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chinmayrav
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genericMBAIndian
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AdityaHongunti
Hello, I am stuck in quite a unique situation...

GMAT exam 1(December 2018): Q49 v23 - 600

GMAT exam 2(7th December 2019):
Q42 v37 - 640


My question is : do thr colleges consider the highest of two particular sections ?

I mean will they consider Q49 of my earlier attempt and v37 of my most recent attempt. Thank you

Posted from my mobile device

No they won't. They'll consider only one complete attempt
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Hello and Happy New Year!

If you could spare the time to evaluate my profile, it would be greatly appreciated! Any and all feedback and comments are welcome.

Age:
23 (Plan to apply in 3-4 years)

Ethnicity:
Korean-American

Academics:
Top 10 U.S. University (not known for engineering)
GPA: 3.61 (Majored in Mechanical Engineering and Minored in Finance)

GMAT:
740 (49Q, 41V)
(2nd attempt; thinking about retaking the GMAT again to achieve a score of 760+ due to my demographic)

Experience:
Engineer
100% in the aerospace industry (including internships)

Current Job:
Engineer at Fortune 100 Aerospace Engineering Firm

Intended Post-MBA Career:
1.) Management consulting (MBB), using my experiences in the engineering industry (both small and large firms) to help clients with problems unique to the intersection of business and engineering.
Or
2.) Program Manager at current company, using my engineering background, industry experience, and business education from an MBA.

MBA Schools:
Reach: HBS, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Booth, Columbia
Target: Kellogg, Haas, Ross, Stern

Thanks in advance.
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Hello Team,

Kindly review my profile and share your valuable inputs.

Profile: INDIAN, Male, 28 years. I completed my graduation in Computer Science & Engineering from India in 2014 with a CGPA of 8.30.
I have one year Education gap after my Class 12th and Graduation, preparation for Engineering exams(IITJEE) for top colleges.

Academic:
- Engineering: CGPA- 8.30/10
- 12th: 83%
- 10th: 80%

I have been working with TCS,India for past 5 and a half years, out of which for the last one and a half years in Germany. My current role is Developer cum Solution architect.

Extra-curricular: I have won few Star of the Months and top programmers awards within the company.
I have experience of teaching school kids from government school and Security gaurds as part of CSR activity.

Areas of interest : 1) Consulting, 2) Finance

I am planning for the below colleges:
1. Kellogg,
2. INSEAD,
3. TUCK,
4. Yale,
5. ISB

Can you please let me know if my profile fits these colleges and what should be my target GMAT score?

Kindly review the above profile and please let me know if you need more info on my profile. Thanks a lot!
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AdityaHongunti
Hello, I am stuck in quite a unique situation...

GMAT exam 1(December 2018): Q49 v23 - 600

GMAT exam 2(7th December 2019):
Q42 v37 - 640


My question is : do thr colleges consider the highest of two particular sections ?

I mean will they consider Q49 of my earlier attempt and v37 of my most recent attempt. Thank you

Posted from my mobile device

Hello AdityaHongunti,

Apologies for the delayed response here.

While schools will not consider separate sectional scores from different attempts, you could address this fact in the optional essay. Please go ahead with your second score (as it is the higher one) while mentioning that you did score a 49 on the quant section in a previous attempt.

All the best!
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SimbaJSK
Hello and Happy New Year!

If you could spare the time to evaluate my profile, it would be greatly appreciated! Any and all feedback and comments are welcome.

Age:
23 (Plan to apply in 3-4 years)

Ethnicity:
Korean-American

Academics:
Top 10 U.S. University (not known for engineering)
GPA: 3.61 (Majored in Mechanical Engineering and Minored in Finance)

GMAT:
740 (49Q, 41V)
(2nd attempt; thinking about retaking the GMAT again to achieve a score of 760+ due to my demographic)

Experience:
Engineer
100% in the aerospace industry (including internships)

Current Job:
Engineer at Fortune 100 Aerospace Engineering Firm

Intended Post-MBA Career:
1.) Management consulting (MBB), using my experiences in the engineering industry (both small and large firms) to help clients with problems unique to the intersection of business and engineering.
Or
2.) Program Manager at current company, using my engineering background, industry experience, and business education from an MBA.

