Ask Alex @ MBA Apply

Hi all,

I would like to know whether volunteering in any (Oxfam and etc.) non profit work is taken into account by adcoms? Or this must not be volunteering, but full time job? What are your take ons? ))

Not sure what you're getting at.

Volunteer work would be considered as an extracurricular activity by the adcoms.

10th: 86%

12th: 83.4%

GRADUATION
B.Tech. in Computer Science from IP University, Delhi with an aggregate score of 72.6% (First Class)

GMAT: 740

WORK-EX:
Working with Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG) (World’s 5th largest group) for past 2 years as a Software Engineer. Involved in different roles for 2 years. Was a JAVA developer for the first 12 months and worked on a project related to automobile industry wherein we tracked all the activities of major automobile players (like Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen etc.) and their manufacturing plants. In this project I proposed a module which involved scanning of invoices, of which I proposed the algorithm, to potentially reduce the effort at customer’s side. This brought a business of 60.2 Million INR to organization. Received Star Performer of the Year award for the initiative taken.
In lieu to this initiative taken, after 1 year in the organization, I was shifted to Business Intelligence Team to use the critical data like revenue; budget etc. of the organization to track down the lacuna’s to suggest possible changes to be made for organization’s benefit. Working under this team, I proposed the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) which shall mitigate the re-work done in few teams in the organization. Upon review it was implemented in the organization. I inked down the proposed SDLC and got it converted in form of a research paper, published in a prestigious journal.

Total Work-Ex at the time of ISB 2016-17 application will be 2 years 8 months.

OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE
Went with project leader and other team members for installation and demo of the project to the client for duration of 3 months in Hungry during my tenure as a JAVA developer in initial 12 months

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EXPERIENCE
In last year of under-graduation, founded a tech company along with 2 friends, to develop websites and applications ranging from android to ecommerce website. The company is registered in the name of www[dot]crebertech[dot]com. The company generated a revenue around INR 1 lakh. Currently serving as the business head in the startup.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR
I have categorized extra-curricular into following categories.
Scholastic Achievements:
• Have 5 research papers being the 1st author published in prestigious journals with a high impact factor. For one of the research paper published, was selected as a reviewer at the same journal (Science Alert) where mostly doctorate and post-doctorate professors are selected.
• Was selected to represent my school in a competition of Mathematics and English conducted by University of New South Wales.
• Winner of 3 state awards in technical events conducted at Delhi College of Engineering (DCE). Runner-Up in 4 technical events conducted at Delhi College of Engineering.
Dramatics
• Winner in 1 competition and runner up in other organized in IGIT.
• Played Football at National Level. Represented Delhi and scored a hat trick and helped team to reach semi-finals. Was also adjudicated Man-of-the-tournament by sports head of IIT during an intra-college football tournament in my college.
• Organized literary events during college fests in the year 2011-2012-2013. Recoded higher participation with each successive year.
Debating and Literacy
• Winner of 3 State level debate competitions organized at Delhi College of Engineering.
• Winner of 3 State level extempore competitions organized at Delhi College of Engineering.
• Winner of 3 State level essay competitions organized at Delhi College of Engineering and 1 essay event organized in my college.
• Contributed to college and school magazines and remained an active blooger in my organization monthly newsletter.
Social Initiative
• Involved with an NGO for past 3 years. Working as a treasurer now. During my time I organized events to raise fund for the NGO and used the same money to prevent cow smuggling and prevent slaughtering of cows in the small villages of Haryana.
• A short 3 months internship at AIESEC under the program Iccha, to help slum children identify the basic cause of malaise. Helped them identify major pollutants and areas acting as a breeding ground of mosquitoes. Drafted a survey on the area visited and was adopted as a blue print by the local residents to palliate the waste.
• Worked for 5 months at Children Home, Delhi Government foster home to orphan kids. Provided pedagogy to students and was involved in various teaching drives organized at foster home during those 5 moths.
• Active member of CSR committee of my organization. Awarded for an active role in donation and social drives.

My target schools are Yale, Booth, Ross, Anderson, Tuck, Stern, Hass, Insead, Kellogg, ISB, Stanford GSB, LBS, Tepper and Johnson. Is it too ambitious or can I count some of them as moderate ? if yes, which one ?

You are up against a ton of other Indians as you know. The ones who tend to get into the top 16 programs who are engineers like yourself tend to have the following:
- 5-7 years of experience, mostly in the US or Europe
- an MS from a US school
- it really really helps going to IIT

As such, you're a few years too early. While there are many paths you could take, if your goal is to work in the US and you don't *hate* engineering, what I strongly suggest is to focus on getting an MS in engineering at a US school first. Then work in the US for a few years in an engineering capacity before applying to school - this will give you an even better foundation as you've built some solid technical experience which can help you in the medium-term if you intend on staying in something tech-related. You're still relatively young, and even if you apply when you're in your late 20s or even early 30s, it shouldn't be a problem for the top 16 schools (and maybe shoot for 1-2 top 8 schools). At this point, your chances are slim for any of the top 16 US schools at this point. INSEAD and any of the Euro schools really value international experience, and so those are also going to be slim right now (especially when the Euro schools skew even older).

