Ask Personal MBA Coach

HOWDIEEEE.. to anyone who reads this...!!

Now I have a very specific situation (thats what i think ) so i am submitting my info to which i would love to hear from anyone who has the adequate knowledge to address my concerns
Heres my BACKGROUND

10th grade=> 73%
12th grade => 74% (a science student)

Then i took an year off as i did not get into the a decent engineering college..Trust me here- i got into many colleges but all of them were Pretty much CRAP (sorry for the curse but i am being bluntly honest here)
In the mean time I assisted my father during the day and studied during night..I am not sure that experience will count for business schools nevertheless i am very proud that i did that as at an early age i got to understand as to how someone who runs an industry actually functions..
The Gap year proved fruitful as i got into GGSIPU Delhi plus i got a pretty good and a decorated college in the Capital city..
Engineering was Good in fact great ..

Aggregate=> 71%(B.Tech In Information tech)
Now to be honest with you guys i was working with my father during my engineering years as well ..I would literally pick up documents and do other chores for him (Yes He Paid Me too)

Here is the real problem why i wrote this piece =>
My age is 23 years and 330 days
I will be 24 next month..!!


I graduated in June 2015..
And from DAY 1 i have been working with my father in our Family business..
Initially i was hesitant to join him as i was an IT engineer and my family is into Footwear business. Then I started to love my JOB [Common we make shoes and other footwear's for a living. Who would not love that right ]
Now almost an year later i feel like i need to grow my business outreach..
Trust me when i say this - Work is Fine..But the glitch is => "i want to take my family Business to places" Actually i want that to be Awesome instead of just Fine (sorry for the choice of words )
Hence i need an MBA..
And to much of my surprise my father stands right by me in this decision..! In fact He told me that its a very mature move..!!

I know most of you might think its too early for an MBA
But honestly guys Waiting for another 2 or 3 years will not take my business anywhere .It will be in a stand still.
Plus i think i have the added advantage of working with my father in my initial GAP year where i assisted him if it counts.

So it goes without saying => I DON'T ONLY WANT AN MBA ; I NEED AN MBA..!!

secondly i am a bit confused about this work experience thing ..!!
Most of the business schools require 2 years of work experience in there applicants ..
What does 2 years mean?
till the program actually starts or till the time you fill out your application
If i apply in 2016 for fall 2017 admissions then by the time i actually start my school in September i will be having 2 years and 2 months of experience.. I guess that would do..???

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOLS I CAN TARGET ???

Top 20 can i get in ?
Okay Top30?
Top40?
i am flexible as long as it in the Top 40-45
Common Guys Help me get into top 40 at-least..!!!! I don't want to wait ..!!
I am into manufacturing shoes and other footwear so anything related to MARKETING AND ADVERTISING would be Fabulous ..Plus i like Advertising.
Now if (only if) i wait another year( which probably would not do any good to my industry ) then will it increase my chances of getting admitted..

GMAT => Appearing this October..I think i can get a good score..i will try for 700 maybe ..I will Dig that (i have started preparing)

now to the most important part=>

Community services => I am an active part of an Organisation which rescues street dogs and treats them until they are healthy..I have been a part of this organisation from my engineering days ..the reason i do it it i honestly believe in the work we do..We organise dog shows too..

Positions held => "I am not given any designations actually .. I am responsible for marketing and supply ..Plus sometimes manufacturing too. Family business comes with several added responsibilities too
The Post MBA goals => " I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO MY HOME COUNTRY THE DAY AFTER I GET AN MBA . Off course i would like to do an internship however..But apart from that i have one any only one vision that is to Do Justice to my family business and take it to a level it deserves"

ANYONE WHO READS THIS Please Feel free TO POST any suggestions You guys Have for me... It will be really helpful..


