Ask Marvel Admissions

Well I thought it'd be good to drop a line to put an ending to the story...

I delayed my GMAT slightly to yesteday, 21st Jan. Despite an interrupting in studying over the Christmas break I managed to get some good work done during January, so I was surprised to only score 670 on my second GMATPrep test (considering I dropped from my 710 in early December I was pretty disappointed) on Saturday. I felt I hadn't gone backwards, but had suffered from a lack of concentration towards the end in the Verbal section - I spent the rest of the weekend eating well, sleeping better and trying to get my energy levels up as well as some last minute cramming!

I went into the exam with some trepidation, but I'm delighted to say I finished with a 720!!! I had to rub my eyes in disbelief to check it didn't say 620...! Obviously I'm really pleased, I can now focus on my plan for applications in Round 1 later this year.

Thanks to all of you who offered advice, I really appreciate it.

Hi Kiran,

With 7+ yrs. of work experience and international exposure, you can target European b-schools like: INSEAD, IMD, IE-Spain, HEC-Paris, Rotterdam and ESADE. You can try your chances in b-schools by clicking https://www.general-ed.com/chances-of-bschool . You can always convert your chances from application to admission by skillfully writing application essays.

As interview constitutes an integral part in b-school application, I would suggest you to demonstrate professional achievements during the final call. You can know more about interview tips and preparations on https://bit.ly/XQVp4s

Feel free to post any other concerns you might have. You can PM your number to have a discussion over profile and selection of b-schools.

Best,
AK

Hi Christine ,

Thanks.
About the death threats , I will PM you if you are interested .

Cheers
Sid

Here's the situation...

I've applied to Ross, McCombs, Anderson, Marshall, and Kellogg. After receiving a waitlist w/out interview from Ross, waitlist w/interview from McCombs, and a ding from Anderson, I'm becoming increasingly nervous about my chances of getting into one of the programs to which I have applied. This has lead me to do research about some other programs. After doing some further research, I'm very interested in Johnson, and am considering applying in round 3 (of 4 rounds total.) I wish I would have done more research about the program earlier, bc I feel it is a great fit.

My background is in hospitality management, and I'm looking to transition into hospitality marketing. Here are my stats...

Undergrad: BFA - Musical Theatre
GPA - 3.1
GMAT - 700 (46Q 40V)
Experience - 3.5 years restaurant/bar management

My question is, do you think applying to Johnson this late in the game is a good idea? Should I just wait to see what happens with my original options?

Thanks for your help!

Hi,

There are always chances of being selected in b-schools, if you have skillfully framed your application essays. There is no harm in applying to b-schools in R-3 & R-4. You can also target Tepper, McDonogh, Wisconsin-Madison, BYU-Marriott, Boston University and Boston-Carroll. These are just few good ones in US. You can try your chances in b-schools by clicking https://www.general-ed.com/chances-of-bschool

Feel free to post any other concerns you might have. You can PM your number to discuss on selection of b-schools.

Best,
AK

Hi


Kindly Review my Profile. I am hoping to crack top 15-20 (need more clarity on the schools as well) and looking for a role in the Development Sector post MBA. If not purely a development sector profile, I would prefer a consulting role with an organization working in a similar set-up (for instance an organization working with the Govt.)

Work Experience:

Current:

(Since Oct 2012 - 3.5 months) Non-profit - Working with GIZ in the Indo-German Environment
Program. E-waste Management Project across 4 cities in India. Policy, Stake-holder engagement,
facilitation, training and capacity development. Youngest in the team.

(Since Feb 2012 - 1 year) Joint Secretary at CSSAR - an NGO involved in imparting primary and
secondary education to underprivileged children. Helped start the Secondary program exclusively
for girls. Project short-listed in Mahindra Spark the Rise.

Past:
(Sep 2011 - Sep 2008 - 3 years) : Worked in India's biggest IT-Service provider (Tata Consultancy Services) in IT-retail and
pharmacy domain. Involved in design and development and process improvement.

