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stolenjellybeans
Please share your thoughts on which schools I can apply to. Targeting Wharton, Kellogg, Stern, Harvard and INSEAD
Profile:
Undergrad- one of the Top 5 private engg colleges in India, 4/4
Postgrad- one of the Top 10 Bschools in India, 3.2/4
Completed the 2 year rotational leadership program in GE across different finance functions. Currently on my 4th CAS(Corporate Audit Staff) rotation.
GMAT score: 710
Decent extra curriculars and lots of commendable co-curricular activities during postgrad and in work.

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

Thank you for your post. It would be helpful to know the specific school you went to as that may drive some of this, but a top school is good enough to give a high level opinion.

Demographic: Are you male or female?
GMAT: What was the Q/V split? I would recommend retaking the GMAT for HBS, Wharton, Kellogg
Exp: Do you have just 2 years of full-time experience? If so that is on the lower end. Applicants with less experience tend to have higher GMAT scores as it is more competitive.

Advice: You have a strong profile in many respects. Great schooling / GPA, good work experience. GMAT is low and work experience is low. I recommend trying to improve the GMAT and perhaps working a bit more. Stern and INSEAD feel good now but to make it to an M7 you may want a bit more.

Feel free to email me if you want more specifics. Sending your resume would help. Good luck!

[email protected]

Best,
Scott
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marketerteam
very nice topics


Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind words.

Best,
Scott
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Hello Personal MBA coach,

Please evaluate my profile-


Bachelor's- Electrical Engineering Vellore Institute of Technology,India, 2011-7.7/10
Master's- Power and Energy Systems-Arizona State University, Tempe, 2013-3.3/4
GMAT-760 Q50, V42
Presently working as an electrical engineer for one of the biggest engineering consulting company in the energy sector in US for the last 2 years. Worked with utility clients such as AEP, Duke Energy, PG&E etc. Got promoted last year. Worked for a smaller firm which does the same thing before.
Post MBA goal- Transition into consulting, work for power or energy groups in consulting firms.
EC- Toastmasters, ran marathons in three different countries, some local community service.
Schools- Kellogg, Fuqua, Ross, McCombs, Tuck.
Do you think I am competitive in the above schools? Please let me know your suggestion regarding school selection
Thanks for your time.
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sveniga4
Hello Personal MBA coach,

Please evaluate my profile-


Bachelor's- Electrical Engineering Vellore Institute of Technology,India, 2011-7.7/10
Master's- Power and Energy Systems-Arizona State University, Tempe, 2013-3.3/4
GMAT-760 Q50, V42
Presently working as an electrical engineer for one of the biggest engineering consulting company in the energy sector in US for the last 2 years. Worked with utility clients such as AEP, Duke Energy, PG&E etc. Got promoted last year. Worked for a smaller firm which does the same thing before.
Post MBA goal- Transition into consulting, work for power or energy groups in consulting firms.
EC- Toastmasters, ran marathons in three different countries, some local community service.
Schools- Kellogg, Fuqua, Ross, McCombs, Tuck.
Do you think I am competitive in the above schools? Please let me know your suggestion regarding school selection
Thanks for your time.

Thank you for your post! Over the last few years I have worked with a large number of Indian applicants from the energy sector. Coming from VIT is good, though it puts you somewhat behind some others including IIT and 7.7 is an ok grade performance. The 760 will help you quite a bit and having experience in the US helps. Did you work in India after graduating or has your work been in the US only?

I think this is a great range of schools for you. The one item that feels light is the extra-curricular activities, so I would want to explore that further. Send me an email if you want to discuss further [email protected] and thanks for your post!

Best,
Scott
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Please evaluate my profile:

X-77.80%(2004)
XII-73.25%(2006)
B.Tech-65%(2006-2010)
PGDM-5.8(2013-2015)

a) Work exp.-3.3 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
b) Family business-1.5 yrs(Sept. 2011-April 2013)
c) Live project+internship-6 months in ACC Limited & Schneider Electric(during PGDM)
d) Current organization & designation- Swiggy(food delivery start-up), Area Manager
e) Work exp. till march 2019 will be close to 5.1 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
f) Currently working as a core team member with CRY(Child Rights & You) and as a volunteer with GiveIndia

1) Can I show my family business(not a company, but it's an enterprise where Sole proprietor is my father) as work experience while applying? If yes, then what documents could be needed and how can I show it? My business is mostly retail, consisting of a chain of stores in the city. We grew it from a single store to multiple stores and went to online platforms.
2) Considering my low GPA during PGDM, will it be wise to apply to IIMs/ISB, even if I get 700+ in GMAT?
3) I am planning to go for 2019-2020 session. I will be 32 yrs when I join in 2019. I know age will be a drawback, but will it be that big?
4) Should I go for 2020-2021 session?
5) Can I add summer internship(paid) & live project as a work experience?

