<p>I was wondering if you guys could chance me for some of the top business schools and provide any other insight.</p>
<ul>
<li>Currently a junior majoring in finance at Texas A&M. </li>
<li>GPA should end up anywhere between 3.85 and 3.95 </li>
<li>Currently in a student program that invests $100,000 in assets on behalf a large benefactor to the University</li>
<li>Pretty solid extracurriculars overall, though nothing jaw-dropping</li>
<li>Interning at a large pension fund this summer and guaranteed 2 more trading/investing related internships my senior year with some big name companies (I am in a finance program sponsored by some of the best in the industry)</li>
<li>If all goes well, should get a job offer upon graduation from one of these companies after the internships.</li>
</ul>
<p>My plan now is to work for a few years out of school and eventually get my MBA at a prestigious business school. I should be able to get a pretty solid GMAT if my SAT and test taking scores translate at all. I guess my real concern is I might not be doing enough right now to set myself up for say, a Harvard MBA, in the future. Please share some insight!</p>
<p>For now, just focus on maintaining your grades (they are perfectly fine btw) and finding the ideal job.
Taking the gmats your senior year would also be beneficial. The scores are good for 5 years I believe and you’ll have a lot more time now than you will once you’re working full time.</p>
<p>Things to look for in a job:
Selectivity/Competitiveness: ( Are the bulk of the people HYP grads with top gpas? How intense was the application and interview process? How many people ultimately make it through the analyst program?) Does the program emphasize star culture or teamwork?</p>
<p>Structure: Are there clear steps outline by the program? Does the company/division have a history of sending people to top MBAs? Is it up/out or do people tend to sit in the same position?</p>
<p>Work Quality: Is the work sexy? Is what you’re doing unique in any way? Is it something you’re passionate about and can stand out? Will you be able to thrive?</p>
<p>The bulk of your MBA application will revolve around what you hope to accomplish.
Are you trying to switch careers? Gain international experience? Get a promotion in your current field?
Gaining an prestigious education and a network of like-minded students is a perfectly valid reason to do this, but it is not enough.
Until you have answers to these questions, there is unfortunately not much you can do.</p>
<p>Elite business schools can be a bit of a brand whore. If you would have pulled a 3.85from UT-Austin, I’d say you have a good chance at HBS. Even if you pull 3.95 from A&M, you’ll chances will be low. I would suggest CMU or McCombs.</p>
That’s not true. Elite business schools like diversity in their incoming classes.
A top prospective student from an organization/field that is not known to be incredibly competitive or well represented previously (ie. large city PDs, federal agencies, etc.) may stand a better chance of getting into a top MBA program than an average investment banker.</p>