If you really want to go to b-school now because you want to get the hell out of engineering and work in the US in a non-tech industry right after b-school, focus on the top 30 schools such as USC, UNC, Tepper, Texas, Georgetown, Emory, etc as your stretches, and the top 50 schools as your sweet spots.

Hi Alexx ..Request you to kindly give your valuable feedback on my profile :

Female candidate,25 yrs
10th-91%
12th-85%
B Tech in Electrical Engineering from National Institute of Technology , Kurukshetra GPA-4

GMAT-680(M-49 V-34)

W.E- will complete 4 years in July 2016

WORK EXPERIENCE:I was selected as one of the 12 students from different NITs across the country to the Pepsico Graduate Engineering Trainee Program . In the duration of a year of training in the manufacturing side of the business I was the first person responsible for the glass bottling line in one of the facturies . Managing and exceeding the expectations in this role I moved on to another factory in Pepsico itself where I was responsible for the leading the Juice Glass Bottling line. In both of these roles I lead a team of around 20 line operators , and we achieved a Net Efficiency Gain in the lines by approx 5 %.(Duration 1 year)

Post this I moved in the Project management side of techops . Here I was involved in the designing and procurement of the the line and utility machinery for a green field factory . (Duration 1 year)

In my current role I am leading the Productivity and Performance Projects for all the 10 manufacturing plants . Herein , I am the first person person responsible for exceuting , tracking , monitoring & controlling the 15 field projects in various factories . These projects include focused Efficiency improvement of some of the beverage lines , Manpower reduction on some staions on the line etc.

Also , I am the Diversity and Inclusion lead for all the Pepsico Manufacturing facilities .

Part Time Profession : I am an Indian Classical singer and have been trained for 6 years and hold a Sangeet Visharad . Currently I have my own Sufi Band and we do gigs in clubs in and around Delhi .



Reasons to do an MBA-Want to expand my area of expertise and gain holistic knowledge of how organizations work.Want to specialize in Operations . Post-MBA, looking for a Strategic kind of role in the Ops/Supply Chain side of a business

I'm not sure as to which schools would be a good fit for me.I want to work in Asia/Europe ,and hence,looking at these bschools.

With your profile and goals, focus on Oxford, Cambridge, HKUST, Nanyang and ISB (although your GMAT is probably on the low side for ISB).

Alex, I just finished reading this thread from start to finish. Really appreciate the straight-shooter approach, and I learned a ton.

Giving this a shot.. Looking to see if I'm on target and for a nice dose of reality:

25 / Asian-American Male
GPA: 3.01 BS Computer Engr / English Minor, Public Ivy (US Top 50 - one of the UCs)
GMAT: 720 Q48 V40 (Taken with minimal studying. Currently studying for re-take - aiming for 740+)
WE:
1)IT Consultant - Filler job to repay student loans for 9 months while awaiting training after graduation. Strong performance marks. 2)Marine Corps Communications Officer, stationed in Japan (about a year out from applying next year to matriculate Fall 2017 - service obligation ends Spring 2017). Year 1: Led platoon of 20+ Marines and managed $4 Million+ in telecommunications equipment to support squadron of 200+ Marines. Planned/executed communications support for 11 multinational exercises throughout Asia Pacific and planned for 2 humanitarian relief missions. Led maintenance improvement effort resulting in 15% increase in equipment readiness. Managed procurement of over $160k in new gear and implemented new concept of employment that reduced equipment load and extended communication range. Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for impact/performance. Selected in 10 months to fill a more senior position. Now: Staff-level position managing all levels of communications support (tactical/radio/telecommunications/IT/cybersecurity) for headquarters unit supporting 6 squadrons with over 1000+ Marines and 40+ aircraft. Planned/executed communications support for one of the largest exercises (in terms of aircraft flight operations) in recent history.

EC: Few cultural exchange/military PR volunteer events with the local community -- I probably won't put it on my app but it's something I enjoy and try to seek out, Toastmasters, crossfit, travelling, learning new things. Nothing major, the military sucks up a lot of my time and I travel a lot for work.
Led hunger/homeless volunteer group for a year in college (weekly meals with the homeless, shelter work). Planned, recruited 10 volunteers, and led first on-campus bake sale in history to raise money for childhood hunger (raised over 300$ with no baking experience, safe to say it was not me who did the baking)

Career focus Post MBA: still in research phase, but am looking to return to the technology industry. (currently looking at GM rotational program or Product Management). I am also considering MC with M/B/B, Accenture, or Deloitte pending some more research. Looking mostly to work in CA where I'm from with the possibility of working overseas assignments (if I can swing it, fluent in Mandarin and loved my time in Asia).