Love and respect to everyone
Stone Cold

P.S => Don't let my user name mislead you ..!! I am an indian candidate

Stone Cold,

Thank you for the detailed post. You definitely have the energy and enthusiasm which is great! To answer your questions....# of years of work experience considers up to matriculation and usually counts post-undergrad full-time experience (with some exceptions). So if you start in 2017 you will have two years of experience. This is definitely on the low end and I usually recommend someone with a profile like yours to wait before applying. Certain jobs are better for early applicants (two years) and others are not. However, if you are flexible on the rank of the school and are more interested in doing the MBA sooner than later as you mentioned, you could make something work at a school within the rankings you identified. Since you are young and applying early, you want to do as well on the GMAT as possible, so try to beat 700.

If you would like to discuss further we can set up a consultation. Good luck! scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott

https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!Colum ... 1db0f9ad7e

Columbia Releases Essay Questions and Deadlines for Class of 2019


Early Decision: Oct 5, 2016
Merit Fellowship: Jan 4, 2017
Final Deadline: Apr 12, 2017

Columbia deadlines and essays are now official. If you are planning to apply early, you can get started on your applications now! See below for questions and analysis.

Applicants must complete one short answer question and three essays.

Short Answer Question:
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (51 characters maximum)
Examples of possible responses:
“Work in business development for a media company.”
“Join a strategy consulting firm.”
“Launch a data-management start-up.”

Pretty straightforward, just watch the character limit.


Essay 1
Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals going forward, and how will the Columbia MBA help you achieve them? (100-750 words)

Also pretty straightforward. Pay attention to every word in the question though. There is no need to repeat in great detail your experiences to date, just comment on your goals. Goals not goal, so you should be discussing at minimum a short-term and long-term goal. These goals should show a logical progression after your current experience. If they do not, then a brief explanation is a good idea. When answering the part about how Columbia will help you achieve the goals, don't consider only the academic part of your experience. There are many ways Columbia GSB will prepare you to accomplish your goals and it is important to write about all of them. Be as specific as possible here, which requires you to do in-depth research about Columbia, the program, classes and extra-curricular offerings.


Essay 2
Columbia Business School’s students participate in industry focused New York immersion seminars; in project based Master Classes; and in school year internships. Most importantly, our students are taught by a combination of distinguished research faculty and accomplished practitioners. How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (100-500 words)

See the video before writing your answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFyBmvnqGkk
This topic is important to Columbia and it means more than simply being located in NYC. The admissions committee has made the decisions to keep this question because it helped them identify who is truly knowledgeable about the program and who will fit in well. While at first glance, this question may seem like it won't help you differentiate yourself from other applicants, it is important to think through this in detail so that the decision to live and study in NYC does not appear to be arrived at lightly. You have a few things you could discuss (Master Classes, internships, Immersion Seminars, research faculty, etc). Don't feel like you need to or even can address all of those areas. Pick the relevant ones for you.


Essay 3
CBS Matters, a key element of the School’s culture, allows the people in your Cluster to learn more about you on a personal level. What will your Clustermates be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (100-250 words)

Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-826mEdXyCY and get inspired. If nothing else, it should help you develop passion for Columbia and write more powerful essays. Explain who you are and what makes you unique. There is no right or wrong answer here, the key is to make it personal and reveal something interesting about you. It isn't necessary to impress here though don't feel the need to be modest either if you have something exciting to share. Have fun with this question.


Optional Essay
An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

This is not meant for everyone. Read the question carefully and if it doesn't apply to you then leave it blank. There is no need to tell them more impressive things about you here as that would only hurt your application.


For the most part, the essays remain the same as last year’s essays. The main difference is essay length. Notice that Columbia has given applicants a word limit range rather than a traditional hard word limit. While the total word count may seem high if you add up the upper limits of each question, you can submit a quality application that is shorter than the maximum allowed. While it will really depend on your individual circumstance, the question that will likely have the most responses below the word limit is #2. It is possible to convey a great deal of information about your interest in CBS and NYC in fewer than 500 words.

