Chances of getting into top Business School?
Hello everyone, I am currently a senior at UCLA and I was just hoping to receive some advice and guidance in terms of what I should focus on during the next couple of years in order to become a more favorable candidate for a top MBA program.
Profile:
GPA: 3.72 (Latin Honors)
Major (Business Economics) GPA: 3.77
Accounting Minor GPA: 3.8+
Internships: HCVT (local accounting firm), and EY.
Full time employment offer from financial services audit department at EY (starting in the fall).
Extracurricular: Fundraising chair for fraternity and business club on campus.
Background: Foreign born first generation minority transfer student in a low income household working since high school to finance education
Fluency in Spanish and intermediate proficiency in French.
Hoping to have taken both the GMAT and CPA by the end of the year.
I simply would like to know what I can get myself involved with in order to increase my chances of getting admitted into a top business school. For example, I have heard from some professionals that auditing isn’t as impressive as consulting or investment banking and for that reason, I have recently started focusing on breaking into those industries.
I am also hoping to hear your opinion as to which ranking of programs I should aim at given my profile.
Any comments or advice would be truly appreciated. Thank you!
Anyone?
your alums will be more helpful--check their linkedin and start conversations with them will help you the most! :)
Don't do audit unless you have to. Swap to anything else... audit leaves you with relatively few exit ops and unlike tax isn't THAT highly demanded in other regards. Strong profile otherwise. Definitely will have lots of opportunities in the top 15, if not M7.
You have a very strong profile thus far, get a good job (preferably not audit, though I do not think that would be the end of the road as much as others do). The biggest things would obviously be getting good work experience that shows progression over 4-5 years and will allow you to get strong letters of recommendation, secondly work really hard on gmat preparation and take it when you feel ready.
Thanks for the advice! I am currently in the process of networking and trying break into investment banking in order to have better options in the future.
Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
dude, don't go to IB because you want top b-school in a few years:
Go to IB because you want to be the best in it! Or Go to _______ANYTHING_______because you want to be the best in it!
B-schools are not grabbing fish from IB/consulting scenes only. They want their grads to be the best everywhere. If you feel like IB is a grinder and you'll still have to compete with high-performing cohorts--it'd be disaster for you even if you get into MBA program
Doing 1-2 years of audit, earning your CPA and then leveraging to a mid tier Asset Management or consulting shop is a real possibility. If you're shooting for H/S/W you will be reaching but otherwise this track can serve you for the rest of the M7. Most importantly is being strong relative to your peers. Focus at work, show success and it will all come together.
Doing well at work is always the best way to advance your career. Keep looking for other opportunities but if you end up in audit don't be sour about it. People on these boards are snobbish about it (even though most of them are in even less desirable roles) but big 4 audit is an excellent opportunity. Many investment banks specifically recruit the top performers out of these programs because of the excellent financial accounting skills you will build.
Big 4 audit is not strictly worse than IB or consulting, and has many advantages over many/most corporate finance positions because of the exposure you get to many different businesses.
Work hard, build a strong reputation in your firm (see some of wall street playboy's posts on this) and you will be in a great position.
Good luck.
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