Ask MBA Crystal Ball

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.

SimbaJSK, a few thoughts on your profile evaluation:

1. The academic pedigree certainly helps. Where did the GPA put you, relatively in the class? The GMAT score will be a good one to go with it. A higher score always helps but don't break your head too much on it.
2. The professional profile sounds ok. However, it would be important to understand the actual work, achievements and differentiation therein. Aero is not a big feeder industry and since you have started early, will be good to explore other avenues.
3. While consulting is ok, PM may not necessarily be so - unless your firm hires MBA grads for such roles; usually rare.
4. You haven't mentioned anything on the ECs front. Here is why ECs matter in your MBA application.

For folks in your situation, we usually suggest a deep dive for Profile Building. So, check it out.

Cheers,

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.

stuggle wrote:

Hi Team,

I am primarily interested in applying to ISB this year, and would like your invaluable advice as to how I can improve my profile to increase my chances of a convert.

My background is as follows:
Indian male, 24 years

<<snip>>
Advice on how to improve my profile so that I have a chance of getting admitted is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

stuggle, a few thoughts on your profile evaluation:

1. Your academic pedigree looks good given the CFA certification. CFA helps in MBA applications. The GPA is good however, it would be useful to know the brand of your undergrad.
2. The professional profile looks quite intriguing. It would be imperative to connect the dots for the adcom given the non-obvious career move you've made. Always useful to understand the brand of your employers, especially the IB. Given that you are at a (noname?) startup, it becomes doubly important.
3. The ECs involvement is diverse and quite a few. However, always think about impact and how will you communicate that. If you don't have a solid answer to that, work towards ramping up the impact quotient there. Mere participation and presence doesn't mean much.
4. The GMAT is indeed a tad below or just at the expectation. Given your overall profile, I'd not bother about it a lot if ISB is the only school you are looking at. However, it is always good to apply to more schools. Also, if you think you can boost the score, it always helps.
5. Corporate strategy roles out of campus tend to be few and far between. What if you don't get it? Think of a solid plan B. Strategy at a small (?) startup is not a common role - be prepared to justify and explain that move and connect it forward. Also, given the current crisis, there may be some brakes to what you can focus on the work front. In absence of that, might be worth considering that retake.

Hope this helps some. With a well articulated application, there is enough here to put in a strong application. Go for it!

Cheers,

.

stuggle, HR college is good pedigree.

The move from Citi to a no-name startup is pretty drastic indeed. Usually, one would make such a move but to a late stage one. The rationale provided by you won't cut it fully so work on that too.

Financial planning, unlikely and too informal - nothing stops anyone from claiming to have done that too, right?

Work on that post-MBA pitch more. Feel free to reach out directly for more discussion.

Cheers,

.

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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.

Posted from my mobile device

Naseef wrote:

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
<<snip>>

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.

Naseef, thanks for the detailed note. Here are a few thoughts on your profile evaluation and plans:

1. The academic pedigree is good given the fact that's its from a feeder program. GPA definitely matters and that, in combination with the GRE can make for a moderate/weak overall academic arc. A retake will certainly help. However, the articulation in terms of explanation for the up/down trend of GPA will be critical in your optional essays. With a strong GRE, top schools might be willing to look past this hurdle!
2. The professional profile looks pretty solid given the brand association and PM work which in many ways, is a post-MBA role. It would be good to see if you've been able to use some of that in your family business too.
3. The family business association can nicely double up for your extracurricular involvement. Use that well. The post-MBA pitch will have to be thought through and developed well. Social sector is not a big recruiter of international MBA grads, in case you have that in mind for the immediate term. But overall, it can be fleshed out for a powerful message.
4. For reasons mentioned here, we don't speculate on school selection and chances. That being said, I don't see why, with a slightly stronger score, you can't have a shot at some top league programs out there!
5. You may want to read this from a social entrepreneurship angle.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,