**Note: If you are a re-applicant, you only need to submit one new letter of recommendation and one essay.

How have you enhanced your candidacy since your previous application? Please detail your progress since you last applied and reiterate how you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals. (Maximum 500 words).

Send me an email to discuss your profile and work on your application to Columbia GSB or other MBA programs. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott[/b]

Hi,

I will try to keep it short.
Xth : 96.8% (Zone Topper)
XII: 92.8%
B.Tech in Mining Engineering: 8.73/10 ( Gold Medalist and Institute medal for exceptional academic record ) from IIT, Varanasi
GMAT 740 (Q50, V39, AWA:6, IR:6)
3 papers (2 National conference, 1 International Conference) , 1 Book Chapter (Springer, Introduction chapter)

Have held some good position of responsibility during my college time such as Placement Representative, Departmental Undergrad committee Senior Representative and have also participated and led my team in some National level competitions such as CIMA Global Business competition etc.

I had my startup during my final year but sadly it could not take off and I ended up joining TATA STEEL.

I am currently working in TATA STEEL India as a Manager, Mining Operations and have about 1 year of work expn. During my time here, I have undertaken about 3 improvement projects (on critical issues of Mining). I will be having two when I will join a MBA Program next year and am thinking of applying in R1 this year.

I have some good amount of voluntary experience, not just normal contributing stuff but some real projects ( 2 ) and participatory rural appraisals.

My question is should I be actually thinking of applying this year in schools such as Sloan,Booth, Yale, Columbia? Do I have a chance or should I bide my time and apply next year that is in 2017.

Thanks for your post and congratulations on your accomplishments. You have a very impressive profile. The only thing that you could do to improve it is get more experience. If you get another year of experience, perform very well at work, obtain leadership roles etc, you will be in a great position to apply. That said, if you are targeting Columbia ED this year, I can see that potentially working out for you as well. I recommend if you do that, you should submit your apps as soon as possible as the questions are already out. So yes, you have a decent chance this year. Next year you will have a better chance.

Let me know if you want to chat about an application strategy. scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott

New to the application process and curious about GMAT preparation strategies?

Read below!

https://bit.ly/1qzg38U

The time and resources required to achieve a competitive GMAT score are often underestimated and preparation postponed for too long.

Sticking to these guidelines on how to prepare for GMAT will give you a competitive advantage over many other prospective business school applicants. The tips below are meant to help you achieve the highest score you can.

In this way you will be able to make a realistic choice between the best MBA or Masters degree programs and scholarship opportunities.

The GMAT exam

A competitive score in the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a requirement for admission, and often also for scholarships, to most top international business schools for MBA, Executive MBA and specialized Masters degree programs. Recently the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) – owner of GMAT– introduced a new exam for Executive MBA applicants – Executive Assessment – but the GMAT is still widely used for both MBA and EMBA programs.

“Over 6,000 graduate business programs at approximately 1,700 universities and organizations around the world accept the GMAT exam.”

The GMAT exam is a computer adaptive test (CAT) conducted in English. Nowadays, it contains four parts: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section. It has been modified as it has developed, and some parts (e.g. testing on antonyms and directed memory) have been scrapped. The last major change occurred on 5 June 2012, when Integrated Reasoning (IR) was added to the test. GMAC explain:

“The GMAT exam measures verbal, mathematical, integrated reasoning and analytical writing skills that you have developed in your education and work. It does NOT measure your knowledge of business, your job skills, specific content in your undergraduate or first university course work, your abilities in any other specific subject area or subjective qualities such as motivation, creativity and interpersonal skills.”

