I would just like your help regarding a profile evaluation. I am a 27 year-old white male oil and gas bond analyst at a leading wall street research shop. I graduated with a 3.4 GPA as an economics major from a top 5 liberal arts school in the US in 2003. I'm looking ultimately to move from a bond analyst role into more of a principal investing/VC/PE role within the energy/renewables space and want to use an MBA to round out my profile, gaining key managerial and corporate finance experience. Finished with a 690 GMAT (thinking about taking again), but wanted to get a sense for what my chances would be at Tuck/Duke/Michigan/Northwestern/UVA, maybe Notre Dame. I'm active in the community, having served as a tutor for the past two years, and am involved in several other community service projects/fundraising initiatives. Also, in college, I was a member of the Student Judicial Board for my final two years. This position is probably one of the highest ranking positions, responsibility-wise, that an undergraduate can undertake, as the 12-member panel of students and faculty presided over academic (honor code) and disciplinary infractions, with penalties including suspension and expulsion. I am shooting for a top program and would appreciate any feedback you could offer. Thank you in advance for your time.

Thank you for your inquiry.

You seem to be a real blue chip candidate. Your grades and GMAT are just slightly lower than your top schools’ averages, but they are certainly competitive. Your work experience is solid and consistent with the type of candidate that these schools would seek to attract. Further, you have a history of community contribution, both at school and after graduation. Beyond merely ticking these boxes, your work experience has additional value due to the surging commodities market and your work with the Student Judicial stands out. So, I think that if you can showcase these “extras” you should be competitive at Duke, Tuck, Michigan and UVA, with Kellogg being a bit of a reach and Notre Dame being quite safe.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

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