Engineers: Ask Vocaz

Hello All,

As many of you are aware, Vocaz is a leading MBA admissions consulting firm that focuses on assisting Engineers fulfil their ambition of gaining admission into the top MBA schools.

To assist you in achieving that objective and learning more about the rigour that Vocaz adopts, we have posted a Webinar that will clarify a lot of your pertinent questions. You can find it at

https://vocaz.com/Seminar.htm

If questions remain, or if you become interested in a NO OBLIGATIONS session with one of our experienced senior consultants, please do register at

https://vocaz.com/Registration.htm

Hope this helps! Good Luck all!

Cheers,
Manish

Hello GilLevi,

Hello Ykaiim,

Please find some answers below:


Please evaluate my profile and provide me guidance on which B-schools should I select. My MBA interest: FT, 12-15 months program in Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Business mgt, Marketing.

GMAT 1(on Nov 15, 2007) - 640 (Q46, V31)
GMAT 2(scheduled on June 24, 2010)

.
.
.


I would like to know:

1. How my profile looks for an MBA from the top 10-20 B-schools?
Assuming you manage to improve your GMAT score to be >=700, your profile is probably a stretch at most top business schools.

2. Do lack of good ECs reflect bad on my profile?
Well, schools are looking for all-rounded people - a trait of most business leaders. Your efforts to improve the eco-credentials of your business are surely commendable. However, the lack of extra-curricular activities does moderately affect your profile.

3. What, in your opinion, is my strengths and weakness reflected in my profile?
Strengths – Entrepreneurship and drive to grow your business
Weaknesses – Academics, GMAT score
Others - Unclear career progression during 3.5 yrs at the IT company

4. I have changed my career from IT sector to retail sector. Is it negative?
You will need to explain your rationale for changing your career. It is not a negative, as long as your reasons are justified and if the results of that move worked in your favour.

5. In my IT exp, I didnt have direct leadership role . So, it is negative on my profile?
Not really a negative, as long as you can show reasonable career progression – ideally quicker than your peers.

6. Please mention what should I do to make my case stronger for final call.
Address your weaknesses to the extent possible, and work on getting good recommendations from your business contacts – customers, suppliers or partners. Also, your business’ results are reflective of your personal success, so the better they are, the more points you score!

7. Please list the best schools for Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Business mgt, Marketing.
Some of the most reputed schools in your mentioned fields are listed below:
Entrepreneurship – Babson (Olin), Stanford (GSB), MIT (Sloan), UCLA (Anderson), Imperial (Tanaka)
Strategy & Business Management –Wharton, Harvard, INSEAD, Dartmouth (Tuck), Kellogg
Marketing: Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard, Duke (Fuqua), Michigan (Ross)


Regards,
Ykaiim

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Manish

Hi Manish,

I'm thinking about applying for top-20 MBA programs in the US, but i have some concerns about my candidacy.
Do you think a low AWA score on the GMAT will decrease my admission chances?
What is the average total GMAT score i should have in order to be competitive there?

Many thanks,
Steve

Hi Manish,

I'm thinking about applying for top-20 MBA programs in the US, but i have some concerns about my candidacy.
Do you think a low AWA score on the GMAT will decrease my admission chances?
What is the average total GMAT score i should have in order to be competitive there?

Hi Steve,

Our experience shows that Ad-coms place greater emphasis on the Math and Verbal sections of the GMAT compared to the AWA. Therefore, an AWA score of 4.0 and above, complemented with some strong essays should be fine.

The average GMAT of successful candidates at the top MBA schools is ~700. Therefore, it would be advisable to aim for 700 and above, in order to be competitive.

Many thanks,
Steve

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Manish

Hi,

I am from India. Request to please evaluate my profile for the TOP 10 Leading B Schools (including India and US).

Work Experience : 6.5 years in IT industry in India with one of the Top MNCs here (This is my second company, the earlier being another top MNC in India). Have around 1.5+ years of Overseas exposure (in USA and Canada) as Technical Analyst and was involved in Client interaction and technical negotiations. Throughout my professional career I was involved in different projects and served high profile Global clients which included Fortune 500 companies also. Before I moved to US with a new role, I was also the "Module Lead" for my project for almost a year and 7-8 members were working directly under my supervision. I recently got a promotion as well!
Cleared and achieved different technical/ Non Technical certifications which includes Microsoft, ITIL (for Service Management).

1. Will this experience good enough for the schools I am aiming for? Is it suitable for 2 years MBA or a shorter duration Executive MBA?


Degree : B.Tech in Information Technology from one of the Private Engineering Colleges in eastern India. My B.Tech GPA is 8.3 out of 10.

