NYU Stern Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

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This thread is the master profile evaluations thread for NYU Stern applications only. We do not want random profile evaluation threads everywhere on the forum. This will help people get some consolidated (and free ) advice from consultants and help others learn as well. Post your profile here if you want! Suggested Template Background and nationality Undergrad Information GMAT: Work experience and leadership Community and others Post MBA goals Anything else?

Hi guys,

Just trying to figure out how realistic my chances are at Stern. I know my GMAT is low for Stern and for being an Indian male.

-28 y/o Indian Male (will turn 29 by the time I start in 2016)

-GMAT 710 (49Q, 39V)- I know its probably on the lower side for an Indian male applicant. Trying to figure out whether to concentrate on the apps or on retaking the gmat.

-Graduated in 2008 from a business school in UK with a degree in accounting and finance. Topped my degree in year one. Ended up with an upper 2.1 degree. (Non-Engineering education)

-planned on working in UK itself in order to get some international work ex but had to move back to India because of my fathers death (3 weeks after final term). Had to take care of family affairs (financial and emotional) so moved back.

-Have 7+ years of work experience.

-working as head of the business development and strategy implementation division of a firm based out of New Delhi, with interests across hydropower, textiles and education and annual revenues of over US$125m. Have worked across all 3 sectors. Currently leading a team in implementing the expansion/diversification of the education vertical. The project is at an advanced stage of implementation and the financial rewards from the project have already started flowing in. The idea for diversification was my brainchild and thus I was made the team leader of the project. I'm also the youngest at the firm at a senior managerial role. I've held leadership roles across all the 3 verticals. I regularly deal/interact with clients from all over the world and frequently visit textile marketing events across the globe. The firm however would be a relatively unknown to most people on the admissions team (Well known in India though)

-short term goal is to make a transition to a top tier management consulting firm within the strategy division and work in new geographies in Western Europe or North America. Long term goal is to take up a senior management role at a fortune 500 firm. In my current role I'm coming up with and executing ideas that lead to improvement in business process and create value for the firm. I think a career in consulting will be a reasonable sell as my STG.

-Extra curricular: work with one of the most prominent environmental NGO in the country. Have been closely associated with environmental research over the last 5 years. Also, Having lost my father to blood cancer I started a cancer foundation in his name and have raised over INR 2.5m which in turn is being used to help underprivileged patients in their treatment. Also organize an annual blood donation camp. I have also redrafted and implemented the corporate social responsibility charter at the firm with a focus on sanitation for the poor and improving female financial literacy. Finally I've also worked for a member of parliament from 2009-2014 on devising a plan for development in the members parliamentary constituency with a population of over 2m residents.

Thanks

No expert here. But if not you then who? I think it depends on how you paint your story, for which you need to have the tangible components in the first place. Sorry to barge in with an amateur point of view. Good luck!
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First of all, I didn't apply to NYU Full Time program, so my inputs are not based on first hand experience. I am obviously not an admission counselor, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I did apply for NYU PT, and got accepted.

710 GMAT is enough to show that you have the aptitude of a business leader. I wouldn't spend time on improving GMAT, but rather focus on entire application. You story has a lot of substance, so I don't see why you won't make a competitive candidate.

I would quantify additional revenue generated because of your idea(s) on diversification from current and past work. It will be good if the recommendation goes in from senior(s) who can vouch for these achievements and use similar examples while writing your recos.

A lot of people want to get into strategy consulting, especially in US and UK. Maybe you want to sell a slightly different story like you plan to come back to India and work for the same firm or some third world country. Sounds more realistic and also stands out - I hope. No one will challenge after graduation why you didn't stick to your original plan. Also, if you can get some sort of sponsorship, even if it is non-monetary, from your current employer then that is a big plus.

$125M revenue is substantial and as head of BD and Strategy, you have a lot of responsibility at the age of 28. Sell this point, as much as you can, in your application.

Sorry to hear about your father, and I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for you and your family. Show you human side in your application and talk about how it impacted you and helped you grow as a person. I am sure you have a lot to talk about on that front.

Lastly, Business development and Strategy are two separate verticals, so make sure you don't mix them.

Good Luck!

Hi thank you so much for replying.

I agree with your point regarding concentrating on the GMAT but I'm just concerned as my GMAT is definitely low for a male Indian applicant and even more so at quant focused schools such as Stern, Booth, etc.

Yes I know I need to work on my short term goal, thanks for the advice on that front.

What sort of sponsorship are you talking about?

I recommend that you focus and apply, before trying to improve GMAT score. If you get denied/wait-listed, at least you will know why. Ask for feedback and if admission committee says that the GMAT score was low, you can work on improving it. Hopefully you will apply much before deadline, so you have time to improve existing application. Alternately, you can write in one of the essays that you plan to retake GMAT on such and such date. That is only if you have the energy and commitment after submitting your application to do so..

