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ISB MFAB Admissions team interviews with GyanOne

ISB MFAB (Management Program for Family Business) Admissions team interviews with GyanOne, providing insights into the program features, application process and admission criterion.

GyanOne: How is the MFAB different in structure and curriculum from the PGP and PGPMAX offered by ISB? What are the unique features of the MFAB?

ISB MFAB Admissions Team:

Much like PGPMAX, MFAB is a modular program. Students spend one week on campus attending classes for every six weeks. In all, there are twelve terms including the one term that happens at Kellogg. PGP is a full-time residential program.
These three are post graduate level management programs; the focus of MFAB is imparting skills necessary to take the family business to the next level. Therefore, in addition to covering core management principles, students get exposure to courses that address specific family business related challenges. Another important and unique feature of MFAB is international exposure that students get. They get to spend one week at Kellogg which has a family business center that has been doing quite a lot of work on issues related to family business.

GyanOne: While family business owners want to have a holistic view of business and general business understanding, they also invariably wish to focus on different functional aspects (like finance, marketing, or operations) as well as different industries (like manufacturing, real estate, or healthcare). What does the MFAB offer in terms of these?

ISB MFAB Admissions Team: As part of the core curriculum, students get exposed to all functional aspects of the business viz., finance, marketing, operations etc., In addition, the cases discussed as part the of the classes are selected from various industries. In addition, MFAB class is very diverse. This diversity will also enrich class discussion and students benefit from the functional and industry experience of the classmates.

GyanOne: Is the MFAB offered at both campuses (Hyderabad and Mohali)? Is the program exactly the same in both these locations or are there location-specific specializations?

ISB MFAB Admissions Team: There is only one cohort/class per intake. Classes are predominantly held in Mohali with few terms held in Hyderabad, and one term at Kellogg.

GyanOne: Networking is often seen as an important aspect of MBA programs worldwide. While it is understood that MFAB students would network with their peers within the program, what avenues are available to offer them a platform to network with PGP and PGPMAX students, given that these networks are much bigger?

ISB MFAB Admissions Team: MFAB students get plenty of opportunities to network. The networking starts when they enter the program and continues even after their graduation. PGP, PGPMAX and MFAB students become members of ISB Alumni Network which has chapters in various cities. They get to participate in alumni events and continue to network. Thus the networking is not limited to within the MFAB network but across all post graduate programmes offered by ISB.

ISB MFAB Admissions Team Interviews

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This interview was originally published on the GyanOne MBA Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of GyanOne.

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SMU Singapore Adcom on Career Opportunities Post MBA

The SMU (Singapore Management University) Singapore MBA is fast becoming a popular program for applicants across Asia. The Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University’s business school, offers the program in a 12 month (full-time) and 18 month (part-time) format. This is one of the few excellent one-year full-time MBA programs in the Asian region. Asia in general, and Singapore in particular, are seeing rising interest in their MBA programs, and the SMU MBA is among the top options for an MBA in South East Asia. The program is relatively young (established in 2008), but its course content, industry links, top faculty, and excellent career services are already placing it high one the lists of MBA applicants. This program is already one of those to watch out for, and we at GyanOne are sure that the SMU MBA will soon scale greater heights. GyanOne interviewed the Admissions Team at the SMU Singapore MBA to explore their perspectives on student opportunities, careers, student life, and application best practices for the program.

The SMU Singapore MBA has been seeing increasing visibility and appeal among Indian students. What is the key value proposition or USP that the SMU MBA has for international students, especially those from South East Asia?
The SMU Singapore MBA has a team of faculty with real-world work experience who are able to impart their deep business knowledge to our MBA students. This, coupled with a curriculum that is designed with the needs of corporate recruiters in mind, provide a significant boost to our students’ next career move.

How does an SMU MBA compare with other top MBA programs in Singapore?
The SMU Singapore MBA offers one of the most accelerated MBA programmes in Singapore. Modelled after The Wharton School, it features an interactive style of teaching with a small class size. As a younger programme, the SMU Singapore MBA is able to offer one of the most up-to-date curriculum that seeks to provide MBA students with the right skills-set to overcome the challenges in today’s complex business world as well as to meet global recruiters’ needs. As soft skills such as communication, negotiation, critical thinking and leadership are much sought after in MBA graduates by corporate recruiters, the SMU Singapore MBA programme has an additional component featuring these skills, in addition to the traditional hard skills found in most MBA curriculum. In addition, SMU’s “Case Writing Initiative” produces case studies written on Asian companies and these case studies are used in our MBA programme. They complement those written on western companies, thus providing a balanced perspective in preparing our MBA students for their next career boost in Asia and beyond.

