Profile Evaluation (670+IBD background)

[liangchwei]

Hi all,

Given my background as stated below, would that be possible to get in the MBA programs listed or should I retake the GMAT? Also, will that be huge difference between round 1 & 2 application?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- Nationality: Taiwan
- Gender: Female, 25-yr old
- GMAT: 670, AWA 5.5
- Undergraduate: BA in 2009 in Finance, GPA 3.5/4.0
- Work experience: ~3 years in global investment bank since graduation. Expected promotion from analyst to associate in July 2012. Capital market + M&A focused experience. Strong recommendations.
- Extracurricular: volunteered in famous film festivals + chairman of student association in college
- Timeline: target to apply for fall 2013
- Target schools: Columbia, Insead, LBS, Kellogg, MIT, Chicago

Many thanks in advance!

[mili]

Hello!

It certainly wouldn't hurt to retake the GMAT - for most of these schools, you want to target a 700 or above overall score with an 80th percentile on the quant and verbal sections, respectively. It's not a hard and fast rule, obviously, but looking at the rest of your profile, I think it could definitely improve your chances. If you think you can reach a 700, I'd go ahead and retake it.

There is not a substantive difference in acceptance rates between R1 and R2 -- it is more important to submit a high quality application than an early one.

I hope this helps,
Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
http://www.mbamission.com

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[liangchwei]

Many thanks for the reply.
Will take another GMAT and target for 2nd round then.

Wonder if it's necessary to find a volunteer job to enrich my profile?

Appreciated!

[mili]

At this stage it likely won't make much difference. Hard to achieve much of an impact on an organization in one to two months, and if you're retaking the GMAT and applying, you likely won't have time to put quality effort it. You don't want it to seem like a last ditch or disingenuous effort. So, unless there is something you are really passionate about and you feel you can make a real difference within a few months, then I would recommend applying with your current profile. Alternatively, if you decide to push your applications until next year for any reason, or end up reapplying next year, I would definitely find a community activity to get involved in.

Good luck!
Mili


Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
http://www.mbamission.com

Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (16 individual school titles)

Download mbaMission’s Free Personal Statement Guide

Visit the mbaMission Blog

Follow mbaMission on Twitter