Quant focused schools doesn't mean only people with 750+ scores are welcome. You have a 49 on Quant, another point and it will be 50. Big deal!

I highly doubt if admission committee will chose one over the other purely based on a higher GMAT score. It is a different story if you were say 690 or below. 710 is decent, unless you are applying to one of those ISBs etc who for some reason find GMAT to be a defining factor. Indian or not, as long as you get an above average score, you should not be at any disadvantage.

If your current employer says that an MBA will help you succeed when you return or sponsorship in terms of guaranteed job at current employer, once you graduate etc. This shows how valued you are at your current company and strengthens your candidacy significantly.

Hi
I am an Indian female with an engineering background. I will be applying to B schools in US this year for a two year MBA program. I am looking for a profile evaluation so that I can find the best fit and shortlist schools that I have a chance of getting into. I hope to specialize in Operations/Supply Chain/Consulting. Please evaluate my profile for Stern.

GMAT: 720 (49Q/40V)
GPA: 3.63 (9.08/10)
Degree: B.Tech(Information Technology) from VIT University,Vellore
Experience: 2 years in an IT firm as a software developer
Extracurricular: I have some experience working as a volunteer for various events in college/at job , serving as an NSS volunteer, etc. But I don't have any experience in leadership/managerial roles.

I don't think you could possibly find someone that could tell you your "best fit" from reading a half paragraph about your stats. You should visit the schools you're interested in and find which you like best culturally and academically.

I am basically interested in knowing my chances of getting accepted to Stern. This is my profile overview. It'd be great help if you could give me an idea atleast.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your profile.

Coming from India and from the Engineering background makes your application really competitive; however, you are female, and you have a good GMAT score. To help differentiate your application you can use personal leadership experience and explain your goals after the program.

Here are some Business Schools that I would recommend that focus on Consulting and Operation:
MIT Sloan
Wharton
Stanford
HBS

If you are still thinking to pursue your MBA this fall, we can further assess you in a FREE Consultation to make sure you are on the right track.

Best,

Hello All -
I gave my GMAT a couple of days ago and got a score of 720(Q50/V38). I need advice on the schools that I can apply to with my score and have a realistic chance of admission being an Indian applicant. Below is a brief on my profile:

Graduation: Mechanical Engineering(Passed out in 2013) - GPA: 3.5(according to WES)
Work Experience: 39 months in sales and marketing at ExxonMobil Corporation and currently working as an operations manager at NEED(Network for Economic and Entrepreneurship Development ; It's a non-profit organization based out of Lucknow, India)
Extra-Curriculars: school and college Football team, Squash and Swimming school teams ; Acted in and directed Choreos during college ; Part of organizing committee of a number of college fests and led the marketing team during a couple of fests.
Volunteer work: Part of a number of volunteer activities during college and work at EM(house building, teaching, roadshows etc).

Interest: Marketing and Strategy

Thanks.

Background and nationality: Indian

Undergrad Information: Tier 1.5 College. Engineering. Information Technology. GPA: 3.8. Graduated in 2014. In top 10%.

GMAT: 730 (Q50, V39)

Work experience and leadership: a) Two years Developer (with product responsibilites) for Samsung with 4 months of international experience at South Korea and Spain. Received all possible awards including double promotions in two years. b) Chief Product and Technology Officer (current) of a well-known media startup (in India) for 2 years - more than 2 lakhs downloads, 230 part time employees, 2500 interns, highest rating among all news and media apps, highest session duration and I played an impactful part in achieving that c) Product Manager (current) at a tech-marketing startup for 1 year - 50 employees, funded, sees the best click-through rates for notifications. d) Failed startup in gaming domain. The shift from Samsung to startups has been mainly to show that I am much more than an "IT engineer".

Industry: Fintech, Media, Marketing, and Gaming.

Post MBA goals: PM Roles in the top technology firms followed by VP-level executive positions at mid-sized firms.

Extra-curricular: a) Founded summer camp programme for underprivileged kids; teaching them about robotics, maths, physics. b) Increased social engagement and click-through rates for the notifications sent for my startups (5x the market average), c) Recruitment head during college placements, d) Into marathons, cycling, trekking, athletics, and sports (state-level)

Targeting Haas, Kellogg and NYU Stern.

Any insights on profile and on target schools will be appreciated.