What learning and exposure does the SMU Singapore MBA offer students beyond the curriculum?

SMU Singapore MBA

The Harvard 2+2 and Other Top Early Admit MBAs



The HBS 2+2 is one of the few early admit MBAs around the world. Think of top MBA programs which allow applicants to be part of the admissions process right after college, and one thinks primarily of two programs – the Harvard 2+2 and the ISB YLP. Contrary to popular perception, there are other such programs as well. GyanOne presents a brief list of other such programs. This is certainly not exhaustive, but is meant to illuminate potential applicants in the penultimate year of college of possible opportunities.

The Harvard 2+2 and the ISB YLP

IIM Bangalore EPGP Statement of Purpose Tips and Analysis

The IIM Bangalore EPGP Statement of Purpose is a part of the admissions process to one-year the Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGP) at IIM Bangalore. The EPGP is a highly prestigious one-year program, as can be seen from the admission statistics (mentioned below) as well as the small batch size that IIMB caters to. The program is IIMB’s response to similar programs launched by other IIMs (for example, the PGPX at IIM Ahmedabad and the PGPEX at IIM Calcutta) as well as the ISB PGP. In a short duration of time since its launch six years ago, the IIMB EPGP has made a strong name for itself, and is a much sought-after program among mid-career professionals. This page provides some tips and advice on the IIM Bangalore EPGP Statement of Purpose, and some information on other aspects of the program.

IIMB SoP Tips and Analysis

LBS? INSEAD? IMD? Which are Best One Year MBA Programs in Europe?

One year MBA programs in Europe, unlike similar programs in other regions of the world, are not a new phenomenon. Europe has been the pioneer and also the largest adopter of the one year MBA model. Traditionally, however, it has been known more for the top options that it has – INSEAD (France), LBS (UK), and IMD (Switzerland). Over the last decade, though, and increasingly over the last five years, a number of other programs have emerged as top contenders too.

One year MBA programs in Europe have distinct advantages over other similar programs elsewhere:

– These are the flagship MBA programs of the schools that offer them. INSEAD’s one year full time MBA is its premier program. IMD’s MBA program, ranked No.1 by FT MBA rankings on international placement success, has always been its flagship offering, just like the LBS MBA (which is a 15-21 month offering, slightly more than an year in its shortest format). This presents a distinct advantage to graduates in recruitments.

Best One Year MBA in Europe

Why is ISB Hyderabad the Most Prefered MBA among Indian Applicants?

The ISB MBA is one of the most popular MBA programs among applicants in the Indian and larger Asian region. While a lot has already been said about ISB’s infrastructure, the quality of its faculty, the prestige of the ISB MBA, and its affiliation with other top b-schools, this article seeks to present an insider’s view of some of the other things that make Indian School of Business a great school to attend. The ISB MBA is actually the ISB PGP (Post Graduate Program) in Management, but as most people refer to it as the ISB MBA, that is what we too will do in this post.

Social initiatives: ISB is host to a local chapter of the Net Impact club. This club provides students with plenty of opportunities to lend a helping hand to the needy. Some of the activities that students can participate in through this club are:

(a) Social welfare activities like organizing blood donation camps and health check-up camps. Another important event is Bandhan, an annual event where ISB MBA (PGP) students celebrate India’s Independence Day (Aug 15) with less privileged students from four Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) across Hyderabad.

(b) Management consulting and strategizing opportunities for non-profits. The club provides opportunities for giving pro-bono consulting services to non-profits. This is a great learning experience as it allows students to apply business and management principles to real-life problems. Although the consulting opportunities are only open with non-profits through this initiative, the problems that students solve may be classic business problems, ranging from improving operations to managing finances better to creating a marketing strategy. Similarly, iDiya (pioneered in 2011) is a social venture competition that allows non-profits, b-school students, and working professionals to showcase their ideas/ventures centred on social change.

(c) Strategy events and workshops for non-profits. These events give students a chance to participate in imparting skills and business acumen to non-profits. The Diffusion initiative (started in 2011) saw students come together with the Central University of Bihar to offer skill-building courses as part of a two-day workshop for non-profits. Similarly, the Social Venture Implementation initiative allows students to write a paper about the role of social enterprises in emerging markets. The aim is to provide an idea platform for alumni who want to start a social venture.

