Hi! I was hopping to get some input on my chances of admittance in the first round:
26 year old female
3.4 from the University of Notre Dame
Varsity swim team captain at Notre Dame
Active in community service and community leadership
3 years working in Finance at Bain Capital
Passed all three levels of the CFA consecutively
670 GMAT 44q/38v - should I retake?
Thanks for any help!
Definitely retake GMAT, with a better gmat score you should be competitive
Every factor you listed is + or ++, except GPA and GMAT. As is, I think you might get into a top-10 or two with good recs and essays, if you blanketed all of them. Your GPA is a bit below average, but basically neutral everywhere except H/S. That gmat score puts you in a tough spot though. I would absolutely retake it, especially since you're clearly capable of crushing tests. With a 720+, nothing would be automatic, but you'd be in great shape to take a run at most M7 schools.
agreed, retake
Envious...a few chinks but nothing you can't fix
Yep. Spend some $$ and a couple of months on a GMAT prep course and re-take.
Hi Kathryn--Welcome to WSO! It's fun here, although some of the guys can be a little snarky :-) Now, to your profile: I am going to go out on a limb and say that you will probably get a very serious look by some of the top schools without retaking the GMAT. It's definitely lower than the average, but you have such a strong record in every other way that you are one of the ones about whom they will simply say, "hey, its within the range, so whatever" If you have time to try to retake, then go ahead, and see if you can bring up that 44 in quant. I'm not at all worried about the GPA, especially if you took quant classes and did well in them. If you did really well, that would also mitigate the gmat score.
You did mention Round 1, which for HBS, is sooner than we all want it to be -- It's September 9, which means a tough summer for prospective students!
I agree with Betsy. You're already a very strong candidate. Provided solid essays and a good overall application strategy (weaving your whole story together, etc) I'd wager you'd go at least 2/10 with your current profile. With heavy networking and signaling to specific schools during the pre-application cycle it could even be slightly higher. That said, if you don't want to leave anything to chance, retake the GMAT and get above 710. You're a strong candidate and that would put you in a great position to have a legit shot at HSW if that's what you want. Retaking the GMAT and doing well could also be the difference between getting in and getting in with some money. If you have the time, take it again.
You are absolutely a strong candidate, but need to retake that GMAT. With your other stats it may get you into a top 15, with a 710+ you have a reasonable shot at any M7 outside of H/S, which will be a stretch, but doable.
I think even with that GMAT that you would have your pick on the school maybe with the exception of Stanford (Bain name could be enough to get you over the hump there though). There will not be many people in your demographic applying with your work experience and the schools that I applied to seemed like they rolled out the red carpet for candidates with your background. I will be attending a top 3 school this fall and saw women with less impressive backgrounds and work experience that were in at multiple top schools (H/S/W/Booth/Kellogg).
Just curious what you want to transition to? Most people would kill for Bain.
Could you change your username?
I know some folks here are worried about the GMAT, but if she took and did well in quant courses, and given her great record with the CFA, I don't think the admissions committees would get overly hung up on a number in her case. That's because she's got so much else going on/ I'm surprised no one has mentioned swimming in any of the above postings. Maybe it's because we don't know anything about Division 1 competitive swimming, but I do believe your leadership role in such a visible sport enhances your candidacy.
Are you exceptionally attractive, by any chance?
Haha she absolutely is
~100% chance somewhere in the top 10.
Is this a BO or FO job at Bain? I am not a PE guy, but I figure that makes a pretty big difference...?
Totally agree with @Betsy Massar too. As a very biased former varsity captain, I am pretty convinced that I would not have gotten into the places I did without it. It gives AdComs a nice excuse to blink at something - in my case low GPA, in OPs post low GMAT.
Literally the first profile point states female...wow
What? "26 year old female"
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