Ask ARINGO MBA Admissions Consulting

Hello,
Please help me evaluate my profile and any necessary action items that might be needed to fill the gaps.

Background and nationality:
28 years, Female Indian.

Academic background:

10th from ICSE, India: 88%
12th from ICSE, India: 78%
BTech in EE, India: 8.15 CGPA
GMAT: scheduled in October 2023

Professional background:
Internship : 3 Internships at different major government organizations during Under Graduation.
Total Work experience: 5.5 years with IT Services MNC (Currently working as a Custom Engineering Specialist/Team Lead)

Extra- Curricular
-Participated in International Model United Nations Conference, 2015.
-Awarded certificate, by Enactus India, in recognition of commitment to use
entrepreneurial action.
-Awarded certificate for participating in “Rail Shubhrat” by East Coast Indian Railways.
-Certificate of Appreciation, by KISS, in recognition of the efforts in the program
“Project Learn Out Loud”.

MBA Plan - Currently thinking of MBA in general management with a specialization in Product Management.

Plan post-MBA: To move into Product management Roles utilizing my technical background and product management skills to be obtained during my MBA.

TARGET SCHOOL –
1) Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
3) Yale SOM
4) London Business School
5) INSEAD
6) University of Warwick
7) HEC Paris
8) Duke
9) Tuck
10) NUS

What should be my target score?

What next steps should I take to improve my profile and be a better fit.

Dear Sneha,
Below is my evaluation of our profile.
Academics: Above Average (assuming you graduated from a Tier 1 college); If you have graduated from a tier 2/3 college, the rating would be Average.
Work Experience: At the surface you seem to fall in the overrepresented pool of Indian applicants who have switched from a non-IT undergrad background to an IT Services industry and grown there in terms of managing more developers. It will be interesting to how you can differentiate yourself from that pool. For example, if you’ve led a high-stakes project, implemented innovative solutions, or worked in an international setting, those experiences can showcase your leadership, problem-solving abilities, and global perspective. Your application should clearly demonstrate teamwork and business communication (if you have worked directly with client stakeholders).
Note that in terms of quantum of work experience, you are just fine.
Extra-Curriculars: Average; while your participation in MUN back in 2015 will hardly count as it is dated, it would be interesting to learn more about the project “Learn Out Loud”. It can potentially be an excellent way to show compassion, leadership outside work and ability to handle multiple commitments.
Post MBA Goal: Getting into a PM role seems to be a natural progression of everyone who has Pre-MBA IT experience. Adcoms would want to know how your unique background will help you succeed as a PM.
Now, in terms of your choice of schools, I will try to give a realistic picture of where you would stand assuming you hit a score of 730 (assuming your target Score will be equal or more than this) in terms of probability of acceptance.
1) Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania : Low
3) Yale SOM : Medium
4) London Business School : Medium
5) INSEAD : Low
6) University of Warwick : High
7) HEC Paris : High
8) Duke: Medium
9) Tuck: Low
10) NUS: Medium
Note: For the US schools, based on your GMAT taking timeline, you will miss Early & R1, and the earliest you will be apply will be R2, which is harder to get into as an international applicant than R1.
I have been guiding applicants successfully navigate the admissions journey for the last 6+ years. Feel free to get in touch with me by signing up for a session at – https://calendly.com/crackadmission/profileevaluation as and when you feel you are ready to start working on your apps.
Cheers and All the Best
Arijit
CrackAdmission

Hello,
Please help me evaluate my profile and suggest me a good mix of schools between R1 and R2 among the ones mentioned below.

Background and nationality:
29 years, Male Indian.

Academic background:
10th from ICSE, India: 10 CGPA
12th from ICSE, India: 95%
BTech in CSE (NIT Durgapur), India: 8.88 CGPA
GRE: 328 (158V, 170Q)

Professional background:
Total Work experience: 6 years and 2 months as of today.
• Goldman Sachs – 4 years
o Worked and led end-to-end development to launch for high-stake consumer projects, such as Apple Card, and Apple Savings (GS-Apple partnership projects) – Led various domains end to end for all the above projects.
o Globally leading a team of 10 people from India
o 2 promotions in 4 years – Currently a Vice President.
o Various Engineering Awards won in 4 years.
o Spent 2 years in Private Equity Division as well.
• Oracle – 2 years

Extra- Curricular:
• Been a part of Goldman Sachs Community Team Works since 2019 – On an average of 12 hours a month spent towards community activities. (2019-now)
• Regular volunteer in 2 NGOs since 2019 – Teaching underserved students on weekends (2019-now)
• Regular Marathon Runner for various social causes since 2017. (2017-now)
• Had a restaurant startup in college – 1-year devoted effort. (2016)
• Initiated and set up a programming club in college from scratch. (2016)
• Co-authored a research paper in college. (2017)
• Other leadership initiatives and community work done in college and school.

