Profile Eval / Re-applicant in 2018 (Indian Engg. and I-Banker) : Ask Admissions Consultants

Hi All,

I'm a 26yo, male, Indian engineer (BITS Pilani) currently working as a Leveraged Finance banker in GS (based in Bangalore, travel frequently to London). Applied this year in R2 to Wharton, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan. Got dings w/o interview at Wharton and Booth, currently awaiting MIT Sloan though not banking my hopes on it.

Below are the broad strokes of my profile, would be grateful for a review and would like to work with a consultant to understand which areas I need to improve on for R1 applications in September-18.
- BITS Pilani (B.E. Mechanical + M.Sc. Econ) - 7.35 / 10 GPA
- Total work-ex of c. 3 years+, all at bulge-brackets in India (JPMC, DB and currently GS) though no title progression

- Lead clubs in undergrad
- Won awards at all my organizations
- Runner-up in Global Impact Fund challenge at GS
- GMAT 730 (49Q / 40V / 4 AWA / 7 IR)
- Certified FRM

Admittedly rushed the applications given schedule constraints but had (what I believed) put forth strong essays and LoRs.
My story was framed around getting into Impact Investing post MBA.

My biggest challenge currently is to understand which route to take -> do I move full-time to London (continuing with GS IBD but remain an Analyst) or do I jump to a non-profit oriented role to further my story? Also, does the Impact Investing story carry enough firepower to get into top B-schools?

I will be retaking the GMAT to push the score higher. Aiming for the same schools next year with maybe a couple more of the M7 (to present myself as a fresh applicant). Focused on US MBA only.

Happy to connect bilaterally to discuss in detail.

Thank you in advance,
A

Hi there -
​Thanks for reaching out for a free evaluation. In lieu of writing a lengthy reply, I'd rather we connect via Skype/phone so we may have a real dialogue and you can ask me questions as I give you an assessment. Additionally, I will be able to offer you a much more robust assessment if I am able to ask you more questions. If doing a free consult via skype/phone interests you, please ​fill out our FREE CONSULT form​ https://squareoneprep.com/free-consultation/.

I look forward to hearing from and speaking with you soon. Thanks again for reaching out.

Please also send your LORs and Wharton essays to kathrynlucas@squareoneprep.com. I need that to give you thoughtful feedback.

Kathryn Lucas, Founder
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Thanks for sharing your profile. There's no way to ever fully know what prevented you from an admit unless you hear directly from a school. But looking at your profile and you seem to have most things in order. Now keep in mind these are some of the top schools in the world and you may have fallen victim to applying to competitive schools (M7) from a competitive applicant pool (Indian) from a competitive career background (Finance). Also, given the timing of your application you may not have had a chance to put forth the best application possible or had a clear enough story. You feel like a good candidate for a consultant. But I think your game plan is solid with pursuing an improved GMAT and expanding your target schools
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Apawar91 wrote:Hi All,

I'm a 26yo, male, Indian engineer (BITS Pilani) currently working as a Leveraged Finance banker in GS (based in Bangalore, travel frequently to London). Applied this year in R2 to Wharton, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan. Got dings w/o interview at Wharton and Booth, currently awaiting MIT Sloan though not banking my hopes on it.

Below are the broad strokes of my profile, would be grateful for a review and would like to work with a consultant to understand which areas I need to improve on for R1 applications in September-18.
- BITS Pilani (B.E. Mechanical + M.Sc. Econ) - 7.35 / 10 GPA
- Total work-ex of c. 3 years+, all at bulge-brackets in India (JPMC, DB and currently GS) though no title progression

- Lead clubs in undergrad
- Won awards at all my organizations
- Runner-up in Global Impact Fund challenge at GS
- GMAT 730 (49Q / 40V / 4 AWA / 7 IR)
- Certified FRM

Admittedly rushed the applications given schedule constraints but had (what I believed) put forth strong essays and LoRs.
My story was framed around getting into Impact Investing post MBA.

My biggest challenge currently is to understand which route to take -> do I move full-time to London (continuing with GS IBD but remain an Analyst) or do I jump to a non-profit oriented role to further my story? Also, does the Impact Investing story carry enough firepower to get into top B-schools?

