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Question

Hi,

I've just started planning for my MBA education possibly 2 - 3 years down the road, as I know the process is going to be complicated. Here's my basic situation:

24 Y/O Asian Male from Canada
BMath in Statistics from top math program in Canada (University of Waterloo)
BBA in Finance (Econ minor) from tier-2 business program in Canada (Wilfrid Laurier University, it's a double degree program)
4 internships all in finance completed during undergrad
Undergraduate GPA is quite low (70% cumulative GPA)
CFA Level 2 Candidate and I plan on finishing the program and getting the charter
Extracurriculars includes running the finance club on campus and other volunteering/non-profit involvements
So far I have about 2 years work experience in the Cayman Islands (financial services)
About to move to Hong Kong for an US bulge bracket bank (think JPM/MS/GS) in June 2015

Eventually I do want to end up in North America (NYC/Chicago/Toronto), but I plan on spending 3 - 4 years in Asia for the experience
Plans after MBA is returning to bulge bracket bank (not investment banking, but roles like institutional sales on the trading floor)

So I plan on matriculating in 2017 to 2018 but I've began researching already and below are some schools I'm interested in:
Yale SOM
Duke
Cornell (leaning towards the 1 year program, since a CFA charter will make me eligible for the accelerated program)
Kellog (1 year program as well)
Queens (Canada, this is 1 year as well beginning in January)
UToronto Rotman (CFA charter will exempt me from GMAT requirements so it's convenient)

My questions are:
Based on my background, would an Ivy MBA or M7 be a bit of a stretch for me (or completely beyond reach?)
I've read that one disadvantage of 1 year MBA is the lack of internship in the middle, which will affect recruiting upon graduation. If I'm already in Finance and have built a network, does that make the disadvantage a moot point?
What can I do in the mean time to prepare for my endeavors 3, 4 years down the road (other than finishing the CFA program and GMAT)?

Thanks!

Admissionado · Answer

Hey dude,
Well, other than that pesky GPA, things look quite good. I mean you are obviously someone who works hard. Few candidates have FOUR finance internships... and that's an impressive start. The fact that you are moving up to bulge bracket only confirms this.

To make the most of your application and kinda cover that "blemish" the two strongest things you can do is 1. Come away with a stellar GMAT 2. Finish that CFA. That will at least PROVE you are smart. And then with a good essay explaining why your UG grades are so low, you can get into almost anywhere.

Besides the obvious thing od just kicking ass at work, and getting promoted, and take more and more responsibilities, make sure you keep up at least one volunteer work/community service (church, tutoring, Red cross, whatever). If you are doing important stuff, like leading and fundraising, it's better. And make sure you have at least one interesting activity (sports, music, etc. etc.) Other stuff (political involvement, other leadership, etc.) is always always cool to have.

But other than that you seem to be in good shape. And with a GMAT above 720, you will likely be able yo apply for Top 10 schools.

Best,
Jon

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