Ask IndusMinds

Your GMAT score is good though the acads are on the lower side (you might need to address this in your application package). Your work experience is in the ballpark range. What kind of responsibilities did you have as Team Leader? Where you handling a team and responsible for the project execution? Is there anything else outside the corporate arena which you have been involved in? Any other significant achievements?

With this limited information at my disposal, I am not comfortable recommending top 20 schools yet.
Best,
Priya | Admission Consultant
IndusMinds Consulting
www.indusminds.com

IndusMinds offers free 30-minutes consultation to evaluate your profile. This is a no-obligation opportunity to get a feedback from our team on your chances at top business schools.

Ping me and I will schedule a call with you to go through your profile.

All,
First of all apologies for MIA for last few weeks. We have been working with several clients and believe me every one has a unique story to tell (all IT engineers cannot and should not be put into one bucket). Since we have many software engineers active on the forum, here is some information which you might useful:

1. Do not try to guess what the admission committee wants to hear. You will be surprised to know that more often you will be wrong. The MBA application process is a mechanism through which they want to know you as a person and future corporate leader. They want to know what your drives are and how you think.

2. This leads to my second point. Don't get too mired up in details. Most of us are engineered to focus on details. Details are good to set the context but the real meat should be in telling the adcom about "Why you did something?" What was your thought process behind the actions you took? Situations will change in the future but with a logical and well thought approach you can still achieve stellar success. This is the key so don't waste too much space in beating around the bush.

3. Do exhaustive research on whatever you claim to be your long-term career goal. As an example, many of the applicants assume all specialization within finance are interchangeable. So it might not be a good idea of linking your performance in managing your portfolio of stocks to your long term career goal of getting into investment banking.

4. Reach out to current students and alumni: You will be surprised to know that there are many students who are willing to review your essays at high level. Moreover you have nothing to lose.

I hope this was helpful to you all aspiring for an MBA.

It's showtime! First admit coming all the way from Canada... University of Rotman, Toronto!
Congratulations Sri!

Beware of consulting companies offering 'essay writing services'. As Biplav, founder of IndusMinds puts it:
Misra is opposed to writing essays for clients, which he says is "a huge risk and not worth it."

Here is the businessweek cover story on https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/nov2010/bs20101124_106297.htm#p3m

Read our interview on BusinessWeek's cover story on 'Essay Writing Services'

When Shashikant Kejriwal decided to apply to several top U.S. MBA program this year, he turned to IndusMinds Consulting, in his native India, for a "sounding board." What he got was two consultants who spent hours brainstorming ideas and helping him select the five or six points he highlighted in his essays. Most essays went through three drafts, with IndusMinds offering suggestions for revisions after each one. But the work, says IndusMinds founder and lead consultant Biplav Misra, is all his own. Misra is opposed to writing essays for clients, which he says is "a huge risk and not worth it."

IndusMinds continues to provide personalized services to our clients and by personalized services we mean exactly that! We give substantial time and effort to your application so that you can put forth the best application.

Feel free to contact us for free 30-minute evaluation and see if IndusMinds is the right fit for your MBA dreams.

Hi friends,

Let me briefly post my profile here:

GMAT: 740(AWA- 6)
TOEFL: 117
GPA: 3.93 / 5
XII : 83 %
X : 89.2 %

Prefect for 3 years in school. Member of both school and college cricket & soccer teams. Additionally, member in various groups like festival co- ordination committee, magazine committee etc. and also one of the founders of the departmental wall magazine committee in college.

Drawback(s): 1. Typical profile wrt being an Indian, IT , male.
2. Will have around 15 months professional work ex. by August 2011.

Additionally, working on coveted applications, which are directly relevant to MBA, called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) apps. Have also been extensively involved with 2 NGOs as a voluntary service provider.


Reco letters: One each from my Project Lead (professional), Departmental HOD(acads) and Manager of NGO(extracurricular).