Hi all! I would really like some insights about my profile:

- Male, brazilian, 32 yo
- Undergraduate in Business at a Top 3 brazilian school (plenty of alumni accepted by Top Business Schools)
- GPA: 2.6 (horrible, and no good reason)
- GMAT: 740
- CFA Level I

Work Experience:

- Capital Markets (Structured Finance) at a top local boutique (Real Estate focused)
* 4 years
* 3 promotions (from intern to Senior Analyst)
* Leading analyst in 8 projects (3 of them were really big ones)

- Capital Markets (Structured Finance) at a Start-Up (as a junior associate)
* 1 year
* Didn´t go well specially because of brazilian economic conditions at the time

- Capital Markets (Structured Finance) at a new boutique (Agribusiness focused)
* Junior Associate
* 2 years (until now)
* Company growing very fast
* Leading analyst of 4 projects

Extracurriculars:
* Writer at a blog focused on Political Education (8 articles published)
* 1 year working at a NGO focused on children education (led 2 new projects)

International Experience:
* 4 months working as a Sales Person at a clothing store in Las Vegas, US (during college vacation)
* 3 weeks studying spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina
* 2 weeks working ad a NGO (a organic farm) in Cape Town,South Africa

Other:
* Fluent spanish
* Short Course (graduate level) in Applied Statitics (at a top local college) - Final Grade: A
* HBx Core: Pass with High Honours

Post MBA objective:
* Investment Banking

Hi,
Please evaluate my profile for Stern. I am skeptic that my GMAT score is lower than the median (720) and I have 1 year gap (and counting) in career. Due to personal reasons, I had to quit my job in India last year (Aug 16) and travel to US on H4. I can try to take GMAT again but I would most likely miss R1 deadlines.

Background: Indian Female
Total Experience: 11 years (6 years in US)
GPA: 4.
GMAT: 700 (Q49, V36)
Last Designation: Technology Manager
Extra curricular: Performed couple of times with Shiamak group in NJ
Certifications: PMP
Graduation: B.Tech (IT) Honors
XII: 87%
X: 83%
I have quite a few recommendation on linkedin profile and have good chance of gathering good recommendations from my previous collegues/bosses.

Hey,

So
GMAT : 710
GPA : 3.0 (Graduate in Commerce)
I am a Chartered Accountant & a CFA Charterholder
Location : India
Experience
3 Years Internship in a top international audit firm (Audit)
3 Years Experience in a top US Investment bank (Product Controller for Structured Products)
Currently employed with a top US bank (Treasury Risk - Structural Interest Rate Risk Management)

I am planning to apply for 2021 (sorry I see this is a 2020 thread), by the time will have 2 years experience in my current role

Extra Curricular :
NGO Activities
1 Year in a Rotaract Club
Currently part of an NGO that engages in Education for the underprivileged kids (working as a teacher & Center head)

Can someone give me an evaluation and whether I should do something more to better my profile.

Thanks

Background and nationality: white female
Undergrad Information: top 20 university in the U.S., major in social sciences, 3.6 GPA
GMAT: 710
Work experience and leadership: 2 years of non-profit experience at small environmental organizations, PhD in environmental science from a top 5 school, currently working as a research scientist
Community and others: ceramic artist, marathoner and triathlete
Post MBA goals: Renewable energy industry
Anything else? I have strong quantitative skills (statistical programming and big data analysis) and a deep interest in environmental issues. I have no business experience or coursework.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi there - thanks for writing! Looks like you have solid academics and community involvement, and a distinctive background. The school will want to know why you want an MBA after having gotten a PhD, so you'll need to make a strong case for why an MBA is right for you at this time (and what you'd like to focus on within renewable energy, and how an MBA will prepare you for that role). Also, Stern is very proud of its NYC location and wants to make sure that applicants are clear on how they would take advantage of its location and resources, so make sure to research the program closely. Best of luck!



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Hi, and thanks for writing! I recommend applying when you feel most ready - given that you're applying from a competitive demographic, you'll want to do as well on GMAT as possible. Also, keep in mind that for Stern full-time, the average # of years of work experience is about 3-7 years. With 11 years, you'll have to make an especially strong case for why NOW is the best time to get an MBA - what is your post-MBA goal and how did you come to that decision?



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Hi, and thanks for writing! It looks like you have a pretty strong profile, with solid academics, progressive work experience, and good community involvement. The schools you're targeting are very competitive but not out of question for you - make sure you make a good case for why each program is a strong fit for you (through primary and secondary research) and make it clear what you hope to gain professionally and personally from the MBA. Best of luck!



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Hi annie1718,

Thanks for the details.

First things first, you definitely have very strong academic experience and that will certainly stand you at an advantage. At the same time, your degree in environmental science will help differentiate your profile from the pool of MBA applicants ☺

Considering the above, and your decent GMAT score, it is now important for you to prepare an application, which not only justifies your need for an MBA following your Ph.D. degree but also adequately represents your strengths, as well as your unique candidature. Further, your career goals must also be presented in a way that there is a logical sync between your experiences and the future goals that you are looking at.

We recommend that you focus all your energies on your application essays now ☺ If you are able to take care of the above-mentioned points, your chances of gaining an NYU Stern admit will be tremendously boosted ☺

All the best!
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