murgurgle
Nov 20, 2012
Graduate / Trying to explain a poor GRE score for a Master's in Finance [4]
Thank you all for your feedback. You've been most helpful!
Thank you all for your feedback. You've been most helpful!
murgurgle
Nov 16, 2012
Graduate / Trying to explain a poor GRE score for a Master's in Finance [4]
I have never been a strong standardized exam taker. The GRE really hit me hard when i scored a 440V and 620Q in 2009. I wasn't really able to study for the exam when I took it, so i just winged it. Now, with my career, I really don't have the time to restudy for it. So, I am trying to explain it. How is this?
I dare say scores accurately reflect ability in many cases. The quantitative and analytical aptitude that is required for a career in finance is poorly reflected by my standardized test scores. Throughout my academic career, I have continued to perform on a level that is not captured by the results of my June, 2009 GRE exam. I evidence my strength in these fields by referencing certain collegiate coursework and post-graduate work experience.
Although my academic transcript promotes achievement of a "C" - merely average - in Pre-Calculus, I preformed to a much higher standard in the more rigorous Business Calculus - earning a B. Referencing my quantitative work in applied mathematics such as statistics, I engaged in complex upper-level coursework in this field including Biostatistical Methods and Quantitative Methods and received a "B" in both. Further, as college is an opportunity to challenge one's intellectual fortitude, I proceeded to triumph in one of the most demanding courses of my academic career, Forecasting and Time-Series Analysis, where I triumphed as one of two with an "A" for the semester. When pressed with a challenge, I continually rise to the occasion to overcome obstacles, either physical or intellectual.
As a testament to my applied ability in finance, my transcript reflects that I have never received less than a "B" and my overall average reflects a much higher potential. I have always maintained a high level of comprehension and competence in quantitative environments, thus my performance in upper level financial coursework reflects an aptitude much greater than what standardized scores indicate. To illustrate, I achieved an "A-" in the most challenging finance elective the university offers. In this class, Equity Fund Management, 20 students are selected for eligibility to enroll and are responsible for managing $3.2 million of the university endowment. The program challenges students to create and employ complex financial models to indentify value in securities. As a result of excellence in the program, I was elected to a leadership position and our team championed our eighth consecutive first-place title in a national portfolio competition.
As my career has progressed beyond college work, for two years, I have maintained a highly quantitative and analytical role with one of Wall Street's most prestigious investment firms, XX. As a financial analyst at the firm, I work with a team of senior bankers in the rebalancing and maintenance of a ~$270 million portfolio of equities and fixed income. Here, my role is to identify client risk tolerance and utilize extensive market research and financial models to seek additional value for our overall portfolio. I also play a critical role in the overall construction in our proprietary portfolios that we maintain as part of our core asset-allocation and growth-strategies. I have further honed my attention to fine detail through tasks including composition of performance reports, presenting recommendations, and compiling accurate monthly and annual profit/loss reports. It is within this capacity that I have proven an ability to successfully interpret, digest and solve complex quantitative issues within my desired field.
I have never been a strong standardized exam taker. The GRE really hit me hard when i scored a 440V and 620Q in 2009. I wasn't really able to study for the exam when I took it, so i just winged it. Now, with my career, I really don't have the time to restudy for it. So, I am trying to explain it. How is this?
I dare say scores accurately reflect ability in many cases. The quantitative and analytical aptitude that is required for a career in finance is poorly reflected by my standardized test scores. Throughout my academic career, I have continued to perform on a level that is not captured by the results of my June, 2009 GRE exam. I evidence my strength in these fields by referencing certain collegiate coursework and post-graduate work experience.
Although my academic transcript promotes achievement of a "C" - merely average - in Pre-Calculus, I preformed to a much higher standard in the more rigorous Business Calculus - earning a B. Referencing my quantitative work in applied mathematics such as statistics, I engaged in complex upper-level coursework in this field including Biostatistical Methods and Quantitative Methods and received a "B" in both. Further, as college is an opportunity to challenge one's intellectual fortitude, I proceeded to triumph in one of the most demanding courses of my academic career, Forecasting and Time-Series Analysis, where I triumphed as one of two with an "A" for the semester. When pressed with a challenge, I continually rise to the occasion to overcome obstacles, either physical or intellectual.
