Mr. Markets Guy

You’re a terrific candidate on just about every single level: Your GMAT score is 30 points above the Harvard Business School median. Your GPA at a public Ivy, UVA, is right on target for HBS. You bring the additional qualification of a CFA which, along with your GMAT score, makes it a certainty you will sail through the academic core. And you have great work experience in the financial markets in what is likely highly selective firms in your industry. Your big professional wins also tell me you have proven yourself in a highly competitive field. And your post-MBA goal makes immediate sense. As you know, Harvard’s acceptance rate is now 12%. Given your stats and your background, I’d say your odds are three times the school’s admit rate. It would be higher if not for the randomness of MBA admissions at highly selective schools or if you were female or a URM.

Solid, albeit conventional, professional experience as an analyst. We love to see that you founded an Analysts Council — great way to demonstrate initiative and leadership within a class of peers. Your undergrad extracurriculars are excellent, but currently we don’t see any “organizational leadership.” At the very least, you should join and seek a formal role in the nearest UVA alumni chapter. Excellent academic profile will convince adcoms you’ll thrive in an MBA classroom. Good target list, but it would be shame for you to go back to your alma mater UVA rather than another top-tier school that offers you a different brand, campus culture and alumni network.

Hello Mr. Markets Guy! Or should I call you Mr. 760? Krista Nannery here from mbaMission.
Every year, I see a lot of finance applicants like you. However, most struggle with the extracurricular side of things. I love that you’ve got a bunch of things going on outside of work — plus the Analyst Council. Of course, I am assuming that the Africa hospital and Best Buddy activities are current? If so, these things will set you apart during this process. My top recs for you would be…
1. Keep up the ECs and/or look for a way to even ramp them up a bit between now and September.
2. Go all R1. Too many candidates like you. Get in there early with that 760/3.62 please.
3. For schools like Booth, Kellogg, and Darden, network network network. Go to the info sessions, visit campus, show that you really want to go there. This is important for you just from a fit perspective, but it will also make your applications more interesting as you’ll be able to articulate WHY each program is right for you. (Although to be fair, Kellogg stripped the Why question out of its essays this year. Still in the video interview though!) Don’t worry about networking with HBS and Wharton so much…they already know that you want to go there.
Assuming your ECs are current, I think this will be a fun process for you. I’m not entirely clear on your chances at HBS (too many similar candidates) but for the other schools, assuming strong application execution and rich ECs like the ones you list, you’ve got a decent shot. My number refers to your overall chances at all your schools. For HBS, I’d put you closer to their 11% admit rate right now.