Ask ARINGO - if your GMAT is (or might be) below 720

PROFILE EVALUATION FOR CANADIAN MBAS FOR FALL 2020.

DEMOGRAPHICS : Indian Male, 25 years old.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE : B-Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from SRM University, Chennai (2017)
CGPA – 8.6/10 OR 3.44/4

WORK EXPERIENCE : 2.5 years in Software consulting from Tata Consultancy Services, Mumbai

LONG TERM GOAL: To become a Marketing head in a Canadian/International company of repute in Sports/Music/Travel/FMCG/Retail/Consumer Electronics industries AND To settle in Canada with a PR.

SHORT TERM (post-MBA) GOALS : entry-level marketer/Marketing manager in the above industries OR join Management Consultancy for a few years then become a marketer in those industries.

I’ve taken a few UG-level credit courses and online courses in MGMT, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship to help me facilitate my transition from Software to Marketing.

TEST SCORES:
GMAT – 710 (Q48, V40, IR 5, AWA 5)
IELTS Academic – 8.0 (L-8, R-9, W-7, S-7)

EXTRA-CURRICULARS:
1. Committee Member & Marketing Head of the SRM University Cycling Club
2. Cleared with distinction Grade 5 exam in “Drum-kit” conducted by Trinity College of Music, London, 2008.
3. Successfully completed BRM-200 (Brevet d’Audax), a 200 km cycle race conducted by Mumbai Randonneurs division of Brevet d'Audax, France in 12 hours and 10 minutes in February 2018.
4. Since 2015, have been a regular member of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA), a not-for-profit organization by and for people who stutter. Since 2018, have been the Co-coordinator for the organization’s Mumbai chapter. Website: https://stammer.in/.
5. Regular participant and host of Mumbai Drum Circle, a community drum circle specialising in Djembes (South African hand drums).

**Interested in only 20+ months MBA program to get 3 year Work permit after graduating. Hence, IVEY, Queen’s, Simon Fraser, uOttawa, etc are OUT.
**NOT interested in colleges in Quebec due to liabilities of not knowing French. Hence McGill, Concordia, HEC are OUT.

TARGET PROVINCES: Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta

Colleges Applied so far:
1. McMaster (DeGroote) Co-op MBA -> Interviewed; awaiting final results.
2. UCalgary (Haskayne) Daytime MBA -> Submitted in R2
3. York U (Schulich) MBA -> Submitted in R1

Profile Evaluation required for:
1. University of Toronto Rotman – MBA
2. University of Alberta – MBA
3. UBC Sauder - MBA
4. Brock University Goodman – MBA ISP
5. Carleton University Sprott - MBA

Could you help me understand my initial profile evaluation for these above 5 programs?

Lots of great business experience, leadership, management… the extracurricular work is fantastic, full of initiative.

I like your chances and, although the over-saturation of MBA programs with Indian males makes admissions a lot more competitive for this demographic, you do not have the usual techie background and are therefore distinct.

Background and nationality
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Nationality: Indonesia

Undergrad Information
Institution: Large state school (Top 75 in the US)
Major: Industrial Engineering (Program is top 5 in the US)
GPA: 2.6
No particular reason. I was actually really into academics/school in general but just happened to give approximately 0 sh*** about grades. Saw many cheat/go through college and I correspondingly I became rebellious towards the concept of grades. Needless to say I regret having had that mentality. Trend roughly followed a linear 2.3-3.0 curve throughout my 4 years if that matters..

GMAT:
Overall: 680
Q: 48
V: 35
IR: 6
AWA: 4

Work experience and leadership
*I'm currently ~4.5 years out of undergrad*

Years 0-2 (Georgia): Consultant / Lead Consultant at a major supply chain software company
- Developed an omni-channel strategy and infrastructure for a $2B apparel company
- Implemented an order management platform to orchestrate all movements of a $7B retailer's inventory

Years 2-3.5 (California): Consultant at the largest privately-held enterprise software company
- Implemented a transportation management system for a top 5 largest company

Years 3.5-present (California): Senior Consultant at a Big4 (management consulting practice)
- Developed a rapid cost reduction strategy for the largest ag-retailer in north america
- Currently building the supply chain of a new business unit of a pharma giant essentially from scratch

Community and others
- President of an international community group for last 2 years of undergrad
- Ambassador of industrial engineering (IE) school throughout undergrad: basically conducted presentations/recruited on behalf of the IE program at various high schools.
- Career mentor for my alma mater's current IE students as well as for a local California high school

Post MBA goals
I'm aiming to go back to consulting after b-school. Specifically at MBB/ATK/OW/S&/PEY. Literally these 7 firms or bust, but am open to relocate to Asia (Singapore/Hong Kong) or South America. If I wound up somewhere outside of these 7 I would consider the MBA ROI negative.