As a testament to my applied ability in finance, my transcript reflects that I have never received less than a "B" and my overall average reflects a much higher potential. I have always maintained a high level of comprehension and competence in quantitative environments, thus my performance in upper level financial coursework reflects an aptitude much greater than what standardized scores indicate. To illustrate, I achieved an "A-" in the most challenging finance elective the university offers. In this class, Equity Fund Management, 20 students are selected for eligibility to enroll and are responsible for managing $3.2 million of the university endowment. The program challenges students to create and employ complex financial models to indentify value in securities. As a result of excellence in the program, I was elected to a leadership position and our team championed our eighth consecutive first-place title in a national portfolio competition.
As my career has progressed beyond college work, for two years, I have maintained a highly quantitative and analytical role with one of Wall Street's most prestigious investment firms, XX. As a financial analyst at the firm, I work with a team of senior bankers in the rebalancing and maintenance of a ~$270 million portfolio of equities and fixed income. Here, my role is to identify client risk tolerance and utilize extensive market research and financial models to seek additional value for our overall portfolio. I also play a critical role in the overall construction in our proprietary portfolios that we maintain as part of our core asset-allocation and growth-strategies. I have further honed my attention to fine detail through tasks including composition of performance reports, presenting recommendations, and compiling accurate monthly and annual profit/loss reports. It is within this capacity that I have proven an ability to successfully interpret, digest and solve complex quantitative issues within my desired field.
murgurgle
Nov 13, 2012
Graduate / SoP for Master's of Finance -- Loyola Chicago [2]
Please explain your short-term goals and how the ethics based education at Loyola will help you achieve them. (Essay is along these lines, actual prompt on the website is down at the moment)
Any help with this essay would be greatly appreciated!
Each day, as the school bus would drop me off at my father's pharmacy, I would seize the opportunity to learn his business. During this time, my understanding of retail, commerce and basic economics flourished at an early age. Within the setting of a small family business in a small local community, I learned the importance relationships and ethics have on a successful operation. Since my earliest days in the pharmacy, I knew I wanted to be finely attuned with the delicate workings of the art of commerce in some form and with each passing day, I realized that the world of finance was my ultimate interest. As I progressed through college, I endeavored in coursework that led me to a career in finance. After graduation, I sought a position with a start-up company in their corporate finance department and ultimately transitioned into a career with Merrill Lynch in wealth management. Moving forward, I want to position myself for a role with greater macroeconomic responsibility. Thus, it is my desire to transition these past experiences into a position within investment banking - a role that will ultimately lead me to a position with a large hedge fund. A Master's in Finance from the Quinlan School of Business will afford me the skills necessary to be a competitive and successful candidate to achieve this goal.
To achieve a tangible future, you must first have a clear vision on how to attain that end. To clearly focus on my ambitions, I have progressed through a ladder of small hurdles - each one moving me closer to my goal. First, my undergraduate career was filled with coursework focusing on economics, corporate finance, portfolio management theory and statistical modeling. During this tenure, I engaged in an internship with Morgan Stanley in their wealth management division, where I connected shareholders with capital markets to achieve personal investing goals. Invigorated with passion after this internship, I claimed a seat in a selective portfolio management program. In this program of twenty analysts, I was elected to lead the rebalancing effort of $3.2 million in live funds during 2008 - the most turbulent economy since the Great Depression. Under my leadership, the team championed first place for the eighth consecutive year at two national portfolio management competitions.
Staying on course, I graduated and was invited to join Ferapod Inc., a start-up cloud-computing company. I pursued this as an exciting opportunity to be part of the development of a competitive firm in a rapidly developing field. Here, I was exposed to many of the tenets of private equity, including pro-forma modeling, growth projection analysis, and assisting in completing private offering memorandums and investor relation materials. After showcasing my abilities with Ferapod Inc., I joined a private wealth management team with Merrill Lynch.
As a financial analyst with Merrill Lynch for nearly two years, I have been responsible for the proper rebalancing and risk management of a $270 million portfolio. Through my extensive research and the use of various technical and fundamental models, I am able to identify deep value in mispriced securities. It is this diligence that has led me to desire a greater deal of responsibility and to be more intimately involved with transactions on a much larger scale. As I have learned the metrics that drive the demands of high-net and ultra-high net worth households, I want to apply my experiences with the education from Quinlan School of Business on a more panoramic framework and work more intimately with institutions and their clients. Thus, I am eager to maintain a position with an investment bank and ultimately, a hedge fund because of the opportunity to learn about the overall economy from a bottom-up approach.