Target Schools for fall 2011: 1. Terry College of Business.
2. Georgia Institute of Technology.





Can you please provide a frank opinion as to whether i have a realistic chance of making it this year? I have already prepared the essays and just waiting for my TOEFL score. So, I have just 2 weeks before I submit the final apps.

Hi Samidh,
You have a good GMAT score and impressive co-curricular activities. As you would be aware, the biggest glaring red flag in your profile is your 'lack of work experience'. As of now, you have about 6-7 months of corporate experience and your stories (read essays) would be from this limited period. There are always few candidates who get in the MBA program with very less experience but you need to prove that you have loads of maturity and leadership experience.

There should be several stories from your undergrad days where you displayed leadership. You should leverage them. Moreover, if you got a chance to take some initiative in your job then use that as well.

You have a decent shot at the schools which you have listed. If you really want to do an MBA now then it will be worthwhile to add some young applicant friendly top business schools such as UCLA and MIT. Worst case scenario they will ding you on the basis of 'lack of work experience' but you can always apply there next year with more experience added to your profile..

Feel free to contact us for free-initial-consultation

Wishing a happy and prosperous new year to all the applicants!

Round two deadlines are around the corner so one last push might be only thing separating you from your destination. Feel free to ping us if you have any questions.

GMAT: Indians good at maths, Chinese better
MUMBAI: Here's proof that Indians have a flair for mathematics. Indians scored higher than the global average in GMAT's quantitative section that tests math skills in 2010. But Chinese students have the highest average in quantitative scores, and India is far behind, at seventh position.

The US, which accounts for the largest number of students appearing for GMAT, trails both India and China in the quantitative section, as well as in overall performance.

B-schools worldwide use Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores to select students.

India's high scores at the GMAT may be because over 60% of Indian GMAT test-takers had an engineering background, while only 15% candidates globally were engineers. High mathematics scores may also have to do with an education system that favours math and science over the liberal arts.

The quantitative section tests students basic math skills built up over a lifetime. Education systems in different countries vary in the emphasis on certain subjects, like math.

"This is often reflected in GMAT scores. We have found that students who come from countries which lay a great emphasis on high-stakes tests tend to perform better in the GMAT," says Alex Chisholm, senior analyst, research and development, with the Graduate Management Admission Council, the body that conducts GMAT.

While the worldwide average score in the quantitative section was 37, for India, it was 42. India also had a higher average total score (578) when compared to the global average (544).

"Indians are, to a large extent, more competitive than the rest of the world. We value an MBA degree far more. Others aren't hungry for an MBA the way we are. If an American gets a good job as an undergraduate, there's little chance that he will pursue a postgraduate degree, whereas in India, many hit the glass-ceiling without an MBA," said overseas education consultant Pratibha Jain. She also points to the fact that in India, an MBA improves ones social status and self-image.

China's performance, overall as well as for the quantitative section, is also better than India's. Jain said this could be because Chinese students are more disciplined than Indians, who often get complacent. Engineering courses in China lay greater emphasis on quantitative analysis. The Chinese know that while language is a handicap for them, math is their strength, and so they work to excel at it, Jain said.

When it comes to quantitative analysis, the gap between India and China is rather wide, with several countries including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea ranking higher than India.

GMAT scores from the US come as a bit of a surprise. Though the US has over 1.27 lakh GMAT test-takers, more than double the number for India and China put together, the average quantitative score as well as the average total score for the US is less than the global average. US scores are lower than those from India and China.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 330716.cms

hey,

I was interested in purchasing one of your multi-school packages, as I am planning on applying to several U.S. business schools for admission in the autumn of 2012. Vital info is as follows:

Nationality: British (born in Libya, raised in England)


Age: 24 (Will be 25 by matriculation in 2012)


Undergraduate Education: University of Leeds (One year exchange at University of Lund, Sweden)


Degree and Result: BSc (hons) Economics (international), Second Upper Class (2.1)


GMAT: 700


Work experience: Will have 2 years of experience by matriculation at Standard Chartered Bank (Dubai office), in the Wholesale Banking Graduate Rotation Program, where I have completed rotations in Financial Markets, Investment Banking, and Private Equity.
Entrepreneurial Experience: While at University co-established, opened a small Italian restaurant, Pizza Milano. Went on to open one more, and have subsequently sold both on.