Now comes the big question. Is it even worth spending time to pull up my GMAT score given my profile (mainly GPA) and career goals? Realistically, I think my cap would be around a 730 and I would not attend a school ranked lower than UCLA (#16). To put it in perspective, if "100%" represents the opportunities that would be available to me with an MBA, I am currently at about "75%".

Anything else?
To leave it open-ended, what are your thoughts around next steps? Thank you for reading this far if you did.

Need your support to evaluate my profile for MIT Sloan Fellow and Stern Tech MBA

Indian Male from Tech Industry with @19 Years of experience in SAP and Digital Technologies

Highlights of the profile

Worked across different geographies including Singapore, US and Europe
Currently holding middle management position in the leading IT service provider from India
Associated with an organization working for blind men - specifically fund raising
PMP (Project Management Professional from PMI institute USA)
Holding various certification across leading digital technologies/packages
Can demonstrate career progression in the current organization for which I am working since last 12 years

Executive Assessment Score
149

Between University of Toronto, University of Alberta and UBC, the average GMAT for these programs is around 650. The average work experience prior is around 5 years. If you are interested in these programs, you may want to spend a few more years working before applying.
From University of Toronto, 13% of graduates from the program go into marketing roles.

Carleton’s program is 16 months long, so I am not sure this program is relevant to your preferences.

Brock has a marketing specialization within their international program. I also see that on their website you can request a free pre-assessment. They offer little information about work experience and average GMAT scores, however, I’m sure that this is something that they will share with you if asked. This could be a good option for you.

You can also check out our free MBA chances estimation calculator. This may give you more personalized information.
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Hi,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

Moving forward I suggest that either a. You retake the GMAT and try to improve your score, or b. Be in touch with us around May, where we can give you a specific chances assessment, project plan and we can discuss next steps. We offer free consultations on our website.
https://www.aringo.com/

Georgia
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Please review my profile and suggest things i could do to improve my chances. Planning to apply next year 2021.

Demographics (nationality, gender): - Indian, Male, 28

· Education (undergraduate institution, GPA, major - high school/entrance exams not needed):
10th : 90%
12th : 91% (school topper)
Undergrad Btech : 70% ( small town college)
Post graduation : 65% ( IIM Kashipur, In the top 15 Bschools in the country)

Cleared CFA level 1 in 2019

· GMAT: 760 (Q-50, V-42, IR – 8)

· Work experience: 2.5 years as a software developer in Infosys and 1 year as a sales manager (reporting to associate vice president and board) in a middle sized firm. (valuation .8 Billion USD), started an education startup a year back, Planning to stay in the same organisation till i apply next year, so 2 years as sales manager in a middle sized firm.

· Extracurricular activities: Won several national level case study competitions during my MBA, Gold medal for academic proficiency in marketing (this was the only subject i could get a hang of , School topper, Volunteered in Placement and organising committees in undergrad , NGO work experience of 2 years, Several appreciation mails and Rewards and recognition awards.

Sports : part of football team right from undergraduate to postgraduate level - represented iim in sporting events.

· Post-MBA goals: Make a career in Marketing/Consulting and shift to a new geography.

· Target schools: Insead or any other top 10 - 1 year MBA programs

Thanks for reaching out to us.

You have a great GMAT and it seems like you have a fantastic GPA too.

CFA is always good and shows you have strong analytical skills, this will look good in your application. Working at Infosys is also highly impressive and moving from a developer to a sales manager sounds like a promotion! Also, having an entrepreneurial background also will help differentiate you from the others.
So all in all, you have a great profile!
Regarding one year programs, well. There aren’t that many in the US.
Cornell and NYU offer 1-year programs for candidates with tech backgrounds. But these programs mainly lead to working in the tech industry. Kellogg has a great one year programs, but I am not sure you have the prerequisite courses they ask for. This leaves Emory & Cornell (their "regular one year MBA")
On the other hand, in Europe, most top programs are 1 year. Programs like INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge or IE.

