<p>I think it's safe to say that undergrad admission is, for the most part, different from grad admission. A 3.7+ and above 2100 SAT can get you places. What about grad school? What stats would be competitive for Stern, per say?</p>
<p>I'm asking because I went from a 3.0 @ hs to a 4.0-3.9 (and am pretty sure I can maintain that - Finance @ SJU in NY btw), and I don't know if it's just me.</p>
<p>Would 2 summer internships at Goldman Sachs and 2 summers at small private investment funds+3.9 Finance undergrad+650/800 GMAT be competitive for a top 10 MBA program?</p>
<p>No, that would not make you competitive at all. You need to get work experience beyond summer internships. Now, if your summer internship at Goldman Sachs turns into a job offer and you work there for a 2-3 years, then you will be in business. </p>
<p>Also, that is a low GMAT score for a top 10 program; 700+ is ideal.</p>
<p>Finally, you should not be banking on an internship at GS (unless you were already offered one). Those internships are ULTRA competitive and usually go to kids who attend the best schools in the country.</p>
<p>Is an extensive break from ones academic career for entrance into a top program really necessary? Two years is a LOT of time and I just find it hard to believe that its necessary. I'm not saying your advice is flawed, I'm just taking everything with a grain of salt. </p>
<p>As for the GS internship, I have several family members already working there who said they'll help me out.</p>
<p>If you don't mind me asking, which university do you attend red sox? Appreciate the help btw.</p>
<p>What he said is absolutely correct. The average age of someone starting the MBA program at HBS is 27 IIRC. Top b-schools would like to see on average 4-5 years of WE post-graduation, but again, that depends a lot also on what type of work you do (IE for i-bankers and consultants, its often only 2 years before you're competitive). NOTHING replaces real life experience in the work place.</p>
<p>While GPA and GMAT scores are indeed important, they are a lot less important than your GPA and LSAT scores would be for law school. Work experience matters a lot more for MBA admissions.</p>
<p>One more question: I was recently rejected for admission to NYU CAS. I want to major in Finance, but I don't think I have the grades for Stern. I'm currently attending St. John's University and majoring in Finance.</p>
<p>My question is: I know Gallatin is easier to get into, and I'm just dying to get out of St. John's -- I feel so limited here. Would it be detrimental/look "bad" if I got an undergrad degree that said "NYU Gallatin Individualized Study" in the world of Finance?</p>
<p>And it would look good in the sense that I would be NYU Alumni so that would give me a small leg up in admissions to Stern for a MBA, right?</p>
<p>One more thing -- I keep hearing about people majoring in philosophy and engineering for undergrad, yet they go for their MBAs and talk about how little an undergrad major matters. With that said, I'm assuming a degree from Gallatin wouldn't bar me from the world of finance or hinder me?</p>