GMAT Score : 680 (AWA: 5)
Academics :
10 : 76% (State Board)
12 : 68% (State Board)

2. Does these numbers look impressive? Should I go for another GMAT test to make it better if possible?

Diversity:
Extra Curricular : Nothing major;

Social Activities:
Involved with Companies Corporate Social Responsibility Team (sometimes need to go to primary schools and teach poor children/ donation collection etc.) and Environment Focus Team (was involved in a team for public awareness on different environmental issues etc.).

3. Can my Social Activities overwrite my Extra Curricular activities (since I am weak in this)? Will this impact my overall chance of getting into the schools? I am bit worried on this part and is there a way I can make this look a bit better!!


4. If I give GMAT another shot in next 6 months time, is there a way in the mean time I can make my Extra Curricular / Social Activities part look better?


Really appreciate your suggestions here. Thanks.

I am from east europe and have a problem of Low UGPA 2.38 in mechanical engineering but after graduation,I started to work and study so hard and got my master degree in eng. management with 4.00 (statistics,finance and economics classes included)and got GMAT score of 780 - Toefl 116. LSE Summer school marketing course got A.
3 years WE by matriculation in tech. company(defence) as researcher - design and test engineer
My dream schools are Columbia,Kellogg and Stanford.I also also believe that I can make near perfect applications. These schools are reasonable for my profile or continue to be my dream schools?Thanks so much for your comments beforehand

Hi, Can you please take a look at my profile?

Background:
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Nationality: Canadian (Chinese, Canadian Born)

Disabled Applicant – Deaf in both ears– I understand speech primarily through lip-reading and interpolation of the disjoint words understood through lip-reading.

Undergrad: Electrical Engineering with Distinction + Dean's List - GPA 3.3. From a provincial school in Canada. Relatively unknown on the global scale.

GMAT: 710 (Q48, V40), 6.0 AWA

Work Experience:

First 2 years: Software company (Oil and Gas) ~1.3K employees, MNC
Quick Ascension to intermediate position. Programming software. Code monkey.

Next 2: Oil and Gas Services/IT Company ~7k employees, MNC
Started as an intermediate level engineer, quickly progressed to senior level ahead of colleagues and was on the verge of project leadership of small teams of 4-5 people. Was working on enterprise level programming/integration projects.

Current Company (been here 2 years): Smaller Oil and Gas Services Company, ~600 employees, Regional
I now lead oil and gas technology/automation projects from the technical side, however projects have been smaller in scale (unexpected change in marketplace and industry) and no longer lead a team as the team is often just myself and/or another colleague. I am however the young buck in a company well known locally for the expertise and seniority of its employees - the
vast majority have 10+ if not 15-20 years of experience under their belt. Very flat organizational structure which may be a disadvantage when it comes to applications as company does not contain many "fluff titles" that can be climbed to demonstrate steady progression

Extracurricular:

Undergrad:
Participated in Government Advisory/Focus group panels. Started two clubs in Undergrad, a car enthusiast club and a student's association. Served on the executive of both.
Participated on municipal organizational committees for festivals as student liaison.

Since Graduation:
On board of directors for my condominium complex, entering my third year. Currently President/Chair.
Various awards, scholarships. Regional winner of oratorical competition.

Desired Post-MBA Fields of work:
Technology – Startups/Entrepreneurship. Product management, whether it be the new cell phone, or the new green solutions. Basically a MBA with a Technology focus.

Target Schools:
Stanford
Haas
UCLA
LBS

On the Fence:
MIT?? Oxford?

Questions are:
Will my disabled status help or hurt my application? My line of thinking is the profle is reasonably strong and can probably stand on its own at a lower tier school.
Are there other schools I should be considering or not considering given my profile and focus?
Have you, as a consultant, successfully worked with disabled applicants in the past for a top school?

I am from east europe and have a problem of Low UGPA 2.38 in mechanical engineering but after graduation,I started to work and study so hard and got my master degree in eng. management with 4.00 (statistics,finance and economics classes included)and got GMAT score of 780 - Toefl 116. LSE Summer school marketing course got A. 3 years WE by matriculation in tech. company(defence) as researcher - design and test engineer. My dream schools are Columbia,Kellogg and Stanford.I also also believe that I can make near perfect applications. These schools are reasonable for my profile or continue to be my dream schools?Thanks so much for your comments beforehand

Hi,

Based on our experience, the low GPA does pose a significant risk factor. The best options in such a case are:
1. Continue to pursue your dream schools and mitigate the risk as much as possible by highlighting other exemplary performances e.g., GMAT, Advanced degree from a better school with better grades. You may also consider using the essays to explain what prevented you from achieving your true potential during the undergraduate studies e.g., health, personal problems etc.
2. If a good MBA is what you are after, and are willing to consider schools other than the three you mentioned, we would recommend hedging your bets by applying to some schools with a lower ranking.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Manish

Hi, Can you please take a look at my profile?