I suggest you research the programs further, and then feel free to contact our SEO, Ms. Jenifer Turtschanow, at JeniferT@ARINGO.com for a free chances estimation, project planning, and school selection process.

GOOD LUCK! Don't hesitate to reach out with further questions,

Georgia
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Profile Evaluation Required - Said Oxford MBA & Rotman Toronto MBA

Indian Male

2012-2013
Diploma in Economics - Distinction - London School of Economics (London, UK)

2012-2016
BBA (Finance) - GPA 3.99/4 - Distinction - Hult International Business School (Boston,USA; San Francisco, USA; Shanghai, China; Dubai, UAE)
Valedictorian/Dean's List for 6 continuous terms/On boards of Hult Consulting and Finance Clubs
Interned at a Consulting firm in Boston & at an Asset Management Firm in London

GMAT: 720 (Q49/V39)

Work Experience:

2013-2015
BAT Team Leader
Bloomberg L.P. (London, UK)
Led the EMEA BAT Analytics Team.

2015-2017
Senior Associate Consultant
TISX Global (Boutique Financial Consulting) (Mumbai, India)
Strategy Consulting for SMEs.

2017-2020
Lead Principle - M&A, ECM
TISX Global (Boutique Financial Consulting) (Kolkata, India)
Led M&A and ECM assignments amounting to INR 1.73 Billion.

Target Post Rotman/Said:
Investment Banking or Asset Management (Impact Investing/Real Estate)

Have seen several application with GMAT scores over 720 being rejected by Rotman & Said. What are my chances?
Also, what about the "fit" in terms of what Rotman & Said require of its students/applicants?

My motivations for Rotman - Right in the centre of the Canadian financial services industry. Easy immigration policies of Canada. Top tier 2 year MBA in Canada. Have already attended a couple of classes by Rotman faculty at Hult, and they were impressive. CDL as well, is an amazing opportunity.
My motivations for Said - Couple of really close friends over there who gave amazing reviews. Love the opportunity to belong to a college as well as the business school. The Oxford setting is lovely, love the regatta. The name recognition of Oxford.

Hi mjaininc
Thanks for reaching out.
My name is shimri Winters and I head the strategy team here at ARINGO.

You have a very interesting profile. Your GPA and undergraduate experiences are great!
Your work experience sounds amazing. Both international (UK and India) and with big and small companies (so a nice vary of experiences).
I would like to hear more about your extra-curriculum activities but hey, let’s leave something for the application ?.

In regards to your question, will 720 be enough for Rotman and Said?

As you probably know, we at ARINGO, specialize in working with candidates with lower GMAT scores. 720 is, of course, a great score! And although you come from a background with many competitive applicants, your profile should stand out due to your academics and professional experience. SO, what I am saying is it is all up to your applications…

Hence, I suggest working on your applications and not on another GMAT…

I would be happy to review your profile and CV and give some extra guidelines. Feel free to share it with me on ShimriW@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!
Shimri
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Hello All
MY GMAT journey isn't as joyful as it may be for others . I have given 7 attempts of GMAT with a highest Score of 680 . (Q48, V35 IR-4).
Rejected by Schools this year : Rice with interview, Kelly Indiana , Notre dame, UNC, Tepper , ISB and NTU without even interview.

My question is whether the 680 GMAT score such an abysmal score that i can't get a college in top 30 schools. I have moved towards GRE now but continuing my exam anxiety i don't know how much i will be able to score.

Moreover I request to kindly shed some light on my profile.
I have attached my one page CV and expect some genuine insights.
Please help

Hi Oishik
Thanks for your question. We at ARINGO receive many questions like this. A 680 is not a bad score at all! We had a 680 engineer get accepted into, Ross, Duke, and Yale this year and a 650 that got into Cornell, Darden, and Mccombs. and many many other examples of candidates with lower than average GMAT scores that received acceptance. So, it is all up to your applications!
From what I can see, you applied to some fantastic MBA programs with a great fit for your profile. The fact that Kelly invited you to an interview shows you interested them. The fact that you didn’t get other interviews, probably means you could have done a better job in your applications…

What do I suggest doing?
1. have some “Peace of Mind “regarding the GMAT score it is what it is! And it is just one factor of your acceptance.
2. Work on applications for next year (with our help if you wish)
3. Apply to some “new schools” too
4. Have confidence. I know you must be very frustrated, but if you do everything right, you will get in!

