23 Comments
 

Dinged.... Can't believe didnt even get an interview invite. That means I'm not even in the top 50% of applicants?

710 GMAT, 3.7 GPA, CFA, and leadership at charity.

Not sure if GMAT, trading experience, or essays sunk me. Debating reapplying or continuing on with Duke. .

 
Best Response
TradingToMBADinged.... Can't believe didnt even get an interview invite. That means I'm not even in the top 50% of applicants?

710 GMAT, 3.7 GPA, CFA, and leadership at charity.

Not sure if GMAT, trading experience, or essays sunk me. Debating reapplying or continuing on with Duke. .

Wow I remember your earlier thread, and your profile seemed very strong (I think I even PM'd you about it lol).

I think it's your GMAT; I just got the interview invite this morning, with only my GMAT being the only superior stat (760); my gpa and work experience are not as good as yours, and my essays were very rushed.

Personally, I vote for staying as a prop trader, but if you're set on b-school, then I would retake the GMAT and try again (fwiw).

 
Blax0r
TradingToMBADinged.... Can't believe didnt even get an interview invite. That means I'm not even in the top 50% of applicants?

710 GMAT, 3.7 GPA, CFA, and leadership at charity.

Not sure if GMAT, trading experience, or essays sunk me. Debating reapplying or continuing on with Duke. .

Wow I remember your earlier thread, and your profile seemed very strong (I think I even PM'd you about it lol).

I think it's your GMAT; I just got the interview invite this morning, with only my GMAT being the only superior stat (760); my gpa and work experience are not as good as yours, and my essays were very rushed.

Personally, I vote for staying as a prop trader, but if you're set on b-school, then I would retake the GMAT and try again (fwiw).

No, it is NOT the GMAT. Huge misinformation - have to cut it off right here, right now. A 760 sets you a little higher in the pool than a 710 does, but schools are not so out-of-whack with reality that they start disliking 710s. Stop speculating.

The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.
 
TradingToMBADinged.... Can't believe didnt even get an interview invite. That means I'm not even in the top 50% of applicants?

710 GMAT, 3.7 GPA, CFA, and leadership at charity.

Not sure if GMAT, trading experience, or essays sunk me. Debating reapplying or continuing on with Duke. .

Really sorry about your ding. I too am surprised that you did not get an invite. My guess is that you messed up on the essays+powerpoint. Perhaps your career goals were not clear or specific enough? Or adcom did not think you needed an MBA? It is definitely not your GMAT.

Don't take it personally. MBA admissions is the least objective and most unfair admissions process out of all the programs (college, med, law, phd, other masters). Unless you're a phenomenal candidate or downright unqualified, you're sort of in the middle bunch where your chances will hinge upon a combination of execution and whether you check a certain box that adcom is looking for. I know a lot of very mediocre and questionable people who are now at Booth along with other top programs. Did they deserve to be there more than someone like yourself? No. But they had the right combination of background, career goals, profile, work experience, etc., that adcom believed could add to the tapestry of diversity.

Just a side note, which proves how random this process is. A good friend of mine (typical white male finance) got into both HBS and Wharton in round 1 but got dinged at booth and columbia without an interview. MBA admissions is truly a mystery, even moreso than women (well it's a close call) =)

Where else did you apply to? Best of luck.

 

SHORT! good for you! Are you doing the interview in Brazil or in the good old USA?

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!
 

Congrats to those who received interview invites. The more I learn about the process, the more I realize how many extremely qualified people get dinged. Just because you "fit" in the class profile by no means guarantees you a spot or even an interview. It truly is a black box with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Best thing I think you can do is apply to a lot of schools and keep plowing ahead.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

Got an invite as well. Very fortunate to have received interviews at every mba and mfin program I applied to. Good luck everyone.

 

I personally would not get excited if I had to exert effort just to have the opportunity to pay someone and help make them rich. congrats though.

 

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