Candidate:

Ms. Finance

About Me:

Finance professional with experience at a bulge-bracket investment bank and a top-tier upper middle-market PE shop. Strong undergrad extracurriculars and some post-grad volunteering. Low GPA but wrote an honors thesis

Schools:

Target School: Harvard

Considering: Wharton

See More Profiles For: Harvard

Application Status: Open

Details:

Undergrad School: Top 10 (non-Ivy)

Undergrad Major: Liberal Arts

GPA: 3.48

GMAT: 760

Age: 25, Ethnicity: Asian or Indian

Extracurriculars: Involved in an economic empowerment nonprofit as well as alumni mentorships for undergrad clubs

Work History:

Title: Private Equity Associate

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Top Firm

Length of Employment: 1 yr

Title: Investment Banking Analyst

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Top Firm

Length of Employment: 2 yrs

Post MBA Goal:

Hope to get operational experience at a startup and work in VC

Odds:

Join in! Click here to assess the odds of Ms. Finance

The Experts Rate The Odds At: 50%

See what the industry experts have to say:

MBA Prep School | Odds Assessment: 50%

Hi Ms. Finance, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. When you said “low GPA” I had to do a double take! While you are correct that your GPA is about 0.2 below the average for the current HBS cohort, I would in no way consider it “low”! Let’s recap: you are a woman who graduated from a top 10 school in liberal arts and successfully entered the finance industry at a top investment bank, made the transition to PE (which many people rely on the MBA to help them do), and you have a 760 GMAT?! Oh, and also you volunteer with a nonprofit! I have a very hard time seeing you NOT be successful in the admissions process. While you check the boxes in …

Hi Ms. Finance, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. When you said “low GPA” I had to do a double take! While you are correct that your GPA is about 0.2 below the average for the current HBS cohort, I would in no way consider it “low”! Let’s recap: you are a woman who graduated from a top 10 school in liberal arts and successfully entered the finance industry at a top investment bank, made the transition to PE (which many people rely on the MBA to help them do), and you have a 760 GMAT?! Oh, and also you volunteer with a nonprofit! I have a very hard time seeing you NOT be successful in the admissions process. While you check the boxes in terms of raw strengths, my advice to you is to pay close attention to telling your story in your essays. Your career success should really differentiate you as a candidate, but you will want to highlight accomplishments that allowed that progression to take place and showcase you as a top performer. You don’t highlight your “big wins” here, but no doubt you have them to be where you are now. You are also targeting two of the top three MBA programs, so it couldn’t hurt to throw your hat in the ring at a few other M7 school (as a former Sloan adcom, might I suggest MIT?). It looks to be an exceptionally competitive admissions cycle, so while I think you have a strong shot at HBS and Wharton I would not leave anything to chance. I would be happy to offer you a complimentary consultation to chat further about how to position your applications for success!

4 years ago Read the full review

The Community Currently Rates The Odds At: 31%

50% | 4 years ago
60% | 4 years ago
60% | 4 years ago
50% | 4 years ago

Hi Ms. Finance, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. When you said "low GPA" I had to do a double take! While you are correct that your GPA is about 0.2 below the average for the current HBS cohort, I would in no way consider it "low"! Let's recap: you are a woman who graduated from a top 10 school in liberal arts and successfully entered the finance industry at a top investment bank, made the transition to PE (which many people rely on the MBA to help them do), and you have a 760 GMAT?! Oh, and also you volunteer with a nonprofit! I have a very hard time seeing you NOT be successful in the admissions process. While you check the boxes in ...

Hi Ms. Finance, Kristen from MBA Prep School here. When you said “low GPA” I had to do a double take! While you are correct that your GPA is about 0.2 below the average for the current HBS cohort, I would in no way consider it “low”! Let’s recap: you are a woman who graduated from a top 10 school in liberal arts and successfully entered the finance industry at a top investment bank, made the transition to PE (which many people rely on the MBA to help them do), and you have a 760 GMAT?! Oh, and also you volunteer with a nonprofit! I have a very hard time seeing you NOT be successful in the admissions process. While you check the boxes in terms of raw strengths, my advice to you is to pay close attention to telling your story in your essays. Your career success should really differentiate you as a candidate, but you will want to highlight accomplishments that allowed that progression to take place and showcase you as a top performer. You don’t highlight your “big wins” here, but no doubt you have them to be where you are now. You are also targeting two of the top three MBA programs, so it couldn’t hurt to throw your hat in the ring at a few other M7 school (as a former Sloan adcom, might I suggest MIT?). It looks to be an exceptionally competitive admissions cycle, so while I think you have a strong shot at HBS and Wharton I would not leave anything to chance. I would be happy to offer you a complimentary consultation to chat further about how to position your applications for success!

Read the full review
50% | 4 years ago