Q&A: Accepted to Stanford GSB / HBS / Wharton

Question

Hi all,

Was lucky enough to get accepted to the MBA programs at Stanford GSB / HBS / Wharton and figured I would let people ask me anything relating to the application or thought process of deciding to pursue an MBA. Briefly about me:

Background: 28M / international background but lived in the US for most of my adult life
    Education: Undergrad at a US semi target (4.0 GPA) & exchange program in Europe
    GMAT: 740
    Work experience: extended banking stint (3-4 years) in South America + New York at one of the big IBs (GS / MS / JPM).

InfidelCashFlow · Accepted Answer

First off, congrats! That's definitely quite an accomplishment. And thank you for doing this. I have a handful of questions:

1) If you were to go back to your fund, would the MBA count as two years of work experience? In other words, if you are a VP1 now, would you come in at that level or come in as a VP3?

2) Which round did you apply in for each school? Did you apply anywhere else / had you applied to business school before?

3) Did you have a strong hook (e.g., URM, LGBTQ, D1 athlete, legacy at any of the schools, etc.)?

Eurodancer · Answer

1) They will most likely only give me 1 year of credit which I am fine with

2) I applied in round 1 for all schools. Had never applied before. Would recommend applying in round 1 if you have time!

3) I played one sport competitively at university at a national and have recently done two full iron mans at a pretty good time for my age group. Otherwise nothing too extreme to stand out. I think I might go on their international quota because of my family background which might have helped.

4) My fund does not send that many people to do an MBA because they promote internally without it.

Eurodancer · Answer

There are a lot of good threads on this forum talking about what makes a good analyst/associate that I found helpful. The top tips in my mind are:

Always try to make the life of your boss easier by being proactive
    Work really hard at least the first 6-12 months in your new job. The reputation will last you very long and you will learn a lot
    Try to always have a smile on your face and be nice to people across all functions
    If possible, find 1-2 die-hard supporters in your firm that will bat for you come review season.

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Q&A: Accepted to Stanford GSB / HBS / Wharton

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Q&A: Accepted to Stanford GSB / HBS / Wharton

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