Background:
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Nationality: Canadian (Chinese, Canadian Born)

Disabled Applicant – Deaf in both ears– I understand speech primarily through lip-reading and interpolation of the disjoint words understood through lip-reading.

Undergrad: Electrical Engineering with Distinction + Dean's List - GPA 3.3. From a provincial school in Canada. Relatively unknown on the global scale.

GMAT: 710 (Q48, V40), 6.0 AWA

Hi,

I admire your perseverance and determination to succeed.


Work Experience:

First 2 years: Software company (Oil and Gas) ~1.3K employees, MNC
Quick Ascension to intermediate position. Programming software. Code monkey.

Next 2: Oil and Gas Services/IT Company ~7k employees, MNC
Started as an intermediate level engineer, quickly progressed to senior level ahead of colleagues and was on the verge of project leadership of small teams of 4-5 people. Was working on enterprise level programming/integration projects.

Current Company (been here 2 years): Smaller Oil and Gas Services Company, ~600 employees, Regional
I now lead oil and gas technology/automation projects from the technical side, however projects have been smaller in scale (unexpected change in marketplace and industry) and no longer lead a team as the team is often just myself and/or another colleague. I am however the young buck in a company well known locally for the expertise and seniority of its employees - the
vast majority have 10+ if not 15-20 years of experience under their belt. Very flat organizational structure which may be a disadvantage when it comes to applications as company does not contain many "fluff titles" that can be climbed to demonstrate steady progression

Extracurricular:

Undergrad:
Participated in Government Advisory/Focus group panels. Started two clubs in Undergrad, a car enthusiast club and a student's association. Served on the executive of both.
Participated on municipal organizational committees for festivals as student liaison.

Since Graduation:
On board of directors for my condominium complex, entering my third year. Currently President/Chair.
Various awards, scholarships. Regional winner of oratorical competition.

Desired Post-MBA Fields of work:
Technology – Startups/Entrepreneurship. Product management, whether it be the new cell phone, or the new green solutions. Basically a MBA with a Technology focus.

Target Schools:
Stanford
Haas
UCLA
LBS

On the Fence:
MIT?? Oxford?

Questions are:

Will my disabled status help or hurt my application? My line of thinking is the profle is reasonably strong and can probably stand on its own at a lower tier school.

In our experience, ad-coms find it a difficult decision to make when an applicant with disabilities is sub-par when compared to the average i.e. essentially seeking concessions.

However, in your case this is totally not the case. Your application, as you rightly believe, is above average in terms of merit alone. You have a good set of professional, academic and extra-curricular experiences. The achievements mean much more when viewed on context of your disabilities.

Now, the slightly weak point is the undergraduate from a relatively unknown school. However, making it to the dean’s list and a decent GMAT are reflective of your scholastic abilities. Supported by some strong essays and recommendations, you can be competitive at your target schools.


Are there other schools I should be considering or not considering given my profile and focus?

Given your interest in technology and entrepreneurship and assuming you are open to any geography, you may want to consider Queens MBA, Imperial MBA and Texas McCombs.


Have you, as a consultant, successfully worked with disabled applicants in the past for a top school?

While I personally have not, there are other consultants at Vocaz who have helped disabled applicants gain admission into the top schools.


Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Manish

Hi,

I am from India. Request to please evaluate my profile for the TOP 10 Leading B Schools (including India and US).

Hi,
Sure, glad to be able to assist.

Work Experience : 6.5 years in IT industry in India with one of the Top MNCs here (This is my second company, the earlier being another top MNC in India). Have around 1.5+ years of Overseas exposure (in USA and Canada) as Technical Analyst and was involved in Client interaction and technical negotiations. Throughout my professional career I was involved in different projects and served high profile Global clients which included Fortune 500 companies also. Before I moved to US with a new role, I was also the "Module Lead" for my project for almost a year and 7-8 members were working directly under my supervision. I recently got a promotion as well!
Cleared and achieved different technical/ Non Technical certifications which includes Microsoft, ITIL (for Service Management).

1. Will this experience good enough for the schools I am aiming for? Is it suitable for 2 years MBA or a shorter duration Executive MBA?
Based on our experience, your professional, academic and social activities would place you at a stretch for the global top-10 business schools. Assuming you are <30 yrs of age and have had little or no people management experience (except project management in a matrix environment), it would be advisable to go for a full-MBA rather than an executive-MBA.

