I think that you have a pretty good profile here, and that you're thinking about the right things. As you said, the challenge for you will be standig out from a crowded pool of Indian applicants.

I understand your concern re: not having any direct reports. Your cricket experience should balance that out somewhat (although on-the-job experience is always best). Any other ways that you can show how you took an active role in someone else's development or success (e.g., your community service) will help.

I do like your passion for teamwork & leadership. While these may sound "wishy washy" and aren't concrete experiences or accomplishments, your passion for growing as a leader and a teammate *can* be a distinguishing factor for you. While a lot of other applicants will say they want an MBA for the finance skills, etc., the fact that you want to learn these softer skills to round out your tech skills can help.

You do have a shot at those top schools, but I recommend adding in one or two "safer" schools, as long as they're schools that you'd still be interested in attending. Examples might be UCLA, UT Austin, or Duke.

Scott
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Scott

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Scott,

I am planning to apply for FALL 07. Will a job switch at this time be looked at negatively by the Adcomms? I have been with my current company for 5.5 years.

There are 2 reasons why I am looking to change my job at this juncture. I am looking for a job with more responsibility, one that gives me a chance to directly manage a couple of people. A secondary reason is that I have completed my six sigma black belt certification and would like to be in a job that gives me an opportunity to develop more skills in this area.

Will my story be weakened by one or both of the reasons above? My current job will not let me do either.

Another question is regarding recommendation letters. I am hoping to get one recommendation from my earlier manager who is a Wharton alumnus. Second recommendation, I was planning to get from the President of my cricket team, since he can throw a lot of light on my leadership skills. He has played under my captaincy. Would this be okay or should I be looking for a second work related recommendation?

Another thing, if I change my job, I certainly would not be in a position to ask for a recommendation from my new manager within 4-5 months. But if the job involves client engagement is it okay to take recommendations directly from clients?

Thanks for your time.

Nans