Profile Evaluation Request: EDITED WITH QUESTION!

[e.chris.gamaitoni]

Stats

Age: 26
Sex: Male
Nationality: White

GMAT: 710 (42V - 95% 44Q - 70%),

Undergraduate degree: Quantitative Finance from James Madison University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.0

Schools: UCLA, Southern California, UVA, Duke, Georgetown

Work Experience:

I began my career in the controllers group at a large financial company and was promoted after 6 months. After 1 year there I accepted a job at a mid sized investment bank in the equity research department covering specialty finance and banks & thrifts. I was ranked as the 2nd best associate in the company my first year. After 1.5 years there I was lured away to start a company for a successful entrepreneur (has has founded two companies with over $500M in market cap). This start-up was based on political research for the institutional investment community. Unfortunately, while we did break even there were many compensation disputes with the team and the management and the eventually all of the original founders left. I am currently back with the first company as a Senior Financial Analyst working mostly on corporate strategy.

Extracurricular activities

While in college
-Inter-fraternity council President
-Inter-fraternity Council Treasurer
-Fraternity man of the year
-Student Government Associations' Front End Budget Committee Chairman
-Fraternity Treasurer

Post-college
-Founded and the CIO of an investment club


Edit -

After speaking to many individuals in my organization and others (mostly in the asset management community), I really want to strive to attend a top program. There is nothing I can do about my undergraduate GPA. I have been a top if not the top performer in every position I have held post college. So, should I re-take the GMAT in order to get a score in the 750ish range? Will that dramatically increase my chances?

[mbamission]

Hello,

Thanks for your inquiry. I think that you would be competitive at USC and Georgetown. I am a bit concerned about the lack of involvement in activities outside of work since college - unless you have it, but did not present it here. This, in addition to your college GPA, might be a challenge for you when applying to UCLA, Darden and Duke. You seem to have very impressive work experience, so perhaps your experience with the start-up company was so time-intensive that it precluded outside activities. This is the one of the elements of your candidacy that will really allow you to stand out.

Sincerely,

Akiba Smith-Francis

MBA Mission

646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php (12 individual school titles)
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MBAMission

[e.chris.gamaitoni]

I do not have any community involvement since I have left college. I am baffled by this requirement. How is there an expectation for an individual who works regular 80 hour weeks to commit to an outside organization. I have basically worked 7am till midnight for four years, when was I supposed to do community service?

It almost seems like it would be better to join a couple of organizations and put forward little effort just as a resume builder. I personally hate doing this, but the rules are the rules.

Maybe I should address this in my optional essay. Straight out of college I worked at Fannie Mae during their restatement. I worked over 12 hours a day for 137 days straight. After leaving Fannie Mae, I worked at an Investment Bank with 15 hour days every day. Then starting the company was a 24/7 job and now I work at the direction of the White House which doesn't leave me much time to do anything. Would that help explain my situation?

[mbamission]

Hello,

Well, I wouldn’t encourage you to get involved with an organization and put forth minimal effort just for the MBA application process. I don’t think that will be particularly effective. But if you want to address your lack of involvement in activities outside of work then you can use the optional or additional information essays that most schools provide to explain how your work schedule made it very difficult for you to continue to participate in activities after college.

Sincerely,

Akiba Smith-Francis
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php (12 individual school titles)
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MBAMission

[e.chris.gamaitoni]

Bump for edit

[mbamission]

Hi, thanks for the question. You already have a very strong GMAT score; I don't think the difference between 710 and 750 will make any real difference in your candidacy.

That being said, your Quant score is lower than the top schools typically like, so re-taking the GMAT and pulling up that score to 80% or thereabouts could help allay any gpa-triggered concerns the schools have about your ability to handle their academic rigor.

I don't think the GMAT should be your top priority though; if you can take it and pull up that quant score without distracting from your essays, that's great, but the essays are really your chance to differentiate yourself, demonstrate the kind of responsibility you've had and the leadership you've shown, and tell your story.

Best of luck,

Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
mbaMission
www.mbamission.com