I will be retaking the GMAT to push the score higher. Aiming for the same schools next year with maybe a couple more of the M7 (to present myself as a fresh applicant). Focused on US MBA only.

Happy to connect bilaterally to discuss in detail.

Thank you in advance,
A

Hi A,

Needless to say, its a highly competitive process at the top b-schools and some excellent candidates get dinged every year. There's a lot of hope however for the coming years, considering that you applied with 3 years of work experience and will still fall well within the sweet spot range for a couple of years.

That said, I'd like to understand better why you wrote about impact investing as a career goal. Do you have any personal experience in impact investing? Worked on such projects during your professional stint? I'd be a little concerned about this as I have often read applicants write impact investing as a career goal when they have nothing to do with it. It sounds as though one is writing this to please the adcoms, whereas it has a negative impact- they can see through it and chances are they will write you off.

Regarding your job choice, let me address each:
1. move to London GS- sounds like a great opportunity. Even if you don't land up applying for an MBA this year, you will gain some international experience- which is extremely valuable when you are applying to the top programs. In terms of location, London is among the best financial markets where you can work. Moreover, it shows continuity in career, and a related career goal would be easier to justify.
2. Move to social impact- You should do this if you feel strongly about the social sector not just for the application. Also, a move to a new sector may require 1-2 years before you can garner some solid work experience.
Its important to understand your thoughts for further comments. Do reach out for a more detailed discussion.

Apawar91 wrote:Hi All,

I'm a 26yo, male, Indian engineer (BITS Pilani) currently working as a Leveraged Finance banker in GS (based in Bangalore, travel frequently to London). Applied this year in R2 to Wharton, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan. Got dings w/o interview at Wharton and Booth, currently awaiting MIT Sloan though not banking my hopes on it.

Below are the broad strokes of my profile, would be grateful for a review and would like to work with a consultant to understand which areas I need to improve on for R1 applications in September-18.
- BITS Pilani (B.E. Mechanical + M.Sc. Econ) - 7.35 / 10 GPA
- Total work-ex of c. 3 years+, all at bulge-brackets in India (JPMC, DB and currently GS) though no title progression

1. You already know this, but in the order of importance, the topmost point remains that your profile faces high competition. Indian, Male, IB (Fin role?). For the top schools, you will have to do better (better scores, R1 submission, strong LORs, crisp essays)
2. (3+) years, and no title progression is a slight dampener, though not a strong one. A promotion will certainly help a lot.

Apawar91 wrote:- Lead clubs in undergrad
- Won awards at all my organizations
- Runner-up in Global Impact Fund challenge at GS
- GMAT 730 (49Q / 40V / 4 AWA / 7 IR)
- Certified FRM

3. Placing any awards/ results of (Impact Fund) Challenge etc in perspective is very important.
4. GMAT 740+ would have helped immensely.

Apawar91 wrote:Admittedly rushed the applications given schedule constraints but had (what I believed) put forth strong essays and LoRs.
My story was framed around getting into Impact Investing post MBA.

5. In your description, I haven't been able to see any link whatsoever with Impact Investing. If your career goal really is impact investing, work in the domain for at least 18 months. Set up a CLEARLY demonstrable interest, and examples of leadership.

Apawar91 wrote:
My biggest challenge currently is to understand which route to take -> do I move full-time to London (continuing with GS IBD but remain an Analyst) or do I jump to a non-profit oriented role to further my story? Also, does the Impact Investing story carry enough firepower to get into top B-schools?

6. Don't decide your goals for your application, and based on what is hot. If Impact Investing interests you, go for it. Every year, every school (some more than the others), take Impact Investors. In fact, Yale still tops the list of schools for Impact Investors

Apawar91 wrote:I will be retaking the GMAT to push the score higher. Aiming for the same schools next year with maybe a couple more of the M7 (to present myself as a fresh applicant). Focused on US MBA only.

Happy to connect bilaterally to discuss in detail.

Thank you in advance,
A

7. Retaking the GMAT is a great idea. A higher score will give you more choices.
8. Happy to take a look at your resume/ essays/ LORs/ application and answer your questions over the phone.