Extracurricular Activities: Co-founded the International Literacy Foundation in 2010, an international not-for-profit organization focused on literacy promotion. Have completed projects in Canada, Pakistan, and Kenya (with a view to a few more in China, Nigeria and Lebanon) thus far which have revolved around refurbishing, renovating, and expanding libraries at orphanages and insufficiently funded schools. Additional extracurricular activities include volunteering for various causes, such as women’s foundations and the Dubai marathon.

An avid sportsman, I have also represented Liverpool and NW England at field hockey as well as representing my university and Leeds University Business school in addition to being active as an undergrad in the finance and business clubs.


Post-MBA Career Goals:

(Short-term): Private Equity

(Long-term): working for a medium sized to large NGO in Europe.



Essentially, I was wondering what my chances were of admission to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia are?

mt11,
You have an impressive profile with diversity, entrepreneurship and not-for profit experience. I don't see many such profiles and I am truly impressed. Without going into the details, you should give a shot to all the schools which you have mentioned. I do see some red flags:

1. Your GPA and I wished that you had a stellar GMAT score to offset some of the concerns which the adcom might have-"Can he sustain the academic vigor of the program?" Your GMAT score is decent and I wouldn't recommend investing lots of time to get a higher score. Your efforts might be better invested in crafting your message/stories for the admission committee.

2. Disconnect between your short term and long term career goals: Why do you want to start with PE and then move into non-profit?

3. School selection list: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and Columbia are top schools which inherently introduces an element of risk in getting a final admit. Wharton and Columbia might be more realistic choices but I would recommend expanding your list to include some other schools as well..... just in case!

Let me know if this was helpful.

Hello Priya

I gave my GMAT last year and got a 640 (Q47, V31, 5.0). Although I was planning to retake the exam but due to some unavoidable circumstances I could not. I then took a chance and applied to 3 schools for their Round 2 deadline (LBS, Said and ISB). Needless to say got Dinged from all 3.

Now I plan to retake the GMAT in the next 2-3 months and will try to get a 700+ score. Am trying to figure out, that apart from GMAT what else could have been a negative in my application and what do I do to improve my chances next year. As these schools do not provide any feedback (apart from ISB and even there I have heard that the feedback is very generic) am not sure how to figure that out so thought of asking the Experts.

Given my post MBA goals and some personal reasons, I am more interested in doing my MBA from Europe or Asia but will apply to 1-2 US school as well. As of now, am thinking INSEAD, LBS, IMD (maybe depending on which round am ready for), ISB, Kellogg, Wharton, Fuqua (may be).

I have not yet thought of safety schools but given that next year will be my do-or-die year, I will add 1-2 safety school (recommendations are welcome).

My profile is:
Indian/Male/29 years
Undergrad: B.Tech in ECE from India (68%)
Masters: MS from US in Electrical Engineering (GPA: 3.72/4.0), Specialization was Satellite Communication, Worked as a Research Analyst and did a project for NASA (Masters Thesis topic as well), wrote and presented papers in conferences.

WE: 5+ years in Aerospace industry in US, designing GPS receivers for airplanes out of which around 3 years are of Technical Project Management. Have lead projects for major airplane manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing etc). No direct reportees but am responsible for projects (upto 10M $). Am also involved in bids and proposal work and have worked towards new business acquisition of approx 20-25M $ in sales (as a team member).

Post MBA goal Goal:
I want to get in Business development/marketing role in aerospace industry in europe/asia pacific. There is tremendous growth in Aerospace market in these regions.
On a longer term I want to grow in the Business Development role in these markets.

