let's see what we've got here.
Academics
Average GMAT (when did a 710 become average?!) and really rough GPA but you've taken charge of the situation so that's fantastic. Does it make up for your GPA? Nope, it'll hit the rankings. But you're proactive about it. That won't go unnoticed.
Experiences
This will be your saving grace. Some interesting experience coupled with international exposure and jobs across industries and the value chain. We'd have to dig in here to figure out more of the juicy details but at first blush this strikes me as what will have to carry your profile
Involvement
It's great that you're involved and in a professional capacity. It would be interesting to find out what you actually DO as a financial adviser to nonprofits. If there is impact and scope here, you're golden!
Goals
I'll be honest, this could use a bit of work. You seem more of a managerial consulting candidate than financial consulting. While you have some finance in your background, I would hardly put you in the camp of financial consulting. But, that said, you ARE a strong consulting candidate.
Schools
If you're going consulting, then you have to go top 20. I think the top 7 or 8 will be pretty difficult but maybe throw in an application or two just to see. After all, you only do this once! You're better aligned, however, below #8 or so. You'll also have an easier time at those schools to actually break into consulting too!
Our Firm & Services
You can find out all about our firm and who we are [here]. If you'd like to read more about services and see our pricing, that's all right [here]. We also offer some great resources as you think about the process and you can find them all, for free, [here].
If you'd like to talk about your profile in more detail or chat about the path ahead, sign up for your free consultation with us [here].
Looking forward to hopefully chatting with you!
Bhavik
Thanks for the post and REALLY love all the info - makes my job a smidge easier
. So let's see what we've got here.Academics
Average GMAT (when did a 710 become average?!) and really rough GPA but you've taken charge of the situation so that's fantastic. Does it make up for your GPA? Nope, it'll hit the rankings. But you're proactive about it. That won't go unnoticed.
Experiences
This will be your saving grace. Some interesting experience coupled with international exposure and jobs across industries and the value chain. We'd have to dig in here to figure out more of the juicy details but at first blush this strikes me as what will have to carry your profile
Involvement
It's great that you're involved and in a professional capacity. It would be interesting to find out what you actually DO as a financial adviser to nonprofits. If there is impact and scope here, you're golden!
Goals
I'll be honest, this could use a bit of work. You seem more of a managerial consulting candidate than financial consulting. While you have some finance in your background, I would hardly put you in the camp of financial consulting. But, that said, you ARE a strong consulting candidate.
Schools
If you're going consulting, then you have to go top 20. I think the top 7 or 8 will be pretty difficult but maybe throw in an application or two just to see. After all, you only do this once! You're better aligned, however, below #8 or so. You'll also have an easier time at those schools to actually break into consulting too!
Our Firm & Services
You can find out all about our firm and who we are [here]. If you'd like to read more about services and see our pricing, that's all right [here]. We also offer some great resources as you think about the process and you can find them all, for free, [here].
If you'd like to talk about your profile in more detail or chat about the path ahead, sign up for your free consultation with us [here].
Looking forward to hopefully chatting with you!
Bhavik
PersonalMBACoach
Expert
Personal MBA Coach Founder
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Last visit: 01 May 2026
Posts: 3,813
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 11
Status:Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting from a Wharton graduate - Helping applicants get into top global business schools since 2008
Affiliations: Wharton, MIT
Location: United States (NY)
Overall Client Admit Rate: 96%
Expert reply
23 Jul 2014, 22:17
Kudos
Bookmarks
Great post and appreciate the detail, including firm names.
Your experience will certainly help you try to get into some of the top tier schools, especially in this market where B schools don't see a lot of applicants coming from Real Estate firms. Couple that with the fact that their own MBA students have a hard time getting jobs at Real Estate firms post graduation, this will make you look more attractive than the average non-consultant, non-banker candidate. This is very important, and not to be overlooked. *That said, this becomes more relevant to a school that has a higher % of students studying Real Estate, and of course a real Real Estate offering / program. However, just to be perfectly clear, accounting isn't the most attractive pre-MBA field so this will hurt you to some extent vs. the more "feeder functions/industries," not that its impossible, but it counts against you to some extent.
Your extracurricular activities are impressive, and I would want to focus on some of the leadership roles as you tell your story. The GMAT checks the box, which is all you really need to worry about. No need to feel bad about your GMAT score.
I think your goals are great, and you do sound like a financial consulting candidate. Plus, as a former consultant myself, and combined with the fact that an extremely large number of people say they want to go into consulting, I like that you are specific here with regard to financial consulting.
Please visit my website to find out more information about my services. I have a very boutique offering and I would be happy to talk with you about it in more detail. Lastly, I encourage you to talk with a few different consulting firms because they are all different. Its a good idea to get a sense of these differences and see which feels the most comfortable for you. Good luck!
Scott Edinburgh
Personal MBA Coach
[email protected]
https://www.personalmbacoach.com
--Free consultation & application strategy discussion
Your experience will certainly help you try to get into some of the top tier schools, especially in this market where B schools don't see a lot of applicants coming from Real Estate firms. Couple that with the fact that their own MBA students have a hard time getting jobs at Real Estate firms post graduation, this will make you look more attractive than the average non-consultant, non-banker candidate. This is very important, and not to be overlooked. *That said, this becomes more relevant to a school that has a higher % of students studying Real Estate, and of course a real Real Estate offering / program. However, just to be perfectly clear, accounting isn't the most attractive pre-MBA field so this will hurt you to some extent vs. the more "feeder functions/industries," not that its impossible, but it counts against you to some extent.
Your extracurricular activities are impressive, and I would want to focus on some of the leadership roles as you tell your story. The GMAT checks the box, which is all you really need to worry about. No need to feel bad about your GMAT score.
I think your goals are great, and you do sound like a financial consulting candidate. Plus, as a former consultant myself, and combined with the fact that an extremely large number of people say they want to go into consulting, I like that you are specific here with regard to financial consulting.
Please visit my website to find out more information about my services. I have a very boutique offering and I would be happy to talk with you about it in more detail. Lastly, I encourage you to talk with a few different consulting firms because they are all different. Its a good idea to get a sense of these differences and see which feels the most comfortable for you. Good luck!
Scott Edinburgh
Personal MBA Coach
[email protected]
https://www.personalmbacoach.com
--Free consultation & application strategy discussion
