Handicapping Your MBA Odds: Mr. Second MBA, Ms. Woman In Tech, Mr. PE, Mr. Investment Analyst

Mr. Scuba-Diving PE

710 GMAT
3.81 GPA (Magna Cum Laude)
Undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University
Work experience includes two years as an investment banking analyst at a bulge bracket bank in New York after college, and three years as an associate at a middle market private equity firm in New York
Hobbies include scuba diving (PADI certified), golf, tennis, traveling, cooking
Goal: To move into the corporate development/corporate strategy role and away from private equity/finance
“I’ve been a long-time lurker on this thread and have been reading your posts”
26-year-old Asian male, married with no children

Odds of Success:

Harvard: 20%

Stanford: 10%

Chicago: 30% to 45%

Wharton: 30% to 45%

Dartmouth: 40%+

Sandy’s Analysis: This is straightforward and typical, so your story is worth highlighting.

BOTTOM LINE: Middle market private equity guys have a very difficult time getting into HBS and Stanford.

Note, I said difficult, not impossible. There are well-known middle market private equity firms with strong track records at those schools. If you are applying from those, well, just shoot par. Maybe our posters can chime in with names of such places. And then be sure to add if we are talking about white/Asian males as the admits.

You got another boo-boo with that 710 GMAT, which is on the low side for your peer groups from Ivy, banking, PE, Asia and male.

“Hobbies: Scuba Diving (PADI certified), Golf, Tennis, Traveling, Cooking”

Sound great but those don’t get bonus points with adcoms. Once you get in, they frequently get super bonus points from Wall Street hiring committees.

“Goal with MBA: Move into the corporate development/corporate strategy role and away from private equity/finance.”

Huh? That is odd and sounds like a too-clever-by-half attempt to separate yourself from your pack.

“Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Wharton and Dartmouth.”

As noted, this profile does not have as many earmarks or enough oomph for HBS or Stanford.

As to Chicago, Wharton, and Dartmouth? Those schools take and ding guys like you all the time, depending on serviceable execution, fit, recs and not blowing interview.