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27 Aug 2015, 10:14
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Hi All,
I am applying to schools across rd1/rd2 for the upcoming admissions season and was wondering if Wharton & Columbia are within reach.
White male
GMAT: 710 (42Q/47V) 2nd attempt, 680 (45Q,38V) 1st attempt; concerned about lower quant on higher score
GPA: 3.64, honors program
Ugrad: Large state school, finance major
Intl Experience: studied abroad in Europe and have backpacked across 10+ countries (while there and on a follow-up trip)
Ugrad honors: Recipient of the most 'prestigious' ugrad business scholarship at the school following my freshman year: a full ride my sophomore, junior, and senior years based off of 'showing exceptional leadership potential'
WE: 3yrs so far.. 2yrs BB Sales & Trading analyst at the BAML/Citi/Barclays tier in NYC (1yr credit derivative sales, 1yr structured products sales, and 1yr to present (after an internal promotion/transfer) working on business strategy for a new group that is a joint-venture between markets and the private bank. Lots of senior-level exposure in the new role and expect very solid recs.
Extra curricular: significant extra curriculars during undergrad. have spent the last year is a financial counselor of extremely impoverished individuals in NYC; currently working on a microfinance partnership program in the city as well (last 3mo); completed first triathlon and am training for another (have always been into endurance sports)
Post-MBA goal (short-term): strategy consulting at a leading firm with a focus on the financial services industry
Post-MBA goal (long-term): working with organizations such as the World Bank or European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on financial access and financial inclusion; setting up my own firm to specialize on this topic (strong belief that financial markets are necessary to lift ppl out of poverty)
I am highly motivated to attend next year and was wondering if Columbia and Wharton were within reach or if I should focus on lower tiers.
Thanks in advance for any help!
I am applying to schools across rd1/rd2 for the upcoming admissions season and was wondering if Wharton & Columbia are within reach.
White male
GMAT: 710 (42Q/47V) 2nd attempt, 680 (45Q,38V) 1st attempt; concerned about lower quant on higher score
GPA: 3.64, honors program
Ugrad: Large state school, finance major
Intl Experience: studied abroad in Europe and have backpacked across 10+ countries (while there and on a follow-up trip)
Ugrad honors: Recipient of the most 'prestigious' ugrad business scholarship at the school following my freshman year: a full ride my sophomore, junior, and senior years based off of 'showing exceptional leadership potential'
WE: 3yrs so far.. 2yrs BB Sales & Trading analyst at the BAML/Citi/Barclays tier in NYC (1yr credit derivative sales, 1yr structured products sales, and 1yr to present (after an internal promotion/transfer) working on business strategy for a new group that is a joint-venture between markets and the private bank. Lots of senior-level exposure in the new role and expect very solid recs.
Extra curricular: significant extra curriculars during undergrad. have spent the last year is a financial counselor of extremely impoverished individuals in NYC; currently working on a microfinance partnership program in the city as well (last 3mo); completed first triathlon and am training for another (have always been into endurance sports)
Post-MBA goal (short-term): strategy consulting at a leading firm with a focus on the financial services industry
Post-MBA goal (long-term): working with organizations such as the World Bank or European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on financial access and financial inclusion; setting up my own firm to specialize on this topic (strong belief that financial markets are necessary to lift ppl out of poverty)
I am highly motivated to attend next year and was wondering if Columbia and Wharton were within reach or if I should focus on lower tiers.
Thanks in advance for any help!
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Expert reply
27 Aug 2015, 12:36
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VPIMBA89
VPIMBA89,
Thanks for the detailed info and congrats on some of your impressive extra-curriculars in the city.
Depending on how strong your stories are and the quality of your essays, you would have a shot at Columbia and Wharton, with Wharton being a bit of a stretch due to the GMAT score. I've certainly seen candidates like you get into those schools, it's just not a slam dunk. I recommend adding in a couple lower ranked schools and hopefully you have success at Wharton/CBS anyway.
If you would like to talk about your application strategy and how I could help you put together strong apps to give you the best chance at Wharton, send me a note. There are some things you could do to overcome the GMAT!
[email protected]
Good luck.
31 Aug 2015, 08:27
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Thanks for sharing your profile. Really impressive background that I think may read a bit too similar to other candidates at these schools which really is no fault of yours. I think Wharton will be tough for you given the GMAT, the school really has been scrutinizing scores that fall below the average so everything else in your package will really have to wow them. I think you have a better shot at CBS but the same rules apply you have some great nuggets in your profile so make sure to really highlight them as you convey your story to admissions. Definitely tack on some other lower ranked programs that align with your career goals to make sure you are covering all of your bases as well.
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
