M7 Chances for Non-Traditional Background
Hi everyone,
I am looking to enter an M7 program (specifically targeting Columbia and Wharton) and wanted to get opinions on my odds. I'm planning on working to get into the hedge fund industry post-MBA, specifically a fund with a long/short, value-oriented approach.
Undergrad 3.6/4.0 non-target state school in the southwest
Professional Experience 3 years economic consulting, 1 year corporate finance with bank/credit union
Extracurriculars Member of a student investment fund during undergrad, CFA
GMAT 760
Non-traditional Piece Between the work experience I went back to school for a year-long Master's in Finance (4.0/4.0, but non-target, relatively new program) and then took approximately 6 months off to travel and independently develop my skills as an investor (I realize that this sounds like a BS phrase...truly did spend hours on end reading investment books, teaching myself modeling, practicing taking a company and performing a valuation...any way to frame this better?).
Obviously, I lack the background in IB/PE that makes a post-MBA hedge fund opportunity more realistic, but want to get a sense of my options. Any and all feedback and advice is greatly appreciated.
WW
Your stats and work experience are solid. You will need to tell a great story as to WHY you need an MBA. It seems that your post-MBA goal is IB/PE. Right now, your goal should be to land a seat in a top MBA program that will offer the opportunity for you to develop the knowledge, skills and relationships to get to the IB/PE job.
You didn't mention anything leadership or involvement outside of work.
With a 760 GMAT, I would get that you have a really solid shot at CBS if you were to apply ED (binding).
There are three questions that you will need to nail: - Why MBA? (especially since you already have a Masters) - Why now? (why not directly from economics consulting?) - Why THIS School (you'll need to do your research!)
Check out [5 Reasons to Pursue an MBA Along with a CFA][] .
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