Candidate:

Ms. Non-Quant

About Me:

After working in public policy for 2 years following a graduate degree in international relations, I moved to Paris to work in equity investment where I have led . While this can seem like a 180 career change, it is a way for me to pivot to a finance-focused career and understand what a good growth strategy is and what makes good decision making.

Schools:

Target School: Columbia

Considering: Wharton, Harvard

See More Profiles For: Columbia

Application Status: Open

Details:

Undergrad School: University College London

Undergrad Major: Business

GPA: 3.76

GRE: 320

Age: 26, Ethnicity: Asian or Indian

Other Degree/Certification: Masters

School Name: Georgetown

Extracurriculars: Women survivor of domestic violence group

Work History:

Title: Equity Research Analyst

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Boutique Firm

Length of Employment: 1 yr

Title: Research Associate

Industry: Nonprofit / B-Corp

Company: Top Firm

Length of Employment: 2 yrs, 6 mos

Big Life Wins:

Starting a professional development workshop for women survivors of domestic violence; working in 5 countries including in Asia and studying in 3.

Post MBA Goal:

Post MBA, I’d like to join a PE firm focused on emerging markets, preferably with a focus on consumer goods, before building my own fund leveraging the network I will have built in business school. My personal goal would be to add some color and a different perspective, shaped by my non-traditional background, to an industry that lacks diversity.

Odds:

Join in! Click here to assess the odds of Ms. Non-Quant

The Experts Rate The Odds At: 18%

See what the industry experts have to say:

mbaMission Odds Assessment: 15%

Hi Ms. Non-Quant,
This is Debbie Choy, GSB alum and Senior Consultant at mbaMission. Your international background is a plus! This is a strength for many b-schools that are looking to bring an international perspective into the classroom. Apart from that, you come from a non-traditional industry, which also helps you stand out from the crowd. That said, it’s important to clearly articulate your future career goals and why you are passionate about social and environmental impact investing. And what transferable skills can you bring from your past/current experiences to make you a better investor in this area? I imagine your research skills and international experiences will help you there. Separately, your GMAT score might be a concern for Columbia. Have you looked into the GRE …

Hi Ms. Non-Quant,
This is Debbie Choy, GSB alum and Senior Consultant at mbaMission. Your international background is a plus! This is a strength for many b-schools that are looking to bring an international perspective into the classroom. Apart from that, you come from a non-traditional industry, which also helps you stand out from the crowd. That said, it’s important to clearly articulate your future career goals and why you are passionate about social and environmental impact investing. And what transferable skills can you bring from your past/current experiences to make you a better investor in this area? I imagine your research skills and international experiences will help you there. Separately, your GMAT score might be a concern for Columbia. Have you looked into the GRE or Executive Assessment? Some applicants do better at these tests because of the different format. I think switching to these tests might help you overcome the test score hurdle. My estimate of your odds is based on your current GMAT score, but if you can do better in this area, you’d have a good shot at CBS. Wishing you the best in your MBA journey!

4 years ago Read the full review
Stratus Admissions Counseling Odds Assessment: 20%

Ms. Non-Quant – Thanks for posting your profile. Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions at Stratus here.

There is a lot to like about your profile – strong undergrad performance, global experience.

To land a seat at CBS or Wharton, you need to explain why you need another master’s degree and how it will set you up to make the impact that you would like to make moving forward. Perhaps there are things that you have observed from doing qualitative research that have raised your awareness about the importance of understanding the financial side of decision making.

While your GMAT is below the average and towards the low end of the range at both CBS and Wharton, I think you can present yourself as someone whose …

Ms. Non-Quant – Thanks for posting your profile. Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions at Stratus here.

There is a lot to like about your profile – strong undergrad performance, global experience.

To land a seat at CBS or Wharton, you need to explain why you need another master’s degree and how it will set you up to make the impact that you would like to make moving forward. Perhaps there are things that you have observed from doing qualitative research that have raised your awareness about the importance of understanding the financial side of decision making.

While your GMAT is below the average and towards the low end of the range at both CBS and Wharton, I think you can present yourself as someone whose perspective will add value to the cohort. If you truly lack quant skills (I am not privvy to your Q subscore) then you might want to take a course to show that you are adequately prepared for the quantitative rigor of either of these top programs.

Given your interest in social and impact investing, you might also take a look at Yale SOM.

Wishing you the best on your application journey!

4 years ago Read the full review