Happy to continue this discussion privately. I am always on shimriw@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!
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Hey guys- Wanted to post to get thoughts on my viability of getting into a top 10-15 school. Stats are below:

Age: 28, American
Undergrad: Neuroscience at a top public school (top 25 overall, think Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan range)
GPA: 2.8 (No real excuse, I slacked off A LOT in college)
GMAT: 690 (43Q /42V), 710 (48Q / 39V), 700 (49Q / 36V)
Work ex: 5+ years at 2 F200 FinTech companies in the Bay Area in Corporate Strategy and product roles with multiple promotions; was given opportunity to spend 2019 working abroad in Singapore
Extracurricular: Spent 3 years as an academic mentor for a non-profit org; applying for an Associate Board member position with same org for 2020-2021

Schools I'm looking to apply to (only considering East Coast schools):
Harvard (it's a reach I know)
MIT
Columbia (dream school)
NYU
Duke
Darden

Do you guys think I have any shot at these? I will have very strong LOR and have confidence in my ability to write a strong personal statement

Appreciate any thoughts, thanks!

Umbz hi,
My name is Shimri Winters and I head the strategy here at ARINGO
It is obviously hard to give you an exact chances estimation (are you a female or male? What exactly do you do today? For which comoany? any managerial experience? Any international experience beyond your Singapore assignment?) but still, I will try ?

1. it sounds like you have an excellent academic degree with a mediocre GPA.
2. You have a mediocre GMAT score (700 is great! But below average to all the schools you mentioned).
3. Your professional experience sounds super relevant and exciting and I am sure you have many stories to share in the MBA essays
4. Your extracurricular activities sound amazing!
5. Your promotions and Singapore international experience are exactly what MBA programs are looking for!
SO, all in all sounds to me like you have an excellent profile!
Regarding changes? Hard to tell, but probably very good chances at Duke and Darden, harder, but still in the game for Columbia and MIT, and Harvard, as you said, stretch…

Feel free to check out our chances estimation calculator at https://www.aringo.com/mba-admission-ch ... alculator/
And or send me an email (with your CV) to ShimriwARINGO.com and we can take it further from there…

In any case, GOOD LUCK!
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Hi TroyTT
If you would like a detailed chances estimation to the MBA programs you mentioned feel free to check out our chances estimation calculator at https://www.aringo.com/mba-admission-ch ... alculator/

or for a more specific review: sign up on https://www.aringo.com/aringo-gmatclub-registration/ and send us all the information regarding your profile:
- Resume
- School wish list
- The timeline of the applications you are targeting
- And GMAT/GRE score or plans

And we can take it from there…
Good luck!
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Hi, can you please review my profile?

*Background*

Overview:
I’m looking to bring a strong sense of purpose in my career by transitioning fully to social impact. I’ve always wanted to go into social impact full-time, but I needed to build a niche and valuable skillset before doing so. Regarding marketable skills, I feel ready now, but I need an MBA to help me transition.

Work experience:
I'm currently a Product Manager in Internet Business in a Multinational Telecommunications company. I have 5.5 years of full-time experience, all in Telecommunications product management. The firm I work for is one of the top ones in my country, Bangladesh, and is a part of the 10th largest mobile network operator in the world. I've gotten regular, formal awards (Marketing Award for six quarters out of the twelve quarters of my employment till date + Employee of the month multiple times) at work, and my portfolio has increased with time. I can back my achievements with solid numbers.

Some career highlights
- Successful completion of 1-month international assignment & placement in HQ
- Former Management Trainee with fast track progression to Managerial role, within only 2.5 years of my career
- Project Manager for the first telecom merger in Bangladesh
- Product Manager for Facebook's Freebasics program in Bangladesh, which focuses on giving internet connectivity to the bottom of the pyramid, launching it for the first time in my country

On the side, I'm a director at my family business which focuses on government and non-profit sector consulting. I do business advisory for non-profits, and one of these non-profits was founded by an Oxford Said MBA alum. My area of expertise is "mobile tech & communications for development".