GMAT content, structure and duration

Early in 2016 GMAC tested an option that allows test takers to rearrange for themselves the order of the sections. However, GMAC stated that the wider launch of the Select Section Order feature will depend greatly on the results of the research. GMAC may decide not to launch the feature for any number of reasons, including candidate dissatisfaction.
Currently the GMAT consists of these four sections delivered in the following order:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment – part 1 of the GMAT exam – lasts for 30 minutes and concentrates on the analysis of an argument. In the first part, candidates explain the logic behind a certain argument and present their point of view. Here, critical thinking and the ability to communicate is measured.
Format: Essay
Topic: Analysis of an argument
Time: 30 minutes
Score: 0-6 in half-digit intervals

Click here for the whole article: https://bit.ly/1qzg38U

Best,
Scott

https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!Whart ... 21c3fe00ee

Wharton Releases Essays and Deadlines for 2016-2017 Application Cycle
By Scott Edinburgh, Personal MBA Coach

Deadlines
Round 1: September 27, 2016
Round 2: January 5, 2017
Round 3: March 28, 2017

From Wharton’s blog
New Essays

This year’s application will require the completion of two mandatory essays.
Essay 1: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words)
Essay 2: Teamwork is at the core of the Wharton MBA experience with each student contributing unique elements to our collaborative culture. How will you contribute to the Wharton community? (400 words)
By asking these two questions, effectively breaking apart and expanding on last year’s essay question, our hope is to give applicants ample space to more fully explain their aspirations, goals, and how Wharton fits into those. We want to be able to view applicants from both sides of their world – one where they are professionals developing skills and seeking career advancement, but also the personal growth side where they are seeking out enriching experiences to become better, stronger, wiser, and a more robust person.
Take these two questions as an important opportunity to express who you are and what and who you want to be. It is important for us to know the real you and be able to envision you as part of the Wharton community.
-------
Wharton’s first question is similar to their first question from last year, although the admissions committee is asking for your professional goals alone. The second question is a lot of fun and gives you the opportunity to explain why you are a good fit for Wharton’s unique culture. Stay tuned for a more detailed analysis of these essays.

If you would like individual and personal support while applying to Wharton, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!compr ... kages/caui or contact me to learn how I can help! As a Wharton graduate, I regularly help many applicants navigate Wharton’s application each year. scott@personalmbacoach.com

https://www.personalmbacoach.com/#!Whart ... 21c3fe00ee

Hi Scott!
Pls valuate my profile.

Nationality: Singaporean
Age: 23 (25 when applying for admissions)
GPA: 2.8 (3.5/5)
GMAT: Currently getting 550 on practice tests, shooting for 700+. Planning to take my first GMAT ard Dec'16.

WE: 2 Yrs Police Force, 8mths SW Development at a German Automotive Company, 6mths Accounts Asst at a Canadian Company.
I am completing my Bachelors of Eng (EEE) in 2018 from NTU Singapore.

Languages: English & Tamil
Spanish & German Lvl 1

Undergrad:
Student Exchange at Georgia Tech for 6mths.
Member of some student clubs.

MBA Plans:
Trying to get into a top University in USA after my undergrad. Could you suggest some schools for me?

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for the detailed post. I have a few questions before I can recommend some schools. Did you work after high school before going to study for your bachelors? Or have you been working and studying at the same time? It would be great to see what you have done each year since age 18 just to clarify. It sounds like there is a bit of an uphill battle for a few reasons:

Low GPA
Potentially low GMAT, although a 700 will help offset the GPA for certain schools
Mixed work experience

Give me some more information about your background and it may make sense to chat on the phone since you have somewhat of a unique profile.

Best,
Scott

Hi Scott!

I worked after my Diploma from Singapore Polytechnic for 2.5yrs before my Bachelors. Currently I am studying Full Time B.Eng in EEE at NTU and doing a 8 mth internship at Continental Automotive Singapore this semester.
I completed my Diploma in EEE at age 19. Then I worked 6 mths at Montreal Pte Ltd followed by 2 yrs in Singapore Police Force. I started my bachelors at age 22 and will finish at 25. I don't mind working before joining a MBA but I prefer to do one after my undergrad.

I would love to have a talk over the phone and thanks a lot for your time.

