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Apr 3009:00 PM IST
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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
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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 01
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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. 
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Apr 3010:00 AM EDT
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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
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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
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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.
May 0301:00 PM IST
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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!
May 0507:00 PM EDT
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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.
07 Oct 2009, 14:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Alex,
I was hoping you could help point me in a good starting direction for schools.
Short Term Goals - Become an analyst for either a venture capital firm or pension company
Long Term Goals - Focus primarily on valuation models for hard to price assets (i.e. Startup companies or Real Estate)
With these goals I think a strong Finance School is the best choice. My number 1 is Berkeley as it has Silicon Valley and working for a Venture Capital firm there would be an excellent opportunity. I am also considering NYU and UNC for their strong Finance Programs.
Profile
Male - 25 - Canada
Work Experience 3 years
GMAT 700
GPA - 3.1 - B.Comm Degree Specialization in Finance - CFA Level 1 Passed
I unfortunately didn't have a great undergraduate due to the fact I had to keep a job as a Credit Analyst with Citi which interfered with my studies. I plan on explaining this in the application.
Current Employment
Mutual Fund Company in Canada 2 years
Currently working as in the Financial Adjustment Department after being promoted internally from an entry level resolution position. The position consists of reviewing reports, performing calculations and assuring that accounts and funds are being priced correctly on the system.
Prior to this 2 years at Citi (1 year p/t)
Extra Curricular Activities
Help organize a yearly charity run/marathon of 1500 participants which benefits Aboriginals in the province. Have worked on this for 2 years obtaining a more senior position each year.
Captain of both and indoor and outdoor beach volleyball team.
Questions to you - what should I work on to improve the profile. More extracurricular, more job experience? I am worried I won't be able to convey to the schools that I have leadership qualities.
Also when a school looks at the GPA is it for the full 4 years or the last 10 courses of an undergraduate degree that count?
Thanks in advance!
Andrew
I was hoping you could help point me in a good starting direction for schools.
Short Term Goals - Become an analyst for either a venture capital firm or pension company
Long Term Goals - Focus primarily on valuation models for hard to price assets (i.e. Startup companies or Real Estate)
With these goals I think a strong Finance School is the best choice. My number 1 is Berkeley as it has Silicon Valley and working for a Venture Capital firm there would be an excellent opportunity. I am also considering NYU and UNC for their strong Finance Programs.
Profile
Male - 25 - Canada
Work Experience 3 years
GMAT 700
GPA - 3.1 - B.Comm Degree Specialization in Finance - CFA Level 1 Passed
I unfortunately didn't have a great undergraduate due to the fact I had to keep a job as a Credit Analyst with Citi which interfered with my studies. I plan on explaining this in the application.
Current Employment
Mutual Fund Company in Canada 2 years
Currently working as in the Financial Adjustment Department after being promoted internally from an entry level resolution position. The position consists of reviewing reports, performing calculations and assuring that accounts and funds are being priced correctly on the system.
Prior to this 2 years at Citi (1 year p/t)
Extra Curricular Activities
Help organize a yearly charity run/marathon of 1500 participants which benefits Aboriginals in the province. Have worked on this for 2 years obtaining a more senior position each year.
Captain of both and indoor and outdoor beach volleyball team.
Questions to you - what should I work on to improve the profile. More extracurricular, more job experience? I am worried I won't be able to convey to the schools that I have leadership qualities.
Also when a school looks at the GPA is it for the full 4 years or the last 10 courses of an undergraduate degree that count?
Thanks in advance!
Andrew
08 Oct 2009, 10:38
Kudos
Bookmarks
Schools look at your entire GPA.
In any case, keep in mind that VC is NOT a finance job. I've written about it elsewhere here on this board, but in short it's about your ability to be a matchmaker - matching experienced tech execs with promising tech business ideas. Figuring out whether to fund Facebook isn't an exercise in financial modeling - it's a gut call as to whether the actual concept or idea will eventually make money - and whether one can build a strong team of people around that idea to make it happen.
A startup's financial situation is pretty elementary. They get a bunch of money from investors. They spend most of it on salaries, rent for the office, phone bills, etc. They issue invoices to customers, and get money paid to them within 30 days. It's practically a cash business. The actual financials aren't much different from a mom and pop small business (i.e. why would you invest in a dinky startup with a complicated balance sheet full of deferred tax assets, pension liabilities, fixed asset schedules, complicated inventory mgmt, etc.).
Even as a VC associate where a big chunk of your job will be reviewing business plans, it doesn't come down to "financial projections". It's about making a judgment call as to whether the business idea itself is compelling enough (i.e. is there a market for this product, will that market grow in the next 5-10 years, is the product good or a piece of crap, etc.), and whether there is a capable team of people behind that idea to make it happen (and if not, do your VC partners have the contacts to find the right execs to work at this startup).
In any case, keep in mind that VC is NOT a finance job. I've written about it elsewhere here on this board, but in short it's about your ability to be a matchmaker - matching experienced tech execs with promising tech business ideas. Figuring out whether to fund Facebook isn't an exercise in financial modeling - it's a gut call as to whether the actual concept or idea will eventually make money - and whether one can build a strong team of people around that idea to make it happen.
A startup's financial situation is pretty elementary. They get a bunch of money from investors. They spend most of it on salaries, rent for the office, phone bills, etc. They issue invoices to customers, and get money paid to them within 30 days. It's practically a cash business. The actual financials aren't much different from a mom and pop small business (i.e. why would you invest in a dinky startup with a complicated balance sheet full of deferred tax assets, pension liabilities, fixed asset schedules, complicated inventory mgmt, etc.).
Even as a VC associate where a big chunk of your job will be reviewing business plans, it doesn't come down to "financial projections". It's about making a judgment call as to whether the business idea itself is compelling enough (i.e. is there a market for this product, will that market grow in the next 5-10 years, is the product good or a piece of crap, etc.), and whether there is a capable team of people behind that idea to make it happen (and if not, do your VC partners have the contacts to find the right execs to work at this startup).
