ramalo wrote:
-27 y/o Indian Male
-GMAT 710 (Q 81, V 88).....think I can improve this working on retaking this in first week of september
-Graduated in 2008 from a Cardiff Business School in UK with a degree in accounting and finance. Topped my degree in year one. My final year grade suffered as I had to skip almost 2 months of college because of my dads illness. Ended up with an upper 2.1 degree.
-planned on working in UK itself, post graduation, in order to gain some international work ex but had to move back to India because of my fathers death (2 weeks after end of college). In order to take care of family affairs, moving back was the only option.
-Since then have garnered 6 years experience of working in the business development and corporate strategy division of a firm with interests across hydropower, textiles and education. The firm has revenue in excess of $100 million. Have worked across all 3 sectors. Started out working as an analyst overseeing the development of a 5MW hydropower plant. This gave me a great insight into the workings of the infrastructure space in a developing country like India, where the lack of infrastructure is a major stumbling block. Moved next onto designing and implementing a plan for expanding the denim division within the cotton textile vertical. The expansion of the denim vertical division played a crucial role in providing a hedge to the textile business against the downturn in the other textile divisions (cotton yarn, woven fabrics, etc) during the post lehman crisis. Currently leading a team in implementing the expansion/diversification of the education vertical. The firm runs 4 B-schools and 1 higher secondary school in India. My idea of diversifying in the higher secondary space by utilizing the low cost franchising model of expansion. The idea for diversification was my brainchild from the start. The projects at a very advanced stage of implementation with one school having already opened up and 9 other agreements having been signed. I'm also the youngest at the firm in a senior managerial role.
-Extra curricular: work with one of the most prominent environmental NGO in the country. Have worked on various environmental research topics all through school and college. Currently drafting a letter that will be sent out to all the newly elected members of the Indian parliament, focusing on the urgent steps needed in the field of environmental conservation. Steps that will allow development of the economy while providing necessary safeguards for protecting the environment.
Also having lost my father to blood cancer I have organized and participated in blood donation camps as its a cause near my heart.
I was also responsible for redrafting and implementing the corporate social responsibility charter at the firm that I work at, with a focus on sanitation for the poor and improving female financial literacy.
-Short term goal: to make a transition to a top tier management consulting firm and work in new geographies (I know its a common post MBA goal). I'm inclined towards a career in sustainability and corporate social governance consulting with the consulting sphere. Coming up with a strategy and then executing it is something I do in my current role as well. But my role is currently confined more or less only to the Indian context. Post MBA I would definitely like to work outside of India. Working in the developed world (USA or Western Europe) will allow me to learn the best global practices in these sectors and this will come in handy when I eventually move back to India, seeing the long term requirement for expertise in these sectors.
-Target schools- Please suggest some schools that I can realistically look at applying to both in the US and Europe.
Looking forward to reading your perspective on where I stand.
Thanks & Regards
Dear Ramalo,
Thank you for such a detailed introduction.
GMAT: You have good GMAT score (it is balanced too). So don't worry too much about it.
Undergrad: You demonstrate the required academic skills. Solid justification for lower GPA at the end of your degree.
Work Experience: Solid. Relevant experience in Biz dev and Corp. Strategy differentiates you from typical Indian applicants. You have demonstrated good career trajectory by becoming the youngest senior manager in the company.
Extra Curricular: ECs involving some personal connection are always solid. If you can demonstrate continuity with the cause, it will be golden.
Career Goals: Sustainability and CSR are a bit too specific. Make sure that you clearly connect the dots in the story and mention what drove you to choose this career goal.
Target Schools: Your profile is impressive. You are a good fit for most top business schools. I would recommend you to consider INSEAD in Europe and Kellogg, Wharton, Booth, Ross, Duke, Tuck from US: Mainly top 10 schools with a couple of safety schools ranked between 10-20.