The Second Round Ding Report

Mr. Buy-Side Research

• 760 GMAT
• 3.6 GPA
• Undergraduate degree in psychology from an Ivy League university
• Work experience includes six years in high-level policy development roles in state government before moving to research at a buy-side investment firm for the past year and a half
• “My application focused largely on applying the lessons of an MBA to public sector management”
• “Released after put on wait list in Round 1”
• 29-year-old white male

Sandy’s Analysis: First, eight years of work experience at matriculation in research is an easy way to reject you barring AMAZING other stuff. Next, buy-side is a dangerous place to apply from, especially for a guy who started in state government and then joined the dark side. And then said he wanted an MBA to return to public sector management. Many would find that story transparently made-up and self-serving, and based on the evidence of people who have made that transition, rare or close to null.

I realize you were in research in all your jobs, so you could argue that was the thread you wanted to continue but that was probably over weighed by government/ PE song and dance you were spinning (even if true, they would just read it as buy-side burnout or a stealth wet dream transition from buy-side research to BIG BUY SIDE BUCKS –a story they don’t support.

Fact that you were put on ice after Round 1 makes me suspect the above, plus a sense that they got all the finance type people [buy side, sell side, research, and everything else) they need, so you were an easy ding.