Profile Evaluation - Central Banker

Question

Hi... First of all really appreciative of what you folks are doing here.
My Profile is as follows:

GMAT: 720
IELTS: Overall 8.0 Band
(yet to give TOEFL)
Education: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from one of top flight engg colleges (NIT) with 7.4 CGPA

Work Experience : (total work ex of 28 months as of date)
(i) Working in Reserve Bank of India (India's Central Banker, equivalent to US FED or ECB) as an Executive Intern since October, 2011
(ii) Experience in IT industry (a Fortune 500 company) of 16 months focusing exclusively on solutions for US Payment and Settlement Systems
(iii) Teaching experience of 4 months at a private training center for GMAT and GRE

Certifications : Derivative (Dealer's Module) certification from NCFM (National Stock Exchange)

Extra Curricular : (i) Was U-15 State Chess Champion. Have won various inter-school and inter-college tournaments
(ii) Was member of a team which founded the college's first ever student newsletter.
(iii) Conceived and implemented the idea of inter-hostel virtual stock trading game
(iv) have been a stock market participant since high school
(v) involved in part time NGO work in my previous organization. Still looking for new opportunities in my present organization.

Queries  :
Q1. I have gaps in between my work experience. There is a gap of 4 months when I joined the Bank after leaving my IT job. During this time I earned money by share trading and I backpacked through the country. Is this gap a matter of concern? How do I make up with it?
Q2. Is my profile (the duration and quality of my work-ex) suitable for a top league school like INSEAD or one of the Ivy-Leagues?
Q3. Any suggestions to improve my profile or any other areas of improvement.
Q4. I want to make a career in asset/portfolio management and start my own fund house someday. I wish to pursue higher education for the same. In light of above can you also suggest would a Masters in Finance in Princeton be a suitable course or should I just apply for MBAs and seek specialization in the same.
Q5. Further, can you help me prioritize the following B-schools as per my chances of success and suitability. I am looking for a big brand and specialty in finance and I want to limit the number of schools I apply to, at least in the first round.

NYU Stern
Said Business School, Oxford
London Business School
INSEAD
IMD, Switzerland
Wharton
ISB
Columbia Business School
Chicago Booth

Please recommend any other schools too, if you find them to be suitable.

Thanks a lot.

Admissionado · Answer

Q1. I have gaps in between my work experience. There is a gap of 4 months when I joined the Bank after leaving my IT job. During this time I earned money by share trading and I backpacked through the country. Is this gap a matter of concern? How do I make up with it?

Not at all. A four month gap in years of experience is totally normal. Tell them you were backpacking, discovering the world! It will only make you a more interesting candidate.

Q2. Is my profile (the duration and quality of my work-ex) suitable for a top league school like INSEAD or one of the Ivy-Leagues?
Your work experience by matriculation should be about 36, 38 months, which is pretty average. So good there. Your work experience seems good as well, even if a bit "middle-of-the-road"

Q3. Any suggestions to improve my profile or any other areas of improvement.
The big question is why would they choose YOU rather than 20 other candidates with similar profiles???? Your profile is very good! But India is a huge country with many other excellent candidates. And you need to find your unique items that make YOU different to present yourself ina unique manner.

Q4. I want to make a career in asset/portfolio management and start my own fund house someday. I wish to pursue higher education for the same. In light of above can you also suggest would a Masters in Finance in Princeton be a suitable course or should I just apply for MBAs and seek specialization in the same.

The Princeton Masters of Finance as well as any other MF would likely also be a degree that could be very helpful on your way towards those goals. There's no reason for you not to apply to this program simultaneously with MBA programs.

Q5. Further, can you help me prioritize the following B-schools as per my chances of success and suitability. I am looking for a big brand and specialty in finance and I want to limit the number of schools I apply to, at least in the first round.

It's a bit hard to say about your chances without digging deeper into your profile, esp. your work experience. Let's say that with your numbers any of these schools are possible! The question is: What else have you got? But say you were to apply to ALL these schools, I would say that would be a pretty good strategy. 
Your list is pretty complete. I would maybe also suggest Johnson, which has a very strong finance program, and resources.

NYU Stern
Said Business School, Oxford
London Business School
INSEAD
IMD, Switzerland
Wharton
ISB
Columbia Business School
Chicago Booth

slowcheetah · Answer

Thanks a lot for the reply Jon. Really helpful.

Admissionado · Answer

Glad to help. Come back and visit us, if you have anything else!

slowcheetah · Answer

Hi Jon...

Need your views on certain things. 
(1) I had a surgery during my high school and another one during the first year of my college. As a result my first year GPA was way below par and it had an impact on my overall GPA as well (its 7.4 on a scale of 10 from a low of 5.5 in the first semester). Should I try to justify/explain/use this instance anywhere in my application?
(2) Columbia MBA has the option of early application. However, they take a written commitment that you will withdraw all your applications to other schools and join us. This is definitely a great program, but I am also banking on the MFin from Princeton. So essentially it comes down to MBA in Columbia vs M.Fin in Princeton. Given my goals would you recommend that I apply in early decision (which has its obvious advantages) or go by the regular route.
(3) Also, some programs have a rolling admission. I have given a stock exchange certification test for which the result is expected in a month. Should I wait for the result or apply right now?

Thanks a lot again.

Regards...

Admissionado · Answer

Sure!
(1) I had a surgery during my high school and another one during the first year of my college. As a result my first year GPA was way below par and it had an impact on my overall GPA as well (its 7.4 on a scale of 10 from a low of 5.5 in the first semester). Should I try to justify/explain/use this instance anywhere in my application?
Maybe. It depends on what else you might write about in the optional essay. But it's certainly something you CAN write about.

(2) Columbia MBA has the option of early application. However, they take a written commitment that you will withdraw all your applications to other schools and join us. This is definitely a great program, but I am also banking on the MFin from Princeton. So essentially it comes down to MBA in Columbia vs M.Fin in Princeton. Given my goals would you recommend that I apply in early decision (which has its obvious advantages) or go by the regular route.
I think so. It's advantageous. If you get in, and you decide to take the Admit from Princeton, should you get one, then you lose the money.

(3) Also, some programs have a rolling admission. I have given a stock exchange certification test for which the result is expected in a month. Should I wait for the result or apply right now?
Do you mean to Columbia? There's no advantage to applying RIGHT NOW. Even with their rolling admissions. End of July is totally fine. But you CAN use the next month honing your essays into weapons of destruction.

Profile Evaluation - Central Banker

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