Does having a Front Office job at a BB help to get into M7?
Hi - I am an incoming FT in a FO role in the markets program, not a traditional S&T desk though, at one of the top BBs. I am from a non-target, and see a career in finance as what I want to do long term. I see value in getting the MBA from a networking standpoint and getting a target school on my resume. I understand the NPV may be negative, but, to me I value those 2 things over 100-200k in the grand scheme of my lifetime earnings.
I went to a state school, have a very high GPA (3.9), ran a few finance related clubs in undergrad, and as mentioned, will be in a FO role at a BB. My one concern is my GMAT score, which I'm currently studying for, as I struggle with standardized testing. On my full CAT diagnostic Kaplan exam I scored between 640 - 660 (can't remember). I feel solid about getting up to 700, but tbd whether I can get the target 720+.
I am wondering if those other factors that I mentioned will "outweigh" the potential high 600s/low 700s GMAT, or if say, a 690 on the GMAT will be a dealbreaker for M7 schools (obviously H, GSB, and W are out of the picture).
Given your high GPA and 640-660 diagnostic I think you can get to 720+ with enough focused studying. I went from a 620 cold diagnostic to a 740 with around 200-250 hours of studying. I'd just focus on getting a high enough GMAT for now as opposed to guessing what will happen if you don't. Outside of the usual advice (manhattan gmat books/official guides), I found Gmatquantum.com to be an amazing resource for quant. Best of luck.
how many months did the 200-250 hours of studying take?
~3 months
640-660 on a cold diagnostic means 800 is your ceiling on the real thing.
I got a 660 on my diagnostic and ended up with a 760+ (and felt I left points on the table). A HBS-quality score is definitely in your wheelhouse if you have the time to really dig into the materials.
Any suggestions on this? I started at 660, am ~100 hours into my study plan and feel like the incremental improvements are getting increasingly challenging (probably given the nature of the test). Not sure where I stand now on a CAT.
Right now, I'm cranking through the 10 MGMAT book set and doing all the OG 2020 questions but am looking for more. Tracking mistakes, timing, etc. Getting roughly 83-85% of the questions right in the OG textbook but will be looking for more material soon. Any recs there?
work on the GMAT. a high gmat isn’t good enough to get you in a top program but a low gmat can definitely keep you out
I'd recommend the GRE over the GMAT. Five years ago or whenever it just started to be accepted at top schools, there was a bit of a stigma in some adcoms' eyes. The thought was that opting for the GRE over the GMAT indicated a weakness in quantitative skills, because the tests are known to differ slightly. A 99th percentile GRE scorer just about never matches that percentile on the GMAT. Now it's been normalized and you truly aren't penalized for choosing one over the other.
Try a practice one. If you score at a higher percentile than whatever your ~650 GMAT correlates to, you have an answer. If you choose the GRE, use Magoosh. I had to look around at some of the options because a kid I've been mentoring is interested in the 2+2 program at HBS and I wanted to give him pointers. Really impressed with the fact that there's platforms like that out there. Would've made things way easier on me.
Plus, with your GPA I don't think there's anyone that's going to doubt your intelligence or work ethic, so whatever score you do end up with will get looked at more generously than if it came from an applicant with a 3.4.
The real point to make is that it's a little bit less about your role and much more about what you do with it. If you get promoted quickly, have great recommendations, and are articulate about how what you've learned plus certain specific things about that school specifically will help you unlock the next role that gets you closer to your special goal, you will stand out and probably get interviews at a minimum.
This is the mistake most people make. They write too broad of an essay. If you aren't tailoring the essay, resume, and recommendations you submit to each individual school, you're doing it wrong. HBS wants to see a very different thing than GSB. Wharton, a different thing than Kellogg. And so on.
So my two points would be that you should pick the test that lets you maximize based on your abilities, and you should worry less about your role and more about how you can demonstrate growth and leadership thanks to it.
2nd the point on the GRE. Try to do it sooner rather than later, believe it or not, things only become busier as time goes on.
The other thing I'd add, to the extent possible is, try to continue with your interests outside of work. It'll keep you happy and if you're shooting for an MBA, it'll be a key part of your application.
You're going to get bucketed in with the other Finance applicants, so having something that is genuine and unique to you will help set you apart.
Yes, your FO role will help but not in the sense that you can get by with a lower GMAT. There is a huge number of candidates that are in FO roles and get a 730+ GMAT. The average GMAT among people who apply in Finance is higher because these folks are more quantitatively apt than your average applicant. I recommend still preparing thoroughly for the test and getting the target score, especially recommend getting 48+ on Quant.
If after you take the GMAT 3 times you are still getting a 690 that may be different. Adcomms want to see you really tried your best on the test if you cannot get that median score for them from your bucket.
For context, I got a ~520 on my diagnostic and I finished with a 730
how long did it take for you to go from 520 to 730?
I agree with those urging you to focus on getting the highest score you can. And if you fine the GRE a little eaiser than the GMAT go for it.
It's also very hard to predict what score will be a competitive score in 2-4 years when you're ready to apply. For now, just work on getting the best score you can.
Best, Linda
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