My biggest headache is whether to show/not show my family business, because if added, this might increase my experience level.
Any guidance would be very helpful.
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Hello Personal MBA coach,
I would really appreciate if you can review my profile.

Stats:
Demographic - Indian, Female
GMAT - 710 (Q50, V35, IR 8)
GPA - 3.40 (Based on a 4.0 scale)
WE - 4 years( 2013 - present )

Education
B.Tech in computer Science from IIT-BHU, Varanasi, India

Work Experience/Achievements at job*
Software Engineer in Arista Networks, India( based in US ). Worked for a month on a project in HQ( Santa Clara, US ).

1) Interviewed for internship and full-time positions in a campus hiring program at 2 reputed institutions.
2) Mentored interns and new hires every year after my 1st year at the company.
3) Won twice ( 1st and 2nd position) in hackathon( a 24-hour event to hack/design/create ideas ) organized every year in company.

Extra-Curricular & Volunteering
1) Playing Badminton. Reached semi-finals in a college badminton tournament.
2) Multiple event management experiences in college and in workplace.
3) Participation in Community Service organized by company semi-annually.

Post MBA Goals:
General Management or Product Manager roles in technology/ecommerce industry.( To utilize learnings from my experience in engineering background ).

What are my chances in Kellog, Columbia and Tuck ? Should I even bother applying to these?
Also, do I have decent chances at INSEAD, Darden, Duke, and Ross ?

What are the other colleges you would suggest based on my profile assuming medium-to-strong essays and application ?
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Hi Personal MBA Coach,
I would request if you can please evaluate my profile.

justnishu4u
Please evaluate my profile:

X-77.80%(2004)
XII-73.25%(2006)
B.Tech-65%(2006-2010)
PGDM-5.8(2013-2015)

a) Work exp.-3.3 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
b) Family business-1.5 yrs(Sept. 2011-April 2013)
c) Live project+internship-6 months in ACC Limited & Schneider Electric(during PGDM)
d) Current organization & designation- Swiggy(food delivery start-up), Area Manager
e) Work exp. till march 2019 will be close to 5.1 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
f) Currently working as a core team member with CRY(Child Rights & You) and as a volunteer with GiveIndia

1) Can I show my family business(not a company, but it's an enterprise where Sole proprietor is my father) as work experience while applying? If yes, then what documents could be needed and how can I show it? My business is mostly retail, consisting of a chain of stores in the city. We grew it from a single store to multiple stores and went to online platforms.
2) Considering my low GPA during PGDM, will it be wise to apply to IIMs/ISB, even if I get 700+ in GMAT?
3) I am planning to go for 2019-2020 session. I will be 32 yrs when I join in 2019. I know age will be a drawback, but will it be that big?
4) Should I go for 2020-2021 session?
5) Can I add summer internship(paid) & live project as a work experience?

My biggest headache is whether to show/not show my family business, because if added, this might increase my experience level.
Any guidance would be very helpful.
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Hi Personal MBA coach,

Please evaluate my profile-

Indian Male, Age-26
Bachelor's- Mechanical Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU), India in 2012.
Got 75.86% ( Ist Div-Hons)- in the top 5% students.
GMAT- hope to get around 680-710.
Work Ex.- Working in oil & gas sector M/s Indian Oil Corporation Limited ( top Indian company in Fortune 500 list)as an Assistant Manager for the last 5 years. Got one promotion also.
Handling maintenance & automation related projects of crores in value. Managing 50+ manpower in the plant. Exposed to different culture, conditions in the beginning of my career itself ( Posted in southern India for 4 years)
One of the 5 employees across India to attend International conference during 2016-17.
Awarded for best innovative idea under Idea Conclave. ( Cash prize too)

Extra Curricular-1) Volunteered for Teach For India during college days for about 2 years.
2) Associated with NGO "Bhumi" for 2 years during my tenure in southern India.
3) After promotion & transfer to North India last year, continuously engaged in company's CSR activities.

