MSc in Finance, top tier UK uni for an Aussie
Hey guys,
Long time lurker here. In short, I want to apply for a top tier uni in the UK.
I am an Electrical engineering and Finance student with First class honours with a GPA of 5.5/7 (75%) for a Go8 University in Australia. I'm currently working as an Analyst at a tier 1 investment firm in Aus.
My biggest concern is my GPA, it is very lackluster compared to the wind I hear about people being rejected with perfect GPAs; however I'm not sure if this can be mitigated if I did Engineering? Can anyone shed light of my chances at a decent university, LSE, Cambridge, Warwick, Edin etc?
I have very little idea of universities overseas, so any help is appreciated.
If I´ve understood correctly you are applying for a MSc in Finance pre-experience (as opposed to a MBA type of masters'), right?
Have you passed the GMAT, GRE, etc..? All of these schools require you to pass one of these tests, even if you have a quantitative background and relatively decent work experience. How many years of work experience do you have?
When considering job applicants, schools do not require a minimum GPA and prefer to look at the overall profile. There is in particular four aspects that they will look into: GPA, GMAT (or similar), work experience, and any other extra-curricular activity /skill that makes you interesting.
Talking from experience, your GPA is good enough to apply for any of these schools. If it makes you feel any better, I know a few guys who made it into a top tier European School with same / slightly lower GPA. You will however need the rest of your profile to make up for the lower GPA. Average gmat scores for theses school lie around 700-710. Get anything above that and it will (partially) offset the lower GPA. Similarly, if you are applying for a MSc in Finance 'pre-experience', 90% of applicants will have between 0-2 years work experience, with most of them only having one or two internships (top-tier internships though).
In short, your GPA isn't that low and if the rest of your profile can make up for it, you got a chance of making it. As your GPA and work experience are pretty much set already, try to outshine with a strong GMAT. Good luck!
Hi dadanish,
Thanks for the response!
You are correct, pre-experience masters. Very helpful and motivating. I'm working towards my GMAT now, just practising and aiming for 700+. I have about a years experience, which I thought was just right to switch into a Msc Fin. I've also completed my CFA level 1, working towards level 2 now.
Given I know no one from top tier schools (coming from a small city), this is very helpful. I have strong extra-curriculars, leadership, IB comp finalist etc, ran a business etc.
I'll be applying for all the unis I can to maximise my chances, as I know acceptance rates are 3% for some, 10% for others. I want to work in London in investments, IB, and want global exposure out of Aus!
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