ISB Exchange Program and Leadership Initiatives

Rotman MBA Admission With Scholarship!

Tushar Khare, a consultant at Deloitte, was thrilled to break this news to us! It happened finally. A Rotman School of Management admit with scholarship! Tushar is a one of the most well connected professionals we know (we were surprised to know he was friends with so many of our clients:)), is a sports enthusiast and is now making the most of his stay in Toronto as a Rotman student.

Well, here is his MBA admissions journey, an insight into his aspiration to pursue an MBA, his decision to leave a ‘technical’ but rewarding career in Deloitte, and Life at Rotman, Toronto.

What were you doing before the MBA and how did b-school come into the picture?

Before seeking out an MBA, I was a software developer and consultant. I have a work experience of 4.5 years, have worked on domains of media and healthcare for projects across different geographies. However, it was sometime later that I realized that my knowledge was predominantly technical. I had to understand the functional aspects of a business in order to deliver efficient solutions. As is said, the path to an efficient solution starts with empathy and knowing what your customer needs. Thus, I thought an MBA equipped with the required skills to understand business and to do effective problem solving.

Why did you chose Rotman?

Yale Silver Scholars - Top Early MBA for Applicants with No Work Experience



Talk about selectivity! While tomes have already been written about how selective Stanford, Harvard, and Haas are (see this article from Businessweek and this one from Poets&Quants), few look at the Yale Silver Scholars program which has an acceptance rate that is as low as – if not lower – than Stanford’s 6.8%. Around 200 applicants from around the globe apply for the program every year, and only around 10 make it. If one considers that these applicants must vie for admission to the competitive Yale program without any work experience, the odds are even tougher.

The Only MBA Option of its Kind

Planning to do a second MBA? Check Out the Best US Bschools to Look At

There are many legitimate reasons why one would want to consider a second MBA in USA. Career progression, the need to learn advanced management skills in a specific topic area not explored in your first MBA, and the exposure and opportunity offered by top programs are often the frequently quoted reasons. While Asian and European schools are quite open to considering the candidature of applicants who already have a first MBA, not all schools in the US are as open. This article is meant to clear some of the confusion around this.

Applicants applying to an MBA with a first Master’s that is not an MBA should be aware that they do not need to bother with any restrictions imposed with schools on second MBA applicants. The restrictions are only for people who already have an MBA, and are not valid for people who have Master’s degrees in other areas, including in sub-areas of business management like Marketing.

Top US schools that accept second MBA applicants

Hey GYan One,
Can you please help me in evaluating my profile :

Indian female

Grades :
Xth - 91%
XIIth - 88% ( Have been on scholarship since class 8th in school)
Undergrad ( NIT kurukshetra ) - 7.93/10 (2008-2012) Gpa 4.0 according to WES
GMAT - 720 (Q50, V38, IR5)

Work experience -
* Have been working in Samsung from the past 3 years
Have had 2 promotions in 3 years
First as a software developer, then moved into Pre-sales consulting owing to my interest in Marketing.
In that I worked with Samsung Sales division in APAC regions, assisted clients and partners in Dubai, SA, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Singlehandedly set up a whole Enterprise business conclave in India marketing Regional HQ, Worked with directors of engineering of Hyatt, Oberoi, and Taj hotels.
Demonstrated Samsung solutions in events, conclaves, summits to CXO's of different verticals.

* Member of cultural commitee in Samsung, Won the best innovative project of the Quarter for a project, Winner of many cultural competitions held in Office.

Extra Curriculars -
* Won accolades for Dance from age 6, Working as a dance instructor in a Dance studio.
* 2 District level prizes in Arts, College level athlete( won 10 medals ) in NIT sports meet' 09, '10, '11
* Head of 3 committees in tech and cultural national level fests in NIT.
* Started a society for teaching Underprivileged children of College's workers. This has been published in a local newspaper of Kurukshetra.
* Working as a UN online volunteer for a research project on Women Situation in Thailand.
* Represented North Zone ( 4 states ) In a national level General knowledge Quiz held in Hyd.
* 1 district level prize in Analytical ability (scholarship given).

Working on my startup idea as well ( It would be completed by the end of the year )

Post Mba goal - I want to enter into Brand management or marketing.

