Candidate:

Mr. CFA With Sustainable Investing Dreams

About Me:

I know I’m a bit of a long shot for the schools I applied to. Will have about 8 years of experience upon starting school in August. Spent 4 years at a Big 4, 2.5 years at a large fin services firm, and 9 months at my current job as an asset manager. FWIW have a character reference from a close family friend who works at CBS, and both LOR are from Stern Alums. Passion for sustainable investment.
Used an admissions consultant so feel good about my essays and my story. Not another person going into IB or consulting: specifically looking to go buy-side portfolio management, starting as an equity analyst. Believe my career leads well into this transition.

Schools:

Target School: Columbia

Considering: NYU Stern, Duke Fuqua, Wharton, Cornell Johnson

Rejected: NYU Stern, Duke Fuqua, Wharton

Accepted: Cornell Johnson

See More Profiles For: Columbia

Application Status: Rejected

Details:

Undergrad School: Penn State

Undergrad Major: Energy Business and Finance

GPA: 3.21

GRE: 322

Age: 29, Ethnicity: White

Extracurriculars: Haymakers for Hope - Boxer and Fundraiser | Penn State Boxing Team

Work History:

Title: Portfolio Analyst

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Fortune 500

Length of Employment: 1 yr, 1 mos

Title: Equity Manager Research Associate

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Fortune 500

Length of Employment: 1 yr, 1 mos

Big Life Wins:

– Earned CFA designation during height of pandemic by flying alone to a city I had never been to halfway across the country in order to take the exam, because it was canceled everywhere local to me.
– Raised over $9,300 for cancer research and treatment as a boxer and fundraiser through Haymakers for Hope.
– Helped grow a sustainable investing platform.

Post MBA Goal:

Short term: Equity analyst at an impact-investment focused or sustainable investing hedge fund or traditional investment manager.
Long term: Become a portfolio manager of one of these strategies.