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And yet another profile eval...

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jesson
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Concentration: Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Business
Schools:LBS, MIT Sloan
 Q44  V37
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And yet another profile eval... [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 02 Nov 2009, 11:33
Hi

I was wondering if you could take a look at my profile listed below and provide some feedback on the schools that I have chosen and the strength of my application in general. I realize the effort it takes to go through all profile evaluations and post replies and therefore thank you for your time and effort in advance.

EDUCATION:
- Schooling done in international school in Saudi Arabia - graduated top of the class.
- Undergrad in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in a regular(meaning not elite) university in India - 73% score( not GPA)

GMAT: 680 (44 Q, 37 V)
- In the process of re-taking the GMAT again in a few weeks.

WORK EXPERIENCE
- Worked with Dad to start up an import/wholesale garment business from the age of 12 till 18.
- Worked as a sales engineer for 8 months after undergrad.
- Worked as a Systems Engineer for a reputable IT firm for 2 years in India.
- Worked as a Systems Engineer as a contractor for a fortune 500 Banking and Financial Services company in the US for a period of 3 years.

Short term work after MBA: International Business in Banking and Financial services sector or Consulting field.
Long term work after MBA: Start up a consulting/technology company.

EXTRACURRICULARS
- Lead Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in my company like fund raising for feeding the homeless, gifts for orphaned children etc.
- Started Diversity club to propagate cultural learning amongst the indian and american workers
- Started Communication club to educate and train workers in effective communication.
- Co-founded the basketball club at workplace to teach and bring together different people from different backgrounds.

OTHER PARTICULARS

- Recently started a consulting and software firm to build and provide inventory control software to one client in the middle east and adaptive learning software to one client in india.
- Speaks 3 Major languages( English, Arabic, Hindi) and 3 regional indian languages. Also understand Spanish and speaks little at basic level.

WHY MBA?
I am technologically strong having a background in electronics and software. But I would like to move into the management domain and have been in a quasi managerial role at work since the last 6 months. I believe an MBA from the right school will give me opportunities to get into international business and later on, into an entrepreneurial role.

TARGET SCHOOLS
London Business School
MIT Sloan
Wharton

SCHOOLS IN CONSIDERATION:
Harvard
Columbia

- No safety schools!!

Here are my weak points:
- Low GPA - can be explained.
- Poor GMAT score - targetting a 750+ ( thinks he will succeed :) )
- Lack of work exp. in leading/top American companies
- Not enough social impact

Strong points:
- Plenty of International exposure
- Strong learning depicted at work though certifications and other industry standard qualifications
- Strong career progression
- Strong leadership potential and teamwork- attested to by good recommenders

So thats me in short. I hope you can give me a critical review and highlight the schools that will be a good fit. Although I am targeting for international business in financial sector or consulting post MBA, I now am also inclined towards a start up of my own immediately after MBA based on my recent entrepreneurial forages.

Thanks a lot.

Originally posted by jesson on 29 Oct 2009, 21:40.
Last edited by jesson on 02 Nov 2009, 11:33, edited 1 time in total.
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AlexMBAApply
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Re: And yet another profile eval... [#permalink] New post   02 Nov 2009, 01:11
You need to adjust your expectations.

Schools near the bottom half of the top 16 (Michigan, Duke, Darden, etc.) are where you have a better shot. Consider these your stretches to sweet spots.
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jesson
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 4
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Concentration: Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Business
Schools:LBS, MIT Sloan
 Q44  V37
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Re: And yet another profile eval... [#permalink] New post   02 Nov 2009, 12:11
Thank you for your inputs. Btw, what aspects of my profile do you think I would need to improve in order to 'raise my expectation' level ?
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AlexMBAApply
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Re: And yet another profile eval... [#permalink] New post   02 Nov 2009, 18:03
A time machine.

Go back in time and do something other than engineering (business, nonprofit, journalism, arts/entertainment/sports, etc).

At this point, you really need to focus on a range of schools that you can realistically get into, because there's not a whole lot you can do in a few months or even a year to fundamentally change who you are. Anything you try to do now is simply window dressing - real change and real achievements take time - they're not something you can simply turn on "on demand" at your beckoning.
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jesson
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Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 4
Own Kudos [?]: 5 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Location: San Antonio
Concentration: Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Business
Schools:LBS, MIT Sloan
 Q44  V37
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Re: And yet another profile eval... [#permalink] New post   03 Nov 2009, 01:26
What is 'real change' and 'real accomplishment'? Isn't it relative, person to person, school to school? Running a successful start up might seem to some as a real accomplishment whereas living and working in different countries, speaking different languages, adapting to different cultures and being successful at what you do with recognition from peers and executives may come across accomplishment to others. Do you need stints at large well known consulting firms or investment banks to prove accomplishment? Do you need years working for the underprivileged to prove social responsibility. Do you need a top GPA from a well recognized school to prove academic competency. Wouldn't what you've done with all the years that you have worked, what you have learnt, how u have learnt, how you have contributed to learning that may come across as a differentiator? Wouldn't how much of an impact you've had on society and businesses, impact on groups through personal passion and commitment exemplified through valid instances and substantial leadership potential expressed through specific examples and attested to by valid recommenders that can be perceived by some as accomplishments deemed 'worthy' of an admission to a top B-school? I believe schools look for diversity, exposure, leadership potential, teamwork, determination, passion, compassion, IQ and a bunch of other things to make the classroom experience the best as possible for all concerned. The only difference I see in my profile when compared to other top B school applicants are undergraduate GPA and work exp. in top-name companies. I think these can be offset by other aspects in my profile(listed and not listed) such as entrepreneurial spirit, diversity, accomplishments at work etc etc... I have listed only a few specifics in my profile based on which you made a recommendation.

Either ways, I appreciate your honesty and your time - although I wish you had provided specific reasons why the schools I chose were not a realistic target. I doubt if going back in time and changing who i am fundamentally is necessary :-) But i think i'll take my chances and give it a shot nonetheless and see what happens.
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Re: And yet another profile eval... [#permalink]
03 Nov 2009, 01:26

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