What Are Your Odds Of Getting In?

Ms. Real Estate

• NA GMAT
• GPA (Graduated with an upper second)
• Undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from a top British university
• Work experience includes a year on the consulting side for KPMG and a year in a management trainee program at a local boutique investment bank. Currently handle the real estate portfolio at an investment firm.
• Extracurricular involvement as a leader in various volunteering projects in university; Am currently spearheading a fundraising initiative for a human rights NGO.
• Goal:
”To work in a private equity/investment management firm focusing in real estate”
• “Am trying to emphasize the international and volunteering angle for my application. Appreciate if you could advise if this is wise.”
• Asian female who is fluent in five languages, studied in Japan and the U.K., volunteered in a wild life hospital in Australia

Odds of Success:

Wharton: 25+% (if GMAT is 700+)

Columbia: 30% to 40% (GMAT 700+ and Early Decision)

MIT: 30%

Berkeley: 20%

NYU: 40%

Sandy’s Analysis: GMAT???? Important for you, given what seems like not Tier-1 jobs (but OK jobs) and upper-second. Work history is good to shaky, if I am reading it correctly, “Completed a one year management trainee program in a local boutique investment bank. Am currently working in an investment company handling the real estate portfolio . . . .”

I am not sure what that means, exactly, or how competitive that job is, or if it will seem like your career has gone sideways or even lost altitude, versus rising. All that really counts, especially at the more selective schools you are applying to. The most selective you note — Wharton, Columbia and MIT– are all GMAT picky, so a solid score there (700+ if you can swing it) would really be helpful.

The rest is attractive and global, and I agree with your strategy of ”trying to emphasize the international and volunteering angle for my application” but that only gets you so far, especially at Wharton, Columbia and MIT. What you really need to do is figure out some goal, which picks up on both your international interests and career so far.

You might look at what I told the architect in the previous profile to say, and see if you can dip you cup into that aromatic well of adcom nectar, e.g. some career on the finance/development (but for you finance is OK) side of a shiny-paper brochure promoting international projects and developments with hip and sustainable elements like combing low-cost housing in Asia with animal rights. Maybe the poor people look after the animals; sort of We Bought A Zoo goes large lot. OK, you can wind that back a bit, but you get the idea. The international part of your application is real solid and will be appreciated. The volunteering part is a plus, but don’t bet the Zoo on that.