Plan post-MBA– Product Management, utilizing my technical background. FinTech Space with a focus on FAANG companies post MBA.

TARGET SCHOOLS –
1) Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
2) Kellogg
3) Columbia Business School
4) London Business School
5) INSEAD
6) Chicago Booth
7) Yale SOM
8) NYU Stern
9) MIT Sloan
10) HAAS

I’ve just completed my EA and i have a score of 154 and I’d like to start applying for Full Time MBA Programs in the 2nd round. The score for each section is as follows:

IR: 13
VR: 9
QR: 12
like message
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12:52 PM
does anyone know if this is a good score to get into one of the top 20 business schools?

My target schools are: UT McCombs, Columbia, NYU Stern, UVA Darden, Georgetown, UCLA and Carnegie Mellon in that order

amartinez hi,
My name is Shimri Winters and I head the strategy team here at ARINGO
154 is a mediocre score (so, not wonderful, but not bad). will you be taking it again? or is this the sore you are going with?
Schools don't have an official minimum EA score, but to give you some indication, in unofficial talks with Columbia admissions, I received the vibe that they are looking for 157+. On the other hand, I got the message that 150+ might be enough, for excellent candidates, in some of the other schools you mentioned (plus see below some stats on our candidates from last year)

To give you some stats of real cases, here are some EA scores of candidates we worked with last year (starting to study in Sep-2023) - we had a candidate who score 151 in the EA, who got into Georgetown (together with his partner who had a 610 GMAT! and got an offer and $30K scholarship), a candidate who scored 153 and got into Darden Virginia (together with a few candidates who got into Darden with a GMAT Waiver! 2 with a full ride scholarship!) and last, a 149 who got into NYU Tech MBA with our assistance with a 50% scholarship!!

Conclusion.
your EA is mediocre, but the EA is just one factor of the application (background, work experience, managerial experience, international experience, hobbies, volunteering, GPA, etc. are together, and more important than the EA score). We work with many candidates that have lower-than-average GMAT/GRE/EA scores successfully.

If interested to hear more, please send me your CV or Linkedin, school wish list, EA breakdown, and any other relevant info to ShimriW@ARINGO.com and I can go deeper into your profile and give you a chances assessment, and perhaps event work together on some stellar applications
shimri

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1. Can you review my profile and let me know what you think about it?
2. Can you recommend me schools that I should target based on my profile?

Demographics:
- Indian, Male, 25

Education:
- Dual Degree(B.Tech + M.Tech) in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay
- GPA: 8.83/10

GMAT: 760 (Q51 V42 IR8 AWA 5)

Work Experience (Total 4 years at matriculation):
- 1 year 8 months at Goldman Sachs in a Quant Strategist Role in Asset Management (Real Estate) | Promoted in a year
- 1 year 5 months at Wells Fargo in a Technology Role in Consumer Lending | Promoted in a year

Extracurricular Activities:
- CFA Charterholder
- Co-founder of a non-profit initiative that focuses on providing help to underprivileged families living in the slums of Mumbai
- Student Head of International Relations at IIT - Managed student exchange programs, international student delegations, language courses, and buddy programs.
- Strong International Experience during my undergrad at IIT ( Internships in Hong Kong, Canada; Semester Exchange Program in Denmark; Cultural Exchange Program in Indonesia )

Post MBA Goals
- Short Term: Transition into an Investment/Fund Management Role (hopefully focussed in Real Estate)
- Long Term: Come back to India and lead my family’s real estate development business which concentrates on low-income housing projects

👋 Hey Sneha_Bose,

I came across your profile evaluation query on the forum and thought I'd reach out to offer some assistance from my own experience.

So here is what I would suggest:

Strengths:
➡️ Strong Academic Background: Your BTech CGPA of 8.15 is strong. You can quantify this by mentioning any academic honors, scholarships, or relevant coursework that aligns with your MBA goals.

➡️ Work Experience: 5.5 years in IT Services with a current role as a Custom Engineering Specialist/Team Lead is a solid foundation. You can quantify this by discussing specific projects you've led, the size of the teams you've managed, and the impact you've had, e.g., "Led a team of X engineers to deliver a project that resulted in Y% efficiency gains for the client."

➡️ Extra-Curricular Involvement: Your participation in international events like Model UN and entrepreneurial action through Enactus adds another layer to your profile. You can quantify this by discussing the scale and impact of your contributions, e.g., "Initiated a project through Enactus that impacted X number of lives."


Areas for Improvement:
➡️ GMAT Score: Since you're targeting top-tier schools and come from an overrepresented demographic, aim for a GMAT score of 730+ to be competitive.

➡️ Clarify Career Goals: Your post-MBA goal of moving into Product Management is good, but you'll need to articulate a compelling story that links your past experience with your future ambitions.