Extracurriculars:
During my undergrad I won multiple international & national awards in social entrepreneurship competitions. One of that was GSEC organized by the University of Washington's Foster School of Business. My team had beat out MIT in that competition. I was also awarded by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, for winning Yunus Centre's social entrepreneurship idea competition. I've coordinated nationwide charity drives back in my undergrad, 100+ people reporting to me.

Other coursework:
I finished MBA Math and I scored 100% in all of the MBA Math courses.

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Sex: Male

*Stats*

GRE Score:
My GRE total is 328, with a breakdown of 169 in Verbal, 159 in Quant, 4.5 in AW. I'm also done with my TOEFL with a 113/120.

Undergrad GPA:
I graduated from the best business school in my country. My alma mater has alums in top business schools all over the world, including the business schools that I plan to apply to.

My 3.13/4 CGPA (Major- Finance) is measly though. I dived into ECAs during my first two years, achieving great success at the expense of my academics. Reprioritized and did very well in academics during my third year. During my fourth year I contracted Hepatitis E just before my final exams, and my CGPA took a nosedive. My last year’s GPA was 3/4 versus my third year’s GPA of 3.7/4. I had the choice of postponing my studies for a year or taking a bad hit to my CGPA, & I chose the latter due to financial reasons. Anyways, even after taking my horrible fourth year in account, my last two years' CGPA is 3.35/4, so there is an upward trend there.

*MBA Info*

Goal of MBA:
Working in social impact on the side has actually inspired me to enter social impact full-time post-MBA, perhaps joining my family's business on a full-time basis, and/or starting a sister organization to the family business focused on my area of expertise. My area of expertise, Telecommunications, is very important for social impact in my country, Bangladesh. Our internet connectivity is almost entirely mobile communications dependant.

Working in a large private organization has not given me the training I need to embark on an entrepreneurial venture or engage full-time in expanding a family business. I need an MBA to make me ready.

Target schools:
I plan to apply for the 2021 intake. My top favorites are- Said, Judge, Yale, Haas, Kellogg, Tuck, Johnson (P.S. Regarding Said and Judge, I made sure that I am eligible despite my CGPA, even though their websites give off a different impression)

My next favorites are- Stern, Fuqua, Ross, UCLA, LBS, INSEAD, Darden, Tepper, UNC, Foster, Goizueta, McDonough, Owen, Mendoza, Scheller, Rotman

I'll winnow down this list with further research.

However, I want a reality check so that I can focus on the schools which I actually stand a realistic chance at. For example, I'm pretty sure I won't make it to Haas, LBS, Stern. I plan to resit the GRE to raise my Quant, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make the time for it.

I'll also welcome suggestions on schools that I may be missing out on, which are good fits for me.

Posted from my mobile device

First of all, your work experience is great, and the fact that you scored so highly both on the GRE and the MBA math courses will really work in your favour.

There is room on your MBA application to explain the GPA that you received, if you wish to do so.

It is definitely worth applying to the top schools on your list. It is an unprecedented time and MBA application criteria are a little ‘up in the air’ at the moment. This could work in your favor. We also always recommend applying to “safety” schools as well though.

For more information about how COVID is affecting applications, click here.
You can also check out our free MBA chances estimation calculator.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time,

Georgia
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Hi Aringo!

I used your Admissions Chances Calculator and I need a clarification about the nationality I should select.

I am Canadian (born and raised) and plan to apply to programs in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

What option should I select for the nationality? The provided options are:

- American applying to European program
- American applying to American program
- European applying to American program
- European applying to European program
- Indian

Thank you!

Hi! Thank you for reaching out and sharing this question. Looks like we may have a glitch -we'll get right on that. Essentially what this question is looking at is the diversity factor for the programs. You can toggle between the different choices and your score will change in the top right in correlation. I know the Canadian part is missing, but it will change your score 1-2 points overall. I'd love to talk to you more about your profile - please email me at JeniferT@ARINGO.com.
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Hi Jenifer!

Thank you for letting me know. Moreover, applicants from fellow Commonwealth nations (especially Australia and New Zealand) find themselves in the same situation as we do not fall under the categories of Underrepresented Minorities or Overrepresented Minorities and are in the same situation as me.

Moreover, it would be useful for users to see the effect of ethnicity if there are sufficient data points in that aspect.

Thank you!