Ask Admit World/My MBA Admit

Hi Cric,

For the schools that you have mentioned, particularly in light of your fewer years of work experience, I would like to see a higher GMAT score. Good to read that you plan to retake it.

Regarding your lighter work experience, although you make a strong case for being admitted over those with more years, the first question that comes to mind, is Why Now? Knowing that you are doing well in your career and getting possibly richer experience than your US peers, wouldn't it make more sense to wait a year or two so you get not just the depth of experience, but the length as well, to be as competitive as your classmates? Read the latest My MBA Admit blog entry on writing the main MBA essay in which the Why Now is as important as Why MBA.

In your case, low GMAT and light work experience are both concerns. Although you can possibly raise your GMAT, justifying not just an MBA, but one at this point in your career, will require thought, research and focused positioning.

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Hi MI,

Your work experience of 6.5 years is close to the top of the average range of 4-6 years for a full-time MBA. It is low for an Executive MBA. However, since it is slightly longer than your potential full-time MBA classmates, there will be more focus on your leadership abilities and experiences. In your case, having direct reports, international exposure and a recent promotion helps. However, since you are an Indian male with an IT background (the most common MBA student profile), AdComs will give special consideration to your communication and presentation abilities. I would emphasize those more throughout your application components than your technical skills and certifications since those, although good, are not as relevant to your MBA as your soft skills (or lack thereof).

In terms of your GMAT, although there is more emphasis on work experience for older candidates, having a higher GMAT helps in cases like yours where there could be concerns on your language abilities. If you decide to take the GMAT again, focus more on the Verbal section and AWA score to mitigate such concerns. As for certifications like PMP and CFA, they are good to have, but not deal-makers (or breakers) for being admitted.

Regarding your extracurricular activities, these are important to set you apart. Like I mentioned above, you come from a candidate pool that is the most highly represented in MBA applications. Anything you can do to set yourself apart, of which the personal profile/extracurricular activities are the most important part, will help your competitiveness.

Regarding your last question, I have seen many applications both as an admissions interviewer and consultant, and there is no one-answer-fits-all. For every applicant, well-developed soft skills, rich work experience, high level of involvement in the community and a solid academic record are a great start. The next step is a high level of self-awareness for one's strengths and weaknesses, and clearly matching them to the program at hand. Finally, an applicant should be able to clearly describe Why MBA, Why Now and Why this School? More on this on the latest My MBA Admit blog entry.

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Hello,


Apologize for the long post, but wanted to present as much details as possible.

Request you to go through this an offer a profile evaluation and comments on my choice of schools and the chances of making it to them.

If possible I am also looking for tips on how to address the application to schools where I am a reapplicant. What should i be emphasizing on on my reapplicant essays

Age : 28

GMAT Score - First Attempt -September 2007 - 690 (Q48,V36, 5.5)
Second Attempt - July,2010 - 730(Q50,V38 , 6.0)

Undergrad: Engineering Graduate in Information Technology Delhi, India.
Top 10% in my class

Work Experience:
6.5 years with TCS
I spend the first 2.5 years working as a software developer in India for an investment banking software.
Since August 2006: I have been working in US as a Business Validation/QA(functional) Analyst for one of the largest wealth management products in the world. My responsibilities have majorly included validating the business function for the software with the wealth management market in UK.
PS: I do not have a direct managerial experience, as the project structure is that of a flat organization. A manager in y project has over 12-15 years of experience. My team includes individual with a MBA, CFA, CPA qualification and also former traders and bankers. A major part of the responsibility is to address gaps in the software, map it to client needs and offer solutions to address the gaps. Because the job demands validation of the system as a whole I get to typically interact with over 200-250 people(out of 400 project strength) and coordinate work across a mix of 7-8 teams at one time. This provides an excellen opportunity to practice indirect management. Because of the flat structure of the project a manager typically has 12-15 years of experience. However I have been managing a team of 5 individuals for the past 7 months. Also in my team of 30 members, I am among the only 2 engineers in the team.

Since I Last Applied to business school for Fall2010 session- Following are the changes in my profile

• GMAT : Score increased from 690 to 730(Q50,V38, AWA 6.0)

• Work Profile - Managing a team of 5 individuals ( 2 peers and 3 junior associates). Assisting my Senior manager in planning for a $25 Million US version release for the software

• Executive Member for Business forum run by TCS North America, involved in finding synergies between various software implementations and chalking out the product road map. I am the youngest member in the forum.

• Toastmaster - Serving as the Vice President for the Club for the past 8 Months.



Achievements at work :
• Finalist at TAS 2008 (Tata Administrative Services - Fast track management Program for grooming individuals to take up executive positions in the $70 Billion TATA Group)

• Peer Recognition award winner in 2007 ( Given to 4 individuals every year out of the project strength of 400).

• Icon Award winner in 2009, (Only 1 given every year out of 400)
Extra Curricular/ Community service:


College - Student Body member, President Quiz club. Founder of monthly college magazine - FundaMentals
Post College - Member of Toastmasters Club - since 2009, currently serving as the Vice President - Education for the Club ( club strength is 41 members)

Big Brother Big Sister - Mentored a 11 year old boy for a year. Will begin another year when the school year starts in September.

Green Team - Events Committee - VP. - saved over $120,000 for the company through various initiatives. Extended the practices here to my hometown in India. Organized a recycling awareness drive in Delhi covering 250 households/ 3 speeches at resident communities and personal visit to over 50 families.

Charity work mostly through company engagements, includes commitments of 2-3 hours every month.