Post MBA goal- Want to explore options in & out energy sector.
Considering my profile, which schools shall I target for R1?( Thought of Duke, McCombs, Ross)
Please let me know your suggestion regarding school selection & also please comment on my candidacy.
Thanks in advance
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atulsunilanand
Hi, can you please have a look at my profile?

Education: Mechanical Engg. from BITS Pilani (top 5 university in India) (with a really low GPA)
GMAT: About to give in 2 weeks, but worst case scenario is 710

Work experience:
- (Current) 3 years as a Company Commander in Central Reserve Police Force, the world's largest paramilitary force, leading a team of 135 in India's fight against militants and insurgents
- 6 months as a Business Analyst at Fractal Analytics
- 1 year (with a promotion) in an NGO in Jharkhand, India working on tribal development

Essays:
I write well and have a lot of good stories and experiences to share.

Drawbacks of my profile:
- A bad undergrad GPA which might close doors to the top programs I am targeting.
- Lack of economics/business knowledge and experience.
- Indian defense background might not be liked by some colleges.
- Don't know anyone with a similar profile, so I am just taking a shot in the dark by applying at pretty much all the top global programs

Due to various reasons, I absolutely want to join an MBA program in the next academic year and cannot risk not getting admitted anywhere. Hence, I am planning to apply to around 10+ colleges. A lot, I know, but I want to reduce my chance of failure to zero.

I'll be applying to:
Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth in the US,
LBS, Cambridge, Oxford in UK,
INSEAD and HEC in France,
ISB in India,
NUS and NTU in Singapore,
and others like IMD, IE, IESE etc. if needed.

I want to ask if I am too ambitious and should include some "safe" schools. Maybe I am stretching myself too thin by applying to a stupid number of colleges.

Thank you for your post. See below for thoughts in bold

Education: Mechanical Engg. from BITS Pilani (top 5 university in India) (with a really low GPA) How low??
GMAT: About to give in 2 weeks, but worst case scenario is 710 This will be important so please follow up once you take it

Work experience:
- (Current) 3 years as a Company Commander in Central Reserve Police Force, the world's largest paramilitary force, leading a team of 135 in India's fight against militants and insurgents
Great experience. I recently talked with someone else in management within the police in India. Great leadership stories.
- 6 months as a Business Analyst at Fractal Analytics
- 1 year (with a promotion) in an NGO in Jharkhand, India working on tribal development

Essays:
I write well and have a lot of good stories and experiences to share.

Drawbacks of my profile:
- A bad undergrad GPA which might close doors to the top programs I am targeting.
- Lack of economics/business knowledge and experience.
- Indian defense background might not be liked by some colleges.
- Don't know anyone with a similar profile, so I am just taking a shot in the dark by applying at pretty much all the top global programs

Due to various reasons, I absolutely want to join an MBA program in the next academic year and cannot risk not getting admitted anywhere. Hence, I am planning to apply to around 10+ colleges. A lot, I know, but I want to reduce my chance of failure to zero.

I'll be applying to:
Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth in the US,These feel like stretches based on your profile
LBS, Cambridge, Oxford in UK,Maybe Cambridge and Oxford, though would need to know CGPA and GMAT
INSEAD and HEC in France, INSEAD feels like a reach but depends on stats
ISB in India, Safer
NUS and NTU in Singapore, Safer
and others like IMD, IE, IESE etc. if needed. I would look at some of these

I want to ask if I am too ambitious and should include some "safe" schools. Maybe I am stretching myself too thin by applying to a stupid number of colleges.[/quote] If you are reaching high then it is good to apply to a number of schools. That said I would really need to see the stats first
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justnishu4u
Please evaluate my profile:

X-77.80%(2004)
XII-73.25%(2006)
B.Tech-65%(2006-2010)
PGDM-5.8(2013-2015)

a) Work exp.-3.3 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
b) Family business-1.5 yrs(Sept. 2011-April 2013)
c) Live project+internship-6 months in ACC Limited & Schneider Electric(during PGDM)
d) Current organization & designation- Swiggy(food delivery start-up), Area Manager
e) Work exp. till march 2019 will be close to 5.1 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
f) Currently working as a core team member with CRY(Child Rights & You) and as a volunteer with GiveIndia

1) Can I show my family business(not a company, but it's an enterprise where Sole proprietor is my father) as work experience while applying? If yes, then what documents could be needed and how can I show it? My business is mostly retail, consisting of a chain of stores in the city. We grew it from a single store to multiple stores and went to online platforms.
2) Considering my low GPA during PGDM, will it be wise to apply to IIMs/ISB, even if I get 700+ in GMAT?
3) I am planning to go for 2019-2020 session. I will be 32 yrs when I join in 2019. I know age will be a drawback, but will it be that big?
4) Should I go for 2020-2021 session?
5) Can I add summer internship(paid) & live project as a work experience?