My target schools are - Kellogg 1 year program, ISB, Insead, HEC paris, NUS, NTU, LBS, Manchester, Oxford.
I even want a partial scholarship for these programs.

Can you please tell me about the shortcomings in my profile and how can I be the good fit for these above schools?

Do I need to hire consultant for the essays or should I try writing them on your own?

Hi pria131,

Your overall profile seems fairly solid. Good academics (a bit surprised that WES rated the GPA as 4.0 though, we think it should be pretty high but may not be 4.0), good GMAT, and good work experience (though the quantum is slightly low). Your pre-sales role and your work in different markets definitely gives you an edge. Not clear if you worked in the foreign geographies you mention, only visited them, or dealt with them remotely. If you worked there, will be a further plus, though some credit is still due in other cases.

ECA looks pretty good. On your startup idea, that has limited utility till a viable product/service is seen. Your post-MBA goal is related to your work so far, but not clear if you want to go into marketing related to technology post-MBA, or on a wider plank.

On your schools: The Kellogg 1-year program has additional requirements in terms of business courses taken at the undergrad level, so first verify if you are eligible given that. ISB is on target. A bit more experience might be good for INSEAD, but in terms of your profile this is good. Also, in case you do not have actual international experience, you might like to supplement that part of your profile as INSEAD really values that. HEC, NUS, NTU, Oxford look ok and on target for you. LBS might require a bit more leadership and work experience. Not sure about why you have Manchester on your list - it is below the other choices in terms of prestige and placements - would suggest you consider Cambridge instead.

On things you can improve in general pl see How to Improve Profile for MBA.

Hiring a consultant is a personal decision you need to take. See MBA Admissions Consultants for more insight on this.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with further questions as needed.

Hi Ophelia,

Apologies for the slight delay in responding.

Your overall profile is pretty good. Working in Singapore, overseeing investments and research into Hi-tech firms, understanding the Asian and European markets, and gaining strong experience (through hands-on work) on what you do is a big plus for you. H/S/W might not be as far outside your grasp as you think. In case you think you can raise your GMAT, great, else even this score can work for you at many top schools.

In terms of academics, your undergrad GPA is a bit low, but then your post-grad GPA and the fact that you even have a post-grad tend to make up for that. At 4 years of good international experience, the quality of your experience is not under any doubt either, even if it is not for a bulge bracket player or a Blackstone.

Your choice of 1-year programs for your post-MBA ambitions seems decent, but would like to point out some other options/changes as well. In the UK, consider LBS instead of Oxford Said. LBS has much more access for the kind of career you are looking for, and Said is not particularly strong in that domain, although it is otherwise a good school. LBS is also not 1-year, but the trade-off might be worth it. Other options to consider are Columbia, Yale, and Booth. You should have a shot at each of these even with your current GMAT.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with further questions.

Does Being From IIT Help in ISB MBA Admissions?

Like most IITians, Sudeep Reddy is someone who likes to get technical about his work. Very technical. So technical, that his first ISB essay drafts discussed how he had worked on “PBR2 and PP4 plants” to replace electromechanical relays in a large Reliance factory. This was excellent work, but it was too technical. Additionally, this was just ten days before the ISB R2 deadline of Nov 30, 2013. Sudeep’s friend (and a former client of ours, Bhargav Lingamneni), who had successfully made it to ISB with us in R1 of the same cycle, recommended GyanOne to Sudeep to help him bring out the best elements in his profile.

ISB Admissions Success Story

Success at ISB MBA: NGO Professional makes it to ISB

The ISB non profit landscape is competitive. This may strike many applicants as surprising, since most people tend to think that it is engineers and techies who dominate the applicant landscape the most. That is true, but people applying with a non profit background don’t have it easy either. Not only must they establish the importance of what they are doing, but they must also clearly demonstrate the need for an MBA, which can be much more difficult to do coming in from a non-corporate background. Ironically, though, Lipika’s journey starts from her corporate IT job.

