You are most welcome! Good luck!

Best,
Scott
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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!

scott@personalmbacoach.com

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.

[redacted]

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 ?

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

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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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)

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!!

Thanks for replying Scott!

I know I am quite early. I just graduated in 2016 June. I just want to make my odds better. Apart from my entrepreneurial stints, this job as a Territory Manager with a market giant (Service vertical), I am looking after the 10-12 dealerships in my territory. This means I am the operations, strategy, compliance and marketing guy to lead these 10 GMs. Also I deal with dealer/customer relationship management being the front face of the company in this regard. This job was best described by our Director, He told me, "You are the COO of your area. Now go nuts".

Yeah, I'd really like to take professional help if feasible. I'll forward the full resume to you if need be?

Thanks, Scott!!

You are most welcome. I look forward to talking with you!

Best,
Scott
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