(Sep 2012 - Nov 2011 - 10 Months) Worked as a module leader in Snap-on Business Solutions in the IT-Automobile domain for General Motors. Received
appreciation from the Director for project on E-Catalog

Academic Background :

B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics (CGPA 8.36/10 - top 10% of the branch) from VIT University, Vellore, India

Extra Curricular :

• Director, Indian Society for Technical Education Students Chapter VITU. Winner of the
best students chapter award.
• Member, Quiz Society. Organized, participated and won many intra-college quizzes.
• Coordinator for National Level Fest 'Akshaya' and 'Confluence'. Organizer of the highly
successful online gaming event.

XII - 87.2
X- 85.4

• Prefect of Junior House
• Class Representative for 3 consecutive years
• Member of Quiz Society
• Awarded Gold-Medal for excellence in academics for 6 consecutive years

Other Activities:
Photography,
Film Enthusiast - taken a 62 hour course on film Appreciation by Prof. Richard Allen from Tisch, NYU. Member of a film club which views and discusses movies.
Placed third in Delhi Region in Tata Crucible Corporate Quiz in 2010,
pub-quizzing,
writing


***************** GMAT **************************** (written in Sep 2011)
(720 - QA 49, VA 39 Analytical Writing 6)

*************************************************

Hi,

I got a 710 in GMAT (92 percentile).

Here are a few details about my profile.

I competed my engineering in 2003
I've already done an MBA (good school from India),
My undergrad gpa was 5.6/10 and mba was 2.4/4 ( the school was very competitive and the highest was 3/4)

I have 3 years of work ex. I've worked as a Product Manager, Regional Sales Manager and i'm currently working as an Associate at a financial services firm in the investment banking and consulting team.
However, I want to work at an investment bank/private equity firm to build my career further.
Which is why I want to do an Ms in Finance and also because it's a one year course.

I don't know anybody whose currently pursuing this degree, most are doing MBAs. So, I'm uncertain about the job prospects.
I've narrowed my universities to:

Columbia - MS in Financial Economics(2 year)
UCLA - MS in Financial Engineering(1 year)
UT Austin - MS in Finance(1 year)
Boston University - MS in Mathematical Finance(1 year)
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign - MS in Finance(1 year)
UC Berkely (Hass School of business, MS in financial engineering) (1 year)

These are the ones that are remaining right now for 2013.
Would you say I stand a chance at these? Considering my profile.
Can you please suggest anything else? What are their job prospects like? Anybody whose actually attended any of these programs?

I'd really appreciate any answers or resources that might help me come to a decision.
Hoping for a quick reply!

Hi,

Your profile looks competitive. Strong academics, solid work experience, good extracurricular activities. You'll just have to put forth strong essays that demonstrate leadership capabilities and reason for getting the MBA now.

It would be helpful to get some clarity for your short-term goal, and show that you have the transferrable skills to succeed in that role. And show passion and motivation for your long-term goal.

The goals will also help guide you in school selection. I recommend reaching out to current students to learn about how each school can support you in achieving your goals and interests.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! https://marveladmissions.com/contact-us/

Good luck!

Christine Lin

Hi,

If you have enough finance related experience and understanding of financial transactions, you can consider applying to London Business School's Masters in Finance program.

You can email them your CV to get feedback on whether you are eligible to apply. https://www.london.edu/programmes/mif/applying.html

The MiF students at London Business School benefit from the same career center support as the MBA students and access to campus recruiting.

Good luck!

Christine
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Hi,

You should definitely apply to Cornell since it is a good fit with your career goal. Our clients (including a Park Fellow) who are currently at Cornell are really enjoying the program, and the ones focusing on marketing have gotten great marketing internships.

Make sure you put forth strong essays that showcase leadership capabilities, passion for your career goal. Let me know if you are interested in having us spending some time reviewing your other essays to let you know how you may be able to improve your essays for Cornell. Please feel free to send your info through https://marveladmissions.com/contact-us/

Good luck!

Christine Lin
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Hi all,
I plan to apply for Fall 2014 Round 1 to Cornell, Tepper, Darden, UCLA Anderson and/or Berkeley HAAS.
I am a female/Indian/7years of experience of which 4 years were as a developer/team lead; 1.5 years spent in a start-up as a web designer, 1.3 years as a Senior Technical Writer. I plan to take the GRE and TOEFL in April '13. I want to get into IT Operations post-mba to leverage my industry experiences. Can I get some feedback on my chances at these schools? I would be glad if you can suggest other schools which might be safe application zones for me.

