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Apr 2909:00 AM PDT
-10:00 AM PDT
What’s in it for you- Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschanow, CEO, ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.
Apr 2908:00 PM EDT
-09:00 PM EDT
Join us for a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Juno’s Co-Founder, where we’ll break down everything you need to know about financing your MBA in today’s rapidly changing landscape.
Apr 3010:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
Applying to business school from a finance background? Personal MBA Coach is here to help with this quick tips video on how to set yourself apart during the MBA application process!
Apr 3010:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj will walk through why reach/target/safety produces the wrong list for many specific profiles, how admissions committees at different programs read the same background differently, and more...
Apr 3012:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
Starting at $975 and offering up to $545 of savings, our new Amplify Hourly Packages offer structure and support in certain high-value areas (story development, resume, essays, interviewing) to help get your applications across the finish line.
Apr 3009:00 PM IST
-10:00 PM IST
Thinking about PE/VC? Most consultants are. Few actually make it. Learn how to position your profile, build the right skills, and break into Private Equity & Venture Capital.
May 0108:30 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 01
08:30 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 0108:00 PM PDT
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Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
May 0301:00 PM IST
-02:00 PM IST
Looking to secure a coveted spot at a top business school? Our team of seasoned MBA admissions consultants, including top B schools alumni and industry leaders, is here to help turn your dreams into reality. Let’s kick-start your journey to success!
A bit background of myself:
- 27, Asian Male
- Major: Mathematics (in a global top 50 school)
- GPA: 2.59/4.3
- GMAT: 720
- Professional designations: CFA Charterholder/CPA/Certified FRM
- Work experience: 6 years, with a year in a half in PwC assurance, 2.5 years in two real estate private equities, and 2 years in the corporate finance team of a major real estate developer (current company)
- ECA:
- guest speaker in my alma mater a dozen times giving career and interview tips to current students
- was invited as an interviewer in the undergraduate admission interview of my alma mater
- as a volunteer, taught underprivileged high school students personal finance knowledge and interview tips
- a regular member in toastmaster's club (won best speakers and best evaluators award)
My profile definitely reads "finance professional" but I would often consider myself an entrepreneur instead. I remember when I was only 14 years old, I tried to pitch to the owner of a toy shop I went often a business plan, a plan to increase his revenue and how I could be of help to execute; in return I would take $15 a day helping him out. Eventually that worked out. I was "hired" and the business thrived - I made him on average more than $150 extra a day in that summer (while I was only getting $15, so that's a really good deal for him). Couple years later, I wanted to get my own computer as I did not have one, but my modest family didn't want to pay for/couldn't afford it. Then at 16, I started off a consulting business on a trading card game in which I was once top 8 in tournaments in my country. The business ended 8 months later as I needed to focus on my public exams. But nonetheless, working only weekends, I made around $1,600, enough for me to get a computer with the rest invested in stocks through my dad's account.
I was admitted to one of the top schools in my country but ended up with low GPA, which is attributable to a handful of reasons. The first is that the school is very stringent in giving out good grades. Often times you will result in a C+ or even a C if you get a mean score. So while I was not performing well, it wasn't as bad as it (2.4 in a 4.0 scale) looks. I am fairly sure that is above 50th percentile but I do not have anything official that supports it. Second was that I was bad in accounting and finance while in school. There are no excuses. That is why I tried to make it up by hustling CFA/CPA/FRM (and some other less reputable exams) after my graduation. The third is that I actually have ADHD (diagnosed a couple years ago), which made it difficult for me to stay focused on a single task/reading. I was not aware of that until I sought advice from medical professionals. With the proper treatment I have undergone, things got much better (otherwise I wouldnt be able to get through all the professional exams)
I tried building a resume and career coaching business while I was still in school but it didnt work out. Then there we go my six years of professional career, most of which are dull and boring. Though, the experiences with the private equities are definitely interesting as I got to meet with and deal with a lot of people such as bankers, vendors, buyers, lawyers, etc. all around the world (mostly in southeast Asia though). Until recently, I started another business on the side and capitalised on a rare (riskless) opportunity that made $100k+ in a couple months. My plan was to leverage on that and start another business as a seller on Amazon, but the virus ground everything to a halt. My suppliers in China weren't able to deliver. With the spare cash that I am looking to deploy, I believe one of the best investments I could make at my age is investing in myself so I figured an MBA is a good one.
As nontraditional as my story might sound, I highly doubt if anything would even out my lousy GPA. That's why I would like to hear opinions from others before committing too much (such as hiring a consultant). So folks, any thoughts on my odds? My goal is to be admitted to top 25 schools in the US if that's possible.