Best Regards,
Manickam

Manickam,

I understand. You would have a stronger profile if you wait but we can talk about what you should do in the meantime anyway. Send me an email to schedule time to discuss: scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott

Are you planning for a video interview? Looking for some tips to perform well on Skype? See below for a post on virtual interview tips!

https://www.personalmbacoach.com/single- ... ideo-Essay

Best,
Scott

I received this question from a client recently and though I would post it for everyone.

"Now that we were able to raise my GMAT score, am I better off trying to continue to improve the score or taking extra classes to offset my low GPA? How should I spend my time"

For context, this applicant had a low GPA from a top 25 state school, a current GMAT score of 720 and is targeting some top 10 schools. My response was that improving the GMAT will be the best way to offset the low GPA so she should spend most of her time on that. That said, taking extra graduate level courses is also a really good way of showing dedication to improving the profile and it demonstrates ability to handle a rigorous MBA program. I mentioned that the first priority should be GMAT and if time is left, then focus on the classes. Of course doing both is the best thing if you know you will have time for both.

Best,
Scott

Congratulations to those of who you are receiving a CBS interview invite this week. To those still waiting, sit tight as they just started to send them out. If you are looking for interview preparation, I have a former Columbia interviewer (and former client of mine!) who conducts mock interviews. Contact me for more details.

If you are preparing for round two applications, now is the time to think about how many schools are realistic to tackle in the next 4-5 weeks. Feel free to reach out with any questions about your profile and what is reasonable to accomplish.

Good luck!

Best,
Scott

Hi Personal MBA coach Please evaluate my profile

Introduction:
I am a 36 year old Indian male working in UK for last 5 years in a top tier aerospace company. I intend to apply to top 10 schools for MBA in USA/UK/Canada/Singapore.

GMAT Score:
Planning to take GMAT May-2017

Education:
X th: 81% out of 100%
XII th: 90% out of 100%

- UG GPA: 82% out of 100% (top 10%); Bachelor's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering; Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai, India

- Master's GPA: 4.6 out of 5 on CGPA scale; Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering (Thesis based), 2 publications.
- Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow, Russia.

Work Experience:
Total 10 Years professional experience as Engineer (5 years in India & 5 years in UK). At the minute working with Aircraft Interiors Manufacturing company in UK as Structural analysis Engineer.
No managerial experience. No promotions.
Strong International Exposure
- Lived, Studied, Worked and travelled to multiple countries.
- Worked in International teams and leading a team of Engineers (located in UK, USA, France and Germany) to develop next set of methodologies that will save the company a lot of money once implemented.
Extracurriculars
Learnt Violin for 5 years and Interested in Music – Classical & Carnatic; 3 stage performances at Chennai
Learnt Hindi and French
Was a member of College Cricket team in UG and was a member of University Badminton team in Master’s.
Was a good runner. Won prizes for running during school days
Won prize at debate competition during school.

MBA (interested):
Interested in MBA (1 year programs) or Executive MBA with scholarships.
Please advise what are my chances?
Post-MBA Goal:
I plan to transition from Engineering based role to a management / strategy role in manufacturing/technology. I wish to leverage my experience of leading diverse teams and apply the vast knowledge, exposure and experience I have gained in managing different product portfolios in manufacturing /technology.
Interested in General management & product management (both middle level and senior level post MBA)

balakv

Thank you for your detailed profile post. I am curious to hear more about your background as I just wrapped up applications for a couple others who work in the aviation space.

While your undergraduate and graduate scores are good, the lack of promotions is somewhat concerning for an EMBA program, where they really want to see prior managerial experience. It is good that you have strong extra-curriculars and if you can do well on the GMAT (contact me if you are interested in hearing about our tutoring options), this will help you but you may want to think about a part-time MBA program as well if you could secure employment near the school. If this interests you then send me your resume so we can discuss further. There are one year programs that you could target based on your GMAT, so I would want to see that first as well. Send me your resume and we can continue discussing.

Best,
Scott

Thank you Scott for your advise. I have emailed my resume to you.
Kindly let me know your opinion.
Many Thanks
Balakrishnan