Thank you all for the help,
Monica

Looking for respectable Masters of Accounting programs...

Stats:
-Hispanic Male
-UNC-Chapel Hill Economics Major, 2010
-Worked 3 jobs while in college
-After graduation, spent 2 years in a Management Trainee program for a service company in South Florida
-Program used to mold trainees to serve General Manager or Director type functions within 6 years
-Facility's accounting/office manager
-Promoted after two years to Special Projects Manager

Considering: UNC-CH, Wake Forest, UGA, George Washington University, American University, University of Miami(FL), and Florida International University

What are my chances of admission with such a low GPA?

Thanks,
Marco

Hi,

You can probably explain the low GPA with having to work while in college. And also hopefully there was an upward trend, and that you did well in accounting courses.

When are you planning to apply? If you're going to work on your applications this fall, then you have time to build an alternative transcript by taking some classes and trying to get A, esp if there are any accounting/finance/business classes you didn't do well in.

What are your career goals? If you are interested in general management roles, perhaps you should consider the MBA programs.

Good luck!

Christine Lin

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Hi,

At this time of the application season, many of the applicants have received a satisfactory offer. However, I have been rejected by many top 20 schools. After evaluating my application package, I have realized that it was really weak in “why school” and “career goals”. I have learned a lot more myself and about the application process, and made lots of changes to improve my profile.

Now I want to give it one more shot at a couple top 20 schools. Would you please give me some advice?

Please, help out a poor guy who was rejected by sloan, johnson, mccombs, and maybe a couple more in the next few weeks, lol

Background:
30 year-old male, born and raised back in China. Immigrated to US at the age of 18. Currently a US citizen, live in upstate NY.

Academic:
Not good… one of the state u of new york, computer science major, GPA 2.92. No specific reason, was really immature.

Gmat:
Taken only once, in 2012. 740 – Q50, V39, AWA 5.5, IR 6

Work:
6 yeas by matriculating. All in small (very small) companies.
First two years – Team leader in a small IT company.
Next four years – General manager in a small retail business (around 15 staffs).
Contribution to this retail company:
- Computerized and systematized the business routines.
- Improved the purchasing routine and established the merchandising department. Expanded the product and services variety to better meet customer’s demand.
- Supervised the opening of new stores, from site selection to recruiting new employees. Expanded the local store to a retail chain of 5 store in different cities.

Why MBA:
The owner is satisfied with the scale of the company, and wanted to slow down the development. However, I want to continue to grow my career. I have a great chance to polished many of my soft skills such as interpersonal and analytical skills while running this small business. However, because I lack a academic background in business administration, I really need to learn the hard skills in order to qualify a management position in a large company.

Career goals:
My true reason is that I wanted to go from a small company to a large corporation, because I don’t see any room for me to grow any more in this small company. In the previous applications, I poorly define my goals, I think that was one of the reason I got rejected by many top 20 schools.

Short Term – Becoming a retail purchasing manager in supply chain management.
Reason: While leading the retail business, I spent a significant amount of time in developing its merchandising department. I have seen some parts of the supply chain operation, from wholeseller, to retailer, to customer. I want to bring this experience and combine with the hard skills and knowledge I am going to learn from a MBA program, to become a purchasing manager in a large retail corporation.

Long term – Becoming a retail general manager in a multinational corporation’s China division.
As purchasing manager usually need to work with people in different countries, I will try to build connections in China and to learn more about its business cultures. I spent 18 years in china and I am fluent in Chinese. With the experience I am going to gain from mba and work, I believe I can be a good candidates for such position.


