manan wrote:
Dear Linda,
Thanks a lot for the input. The only major concern I have is the duration of my work-ex. Keeping that in mind how competitive would my profile be at Wharton/Kellogg/Columbia?
Among the schools that you have listed, would it be possible for you to narrow down 3-4 schools- most likely to consider my profile favourably?
Also which is the most dependable college ranking(US News/Business Week/FT)?
I know I have been asking a lot of questions and am really thankful to you for your time.
Regards,
Manan
With 3 years of work experience you would be on the young side at CBS and Kellogg, but not ridiculously so. Lack of work experience would be more of an issue at Wharton, although considering the breadth of your experience it isn't out of the question, just a less likely admit.
I would recommend you apply to 4-6 schools over the first and second rounds. If I were to narrow down the list of schools for you to consider, I would include Columbia, Chicago, UCLA, UT, USC, and Michigan.
Although US News tends to mirror most common perception, I wouldn't look at it as "best" or the others as inferior. They each measure different criteria. US News quantifies certain criteria, like GMAT scores and GPA among other factors and surveys b-school deans. BW surveys b-schools customers: students, recent alumni, and recruiters. FT takes a more global view with perhaps a Euro-centric focus. So recognize that none of them are a truly objective all-round ranking. But each reflects different criteria. Understand the criteria and then use the rankings accordingly to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the schools relative to each other.
Good luck!
Good luck!