No real extenuating circumstances for low UG GPA; academics were not a priority at the time (other priorities - part-time job, extracurriculars/volunteer commitments, English minor, and applying for Officer program). I've taken Accounting through UCLA extension and got an A, currently taking Microecon (on-track to get an A) to mitigate this. Will probably take one more (stats) before applying. Not sure if this matters but in my military job training school (technical subject matter + leadership evaluation in an intensive 6 month USMC command and control systems course) I made the Commanding General's Honor Roll for graduating in the top 10% (ranked 4/50).

Safety: UW Foster, UT McCombs

Sweet Spot: UVA Darden, UCLA, Ross

Stretch: MIT (interested in LGO), Haas (dream school), Kellogg, INSEAD (the idea of doing MC for MBB abroad is very romantic - but I don't fully know the realities of visa requirements, lang barriers, etc.)

Looking forward to your insights. Fairly early in school research stage so I'm open to any suggestions; I've probably missed something. Thank you for your time!

In short, it looks like you have a pretty good handle on where you stand. You may even want to consider throwing your hat in the ring at HBS or Wharton, which are certainly "stretch" schools but which are known to being military friendly (tons of alums from all service branches).

With your GPA, you're doing the right thing by taking some extension classes to show that your low GPA wasn't due to lack of brains, but lack of effort/focus (and that when you do focus, like you did with the extension classes, you can do well). Also, your current GMAT helps -- and like you mentioned, it seems like you're confident you can score a 740+ which will help even more. Unlike a few years ago, adcoms these days seem to focus even more on GMATs with an eventual race it seems to 800 (not this year or next, but maybe in a few years I won't be surprised if the averages for the top schools creeps up to 750 or more).

As for the military -- it's all about leadership. Hammer that home in the essays and interviews, and how the leadership experiences you've had in the Marine Corps can be applied to civilian life / business.

Finally, with the consulting thing abroad. If you want to be an expat working/living outside your home country, working in finance (investment banking, equity research, etc) is your best bet, since the primary work language is English no matter where you are, since internally in the bank globally you'll be communicating in English, and the external folks you'll be interacting with will be mostly English speaking (C-level executives, media, etc) - again, it's not like no local languages are spoken, but that the written correspondence and formal communication will be in English (and folks may default to local languages when just chatting casually). With mgmt consulting, you are further embedded in a client for project work, which means you'll be interacting with folks across the org chart, from field staff to middle managers - many of whom interact in their local language - and more importantly, the written correspondence, data, etc are all documented in the local language. Again, as a mgmt consultant when you're on a project, most of your interaction will be with the employees at the client, and not just limited to the C-level/Board.

So consulting firms tend to put a much bigger premium (if not a prerequisite) to be fluent in the local language. So for China or Taiwan, you are expected to be fluent in Mandarin, and be able to read and write (as a lot of the correspondence will be in Chinese, and your fellow mgmt consultants that you'll be working with will be fluent - i.e. the Taiwanese gal who went to HBS and has decided to return to Taiwan to work for McKinsey Taiwan).

Alex, thank you so much. This was extremely helpful. While I'm still a ways away from starting my application, I will definitely keep your services in mind when I do inevitably apply.

Hi Alex,

I would like to know that what ideal age range is for top mba programs? Does it depend?..Does AdCom take this nuance into conisderation?

It depends on the background of the applicant. It's less about "age" and more about number of years of full-time experience after college (or masters, since there's engineers who go straight from undergrad to a masters program before their first full-time job).

For mgmt consultants and bankers (IB/PE/VC/etc), most are around 3-5 years at time of application.

Engineers and other corporate professionals (IT, marketing, operations, sales, rotational programs, commercial banking, real estate, etc) tend to have around 4-7 years.

US military officers tend to have around 4-9 years (basically until their service commitment ends a year later).

These folks pretty much make up the majority of the incoming classes. Non-traditional applicants (PhD researchers, physicians, lawyers, artists, athletes, etc) vary widely in terms of experience and age - basically it's a case-by-case basis, but tend to skew older (early 30s).

But if you visit any b-school, you'll easily find that while there are certainly exceptions, the majority of incoming admits are in their mid- to late-20s, pushing 30. Very few are under 25, and very few over 32 (and rare to find folks over 35).

Alex, thanks for comprehensive answer,

However, what if anyone starts his/her career late, let's say at 25? So, in this case full time work experience concept probably will be undermined, to my mind, won't it?

As I said before, it's more about years of experience than it is about age. And so what if you're 25? You don't have a time machine, so why get preoccupied about something you can't control? The only thing you have in your control is what you do going forward.