➡️ Leadership Experience: While you have some leadership experience, consider taking on more significant leadership roles either at work or in extracurricular activities to further bolster your profile.


School Recommendations:
➡️ Dream: Wharton, Yale SOM, London Business School, INSEAD
➡️ Competitive: Duke, Tuck, HEC Paris, NUS, Warwick
➡️ Safe: IESEG, Foster, Babson, Manchester


Next Steps:
➡️ GMAT Preparation: Since your GMAT is scheduled for October 2023, focus on preparing thoroughly to aim for a 730+ score.

➡️ Networking: Start reaching out to alumni or current students from your target schools to gain insights into the culture and what the AdCom might be looking for.

➡️ Essays and Recommendations: Given that you're aiming for R1 in 2024, you have ample time to think through your essays. Start jotting down key achievements, failures, and leadership experiences that you can highlight. Also, identify who will be your recommenders and prep them on your MBA goals.

➡️ Enhance Leadership Profile: Take on more leadership roles or spearhead new initiatives at work or outside. Given your interest in Product Management, perhaps you could lead a small product development project at your current job.

➡️ Additional Courses: Consider taking additional courses that can help you in Product Management, such as courses in Agile methodologies, to make your post-MBA goals more credible.

By focusing on these areas, you can build a compelling application that aligns with the stringent criteria of your target schools.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a FREE call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.

👇 You can setup a call via this link:

👉 https://bit.ly/3DSH5km 👈

Hi shubhamg763,

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations.

My name is Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO.

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – Strong GPA + Dual degree from IIT + CFA Charter holder + GMAT score of 760- AMAZING!

Work Experience –You have a good experience with some well-known companies and an impressive career trajectory. We would like to know more about the impact of your work, international exposure, etc.

Extracurricular activities/Volunteer Work – Another strong aspect of your profile. We would like to know about your hobbies and interests too.

Your career goals - Your career goals are well thought out. However, we need to connect them with your past experiences in your essays. You can certainly target the top MBA programs as you have it all

All in all, sounds like you have a good profile! If you send me your CV and other info on PRIYANKAK@ARINGO.com, I would love to connect you with our CEO who will be happy to help further with a detailed review, guide you on the target schools, and perhaps work together on some amazing apps.

All the best.

Today’s chat session with ARINGO MBA will start in around 23 minutes, stay tuned

Hi there,
Could you please review my profile, I am planning to apply to IIM A PGPX, IIM B EPGP, IIM C PGPX, and ISB

Below is my profile:

10th- 8.4 cgpa
12th- 80%
Grad.- B.com hons. 72% (top 10 percentile in batch)

GMAT- 650 Q45 V34 IR5 AWA5

Work experience:
1) plant manager- Indian manufacturing firm. 1.5 years

2) Assistant Accountant(Indian FMCG co.)-
Joined as a book keeper, and after 5 months I was managing several projects like: Dealing with Indian army(sale of grains), dealt with executives of Parle, Britannia, Marico etc.

3) American express: Joined as lead analyst, in 1 year promoted to Sr. Lead analyst. Handling a portfolio as process owner of 1 billion USD worth of chargeouts. Received several rewards and have certificates as a proof.

Extracurriculars: Part of Amex learning and development initiatives and representative of my whole department.
Volunteered as teaching faculty with Bodhi tree foundation and taught many kids from different parts of India.

Retook GMAT but somehow got 620 Q48 V27 IR7. Canceled it.

Unwilling to re-take,So,applying with 650 score.

Your thoughts??

Thanks.

Posted from my mobile device

Hey there! Kindly review my profile.
Aiming for the MIM program.
I am 21 Indian Male.Had a score of 79.83% in 10th standard and 80.83% in 12th standard(first rank in the class).Graduated in Commerce with 8.35 GPA from a prestigious university in India.


Coming from a small village didn’t had much exposure, though managed to secure an Internship in Marketing Management, where I lead a team of 10 people. Achieved good results there.Participated in some case study competitions too.

Also, I have volunteered in three NGOs and made some significant contribution in one of them.

Recently started my GMAT prep journey. Aiming for a 740+.

Target College: Insead MIM, HEC Paris, LBS, University of St. Gallen.

Future Vision: Aiming to become a consultant.

How is my current profile?
What is the minimum GMAT score at which I can make it into the above mentioned colleges?

Also, things you would suggest me to do, if any.

Aiming for the Aug,2024 intake.

Thanks.

You will need more impactful work experience + GMAT in excess of 710 for all schools except St. Gallen where even a 700 might do the trick.

Okay. Thanks a lot.

Hey there!
Kindly review my profile. I am an Indian Female.