Degree : B.Tech in Information Technology from one of the Private Engineering Colleges in eastern India. My B.Tech GPA is 8.3 out of 10.

GMAT Score : 680 (AWA: 5)
Academics :
10 : 76% (State Board)
12 : 68% (State Board)

2. Does these numbers look impressive? Should I go for another GMAT test to make it better if possible?
Well, a higher GMAT (700-720) may marginally improve your chances at the global top-10. However, if you manage to secure ~750 and support it with a distinct story, strong essays, evidence of career progression and recommendations, you can be competitive at the top-10 business schools.

Diversity:
Extra Curricular : Nothing major;

Social Activities:
Involved with Companies Corporate Social Responsibility Team (sometimes need to go to primary schools and teach poor children/ donation collection etc.) and Environment Focus Team (was involved in a team for public awareness on different environmental issues etc.).

3. Can my Social Activities overwrite my Extra Curricular activities (since I am weak in this)? Will this impact my overall chance of getting into the schools? I am bit worried on this part and is there a way I can make this look a bit better!!

Sure, you may combine them both and list them under extra-curriculars. A lack of extra-curriculars definitely weakens the profile. The only way to make it look better is to actually show some initiative and participate in more diverse activities e.g., sports, social change etc.

4. If I give GMAT another shot in next 6 months time, is there a way in the mean time I can make my Extra Curricular / Social Activities part look better?

The goal is a little aggressive and ambitious, but it can be done. It will definitely help your profile. So good luck!

Really appreciate your suggestions here. Thanks.

You may find the answers a little harsh. But if they can push you to action and improve your profile, it will have been worth it. Your profile has potential - you just need to elevate it to the next level.

Good Luck!
Manish

Hi,

I would like to have an evaluation of my profile and looking at all the other replies posted here i think u guys can definitely help me with right analysis too.
Let me get started:

Personal details:
-Female/24/Indian/IT
-GMAT Score: expected > 750
- Degree: Computer Engineering (Mumbai University-India)
GPA: dunno (we had percentage system) - have scored 70%+ consistently... and hence my overall 8 semesters record is distinction.
-Consistently High Grades/Ranks in all academic career.
Ranked in Top 2 of the class each year through schools and undergrad.

Work Experience:
2 yrs in India (Investment Banking Domain- Functionally IT) and would be 3 yrs by the time I would be joining college.

Working for one of the most prestigious Investment bank after finishing bachelors.
• Working on Process automation projects
• High level management budgeting applications
• Managing whole projects right from conception, design, and development to testing and delivery. Have hands
on experience of working on complete SDLC.
• No typical management(leadership) experience, as in no direct reports as such but have been handling
projects on my own since 1 year now that involves client handling, requirement procuring, prototype building
and end to end support to the applications developed.
• Both manager and target clients are extremely happy with my work and can give recommendations of it
• Have given NSE’s finance, securities and derivatives module and scored more than 90% in all.
• Have set up Udaan NGO’s DOR initiative in my firm -for underprivileged girls in the society
• In process of registering my independent NGO as well in collaboration with other friends.

Did my internship at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) the prestigious research Institute of India.

Motivation:
• Career Change – after working in close quarters with finance world, I want to progress ahead and learn more
about the domain and make career in the business side of my domain.

Strong skills:
• Have been always a top performer at my work.
• Strong technical / analytical/ communication/ interpersonal and leadership skills
• Team Player
• Considered live wire of my team-enthusiastic, creative and always upbeat any new thing coming up.
• Is an active sports person too have represented district and state in Athletics and Handball at various
championships.

Weakness:

• Work experience (not as per college averages)
• Don’t have management experience in most generalized sense of the word
• Rely on scholarships since managing finances is big issue.

Post MBA Plans
• Career in Finance domain
• Efficiently manage my NGO and try expanding its wings.
• Long time goal to start a new start-up definitely finance related.

Targeting:
Full time MBA programs with specialization in Finance and Entrepreneurship

INSEAD (first choice but too tough)
Stanford
Wharton
Stern
MIT
UCLA
LBS
LSE
Columbia
Berkeley

May be too ambitious with my choices but I don’t want to aim low. The list above is what I feel right now.

Hi,

I would like to have an evaluation of my profile and looking at all the other replies posted here i think u guys can definitely help me with right analysis too.
Let me get started:


Hi,

Glad to be able to assist. Hope you will find this useful.