Having attended Catholic school for the entirety of my secondary education, the value of ethics has been impressed upon me in addition to the values taught by my father in his family business. When seeking opportunities within finance, a major concern was the morality behind my employer. The virtue of my group treats each client relationship with the highest regard for trust, ethic, and integrity. At Merrill Lynch, our group is defined by the sincerity in our client-relationships. The Quinlan School of Business continually ranks as the strongest program in business ethics in the nation. In an industry that has recently been illuminated by some unscrupulous behavior, I feel it is more important than ever to seek an education consistent with morality and principles. Being centered in the heart of Chicago, along with the reputation of Loyola University behind me, your institution would provide all the essential tools I need to realize my vision.
Please explain your short-term goals and how the ethics based education at Loyola will help you achieve them. (Essay is along these lines, actual prompt on the website is down at the moment)
Any help with this essay would be greatly appreciated!
Each day, as the school bus would drop me off at my father's pharmacy, I would seize the opportunity to learn his business. During this time, my understanding of retail, commerce and basic economics flourished at an early age. Within the setting of a small family business in a small local community, I learned the importance relationships and ethics have on a successful operation. Since my earliest days in the pharmacy, I knew I wanted to be finely attuned with the delicate workings of the art of commerce in some form and with each passing day, I realized that the world of finance was my ultimate interest. As I progressed through college, I endeavored in coursework that led me to a career in finance. After graduation, I sought a position with a start-up company in their corporate finance department and ultimately transitioned into a career with Merrill Lynch in wealth management. Moving forward, I want to position myself for a role with greater macroeconomic responsibility. Thus, it is my desire to transition these past experiences into a position within investment banking - a role that will ultimately lead me to a position with a large hedge fund. A Master's in Finance from the Quinlan School of Business will afford me the skills necessary to be a competitive and successful candidate to achieve this goal.
To achieve a tangible future, you must first have a clear vision on how to attain that end. To clearly focus on my ambitions, I have progressed through a ladder of small hurdles - each one moving me closer to my goal. First, my undergraduate career was filled with coursework focusing on economics, corporate finance, portfolio management theory and statistical modeling. During this tenure, I engaged in an internship with Morgan Stanley in their wealth management division, where I connected shareholders with capital markets to achieve personal investing goals. Invigorated with passion after this internship, I claimed a seat in a selective portfolio management program. In this program of twenty analysts, I was elected to lead the rebalancing effort of $3.2 million in live funds during 2008 - the most turbulent economy since the Great Depression. Under my leadership, the team championed first place for the eighth consecutive year at two national portfolio management competitions.
Staying on course, I graduated and was invited to join Ferapod Inc., a start-up cloud-computing company. I pursued this as an exciting opportunity to be part of the development of a competitive firm in a rapidly developing field. Here, I was exposed to many of the tenets of private equity, including pro-forma modeling, growth projection analysis, and assisting in completing private offering memorandums and investor relation materials. After showcasing my abilities with Ferapod Inc., I joined a private wealth management team with Merrill Lynch.
As a financial analyst with Merrill Lynch for nearly two years, I have been responsible for the proper rebalancing and risk management of a $270 million portfolio. Through my extensive research and the use of various technical and fundamental models, I am able to identify deep value in mispriced securities. It is this diligence that has led me to desire a greater deal of responsibility and to be more intimately involved with transactions on a much larger scale. As I have learned the metrics that drive the demands of high-net and ultra-high net worth households, I want to apply my experiences with the education from Quinlan School of Business on a more panoramic framework and work more intimately with institutions and their clients. Thus, I am eager to maintain a position with an investment bank and ultimately, a hedge fund because of the opportunity to learn about the overall economy from a bottom-up approach.
Having attended Catholic school for the entirety of my secondary education, the value of ethics has been impressed upon me in addition to the values taught by my father in his family business. When seeking opportunities within finance, a major concern was the morality behind my employer. The virtue of my group treats each client relationship with the highest regard for trust, ethic, and integrity. At Merrill Lynch, our group is defined by the sincerity in our client-relationships. The Quinlan School of Business continually ranks as the strongest program in business ethics in the nation. In an industry that has recently been illuminated by some unscrupulous behavior, I feel it is more important than ever to seek an education consistent with morality and principles. Being centered in the heart of Chicago, along with the reputation of Loyola University behind me, your institution would provide all the essential tools I need to realize my vision.