Winds_R_Behind_Me wrote:
Hi,
My Profile:
GMAT : 680(90%) VA 32(64%) QA 50(95%)
TOEFL : 297
Education : Bachelors in Business Administration. Percentage 76%, Overall rank in college 2. (I did my graduation in India, so my college does not follow the GPA system, hence I am hoping that my ranking gives a better idea of my standing)
Work Ex : Information analyst in a top management consultancy (e.g.Mckinsey) in India. Working for last 15 months (will have 2 years of work ex by the time I join).
Community work: Have done a couple of projects for a national NGO. Helped in starting their chapter in my city.
I am planning to apply to following universities :
Hopeful to get in the following:
Columbia
Darden
Duke (Fuqua)
Still Thinking abt the following
NYU
Dartmouth
Cornell
CMU
Please assess my profile and my chances of securing admission to aforementioned schools
1. Does my TOEFL score offset my dismal performance in VA?
2. I plan to major in Finance. Is this the right set of schools I am considering. (esp. Darden where min requirement for work ex is 2 years)
3. Does Columbia Early decision provide any benefit? (i.e. does it really give me any advantage, over other applicants, if I apply to Columbia in the early decision round?)
4. Low GMAT score- I understand my GMAT score is not very competitive considering the country I am from and the high scores that ppl get here. I can differentiate myself from ppl frm my country in terms of my background - that is in business rather than IT, my essays and other things. Is this good enuff?
Thanks
To answer your questions:
1) Your TOEFL may mitigate the impact of the verbal, but it doesn't cancel it out. The schools will be concerned about your ability to communicate.
2. The schools you are considering do support your finance goal, although some others may be better. I'm thinking of Chicago, Wharton, Yale, and Haas. Darden is a great school, but it really wants students with more experience as does Dartmouth.
3. Last I checked the acceptance rate for ED at CBS is almost the same as for regular decision. ED is primarily for those who are committed to attending Columbia. If Columbia is your first choice, then it's a good idea to apply ED. If it's not your first choice, you could be making your life much more difficult.
4. That's easier said than done. Yes your work experience is not the typical IT work experience, but it is in "information" so you're not exactly a poet in a sea of engineers. I share your concerns. If you believe you can raise your GMAT, specifically the verbal, then I encourage you to retake it. If you don't believe you can raise it, then apply as is, but apply to those schools where you are at least at the school's average. Applying successfully to school's with GMAT's of 700+ is going to be difficult coming from your background.
Good luck!
_________________
Linda Abraham
Accepted ~ The Premier Admissions Consultancy
310-815-9553
Listen to Admissions Straight Talk for interviews with admissions directors, MBAs, test prep pros, and financial aid sources.
Subscribe to the Accepted Admissions BlogFollow Accepted on TwitterFollow Accepted on Facebook