About a year ago I received an email from someone interested in working for Accepted. She had admissions office experience, an MBA from a top business school, and investment banking experience on Wall Street and in Hong Kong.

About a week later, I received another email from another potential consultant who attended a different top MBA program, but also had admissions office experience, an MBA from a top business school, and had worked in investment banking in both Wall Street and Hong Kong. And their first name was the same, though spelled slightly differently.

They both joined Accepted and have been doing an outstanding job for our clients ever since.

Madelaine Baker and Madeleine Wang, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk!

Can you each tell us about your background prior to joining Accepted? [1:50]

M. Baker: My first experience in MBA admissions was working at MIT Sloan in 2002. Then I decided to go to business school – I went to Columbia. After b-school I decided to work on Wall St. I worked as a banker off and on for about ten years in New York and Hong Kong.

At CBS, I was always involved in admissions. When I decided I didn’t want to be in investment banking anymore, I contacted Yale SOM and worked as an outside admissions reader there. Then I joined Accepted!

M. Wang: After my undergrad, I worked in investment banking in New York and Hong Kong before business school. While I was in business school at Wharton I decided that I wanted to take on a part-time job as a grad member on the admissions committee – I really enjoyed it, and it was an important part of my b-school experience.

After I graduated I worked in management consulting. I was an active Wharton alum, interviewing candidates, etc. I also worked with people in my firm who were applying to business schools, and I really loved that process. Over the last few years I decided to take my work in a different (more flexible) direction, and that led me to Accepted.

You both spent a lot of time in financial services. What are critical qualities that investment banks and top financial services companies look for in applicants? [5:32]

M. Wang: I would say that I would look for strong quantitative skills. From a resume perspective that can be demonstrated by statistics, a high GMAT, and work experience that shows strong quant ability. From a personal perspective, they look for very hard workers – investment banking is very demanding. So banks are looking for candidates with drive and resilience.

M. Baker: They’re looking for smart, motivated candidates that have the grit and determination to succeed. And somebody who’s willing to play well on a team. I think that’s what b-schools want to see, too.

That’s just what I was going to ask next – do you see b-schools looking for the same qualities? [8:25]

M. Baker: Absolutely – very similar qualities. Quant skills will get you in the door, but they’re not enough – you need to be a team player. You need to be resilient and persistent.

M. Wang: I think some qualities are the same – being smart, having perseverance. But when you’re building a class for business school, you’re also looking at different things because...