Lower MBA Dropout -> M7 MBA?

I am looking to apply to the M7 schools this upcoming year. For a bit of background, I am an international student and graduated from a target undergrad with a good GPA; have a 760 on the GMAT. I did 2 years out of undergrad as an IBD analyst in SF and 2 years at a PE fund in London. During my second year of IBD, I did ~10 months at a no-name MBA program (long story but mostly due to not having STEM OPT and wanted to complete the analyst contract and bank was on a hiring freeze for transfer). Decided to drop it after a year due to health complications w/ several fam members back home and was sure completing an MBA would most definitely put me out of the running for an M7 MBA program. I then decided to continue my career in London to be closer to home. My question is, applying to an M7 school, will that 10 month MBA work against me in the app, even tho I did drop it for family reasons, am planning to explain the same in my optional essays. My grades were good for those 10 months, so don't think it would be a performance issue when I submit an unofficial transcript. Have called up several admissions offices and all of them said it shouldn't be a problem, especially if I explain the personal circumstances, but don't know if they just said it to say it or if it's actually true lol. Would appreciate any thoughts!

1 Comments
 

Nostrum optio totam sit repellendus. Similique quia maiores saepe. Cupiditate dolores culpa aut quasi ducimus. Iure tempora blanditiis nihil officiis.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”