Hello Alex,

My goal is to obtain a top 40 MBA but I realize this might be a pipe dream.

32 yrs old Caucasian male US Navy disabled veteran
GPA: 2.5 BA Applied Science and Technology MS in Aeronautics 3.75
GRE: total score 298 (150 VR/148 Q) will re-take in one month but I am a horrible standardized test-taker.
W:E: 1)Oil and Gas Field Specialist- Interpretation of gamma logs onsite to ensure consistent drilling parameters. 2) Train Controller- Supervised and directed the safe, orderly and expeditious movement of trains and rail vehicles on revenue track way by means of computer generated displays, manual movement procedures, and communication with train operators, supervisors and other public agencies via computer, radio, and intra/inter-phone. Directly responsible for the issuance of proper instructions to Crash, Fire and Rescue personnel in the event of emergency incidents, including coordination between outside agencies and on-site incident commander.
Responsible for the operational maintenance of revenue schedules, implements strategies to minimize the impact of delays of revenue services. Familiar with the principles and effective practices of disaster management, emergency planning, response operations and training 3) Enlisted Navy air traffic controller- Responsible for the safe and orderly control of air traffic in both the take-off and landing phases of flight. Directly responsible for combat aircraft carrying over 100 personnel and worth over $2 billion. In theater experience in both Operations OIF/OEF with key exposure to the Master Air Tasking Order and issues regarding middle-eastern sovereign airspace, including air defense identification zones. Responsible for the restoration of the ship’s elevators onboard the USS John C. Stennis.

EC: volunteered at various outlets during my military career but nothing significant. Armed forces service medal award winner, combat veteran, air warfare qualified. Deployed to Iraq in 2008 for 9 months.

Post MBA Goals- Career change to IB, PE,HF, or corporate finance.

Low GPA in undergrad was due to immaturity and working full-time while attending school full-time. I was older and more focused when attending graduate school. I received a B in pre-calculus and an A in grad level stats.

Be honest with me, am I wasting my time applying to a top 40 school? I feel as though I don't even compare to some of the applicants on here.

First of all, thank you for your service.

Also, I think you may be underselling yourself. Professionally, you have a solid background (both in terms of your military and civilian experiences).

Your undergrad GPA while poor will also not be as big of an issue simply because it's ancient history - it was a long time ago. For those 2-4 years out of college, their GPA matters a lot more simply because it's relatively recent. In your case, it'll come down to your GMAT/GRE and the fact that your masters program is more recent (even if you did it a few years ago - it's still more recent than undergrad) and that you did well academically there. Finally, from what you wrote, it sounds like there's enough analytical aspects of your work experience to date both civilian and military (you may not be the one crunching the numbers, but you at least had to make decisions based on other people's analysis, which means interpreting and understanding the analysis being done in order to make a decision) - and that will also help you.

Practically speaking, at this point a big part comes down to your GRE and/or GMAT (should you decide to take that route instead). If you can get above a 600 GMAT equivalent (not sure what that is in GRE terms ), you should be in range for the top 40 schools, and if you end up with a high 600s GMAT equivalent, the top 30 schools will definitely be in range (maybe throw in even a few top 16 schools for good measure).

So basically do whatever it takes to boost that score. Hire a private tutor if you have to (if you have a limited budget and have to choose between spending money on test prep/private tutors vs an admissions consultant, in your case you should focus on the former as the test scores are what's holding you back.

Good luck

Hi,

I am an Indian male, 28 years old.

I have an Integrated BE honors civil engineering and MBA degree from BITS Pilani (5 years, with 1 full year internships, coursework completed in 4
years, GPA 6.98...Just Missed 7 .

X/XII both 86 %.

GMAT 750 (Hope this will mitigate my low CGPA).

I worked with a major KPO in the area of Sales and Operations Planning. In 5 years was promoted thrice and was leading a 6 member team of data analysts. For the past 6 months I am working with Myntra, India's largest fashion ecommerce company, as an individual contributor in the process excellence function.

Extra curricular.. was on the organising committee of our management fest, nothing much post college.

Have got a number of awards at work, for being the best team leader in my vertical, for teams which i was leading.

Post MBA want to get into consultancy.

Confused about which schools to target.

Planning to apply this year.

Regards,
Shashank

If you already have an MBA, your chances are slim to none to be honest in getting a 2nd one, at least from a top b-school.

I assume given your language that you're based in India, and you're looking to find work in the US, Europe or other parts of Asia? If so, your best bet is to either find a way to transfer within your current company to an overseas office, or to work at a multinational where that could be a possibility. Barring that, you may want to look at some other degree program (MS in Engineering at a US school) and then transition to a more technical position in the US, where you may be a better fit (or to get into IT consulting that way in the US).