Handicapping: Mrs. Marlboro, Ms. Social Sector, Ms. Think Tank, Mr. Military, Mr. 2+2, Mr. PE Bound, Mr. Peace Corps

Mr. Private Equity Bound

770 GMAT (50Q, 45V)
2.5 GPA
Undergraduate degree in engineering from the top school in an Eastern European country
Master’s degree in quant heavy subject from a global Top five program (Think MIT or Stanford), finishing first in class three years ago
Work experience includes three years at a global bank, having worked in four countries; three years in strategy consulting with a Top Five firm, and three years of entrepreneurship in a still profitable engineering services firm
Extracurricular involvement with several community leadership roles in different countries over the years, and some volunteer coaching / mentoring in a number of NGOs.
Goal: To transition into the private equity ecosystem in San Francisco
35-year-old Eastern European male

Odds of Success:

Stanford: 10% to 20%

MIT (MSMS): 30%

Sandy’s Analysis: You are going to be 38 by the time you attempt to transition to PE–that is the age when most guys in PE are getting married for the third time and thinking about retirement and wife No. four.

You may be able to leverage your global banking experience (if it was IB type work) and engineering background and join a lean-and-mean PE firm right now. I would suggest trying to make that happen, but it will not happen by sumbitting resumes. You need to network and hustle.

As to your business school ambitions, MIT may wonder why you need the degree. As do I, except as a Hail Mary pass to find the next thing. Haas may be willing to buy the 770 and give you a base to schmooze for two years.