It is pretty long… thanks for your patience if you get to this far

Questions:
1. is it too late to apply in the last round? Could I stand out from the rest of the last round applicants?
2. School selections. I wanted to try Haas and Yale. First of all, many others have already rejected me (again, my prior application had unclear goals and poorly answered the question why school). And I think this two has a good reputation in general management and offers SCM courses (I think everyone does). Am I getting a chance in those two? Any other suggestion?
3. Does my goals make sense? Does my work background, short term goal and long term connect well? People say it is really hard to jump from a very small company to a large one, is that one reason I keep getting rejected?
4. Is there anything special i should do to increase my chance in the last round? i didn't visited those school, i guess it is too late to do so anyway. pretty much getting the info from the school website, gmatclub.com, and search engine.

Thank you very much!!!!!

Hi,

I think you should apply to Haas and Yale is you are really interested in the schools. Try to talk to current students and alumni to better understand these schools, and how they can support your career goals, and how you can contribute. Given you've worked on other applications, I think you may be able to put forth strong applications for these two schools. Do try to visit the campus if you can.

I agree with you that getting clarity on career goals, and why MBA, why a particular school are all important elements required for a successful application. Make sure you demonstrate transferrable skills that will help you succeed in your short-term career. It is not necessary difficult to go from a small company to a big company. I'm sure you've had quite a bit of real life business experience running a business and opening new stores.

For your long-term goal, you should try to help them understand what really motivates you, what are you passionate about. You may need to think about this a bit more.

https://marveladmissions.com/the-power-i ... eer-goals/

If you are interested in admissions consulting, please feel free to contact me and send me sample application essays for a school you applied to https://marveladmissions.com/contact-us/

Our consulting director is a graduate of Yale School of Managment, and had been a member of the admissions committee and interviewer for the school.

Good luck!

Christine Lin
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Hi,

So I am just trying to evaluate my chances at a top American business school when I apply for Fall of 2014. Below is a quick recap of my profile:

Graduated in 2010 with a low GPA 3.11 (majored in finance & accounting) from a state school in Texas. My grades in my first two years were horrific but the last two years were much better. Luckily I was able to secure a spot in a new college-hire program at one of the supermajor oil companies (a Fortune 5 company) due to submitting only the last 2 years worth of transcripts on my application (even then I was very lucky to get the job as they had a hard cutoff at 3.5 and my gpa was lower than that, I guess I interviewed well or they REALLY needed a diversity candidate). I am of south asian decent.

I had always been a good student but I had a medical issue in college and I really struggled with it. I'm not sure if I am even willing to share it with the adcoms so that is why I am looking for other ways to mitigate the low GPA portion of my application.

I was able to move up at the company relatively fast (moved jobs twice in less than 2 years) and now am a financial performance analyst within a commodity trade group on the trade floor. I am also sitting for my CFA level 2 exam this June (hoping to pass it!). In addition to the CFA, I am hoping to mitigate the poor undergrad gpa concern by creating an alternative transcript, I have taken one finance class at UCLA Extension thus far and got an A in it, I'll be taking another class soon, probably either statistics or calculus.

I'll be taking the GMAT in June and will be shooting for a score of around 700.

Extracurriculars:
- Mentor at a youth refugee organization in Houston (volunteer once or twice a week)
- Finance volunteer at a free business counseling non-profit (currently working to help a local small business secure a $230k loan to expand business)
- WILL be volunteering in Rio de Janeiro this spring break helping build a home for a family living in a favela in the city.

What are some realistic possibilities as far as schools are concerned? Columbia is my dream school but I know it will be very tough....

The following is a list of schools I want to get into:

Columbia/NYUStern/DukeFuqua/UCLAAnderson/Rice/UTAustin

Out of these schools which do I have best chance at?

Hi,

You have not mentioned your career goals. It would be really important to have clear post-MBA career goal, as well as long-term career goal. Make sure you show transferrable skills that will help you succeed in your post-MBA career, and passion for you long-term goal.

Sounds like you've done well professionally, and your volunteer business counseling work sounds great. You can try to explain reasons for your low GPA, and the alternative transcript will also help. Upward trend in the last two years also a plus.

If you can put forth strong essays that demonstrate leadership capabilities and clearly articulate why MBA, why now, why a particular school, then you should have a good chance.

Research the schools by talking to current students and alumni to see how the schools support your career goals.

Good luck!

Christine Lin
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