MBA Schools:
Reach: HBS, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Booth, Columbia
Target: Kellogg, Haas, Ross, Stern

Thanks in advance.

Hello SimbaJSK,

Apologies for the delayed response but we hope this finds you in time still.

While we are not sure about the years of work experience you already possess, having about 5 years of experience at the time of joining the program would be quite ideal; so, we would strongly recommend that you plan accordingly.

Now, your experience in the aerospace industry would definitely be a differentiating factor; however, you haven't provided us with any details of what your role really is for us to evaluate the same. Nonetheless, since profile building is going to be very important at this point, please do keep the following in mind:
a) Explore avenues for growth; the Ad Com looks out for leadership traits and establishing the same through your work becomes important.
b) Try and get some client handling experience, if possible; with the kind of roles you are targetting, the same is going to be quite important.
c) Needless to say, achievements at work will be crucial; even as you look out for growth, do not forget to perform in your existing role; achievements help add talking points to your profile.

You haven't spoken about your extra-curricular engagements at all. With the schools you are targetting, you must truly focus on building your profile in a holistic manner.

The idea for a second attempt sounds great and you must definitely look to score as high as you can.

Good luck!
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Codebug4it
Hello Team,

Kindly review my profile and share your valuable inputs.

Profile: INDIAN, Male, 28 years. I completed my graduation in Computer Science & Engineering from India in 2014 with a CGPA of 8.30.
I have one year Education gap after my Class 12th and Graduation, preparation for Engineering exams(IITJEE) for top colleges.

Academic:
- Engineering: CGPA- 8.30/10
- 12th: 83%
- 10th: 80%

I have been working with TCS,India for past 5 and a half years, out of which for the last one and a half years in Germany. My current role is Developer cum Solution architect.

Extra-curricular: I have won few Star of the Months and top programmers awards within the company.
I have experience of teaching school kids from government school and Security gaurds as part of CSR activity.

Areas of interest : 1) Consulting, 2) Finance

I am planning for the below colleges:
1. Kellogg,
2. INSEAD,
3. TUCK,
4. Yale,
5. ISB

Can you please let me know if my profile fits these colleges and what should be my target GMAT score?

Kindly review the above profile and please let me know if you need more info on my profile. Thanks a lot!

Hello Codebug4it,

Apologies for the delayed response but we hope this will be of help to you still.

The length of your work experience is just ideal for you to apply to these programs and the exposure of working in Germany sounds great as well. However, you do belong to an over-represented pool of Indian applicants with an IT background; resultantly, please do aim for the 99th percentile on the GMAT; it will not guarantee you an admit but will definitely help differentiate your case from a lot of others.

Your extra-curricular engagements sound average but we are hoping that you would be applying in Round 1 for the Fall 2021 intake. That will give you a chance to build your profile further. The schools you are targetting want to see a holistic profile; so, be sure to present the same through your essays.

Please do watch the following video to gain an understanding of the qualities that the Ad Com expects:



Hope this helps!

All the best!
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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
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Inseadxyz
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

Hello Inseadxyz,

Thanks for your query.

First things first...your GMAT score is definitely going to be the strongest component of your application; a good job with that!

Frankly, a lot depends on how you differentiate your case from other applicants (through your essays), project your need for a second MBA, and elaborate on your career goals. What we do not see in your profile as of now is:
a) International experience
b) Leadership experience (unless people are reporting to you in your current capacity)

In particular, if we talk about INSEAD, it really values the above; hence, you may want to build your profile keeping the same in mind. That said, your education start-up definitely sounds good; hopefully, you will be able to project your achievements with the start-up in a powerful manner.

Coming to your volunteering experience, we would definitely motivate you to contribute to the social organizations you are working with, in the capacity of a leader. Rather than showcasing mere volunteering experience, it's important to bring out qualities (directly or indirectly) that a business school would value.

The following video may help:



To cut a long story short, you must definitely apply to INSEAD and the top 1-year programs but focus on submitting a set of stellar essays that do justice to your overall profile. Needless to say, spend the next few months building your profile along the lines discussed.

Should you wish to schedule a detailed discussion to discuss this further, do let us know.