There are few people who love their IT jobs as much as Lipika did. And rightly so, because the work she was doing at Amazon was truly innovative and exciting too. Yet, this was not what Lipika planned to do. She had already been working on a very unique art gallery that helps artisans from across India showcase their skills and products. As the founder and Director of Earth Art Gallery, as much a social forum as a place to showcase art, Lipika has had great impact on art and done social good too. However, how does all of this relate to an MBA? That is where GyanOne came in, when Lipika contacted us just two weeks before the application deadline! At that point, while Lipika had already started working on her ISB application essays, she was unsure of her stories along multiple planks. How could she connect her desire to promote art with her wish to seek business education? Would ISB still consider her achievements from college (she had been an extremely active member of AIESEC) in the right light or only as poor substitutes for professional achievements? How could she explain her decision to simultaneously work in a large IT services firm alongside her venture?

How Did She Make It?

5 ISB MBA Admission Mistakes You Must Avoid!

Every year, thousands of students apply to ISB. Many of them have strong GMAT scores, good academic profiles and work experience, and a high likelihood of success at the ISB admissions process. Yet, many year, many deserving candidates fail to make it to ISB in spite of these credentials. GyanOne has worked with many reapplicants, helping them to make it to ISB the following year. Yet, this article is not about us – it is about ISB applicants themselves, and how they can avoid some common mistakes that can lead to the rejection of their candidature at ISB.

We present here a list of 5 ISB MBA admission mistakes we have seen applicants make and then repent later. They have been compiled from applicant interviews when these applicants have approached us in the following year. Some have also been compiled from the profile evaluations that GyanOne has done, providing applicants with advice on how they can improve. Inputs from ISB students and the ISB admissions committee also form a part of the advice mentioned here.

ISB Application Mistake 1: Not Understanding the Process
ISB is an aspirational MBA program, which naturally means that there are many more applicants than seats available. Competition is tough, and the application process followed by the interview stage creates a significant filter for these applicants. Yet, we have seen many people applying to ISB without fully understanding the process or what ISB looks for. For example, the average GMAT score across both ISB campuses is 700. This does not mean that someone with less than that cannot hope to get through. Indeed, many of our clients (and others as well) have been people with GMAT scores significantly below that number (650/660/670). However, applying to ISB with a GMAT score of, say, 620, and hoping that one’s profile will carry one through (unless that profile is really outstanding or highly experienced) is hoping in vain.

ISB Application Mistake 2

Hi Sir/Madam,

Thanks for your help earlier. I couldn't update you coz i was busy with the application, but thanks to your advice, I have scored a 720 on my latest GMAT in Sep.
I am in the final stages on submitting my application and I needed a vital and urgent advice from your good self.

Actually, as you had advised earlier about mentioning the reason for choosing a different recommendor in my optional essay. Is it necessary to do so? I mean rather than commenting on our relations (which I can explain in the interview) I can highlight some unique aspects of mine.

So is it really imperative to mention the reasons for choosing a specific recommender if he/she is not one's boss?

Please help.
Thanks for reading.

Hi Team,

Can you please help me evaluate my profile?

Below are the details:

Age: 24 years
Nationality/Gender: Indian Male
Work Ex: Around 3.5 years of experience in Consulting (Marketing Analytics), 2 promotions in 3.5 years (1 in current company in 1 year - fastest in my department and 1 higher designation post switching from ZS Associates). Currently working with IMS Health and have worked with ZS Associates in the past
Industry: Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare

Duties at work: Project management from India, management of about 4-5 analysts on projects, managing timelines and SPOC for on-shore team members on projects. Also, have designed the training material and deliver training to about 35 members (from analysts to managers) of marketing analytics group - Marketing analytics SPOC for training at India level

GMAT: 670 (Q46, V35, IR - 4)
College: Ramjas College, University of Delhi (Among top 10 colleges in India for science)
Degree: Bachelor in Statistics
Aggregate: 66℅ (First Class)
Year of graduation: 2012

Academics:
High School: 88%, 91% (best of 4)
Intermediate: 86%
Graduation : 66%
1 internship completed with NTPC Ltd. while in college
Worked on a project with an NGO in college for 6 months - recruited and on-boarded 5 team members to establish the project in college and spread awareness of recycling paper which was recycled and sent to underprivileged children while employing hearing impaired women (recycling of paper).
Took part in one-day management workshop at Faculty of management studies (FMS), University of Delhi
Part of college's placement committee

Target Programs:
MBA

Plan to Apply in 2nd round (Jan 2016) for Sep 2016 intake.

Post MBA goal: To accelerate growth in Pharma and Healthcare market research

Please evaluate my profile for the following schools:
1.Rotman (University of Toronto)
2.Schulich (York University)
3.Desautels (Mcgill University)

Thanks,
Kunal