Any chance for top MBA?

Hi, I know it's still early for me, but I just want to plan ahead.

UG GPA 3.3 at ASU WPC (Finance major); 780GMAT (took in senior year); Currently working for a 10B+ PE fund (started in June), with tons of previous internships; passedCFA level1; No ECs;

I am thinking of staying in the PE for at least 2 year to get a better working experience so that my GPA and ECs won't hurt that much.

Any chance for me to get into the top programs?

20 Comments
 
bendtyoHi, I know it's still early for me, but I just want to plan ahead.

UG GPA 3.3 at ASU WPC (Finance major); 780GMAT (took in senior year); Currently working for a 10B+ PE fund (started in June), with tons of previous internships; passedCFA level1; No ECs;

I am thinking of staying in the PE for at least 2 year to get a better working experience so that my GPA and ECs won't hurt that much.

Any chance for me to get into the top programs?

Let's see. CFA I, PE, 780. I call troll post. Or you're just really insecure.

 

Won't my gpa and Ec hurt me a lot? And yes I am very insecure because I got tons of rejection letter when I was applying for ugs.

 
jwalsh16ok lets be real...first howd you get from ASU w/ a 3.3 to a 10B+ PE firm in the first place ?
I started networking, and one of my alumni knows the boss I work for now, so I got an interview. During the interview, I was the only one who can speak mandarin and cantonese. And the fund is very active in China, so~
 
keensetofpeepersok i'll bite

your stats sound great. given solid performance with impressive sounding responsibilities, you'll definitely have a chance at M7 in a few yrs. i've definitely met many non-target admittance in my welcome weekends

Thanks, I'll definitely do my best in my current position.

 
Best Response
keensetofpeepersok i'll bite

your stats sound great. given solid performance with impressive sounding responsibilities, you'll definitely have a chance at M7 in a few yrs. i've definitely met many non-target admittance in my welcome weekends

OK, I'll bite too. You do mention that you have no extra-curriculars. Even if you have a very demanding job, you will need to show that you are not one-dimensional. I worked in finance in Asia for 10 years, so I can appreciate that a big fund could want your skills in language and analytics. Especially if you have guanxi.
Still, with your GPA and broad choice of courses, an admissions director would have looked for some activities in college. It's just what you are supposed to have done. So see what you can do to join the broader community either through some kind of sport (don't have the be the next Jeremy Lin, but hey), or non-business club.

Be interesting.

Betsy Massar Come see me at my Q&A thread http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/b-school-qa-w-betsy-massar-of-master-admissions Ask away!
 
Betsy Massar
keensetofpeepersok i'll bite

your stats sound great. given solid performance with impressive sounding responsibilities, you'll definitely have a chance at M7 in a few yrs. i've definitely met many non-target admittance in my welcome weekends

OK, I'll bite too. You do mention that you have no extra-curriculars. Even if you have a very demanding job, you will need to show that you are not one-dimensional. I worked in finance in Asia for 10 years, so I can appreciate that a big fund could want your skills in language and analytics. Especially if you have guanxi.
Still, with your GPA and broad choice of courses, an admissions director would have looked for some activities in college. It's just what you are supposed to have done. So see what you can do to join the broader community either through some kind of sport (don't have the be the next Jeremy Lin, but hey), or non-business club.

Be interesting.

Thanks for the advice. That's exactly what I was worrying about. How am I going to make up for that when I am out of college and have a full-time job now??
 
Virginia Tech 4everYou got a 780 GMAT with your present English language verbal abilities? Not saying I don't believe you, but dang, you must have been born under the right star.
I am not American, and we asians are good at taking exams.
 
Brady4MVPOP is a troll. I have a hard time believing that a kid who got a 3.3 from ASU not only got a 780 GMAT but is working at a $10 billion+ PE fund. I was born at night but not last night. Try your trolling at a different forum.
dont ever doubt an asian's academic skill :). and i admit that i got lucky during the interview.

The reason that i got 3.3 is because i took loads of philosophy and pre law classes, which were nightmares for me. But i still think what i learned worth the time.

 
bendtyo
Brady4MVPOP is a troll. I have a hard time believing that a kid who got a 3.3 from ASU not only got a 780 GMAT but is working at a $10 billion+ PE fund. I was born at night but not last night. Try your trolling at a different forum.
dont ever doubt an asian's academic skill :). and i admit that i got lucky during the interview.

The reason that i got 3.3 is because i took loads of philosophy and pre law classes, which were nightmares for me. But i still think what i learned worth the time.

As a fellow Asian who took some very difficult philosophy courses in college (kantian ethics, rawlsian political philosophy, legal philosophy, contemporary ethics, formal logic ,etc.) I fully appreciate that these courses can be GPA killers. I actually think the difficulty of philosophy is underrated. Having said that however, I do wonder whether you're a wealthy Asian with family connections. Because I still can't fathom how someone with a 3.3 from ASU, a very bad college with mostly subpar students, can land a gig at a $10+ billion PE firm. You either had connections, or you're one of the luckiest people I know. Either way, congrats on the awesome gmat score (assuming you're telling the truth), and focus on being multi-dimensional rather than the boring asian finance dude.

 

I'm still in Toastmasters, although don't do it as regularly as I would like. Toastmasters is especially good for non-native speakers too. It's a very gentle way to be able to get up in front of people and start talking. A very important skill for business school!

Betsy Massar Come see me at my Q&A thread http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/b-school-qa-w-betsy-massar-of-master-admissions Ask away!
 

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