Good luck!
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Hi
Does a long unpaid medical leave (6-8 months) get deducted from the no. of months of work experience?
Should it be revealed in the application?
Will it affect my candidacy?
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Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application - 26, Business education (Undergrad and post-grad from top tier institutes in India)
GMAT: 730 -740 (Realistic target)
Undergrad Gpa- 7.48(equivalent to 4.0 acc to gmac)- top 30%

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)
Common Admission Test 2015 (GMAT equivalent for Indian bschools, 200,000 test takers in a year) - 98.5 percentile


Work experience and leadership - 3.5 years (during application) CPG firm in India, led a team of 10+ management graduates for all these 3.5 yrs, youngest and fastest to get promoted, youngest state head, highest growth and achievement nos. in first 2 years

Recommendations from Pan India Heads

Community and others -

Volunteering at a school for special needs children - mostly kids who don't have resources for correct diagnosis - tried to teach them nuances of human interaction and to make them independent in their daily tasks

Hosted a tedx event and achieved a blackbelt in martial arts, opportunity to represent country and state in international and national competitions

Post MBA goals - transition to consulting in CPG/manufacturing and then start an entrepreneurial venture



zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background?
Which schools shall I target - Stretch, Realistic, Safety? (open to european schools, and only stem in usa)
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doublewhammy
Hi
Does a long unpaid medical leave (6-8 months) get deducted from the no. of months of work experience?
Should it be revealed in the application?
Will it affect my candidacy?

Hello doublewhammy,

Thanks for writing in.

Whether your leave gets deducted from the months of work experience depends completely on how your company presents it on paper. Ideally, yes, it does not count towards your total work experience.

The leave should definitely be discussed in your application in the Optional Essay/Extenuating Circumstance essay. Be candid about the reason for your leave and talk about your learning from the entire episode. Provided you are able to discuss the reason in a convincing manner, this should not affect your candidacy.

Hope this helps.

All the best!
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doublewhammy
Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application - 26, Business education (Undergrad and post-grad from top tier institutes in India)
GMAT: 730 -740 (Realistic target)
Undergrad Gpa- 7.48(equivalent to 4.0 acc to gmac)- top 30%

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)
Common Admission Test 2015 (GMAT equivalent for Indian bschools, 200,000 test takers in a year) - 98.5 percentile


Work experience and leadership - 3.5 years (during application) CPG firm in India, led a team of 10+ management graduates for all these 3.5 yrs, youngest and fastest to get promoted, youngest state head, highest growth and achievement nos. in first 2 years

Recommendations from Pan India Heads

Community and others -

Volunteering at a school for special needs children - mostly kids who don't have resources for correct diagnosis - tried to teach them nuances of human interaction and to make them independent in their daily tasks

Hosted a tedx event and achieved a blackbelt in martial arts, opportunity to represent country and state in international and national competitions

Post MBA goals - transition to consulting in CPG/manufacturing and then start an entrepreneurial venture



zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background?
Which schools shall I target - Stretch, Realistic, Safety? (open to european schools, and only stem in usa)

ExpertsGlobal Could you weigh in my profile too?
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doublewhammy
Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application - 26, Business education (Undergrad and post-grad from top tier institutes in India)
GMAT: 730 -740 (Realistic target)
Undergrad Gpa- 7.48(equivalent to 4.0 acc to gmac)- top 30%

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)
Common Admission Test 2015 (GMAT equivalent for Indian bschools, 200,000 test takers in a year) - 98.5 percentile


Work experience and leadership - 3.5 years (during application) CPG firm in India, led a team of 10+ management graduates for all these 3.5 yrs, youngest and fastest to get promoted, youngest state head, highest growth and achievement nos. in first 2 years

Recommendations from Pan India Heads

Community and others -

Volunteering at a school for special needs children - mostly kids who don't have resources for correct diagnosis - tried to teach them nuances of human interaction and to make them independent in their daily tasks

Hosted a tedx event and achieved a blackbelt in martial arts, opportunity to represent country and state in international and national competitions

Post MBA goals - transition to consulting in CPG/manufacturing and then start an entrepreneurial venture



zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background?
Which schools shall I target - Stretch, Realistic, Safety? (open to european schools, and only stem in usa)

Hello doublewhammy,

Hope this finds you well.

