Chances at tier 1-2 MBA programs?
I graduated a couple years ago at a top ~20 undergraduate program with a 3.53 and did 2 years of full-time work as a credit analyst at a medium-large commercial bank. Assuming I get 700+ on the GMAT, what would my chances be at the decent (that will give me a reasonable shot at making associate, given my background) programs? I don't have a great extracurricular "portfolio", other than school investment fund, etc.
Also, should I wait 1-3 years before applying or would my current work experience be enough? What month during the year are MBA applications due?
First off, sounds like you need to do some serious research if asking what month MBA app's are due. There are multiple rounds (generally 3). You wanna apply round 1 no matter what. Resources:
GMATclub.com clearadmit.com B-school selector (exercise judgment): http://www.veritasprep.com/business-school-selector/
My 2 cents: without the huge EC portfolio, leadership experience, a 95th+ percentile GMAT, you're going to need more under the hood. Think the sweet spot for someone with your profile is maybe 4 years. I could name a few ppl off the cuff who look like good candidates but have not gotten in.
Go onto the GMAT Club forums and look at the profiles of the people getting in... and those getting rejected. It's pretty insane to see the highly qualified ppl getting rejected.
Mind you, there are people who get in with just a couple yeas of experience, but they are generally incredibly over-qualified: EC, leadership, hardships they've overcome, unique backgrounds, good to great GMAT, etc.
Wait another 2-3 years and get some extracurriculars/volunteering in.
2 years in finance is extremely limited work experience, especially in a back-office role. B-schools are looking for "leadership" which most analysts (myself included) rarely have the opportunity to demonstrate.
If you're coming from a finance background, best to have a higher GMAT. Make sure you get a 50 or 51 on the quant.
Best to apply Round 1 (October deadline, December response). Round 2 (January, March) can be ok but sometimes schools admit too many Round 1 candidates and ding or waitlist R2 candidates that could have gotten in if they had applied earlier.
Edit: DP
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