Hello ,

Below is an excerpt of my profile.Please evaluate my profile and provide your valuable feedback/suggestions

Name:Gopal Panigrahy / 30 Y/ Male

Citizenship: INDIA

Qualification: B.E in Computer Science and Engineering- 78%/2004 (75% is the score for distinction in the university).Just adding this point, if it is noteworthy. The highest percentage attained in the CSE stream was 84% and I am ranked in the top 5.If required can get a recommendation letter from the university.

Query: I understand Adcoms use various merit methods to convert the percentage into CGPA/GPA for evaluation. So, I am not quite sure, on conversion, how the CGPA/GPA would look like. Please provide your comments on this.

Work Experience: 7 years 9 months of experience in Insurance/Accounting and Telecom software development industry.

Gist of my WE:

Overall International Exposure: 1.5 years at various locations such as Liverpool/London (UK), Dallas (TX) and Los Angeles (CA).

Current Exp:

Project Manager – SAP services at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for a European Telecom Client.

Duration: 1.5 Years

Managing a team of 20+ associates

I have contributed significantly towards the revenue growth by acquiring many multimillion dollar projects and by successfully executing them. In the last 3 quarters (Q2-Q4), the team size under SAP Services portfolio has doubled and revenue realization has stayed quite higher than the corporate set figures.

Prior Exp:

Business Development Lead at Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Duration: 4 Years
Software Engineer at Accenture Services Pvt Ltd
Duration: 2.2 Years

Awards & Recognitions:
1. Certificate of Appreciation (innovation - MCCA MMS project) - CSC India, 2010
2. Certificate of Appreciation (innovation - MCCA RFR project) - CSC India, 2010
3. Certificate of Appreciation (Delivery) - CSC India, 2010
4. Special Recognition Award - CSC United States (At Client Location, LosAngeles), 2008
5. High performance Delivered Award - Accenture (RSA Client), 2007
6. Instant Karma Award - Accenture, 2006
7. Super trooper Award - Accenture, 2006
8. JSE Achievers Award - Accenture, 2005

Query: Please provide your feedback on my WE.I would still like to invest a year to shape up my WE, if required. Basically I would like to do anything that can help me offset my low GMAT score.

GMAT Score:

GMAT 1: 470 (Q48,V11)
GMAT 2: 630(Q48, V28)
GMAT 3: 600(Q48, V24)
GMAT 4: 660(Q48, V34)

I do not wish to retake the test. I am done with it. It is not that I have given up, but I feel I am shelling out lot of my valuable time to attain the 700 mark. Although 700+ is a strong criteria for many good colleges,I would like to manage without that score.

Query: I am targeting for only 1 year MBA programs. Please advise on the colleges that I can apply in India and abroad. I understand that I need to be more specific on my question. But at this very moment, I am not able to figure out the best chances I have for the top 30 colleges.

Extracurricular Activity:

Member of a voluntary organization (in TCS) that works for various social causes. I mostly contribute towards educating homeless children and arranging funds from TCS – associates by demonstrating various social problems through articles in newsletters, cultural events etc.

Since a decade, I am working in one of the rural areas for various developments, such as facilitating a library, drinking water etc. There are many areas that I have worked and I can provide an elaborate list of my work. Well, I am not sure if any proof of such activities will be needed, but I can get a recommendation letter from the govt appointed committee.

Query: Please comment if such involvements can add value to my profile. I am ready to invest more number of years, if required, towards any other suggested extracurricular activities.

Why MBA? :

Short Term Goal (5 to 10 years): Business / IT consulting. To gain Industry exposure in the realm of setting up, reforming and executing various business models operative across different industry verticals.

Long term Goal (10 years +): Establishing a firm that would engage in various business consulting activities. Also, I have the aspiration to establish a network of non-profit consulting firm (driven by the above mentioned profit organization) that would engage in helping various small industries to establish (particularly in rural areas).I have not really got the framework on paper but I am working on it. The idea is to pool the knowledge and experience of many people like you and me into a single stream that can make few lives better. The motive is “To make one single place better to live”.

Query: In sum, this is what I have in me and this I want to do. I understand that I may not make into the top notch colleges because of a low GMAT score. But I would be happy if any decent college (that would mind accepting my profile) can help me to reach my goals.

Please comment/advise on the B schools that I can apply. Please, also, comment on my profile and suggest any improvements that can make my profile better.

I value your time .Thanks in advance

Cheers,
GKP

Hello Susan,

Thanks for the inputs.

Yes, I am committed towards 1 Year Full time Executive programs only.

I have thought of few schools as mentioned below:

US B schools : Cornell, Emory and Tepper.

UK B schools : LSB (big stretch), Oxford and Cambridge

Asian B Schools(non - indian) : NUS

Indian B Schools : IIM B, IIM C and IIM L

I am focused on Business/Strategic/IT Consulting , and I am very specific about these areas.Expertise, Experience and knowledge in these areas will help me in realizing my short term goals and ,simultaneously, prepare me for my long term goals.

Please advise if it is practical for me to apply to the above mentioned schools.

Cheers,
GKP