Below is my profile:
10th - 10 CGPA
12th - 91.1%
Graduation - B.Tech Electronics - 78.83%


GMAT- 690 Q50 V34 IR3

Could you please review my profile, I want to get into one of the top schools from the list below. I want to be realistic and hence want to know my chances in the below universities/colleges for 2024 intake. Please let me know my chances at this score. Also, shall I consider going for a re-take?

Indian colleges: IIM A PGPX, IIM B EPGP, IIM C PGPX, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, ISB
US colleges: Cornell USA, UCLA Anderson
UK colleges: London Business school UK , Insead UK or Singapore.


Work experience:
1) Business planning tool - Anaplan - 5 years of experience in both consulting and product company. Worked on use cases like innovation planning, sales planning, Territory performance, Demand planning etc. So, I basically worked as a model builder for the companies who came to our company to get their business model implemented in anaplan.

2) Accenture - In Most recent work experience, I worked as a project technical lead for one of the top US based MNC client. Also, mentored a team of nearly 10 freshers and helped them enhance skills in anaplan - conducted this twice.

3) In college: I have hosted multiple events including conferences. Organised fests and participated in national level youth parliament.


Thanks.

Dear @Alka10,

Good evening.

Below is my evaluation of your profile.

GMAT: Average for most of the Indian Schools in the list but lower than avg. for the USA & EU schools.
Academics: Average; not sure from which college did you graduate from, but if you did from a Tier 1 school, then this will be above average.

Work Experience: Above Average; from the surface it seems that you worked in an implementation role at Anaplan, where based on end customer requirements, you configured the planning tool to meet the objectives. The fact that you got an exposure to multiple aspects of planning that can happen while running a business is very interesting and you can leverage it to draft compelling narratives. The project management role at Accenture demonstrates that you are adept at delivering large scale delivery projects while channelizing resources of your team.

Extra-Curriculars: Below Average; don’t see a lot of depth in any of the ECs; that’s definitely something you would want to rethink.

Practicality of Short-term Goals: Can’t comment based on information provided.

Choice of Programs and success probability (assuming you draft a well rounded application showcasing how you are a cultural, professional and academic fit for the specific school).
• IIM A PGPX : Medium
• IIM B EPGP : Medium
• IIM C PGPX: Low
• IIM Kozhikode : High
• IIM Lucknow : High
• ISB: Medium
• Cornell : Medium
• UCLA: Low (primarily because of GMAT)
• LBS: Medium
• INSEAD : Low (primarily because you don’t seem to have any full time international work experience)

I am an ISB Alum, CO15, and have been guiding applicants navigate their admission journeys and successfully crack admissions in their dream MBA programs for the last 6+ years.

Feel free to reach out to me via DM in case you seek professional guidance.

Cheers and all the best!

Please evaluate my profile for US Top 10 Schools (Cornell Johnson) and other European Schools.

GMAT 700
Q 49 V 35
IR 5 AWA 5

Indian, Male, 27
Professional Summary:
Job 1 : Mechanical Engineer in Dubai (UAE): Voltas Limited (Construction) (July 2019-Oct-2020) 15 months
Roles: Project Bidding, Budgeting, Tendering and Estimation

6 month buffer in moving back to India to find jobs in Covid.

Job 2: Consultant (EY) (July 2021)-Present
Engagement 1: Handling the merger of 7 Indian subsidiaries of Tata Steel.
Engagement 2: Handling SAP Projects for a Fortune 500 client (Tata Steel) and its subsidiaries across India/Canada/SE Asia/Europe. (I started as an Analyst and got two promotions within 18 months. (36 months experience in this job by July '2024).
The current role involves daily stand ups with senior leadership of the group and back to back calls with CXOs.
A total of 51 months of work experience by July 2024.

Extra Curriculars in Undergrad
1. Leader (AIESEC)- Partnered with local orgs and helped them raise projects which were worked upon by foreign interns. This helped companies increase their cultural diversity. Projects raised were worth ($20000+)
We organized events themed around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
(Youth Speak Forum-A common platform for college students to interact with industry titans.)


2. Team Lead-ISHRAE-We won a grant ($1500) to design an environment friendly cooling system and created a working prototype. This was from among a team of 100+ teams that applied for the grant throughout the country.

Extra Curriculars in my current job:
EY-Foundation - Mentoring students from underprivileged backgrounds in deciding their future action plans by understanding their inclinations towards various disciplines (Science and Commerce).
Toastmasters International:- Was part of this club while working in Dubai. I do engage with local entities (India) as a part time member.

Educational Summary
Undergrad: Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering (2015-19) from a tier 1 college in India. CGPA 7.96; GPA 3.33. (KIIT Bhubaneswar)
10th (ICSE)-86%
12th (ICSE)-79% (Science)

Post MBA Goals:
Get into the bigger consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, BAIN, L.E.K..) open to generalist roles initially to get an idea of the market.
I look forward to transitioning into senior strategy consulting roles. Operations interest me too.