My biggest headache is whether to show/not show my family business, because if added, this might increase my experience level.
Any guidance would be very helpful.

Where did you go to school?

1) What does the business do? What do you do for it?
2) It may be a stretch. That is a low GPA
3) Yes this will be a drawback
4) I would not delay further (though you want to be employed when you apply)
5) Internships don't really count

Showing family business is a good idea!
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Selfmotivated
Hi Personal MBA coach,

Please evaluate my profile-

Indian Male, Age-26
Bachelor's- Mechanical Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU), India in 2012.
Got 75.86% ( Ist Div-Hons)- in the top 5% students.
GMAT- hope to get around 680-710.
Work Ex.- Working in oil & gas sector M/s Indian Oil Corporation Limited ( top Indian company in Fortune 500 list)as an Assistant Manager for the last 5 years. Got one promotion also.
Handling maintenance & automation related projects of crores in value. Managing 50+ manpower in the plant. Exposed to different culture, conditions in the beginning of my career itself ( Posted in southern India for 4 years)
One of the 5 employees across India to attend International conference during 2016-17.
Awarded for best innovative idea under Idea Conclave. ( Cash prize too)

Extra Curricular-1) Volunteered for Teach For India during college days for about 2 years.
2) Associated with NGO "Bhumi" for 2 years during my tenure in southern India.
3) After promotion & transfer to North India last year, continuously engaged in company's CSR activities.

Post MBA goal- Want to explore options in & out energy sector.
Considering my profile, which schools shall I target for R1?( Thought of Duke, McCombs, Ross)
Please let me know your suggestion regarding school selection & also please comment on my candidacy.
Thanks in advance

Thank you for your post. If you can crack 720 then a place like McCombs and Duke would be reasonable. Unfortunately the Indian male pool is competitive as you know so anything in the 600s will make it challenging at those programs.

Good luck and reach out if you want to discuss how we can help with GMAT tutoring or admissions consulting!

Best,
Scott
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RicAssassin
Hey, You might just be the right one as I am too early in the process!! Could you please evaluate my profile, I'd be grateful!


I really am jumping the gun here but I want to start early and be prepared for any contingency plans (if needed) :-D

INDIAN/24/MALE (Disclaimer: Please don't be mad but I am still to take the GMAT. Target is MINIMUM 750+ cause that is the least survival score for someone like me I know but call it a 730 for sake)

Education: B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from a non-IIT State funded autonomous university (Number 1 in my state, above NIT). Also, if this counts 1 of my seniors (3 years) from Mechanical made it to GSB (FULL RIDE!) this year although he did a master's in Politics in India before he got GSB. Another IT guy with 6 years experience got into Wharton (Hey! Not basking in their success but just telling if its a little chance that I atleast have the pedigree factor there?)

Grades: 7.6/10 (Its tough at my uni!!) Ahemmm... but I was a great student and school and EC too was over the top lol

Work-ex:
1) Semester Intern at Thermal Power Plant.
2) 6 months job as an Engineer Trainee at Johnson Controls-Hitachi.
3) Switched to a very coveted job for any Indian Mechie: The largest automobile manufacturer of the country (Maruti Suzuki) and now working as a Territory Manager (will get to Assistant Manager by the end of year). Again, A lot of my ex-colleagues from Maruti Suzuki make it to Top 15 every year so I assume it has some name atleast even though its not a feeder (Please do correct me if am wrong here).

EC:
1) I play guitar and sing. I have performed solo gigs all over North and Central India and won awards for a good 1.5 years before I got into the Indian startup ecosystem.
2) I love to read and I can cook just about anything!
3) STARTUPS: I won a couple of National and even one International Business Model Competition beating teams from all over the continent including IITs and IIMs but the business couldn't take off. Helped an Edinburgh University professor set up a Not for profit here in India for helping startups. Althugh I didn't hold the founder Title I was the city and state manager and head of content for 2 years straight, I left it then for work commitments. (I got quoted by many national and business newspapers for my effort on integrating the Indian startup ecosystem). I also cofounded a boutique consulting firm for new startups to help them take off, made some revenue as a studentpreneur but it was failing as we were bootstrapped. So again left it cause I signed up for the job.
My entrepreneurial streak has not gone but for some familial conditions I needed this job for sometime and it pays one of the best pay packages for this profile.
I have a product idea in mind and thinking of designing and Patenting it too.

