elPatron434 wrote:
Hi Shimri and Gerorgia!
Happy Holidays! I hope you're doing well!
At the outset, I would like to thank you for all your help to the community(I think the profile eval page on the
aringo website is awsome!).
I am looking to apply to MBA programs in the upcoming application cycle(in R1 of 20201) and would be extremely grateful if you could help me with a profile eval to assess my chances in schools like ISB, Ross, Stern, Foster, UT Austin, Tepper and Fuqua (Please do let me know of any other programs that you feel would be a good fit for me. I havent explored too many non US schools ). I planned on applying this year but a few had to postpone due to a few personal circumstances at home.
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I would be grateful if you could also help me with the following queries,
1. Your overall assessment of the profile
2. Would you recommend that I take the GMAT over the GRE? (I struggle with SC. Learning new words and logically plugging them in based on meaning comes more naturally to me). What should be my target test score?
3. Things are shaky at work. Teams are being laid off heavily and mine has been affected too. A consultation process is underway. The economy hasn't picked up and securing PM roles for folks without a PM-experience in the resume is getting very hard. Consequently, I might have to switch jobs in a similar role by March/April, leaving me with very little time for applications next year. I have the following questions in this regard
A: Will this negatively affect my chances or do you see the ad-com's being more sympathetic to my situation?
B: Would a switch back to Retail Org be perceived negatively? I really liked working there and wouldn't mind going back, even if in the worst case an MBA doesn't materialize for some reason. Securing an LOR from Retail Org(or any new organization) might be a little difficult due to the limited time I would be present in the organization. This has me extremely worried
My apologies for the inconvenience caused by inundating you with so many queries. I would greatly appreciate your thought on this
Thank you in advance
Sincerely
Hi elPatron434
Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations
As you know, my name is Shimri Winters, I head the strategy here at
ARINGO and an LBS alumnus.
From what I can see:
Academics – you have a very good undergraduate and your GPA sounds quite good for computer science which is a tough degree to get a high GPA in. Regarding the fact that you were ill and missed some classes? I would only mention this in schools that specifically ask, if you feel your academics represent your ability. Should you mention this in others? I need to see your entire application to decide if to mention this in the optional essay or not, but my initial gut feeling is not to mention this and focus on positive things
School wish list – I really like your school wish list! Obviously, Stern is harder to get into vs. Foster but all in all, a well-balanced and realistic list! I really think you have a chance if you write great apps!
Extracurricular activities – I love both your hobbies and very happy to see you have some volunteering too
Work Experience –So, you have worked for two great big companies – fantastic and I hope you have a lot of juice and interesting stories for the essays! Actually, I am sure you do 😊 international teams, projects worth 10s of millions, team members underperforming, etc. GREAT!
Your career goals sound very realistic product manager in big tech giant for example (Foster is in Seattle – home of Amazon, Microsoft, etc.)
To answer your questions:
1. profile assessment see above
2. Schools are indifferent to GRE or GMAT. Take the test that fits you the best, and the one you feel you can score the highest score.
3. yes, leaving your job in April will have a negative effect, but if you can find something else fast, then we can show it was a promotion or “upgrade” to a better position. The quicker it happens (the further from R1) the better. Switching back to retail org will not have a negative impact if the position is more senior than the one you left.
All in all, sounds like you have a solid profile. GRE/GMAT – do your best. Work-wise, the most important thing is to stay employed, and if you feel you will be losing your job soon, find something else 😊
And obviously, feel free to reach out directly around May when we start the Round1 applications…
So for now, try to improve GRE / GMAT and let's chat in a few months? Happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps if you send me your CV and any other info to
Shimriw@ARINGO.comGOOD LUCK!
Thank You so much for the detailed analysis Shimri! I look forward to interacting with you in the next couple of months
11 Jan 2021, 21:47
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