Personal details:
-Female/24/Indian/IT
-GMAT Score: expected > 750
- Degree: Computer Engineering (Mumbai University-India)
GPA: dunno (we had percentage system) - have scored 70%+ consistently... and hence my overall 8 semesters record is distinction.
-Consistently High Grades/Ranks in all academic career.
Ranked in Top 2 of the class each year through schools and undergrad.

Work Experience:
2 yrs in India (Investment Banking Domain- Functionally IT) and would be 3 yrs by the time I would be joining college.

Working for one of the most prestigious Investment bank after finishing bachelors.
• Working on Process automation projects
• High level management budgeting applications
• Managing whole projects right from conception, design, and development to testing and delivery. Have hands
on experience of working on complete SDLC.
• No typical management(leadership) experience, as in no direct reports as such but have been handling
projects on my own since 1 year now that involves client handling, requirement procuring, prototype building
and end to end support to the applications developed.
• Both manager and target clients are extremely happy with my work and can give recommendations of it
• Have given NSE’s finance, securities and derivatives module and scored more than 90% in all.
• Have set up Udaan NGO’s DOR initiative in my firm -for underprivileged girls in the society
• In process of registering my independent NGO as well in collaboration with other friends.

Did my internship at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) the prestigious research Institute of India.

Overall, we believe you have a strong profile in terms of academics, professional and extra curricular/social activities.

Motivation:
• Career Change – after working in close quarters with finance world, I want to progress ahead and learn more
about the domain and make career in the business side of my domain.

You have a good story to tell and the motivation to pursue an MBA is quite a logical one.


Strong skills:
• Have been always a top performer at my work.
• Strong technical / analytical/ communication/ interpersonal and leadership skills
• Team Player
• Considered live wire of my team-enthusiastic, creative and always upbeat any new thing coming up.
• Is an active sports person too have represented district and state in Athletics and Handball at various
championships.

Weakness:
• Work experience (not as per college averages)
Well, averages are exactly that – it is the range you need to worry about! Generally, as long as you have 3+ years of work experience, most top schools are interested.

• Don’t have management experience in most generalized sense of the word
Your current successes are already reflective of your (nascent) management capabilities – so highlighting them appropriately will leave you well placed.

• Rely on scholarships since managing finances is big issue.
Good news: Being a smart, woman candidate you stand a good chance of landing a scholarship.
Not so good news: There are many smart people hoping for scholarships – both men and women – so you will need to stand out in your essays.

Post MBA Plans
• Career in Finance domain
• Efficiently manage my NGO and try expanding its wings.
• Long time goal to start a new start-up definitely finance related.

Targeting:
Full time MBA programs with specialization in Finance and Entrepreneurship

INSEAD (first choice but too tough)
Stanford
Wharton
Stern
MIT
UCLA
LBS
LSE
Columbia
Berkeley

May be too ambitious with my choices but I don’t want to aim low. The list above is what I feel right now.

Based on the information you provided, and the assumption of strong essays (especially “why our school”) and recommendations, our experience shows that you will be a
- Strong candidate at LSE, UCLA.
- Competitive to strong candidate at the remaining top schools

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Manish

Hi,
I was wondering if i should visit the campus of the school I'm considering applying to.
Do you think that a campus visit might increase my admission chances? what should i do during the visit? is it better to visit before or after i submit my application?

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve,

A campus visit is definitely a useful learning opportunity, so make use of it before you apply.

It can help increase your chances, but only because you will better understand how the particular program contributes to your objectives. It is advisable that you meet current students, ad-com representatives, professors and career services to gain a holistic view of the program.

Hope this helps.

Manish.

Thanks Manish, helps a lot. You gave me something to think about...

Hi Manish,

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions from MBA candidates.

Can you please elaborate on the admission requirements and chances of getting into the one-year programs offered by some US universities? What do you think about these programs?

Thanks!

Hi Gaurav,

Usually, the admission requirements and the selection process for these programs are similar (or identical) to the particular school's two-year program. Our experience shows that if you are set to return to a family business or to your current company (this is the case with Columbia and Cornell, for example), it may be easier to get into the one-year program. This is because you have a secure employment and therefore, will not lose out due to the absence of an internship. If you need to secure a job after completing your studies, a two-year program with a full summer internship may be more suitable for you. In some cases (for example, Cornell) you are required to already hold a Master’s degree (a technological/scientific one in Cornell’s case) in order to gain admission.

In terms of admission chances – our experience shows that admission rates for the one-year programs are similar to those of the two-year programs at the same school. The prestige and professional value (discounting for the absence of a summer internship) of these programs is similar to that of the two-year MBA program at the same institution.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck!
Manish