saurabhmalhotra wrote:
Hi Guys,
I seek advice from everyone here who has had a tryst with b school admissions in one way or the other. any info will go a long way in helping me in this journey
I recently gave the GMAT exam and scored -
Q47 (70th percentile)
V40 (92nd perecentile)
AWA 6
IR 4 Sad
Overall 710 (90th percentile)
This score breakup has put me in a worried state of mind. I am contemplating whether to take the test again or to go with this score.
Target year - 2015 admissions
Target schools - HBS, Standford GSB, Booth, Tuck, Insead Singapore, Sloan, Kellog, Berkely, NYU Stern
(ie top 20)
I am putting in a brief write up of my profile. It would be very helpful if you could give me your views on my profile's suitability for the mentioned schools in the light of the GMAT score i attained (specially the combined not so good show in IR and quant)
Educational Background -
1. Schooling - Consistently achieved a Top 5 position in school in each year starting 8th grade
2. 10th Grade - (something like the national education board exams) - 89% (not percentile. 89% was my score)
2. 12th grade - 95% (not percentile) (again national board exams, which form the basis for admission to prestigious undergrad colleges in india)
3. Undergrad - Bachelors in commerce (accounting, taxation, cost accounting). Obtained admission in Sriram College of Commerece in Delhi university. This college is the number 1 college for undergrad commerce studies in India and also rate in the top 4-5 in asia.
4. Professional education (after graduation) - Chartered Accountancy. The Indian chartered accountancy program is probably the toughest in the world. It has 3 successive levels of examination. I cleared all 3 in one attempt with the following All India ranking -
Level 1 (PE1) - All India Rank 19 (approx 50000 examinees)
Level 2 (PE2) - All India Rank 35 (approx 50000 examinees)
Level 3 (PE3) - All India Rank 14 (approx 30000 examinees)
Only about 2-3% people are able to clear the level 3 in any particular attempt. Further this professional course entails a mandatory 3 year stint with and accounting and auditing firm. So one works for 12 hours a day and then studies to prepare for level 3.
Work experience -
1. 3 years of articleship (mandatory work ex under Chartered accountancy) with PricewaterhousCoopers
in financial auditing
2. Moved to ITC limited (5bn USD cigarettes to Hotels conglomerate in India - ITC hotels, Classic brand of cigarettes. also a big player in personal care and foods and snacks business.) Worked for 1 year as Assistant manager in the Internal audit team.
3. Reckitt Benckiser India - Management Trainee (1 yr)
Eventually wanted to move out of auditing and into operations so took a decision to join the Reckitt Benckiser India management trainee program. For 1 year worked in various functions - sales, supply, commercial, factory finance, corporate supply finance. Did a major gross margin improvement project
4. Reckitt Benckiser Singapore - Assistant Manager Finance (6 months)
First finance management trainee in the history of RB India, to be given an international posting on completion of traineeship. Worked with the latin america and asia pac supply director and supply finance controller
Was offered extension of anothr 18 months in the singapore office and additional responsibility with the area marketing innovation finance team.
5. Reckitt Benckiser India - Assistant manager supply finance (current)
Chose to return to the India business and work at the grass root level to learn day to day operations, problems and solutions.
In summary total work ex
3 yrs PwC
1 yr ITC
1 yr RB India and 6 months RB singapore
5 and a half years.
I am clear that i do not want to do Ibanking or PE or consulting since number crunching is not what i want to do all my life and i am not the most quantitatively gifted person. I have a tilt towards general management, marketing, brand management.
Regards
Saurabh
Saurabh,
I am in the same boat as you. Applying for 2015 intake. I am gonna share what I think about your chances at the schools you mentioned. I am gonna be brutally honest with you and you can do the same with my profile.
1) 710 is a solid score.
a) Indian candidates usually have high GMATs but you not being from an engg or IT background I don't think 710 would be detrimental but improving this would only be a good thing.
2) No one cares what you did in high school. You could have been THE ****. No one cares.
3) Shri Ram College is a solid school but it does not have really any recognition outside the country.
a) 3-year Indian degrees are frowned upon by most adcoms. Berkeley says outright that they does not accept it.
4) You don't mention your grades in college. Those are important.
5) CA is a great certification to have and you have clearly done well in it.
a) But the drawback is it is not recognized in the US.
b) India is known for its absurd low rates for almost everything. That doesn't really impress M7 adcoms.
6) 3 years of articleship does not count as full-time work experience. It counts as internship.
7) ITC, RB are all great firms. ( Disclosure: I actually interviewed with RB for their Leadership Development Program during my undergrad years).
8) So basically you are going to have about 3.5 years of experience when you matriculate.
a) Out of that 1 year is auditing. Then it is a management trainee position and then supply chain finance.
b) None of them are sexy.
c) International experience in Singapore is a big plus.
9) Brand Management? You don't have any experiences doing that at any time in your career. Also, accounting/supply chain finance to brand management is a dramatic shift. I dont know how adcoms are gonna see it.
10) In all seriousness I don't really see you getting in at most/if not all the schools you mentioned. You might have a better chance if you try low 20s or outside the 20s.
Again in all seriousness you have a good career trajectory. Keep working hard and try get promoted and more managerial responsibility. In a couple of years you should a much better candidate to crack the top 15.
Hopefully, I haven't been too harsh. Those are my personal opinions from my experiences that I have gathered by living in three different countries. I hope you I helped you in some way or the other. And please feel free to be harsh on my profile.
Best,
DG
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09 Feb 2014, 01:24
