Am I an Indian IT Male?

Question

So I am an Indian citizen who spent 2-3 years of high school in another country and then went to the US for college to a top public (Berkeley/Michigan etc.) and majored in CSEE (Computer Science and Electrical Engineering) and Business - graduated with a 3.5-3.6 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

I spent the last three years working in management consulting (BCG/Bain/McKinsey) and interned at 3 F500s and another top consulting firm during my college career.

So am I still considered to be from the Indian pool, given I've been out of the country for over nearly 10 years now. How can I mention the other country (without talking about high school stuff)?

Second, am I still considered to be from the IT pool? One of my majors was CSEE, but I also majored in Business and have been working in consulting for 3 years now.

So am I an I/I/M?

If it matters, my top choices are Harvard, Wharton, Chicago, Columbia - and will probably do second round apps for Stanford, Kellogg and Sloan.

foars · Answer

You are far from a traditional Indian applicant.

Did you work at US offices or Indian offices of M/B/B? Either way you have very strong chances at H/S/W

SushiStop · Answer

@foars: I really appreciate the reply. I'm at a US office, though I might do a few months at a European office soon (firm-wide exchange program). Also, a quick follow-up question - I think the fact that I lived in multiple countries (and left India when I was about 15) really shaped who I am. But from what I've gathered, you don't really want to talk about high school stuff in your applications. How can I bring this up? Thanks!

If anyone else has any opinions etc., please do share!

foars · Answer

To be honest, the only thing Indian about you is that you 'physically' are an Indian. The fact that you did your undergrad and have worked in the US means you are comparable to an American applicant. Adcom's look at international applicants to bring in work experience/education of their own countries.

I'm no pro to predict your chances but I'd be surprised if you don't get into any of the schools of your choice (assuming you nail the GMAT and your essays). Good luck with your apps

jumsumtak · Answer

Far from it. You have a great profile and as foars mentioned, you have a great chance at the schools you have listed.

ManhattanReview · Answer

Admissions will not consider you a typical Indian IT applicant. However, there is no getting around that you are still an Indian applicant and no matter how you slice it -- your demographic will be competitive. Given the firms that you worked for and the quality of your experience, you are in good shape to submit competitive applications at all of your target schools. Just be aware that you are applying to the most competitive schools in the world and there are many more qualified candidates than there are positions available. This means that you have to submit applications that are top quality and in the process invest the time, energy, effort and resources to make sure your candidacy is presented at its best.

I would recommend that you contact our office and have a free candidacy assessment with our head consultant. He has a lot of experience working with Indian candidates (of all backgrounds) and has very high success rates at all the top schools.

Good luck.

Kimberly Plaga
Senior Admissions Consultant
Manhattan Review

Call for a free candidacy assessment.

I would recommend that you contact our office and have a free candidacy assessment with our head consultant. He has a lot of experience working with Indian candidates (of all backgrounds) and has very high success rates at all the top schools.

Good luck.

Kimberly Plaga
Senior Admissions Consultant
Manhattan Review

Call for a free candidacy assessment.

wouldbecrazy · Answer

Many schools are very straight forward, they categorise in a simple way ... which passport are you holding?

So does not matter what you did and where you did, you still have the same nationality. Having said that, IIM is another hype and definitely you are much stronger than traditional Indian coders, who's life rounds around IT only.

You have a strong case and just apply without giving importance to IIM/Asian etc.

wown · Answer

Interesting post. I too have a similar story: born in India, spent 8 years there, then 3 elsewhere, and have been in US for about 12 years since. If wouldbecrazy you are correct, I would be considered in the Indian pool since I hold an Indian passport, but I would think I fit better in the US pool.

and does it matter? after speaking to some recruiters I got the feeling that US, China, and India are the three most competitive pools and really doesn't matter which group you fall into.

finetime · Answer

It seems like the simple answer is - yes, you are an Indian IT male. and if that groups gets dinged because there are so many, you will be dinged. BUT you do seem to have a great profile, so good luck! Many of us are in groups that are not in high demand, so we just have to rise to the top right?

cheetarah1980 · Answer

When people say you don't want to talk about high school stuff in your application it's moreso to say that your accomplishments from high school are not what you should be highlighting when answering questions. However, depending on the essay question it is perfectly fine to incorporate SHORT vignettes from different times in your life. The opening story of my goals essay was about something I had done in undergrad over 10 years ago. In the context of the essay I used that experience as a catalyst that influenced where I am today and my post MBA career goals. The problem with many people is that when they use examples from high school the that example winds up being the destination of the essay instead of the starting point. You can definitely mention living in multiple countries throughout your life if that is something that not just shaped who you are within the context of now wanting to pursue an MBA. Honestly, the most important part of any essay is to make sure you answer the question. Don't get so caught up in wanting to put in certain data points that you forget to do that. Hope this helps.

Am I an Indian IT Male?

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