u/ChampionChance2128

Hi everyone,

I have taken and passed the CFA level 2 exam, and I am just getting started on the GMAT and really targeting 700+.

I want to ask if any one has taken both before could provide a comparison of time needed etc..

I know they’re different where the CFA is more breadth and GMAT is more about mastery, but really need a proxy so I can plan accordingly.

Hi everyone,

I’m an MBB consultant applying to HSW this year.

A colleague of mine is applying to M7 MBAs as well, we are both choosing an overlapping recommender.

Do you think that would jeopardize the integrity of the recommendation or not necessarily?

Hi everyone,

I have a question I’ve been thinking about for sometime now, I know there’s no straightforward answer but want to hear what everyone thinks.

So, how big of a difference if everything else is held constant would scoring a the HSW median GMAT of 685 compared to 715-730 let’s say when it comes to HSW applications?

Hi everyone, would really appreciate an honest profile review, particularly for HBS, Stanford GSB, and Wharton.

Background

• Middle Eastern, currently working in Saudi Arabia
• Applying R2 for Fall 2027 intake
• Will have ~3 years 4 months of full-time experience at matriculation
• Main concern: relatively young/low WE and below-average GPA

Work Experience

• MBB, Middle East
• Mostly worked on major public-sector engagements, including strategy, policy, governance, and large-scale transformation
• Also worked on several commercial due diligences across sectors

Before/during university, I also spent several years working at one of my family’s hotels. At around 18, I was given responsibility for managing the property and a team of ~7–8 employees, all significantly older than me. The hotel achieved the highest utilization among the family’s properties during my time there.

Education

• Top university in KSA, Industrial Engineering
• GPA: 3.36/4.0
• CFA Level II passed
• CFA Research Challenge runner-up
• Targeting ~710 GMAT

Leadership / ECs

• Founded a university public-speaking/leadership club that grew to ~100 members
• Mentored 20+ new joiners at MBB
• Additional leadership experience managing a small team at a young age

Recommendations

Two people I’ve worked very closely with: one Partner and one Senior Engagement Manager. Both know me well and should be able to write detailed/personal recommendations.

Post MBA and long-term goals

Move into PE/private capital post-MBA, gain experience in the US, and eventually return to the Middle East to contribute to the region’s developing investment ecosystem and long term cultural leap towards innovation, literature, etc...

Story

Broadly, my story is about how my ambition evolved from wanting to prove myself into wanting to create impact through investing in people and institutions. My essays will connect this to leadership experiences from a young age, MBB, and my longer-term goals.

The questions I’d particularly appreciate views on are:

• Is 3 years 4 months of WE at matriculation too early for H/S/W, especially Stanford?
• How damaging is the 3.36 GPA given Industrial Engineering + CFA L2 + hopefully a strong GMAT?
• What GMAT score would you consider necessary to make the academic side of the profile competitive?
• Does BCG + the leadership experiences compensate meaningfully for being younger?
• Does the Saudi/Middle Eastern applicant pool change how you would evaluate the profile?
• Which of HBS / GSB / Wharton do you think is the strongest fit?
• Would you apply this cycle or wait another year and apply with ~4+ years of experience?

Would appreciate candid feedback. I’m trying to understand whether I’m realistically competitive rather than just hearing that H/S/W are unpredictable.

Note: Once I have an actual GMAT score and know where I stand academically, I plan to work with an admissions consultant on the applications.

For those targeting 715+, anyone interest in creating a whatsapp group? for the purposes of discussions, help, resources, etc…

Hi everyone,

From your experiences, what’s the best mobile app for practicing questions on the go?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to get different perspectives on who should I choose as my recommenders for my MBA applications.

For context: I am an MBB consultant, with three years of working experience all of which at my current firm, plus some seasonal/part time work at a family establishment during university.

I am planning to apply to HSW in R2 this year, matriculating 2027.

Due to the rotational aspect of the consulting industry, I had to frequently switch projects and had to work with several different managers, however five people come to mind as potential recommenders, as such I wanted to hear different perspectives on who to prioritize out of the 5. Of course I’d have to choose 2, but for Wharton I’d have to ultimately choose 1.

1st Candidate:

Partner I have worked with for ~9 months, although he was a partner he was my direct supervisor for the whole duration of the project, in which he gave me the highest evaluation possible and I built a strong personal connection with, I believe he would gladly write my recommendation and would be open to iterate with me. He has an MBA from Insead.

2nd Candidate:

Senior Engagement Manager I have worked with during my internship for ~5 months, she was very nice and the best person I have encountered so far in the company, we built great personal connection and I invited her to my house with the team once, she was the one that gave me the return offer. She has an MBA from Insead.

3rd Candidate:

Senior Partner I have worked on several cases under him for a duration of ~1.5 years, he was never my direct supervisor, but he always saw my work, he saw how my managers spoke highly of me, we frequently have coaching sessions, and he once offered to help me if I am ever to apply to MBA programs. He doesn’t have an MBA.

4th Candidate:

Senior Partner (very senior) I have worked with for ~1.5, he’s the other partner on the same projects as the one above, I have worked with him closely for 2 weeks when my manager was on vacation, he really likes me and he has an MBA from Wharton. However, I don’t think he has the time, nor do we have alot of personal stories / data points. I think if he agreed if write it, he will either ask me to draft it, will Claude it, or will make things up.

5th Candidate

Engagement Manager whose a friend of mine, although we worked on the same project, he was never my direct supervisor, but he would write the recommendation and would iterate with me for as many times needed.

How would you guys prioritize them? Happy to share any additional context needed.