Hobbies - Rafting, running ( have run 4 5K races this year and 2 for charities)

GMAT Score - First Attempt -September 2007 - 690 (Q48,V36, 5.5)
Second Attempt - July 16,2010 - 730(Q50,V38 , AWA 6.0)

Target schools - Ross,UM(ReApp - applied last year) Dinged with No IV call
Fuqua,Duke( Reapp - applied last year) - Dinged with No IV call
Tuck,
Kellog
Hass
NYU

Short term Goal - I want to target a Strategy consulting profile, but I am open to get back to the IT industry in Sales and Business Development.

Long Term Goal - Go back to India and lead a consulting initiative there in the areas of Technology, business system consulting. A lot of this would depend on my post MBA profile, but I do want to go back to India and use my US experience to transfer best practices to India.


Request you to go through this an offer a profile evaluation and comments on my choice of schools and the chances of making it to them.

If possible I am also looking for tips on how to address the application to schools where I am a reapplicant.What should i be emphasizing on on my reapplicant essays

Thanks in Advance

Hi,

Please evaluate my profile for the colleges that I would like to apply to. My detailed profile is given below:-

GMAT - 710 (Q49, V38, Essays 5.5/6)
Nationality : Indian
Age:31

Education:
Class X ICSE – 84.17%
Class XII – HSC – 69%
Yr: 2000 -Bachelor of Commerce - 69.9%
Nov, 2001 -India Chartered Accountant - 50.25%
Yr: 2002 - Masters of Commerce - 64%
Yr: 2009: CFA (CFA institute USA) - All first attempt

Work Experience: Total approx. 7 years
2002-03 : 1.25 years: Auditing/Consulting India’s leading
2004-05 : 1 year: Investment Banking - Leading global Investment banks
2005-08: 3.5 years: Investment Management - Equity Analyst India Dedicated Long/Short Hedge fund
2009-11 : 1 yr 8months: India Equity Sales

Extra Curricular:
Member Nature Club in College
Adventure sports enthusiast – Hiking, Trekking, River rafting

Career short term Goal:
Work in an investment management role for a multi-asset class, multi-geography, multi-strategy asset management company

Please Evaluate profile for:
1) Chicago Booth
2) Stanford
3) Wharton
4) MSCF Carnegie Mellon
5) Columbia MBA
6) NYU Stern MBA
7) Yale


Thanks a lot,
Regards,
Madzy

Hi ,

Can you help evaluate my profile ? Do I have a realistic shot at the ultra elite schools ? I figure I should focus on the schools that I really have a shot during the first round.

Male 30 years old (31 years by July 2011)

Work Experience: 7 years in India, US & Singapore

A qualified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with over six years of experience managing Lean Six Sigma initiatives within the Manufacturing and Services industry.
Key skills include large program management, strategic planning, persuasive communication, change management, relationship development and team building at all levels and across all business functions, leading productive project teams, and quickly adapting to changing conditions.
A very successful track record of producing measurable results from a variety of different project types across multiple industries as well as coaching and mentoring associates through the Lean Six Sigma tools and methodologies to certification.

Specific highlights of accomplishments and qualifications:
• Completed the Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP). EEDP is one of the most prestigious Entry Level Technical Leadership program at General Electric (GE) Company spread over 2 years of rigorous Advanced Engineering course work along with 6 months of rotations across different product lines providing a cross-functional exposure to the various business processes.
• Developed and led Six Sigma deployments to self sustainability and measurable long-term results in more than 5 organizations
• Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) – trained and coached over 200 Green Belts (GBs) and 30 Black Belts (BBs) to certification
• Managed major projects, ranging from $250,000 to $2 million, producing measurable results such as: reducing operating expenses in manufacturing plants by $2 million and reducing customer complaint calls to service center by 28%

GPA: 2.8
Indian Institute of Techonology (IIT), Kharagpur. There were no extenuating circumstances , I just coasted through my undergraduate course - the folly of my ill spent youth. Graduating without honors was a kind of a 'wake up' moment for me.

GMAT : 700 - 49Q , 36 V (Planning to re-take GMAT and targeting a score above 750)

International Experience:
Currently working to achieve an operational turn around for a privately held mid size frozen foods manufacturer in US so that the Private Equity player funding it can take it public.
Worked for Fortune 10 firm at their world headquaters in US as part of their New Product Development team.

Extracurriculars:

During undergrad:
Dramatics and theater – won Best Actor award in the Open IIT Dramatics competition

Since graduation:
My hobbies are to go hiking and travel and I try to do that every new place my consulting engagement takes me. To that extent , I have traveled to around 30 different states in India and US.

I am avid fan of classic rock music and believe my explorations in this area have provided me an unique perspective of the western world.

Post MBA aspirations:

Top Strategy Consulting firm in US

Questions :
To what extent have I made up for my poor GPA with my GMAT score ? What kind of doubts would Adcom still have about my poor GPA ?

I really don't examples of leadership experience outside work. My volunteering experience is sparse. With enough leadership experience at work, is the lack of leadership experience outside work an issue ?

Are my dreams schools of Tuck, Chicago, Yale, Darden or Wharton possible with a poor GPA ? What are my chances with LBS, IMD and INSEAD ?

Regards,
Anshuman

Hi,

I am writing to gather some of your insight as to how should i increase my extra curricular involvement.

My current level of activities involve sketching and singing. However, I don't know how should I act to be able to show some leadership in these areas.

Please give some suggestions as to what should i start doing. I have just started on preparing for gmat. I need to have some strong extracurriculars to show by the time i apply to schools.

Thank you