Extra Curr:
At work, I have been working with the Diversity Employee network (Asian network) in a lead role (VP) and have organized cultural and business events. I also volunteer at events organized by the company/department, one specific case was helping out local community during the Iowa Floods of 2008.
During Graduation, I worked with the Indian Student Association. Also volunteered on and off with the university to help out local community, one specific case was the major Florida hurricane in 2004.

Thanks for all the help in advance.

Hi mn2010,
Thanks for reaching out to us and I would be glad to answer your questions.

This should come as no surprise to you that your GMAT score would have killed your candidacy at all the schools. Both LBS and ISB are very competitive as far as GMAT scores are concerned. Said wouldn't be too far off either. You need to be close to 700+ to be competitive at top 25 schools. This effort would be well spent in covering a gaping hole in your profile.

Your undergraduate score is average but your MS GPA of 3.7+ is good. Your work experience sounds interesting but I wouldn't focus too much on the technical side of your corporate experience. You have mentioned about you involvement in business side such as working on proposals etc. How did you get involved in this area? Was it a planned move? Is MBA the next planned move? You need to connect your past experience, MBA, short term career goals and long term career goals clearly and logically. As far as I understand, your short term career goal is to venture into Biz Dev in aerospace industry. Is your long term goal to grow in this function/industry?

It would be difficult to comment on the other improvement areas in your application without looking at your application. Try to arrange for the feedback session with the schools, if you can. Almost all good consulting companies can provide you with the feedback as well but the utility of that feedback diminishes without a good GMAT score.

Hope this was helpful. Fee free to contact us for a telephonic chat if you need further guidance.

Hello IndusMinds,

I need some advice on which MBA schools to apply for.I am a 29 yr old Electrical Engineer. I am originally from india but a permanent resident in US now. I am planning on going for my MBA and needed some help in school selection. Due to family constraints I am looking for schools in the NE region of USA. My profile is below:

BS in Electronics from an average school in India ( GPA 3.2)
MS from an average university in US (GPA 3.9)
Work experience of 5 years at Intel, startup company, 3M and Philips. Been working in Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Semiconductor industry.
Extra curricular mostly in college with organizing different events, also started a non profit fund, voluntary services at work.
GMAT : 710

I am looking at full time programs at HBS, Sloan, Columbia, Stern, Tuck maybe Cornell/ Booth/ Kellogg( if i get into Booth/ kellogg i can move). Also looked at some part time or emba options at booth, kellogg.

I will be applying for 2012 fall...

Any suggestions?? I am not sure if I have the background or the score to get into a top tier school for a full time program..

Hi singhkh10,
Thanks for reaching out to us. I don't see any red flags in your profile but I am not convinced that you can easily get into top 10 schools. Scores of people are going to tell you this and I am just going to reiterate: "You belong to a very competitive pool and it takes something substantial to set yourself apart". This does not imply that you cannot but based on the limited set of data which you have shared I am not certain. May be there are extraordinary stories about leadership, initiatives, social service etc which I am not aware of.

Your GMAT score is good and I would close that chapter since your efforts would be better spent in crafting your application package.

Since you still have several months before the first deadlines for most of the schools, I would recommend a self introspection about the reasons why you want to pursue MBA. This will not only provide you more clarity on the logical connection between your career goals and MBA but also help you decide on MBA, FEMBA or EMBA. You might be young for the EMBA pool, on the verge for full time MBA pool and perfect for FEMBA. If you want to go for a full time MBA then it should definitely be by next year. What are your career goals? If you are not planning to switch fields then EMBA might not be the right choice. EMBA is for individuals who are already in high roles (read Director and above) and they want to pursue MBA to get the stamp for the next jump. Depending on your career goals, you can chose between MBA or FEMBA.

If you want to get into an MBA program then I would recommend adding few safety schools.

Let me know if you have any further questions. You can always contact us and schedule a free 30 minutes telephonic chat.

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