I have not done much EC in the past one year, just traveled and hitch hiked, solo tripping. I am a good speaker too so thinking of joining Toastmasters, have an invite already.

WHY MBA? I guess it is getting clear now yeah? After being a failed entrepreneur and having managerial roles at a big firm, I now want to dive in for what I had always wanted. And that is why I need it, for the network and the exposure.

Okay, the BIG CATCH? I am a die hard GSB Fan. I just do not know how to crack the Top 5. I just want to. People tell me its impossible but NO!
PS: My elder sibling made it to a top 20 this year with a 50% scholarship.

Please advise me on what to do next and how to do it. I'd be obliged :)
When time comes, I want to take up your professional help as a client.

Thanks for reading the long post!!

Thank you for reaching out and providing your background information. While I would love to help you now, it is a bit early to say exactly the target range of schools for you. I help a lot of applicants at your stage through an advance planning where we work together over the next few years to create the right profile together. You do not have everything you need today, but I can help you get there by crafting it together. That package can be explored below:
https://www.personalmbacoach.com/early-mba-planning

It is very good to reach out and to want to begin early in your career. We just need a lot more info to be able to help you and ideally some time to work together to do it right. Now if you would like some initial advice before signing up, it would be to have consistent employment with promotion and management responsibility. When you say territory manager, what specifically is involved? It would be good to see the resume. That said, the more you can get on the business side the better. This means strategy, marketing or other planning roles.

I look forward to hearing from you and working together, whether now or when you apply to schools.

Best,
Scott
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justnishu4u
Please evaluate my profile:

X-77.80%(2004)
XII-73.25%(2006)
B.Tech-65%(2006-2010)
PGDM-5.8(2013-2015)

a) Work exp.-3.3 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
b) Family business-1.5 yrs(Sept. 2011-April 2013)
c) Live project+internship-6 months in ACC Limited & Schneider Electric(during PGDM)
d) Current organization & designation- Swiggy(food delivery start-up), Area Manager
e) Work exp. till march 2019 will be close to 5.1 yrs(including pre-MBA and excluding retail family business+live projects)
f) Currently working as a core team member with CRY(Child Rights & You) and as a volunteer with GiveIndia

1) Can I show my family business(not a company, but it's an enterprise where Sole proprietor is my father) as work experience while applying? If yes, then what documents could be needed and how can I show it? My business is mostly retail, consisting of a chain of stores in the city. We grew it from a single store to multiple stores and went to online platforms.
2) Considering my low GPA during PGDM, will it be wise to apply to IIMs/ISB, even if I get 700+ in GMAT?
3) I am planning to go for 2019-2020 session. I will be 32 yrs when I join in 2019. I know age will be a drawback, but will it be that big?
4) Should I go for 2020-2021 session?
5) Can I add summer internship(paid) & live project as a work experience?

My biggest headache is whether to show/not show my family business, because if added, this might increase my experience level.
Any guidance would be very helpful.

Thanks for your reply.
PFB my comments.

Where did you go to school?
International Management Institute(IMI), Kolkata. Hope you recognize IMI as a known brand in private B schools in India.

1) What does the business do? What do you do for it?
We deal in car accessories(seat covers, audio systems, etc). Have small online presence viz.-our website, google+, Linkedin, FB, etc. and three stores in different places in Kolkata. I was a part of it full time, during the timeline mentioned above. Used to look after the stores along with my father viz.- sales, staff supervision, expansion in different prospective areas for business growth, helped my father with few marketing ideas. Annual sales at that time would have been around 70 lacs/annum.

2) It may be a stretch. That is a low GPA
I was interested in Operations Management, but didn't get the opportunity to select more than 4 Operations Management subjects in my PGDM. Had to study Finance as a major. Tried my best, but just couldn't score well. Had a more practical approach towards those subjects. Hence, even after getting a placement in Yes bank, I decided to go for Swiggy and work in Operations field. My live project & internship are also in Operations. Don't know how this would sound during interview, but it's the truth.

3) Yes this will be a drawback.
Nothing much can be done. Only hope will be GMAT+work experience.

4) I would not delay further (though you want to be employed when you apply)
I didn't get this point.

5) Internships don't really count
Noted.

Showing family business is a good idea!
Noted.
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You are most welcome. I look forward to talking with you!

Best,
Scott
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