Your leadership experience, a promotion at work, and target GMAT score sound good. While there is no recommended GMAT score per se, the higher score the better it is going to be for you to help differentiate your profile.

While we do not speculate on schools, you will need to apply to those, which are open to candidates going for a second MBA (as you indicated that you have a post-grad degree from an IIM). Hence, deliberate on your target geography and your preferred program duration; do consider that certain American 2-year programs are not open to second MBA candidates. Further, when you do apply, please ensure that you portray your need for a second MBA effectively in your application. It is also going to be a core question during your MBA interviews.

Your career goals sound in line with your experience and the extra-curriculars are decent, if not stellar. Therefore, our major recommendation at this point is that you focus on taking the GMAT and aim for as a high a score as you can. Once that is out of the way, you should take the other components of your application process forward.

All the best!
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doublewhammy
Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application - 26, Business education (Undergrad and post-grad from top tier institutes in India)
GMAT: 730 -740 (Realistic target)
Undergrad Gpa- 7.48(equivalent to 4.0 acc to gmac)- top 30%

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)
Common Admission Test 2015 (GMAT equivalent for Indian bschools, 200,000 test takers in a year) - 98.5 percentile


Work experience and leadership - 3.5 years (during application) CPG firm in India, led a team of 10+ management graduates for all these 3.5 yrs, youngest and fastest to get promoted, youngest state head, highest growth and achievement nos. in first 2 years

Recommendations from Pan India Heads

Community and others -

Volunteering at a school for special needs children - mostly kids who don't have resources for correct diagnosis - tried to teach them nuances of human interaction and to make them independent in their daily tasks

Hosted a tedx event and achieved a blackbelt in martial arts, opportunity to represent country and state in international and national competitions

Post MBA goals - transition to consulting in CPG/manufacturing and then start an entrepreneurial venture



zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background?
Which schools shall I target - Stretch, Realistic, Safety? (open to european schools, and only stem in usa)

Hello doublewhammy,

Hope this finds you well.

Your leadership experience, a promotion at work, and target GMAT score sound good. While there is no recommended GMAT score per se, the higher score the better it is going to be for you to help differentiate your profile.

While we do not speculate on schools, you will need to apply to those, which are open to candidates going for a second MBA (as you indicated that you have a post-grad degree from an IIM). Hence, deliberate on your target geography and your preferred program duration; do consider that certain American 2-year programs are not open to second MBA candidates. Further, when you do apply, please ensure that you portray your need for a second MBA effectively in your application. It is also going to be a core question during your MBA interviews.

Your career goals sound in line with your experience and the extra-curriculars are decent, if not stellar. Therefore, our major recommendation at this point is that you focus on taking the GMAT and aim for as a high a score as you can. Once that is out of the way, you should take the other components of your application process forward.

All the best!

Thanks a lot for the evaluation
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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 don't think I'll be able to make it to Haas, Kellogg, 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.

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Naseef
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 don't think I'll be able to make it to Haas, Kellogg, 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

Hello Naseef

Thanks for sharing your detailed profile with us.

Considering your work experience, career highlights, entrepreneurial experience, and extra-curricular activities, you have a wide range of talking points in your profile, and the same, if presented through a convincing narrative, is bound to add immense value to your profile.

Although the career goals depict a shift of sorts, they can be connected to your work in the telecom domain and your experience in non-profit sector consulting. Besides, you need not worry too much about the GPA as the same can always be addressed in the Optional Essay for each school.

While we do not speculate on the list of schools, we do feel that you have a good case for most of your target schools (in terms of your profile); however, we would strongly recommend that you retake the GRE because your quant score definitely needs some boosting. A higher GRE score together with a set of stellar essays would give you a good chance of making it to your target schools. Do try to spread the risk by applying to a larger number of schools in different leagues. Your current strategy of separating schools between 'top favourites' and 'next favourites' is a good one but make sure you apply aggressively in both leagues.

Hope this helps.

All the best!
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Hi,

I have 2 queries -does pre-undergraduate, mandatory military service (for 2 years) count as work experience for the purpose of fulfilling US universities' MBA work experience requirements/guidelines? What about post-undergraduate internships?

Thank you very much!
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