- 27, Asian Male
- Major: Mathematics (in a global top 50 school)
- GPA: 2.59/4.3
- GMAT: 720
- Professional designations: CFA Charterholder/CPA/Certified FRM
- Work experience: 6 years, with a year in a half in PwC assurance, 2.5 years in two real estate private equities, and 2 years in the corporate finance team of a major real estate developer (current company)
- ECA:
- guest speaker in my alma mater a dozen times giving career and interview tips to current students
- was invited as an interviewer in the undergraduate admission interview of my alma mater
- as a volunteer, taught underprivileged high school students personal finance knowledge and interview tips
- a regular member in toastmaster's club (won best speakers and best evaluators award)
My profile definitely reads "finance professional" but I would often consider myself an entrepreneur instead. I remember when I was only 14 years old, I tried to pitch to the owner of a toy shop I went often a business plan, a plan to increase his revenue and how I could be of help to execute; in return I would take $15 a day helping him out. Eventually that worked out. I was "hired" and the business thrived - I made him on average more than $150 extra a day in that summer (while I was only getting $15, so that's a really good deal for him). Couple years later, I wanted to get my own computer as I did not have one, but my modest family didn't want to pay for/couldn't afford it. Then at 16, I started off a consulting business on a trading card game in which I was once top 8 in tournaments in my country. The business ended 8 months later as I needed to focus on my public exams. But nonetheless, working only weekends, I made around $1,600, enough for me to get a computer with the rest invested in stocks through my dad's account.
I was admitted to one of the top schools in my country but ended up with low GPA, which is attributable to a handful of reasons. The first is that the school is very stringent in giving out good grades. Often times you will result in a C+ or even a C if you get a mean score. So while I was not performing well, it wasn't as bad as it (2.4 in a 4.0 scale) looks. I am fairly sure that is above 50th percentile but I do not have anything official that supports it. Second was that I was bad in accounting and finance while in school. There are no excuses. That is why I tried to make it up by hustling CFA/CPA/FRM (and some other less reputable exams) after my graduation. The third is that I actually have ADHD (diagnosed a couple years ago), which made it difficult for me to stay focused on a single task/reading. I was not aware of that until I sought advice from medical professionals. With the proper treatment I have undergone, things got much better (otherwise I wouldnt be able to get through all the professional exams)
I tried building a resume and career coaching business while I was still in school but it didnt work out. Then there we go my six years of professional career, most of which are dull and boring. Though, the experiences with the private equities are definitely interesting as I got to meet with and deal with a lot of people such as bankers, vendors, buyers, lawyers, etc. all around the world (mostly in southeast Asia though). Until recently, I started another business on the side and capitalised on a rare (riskless) opportunity that made $100k+ in a couple months. My plan was to leverage on that and start another business as a seller on Amazon, but the virus ground everything to a halt. My suppliers in China weren't able to deliver. With the spare cash that I am looking to deploy, I believe one of the best investments I could make at my age is investing in myself so I figured an MBA is a good one.
As nontraditional as my story might sound, I highly doubt if anything would even out my lousy GPA. That's why I would like to hear opinions from others before committing too much (such as hiring a consultant). So folks, any thoughts on my odds? My goal is to be admitted to top 25 schools in the US if that's possible.
30 Mar 2020, 04:26
Kudos
Bookmarks
A few thoughts on you profile mrswabs:
Hope this helps you make the right decision.
Cheers,
- The academic profile, as you are aware, will be a cause for concern. That being said, the CFA charter and a decent GMAT score definitely helps. On the latter, not sure of your country of origin, but generally speaking, expectation is fairly high from Asian candidates. Here are ways you can work on that GPA issue, which you seem to have done already. Overall, with a well articulated story and a slightly better score, I would say you'd be able to overcome this to a fair extent.
- The professional profile actually looks to be the star of your application. PwC assurance to PE is not very common. Real estate however is not a feeder to big schools and real estate firms, even less so. It would be important to devise a practical plan for post-MBA goals.
- The ECs arc can definitely be used to showcase your entrepreneurial bent so use that well. While you can consider MBA as an investment, also make sure to think of the RoI. Meaning, what after. That will be a crucial piece of the puzzle for you as adcoms may not be certain if you will get real value in terms of outcome if you are already in a post-MBA role.
Hope this helps you make the right decision.
Cheers,
PersonalMBACoach
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Expert reply
30 Apr 2020, 12:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
mrswabs
Hey mrswabs,
Thanks for the post! It sounds like you have a number of different layers to your story, I think the challenge here will be for you to bring everything together to submit an effective application, i.e. identifying the reasons for an MBA, your desired industry post-MBA, etc. The reason folks go and get an MBA is that it results in a complete career 360 and gives them a chance to set a new course forward (like folks going from low-paying corporate banking jobs to making 3x as much in IB). Are you looking to move into a new career field or are you looking at the MBA as a chance to take two years to resent during the pandemic?
I think the optional essay would be an effective way to normalize your GPA and show admissions how you have taken the steps to develop your finance skills despite being diagnosed with ADHD. Your GMAT is good, but I'd like to see it about 20 points higher. All in all, I think you can be a competitive applicant at a number of top 25 schools with the 10-25 range being most realistic. With a very effective story and stellar recs, I think a place like Duke would appreciate the depth of your application and history of entrepreneurship.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] to discuss your candidacy in more depth to try and figure out if business school is the right move.
Regards,
Scott
