Welcome to Ask Personal MBA Coach! We are here to help you navigate the MBA application process, so feel free to ask any questions about your candidacy and the business school application journey via this forum. Founded 14 years ago by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach has helped hundreds of applicants around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA and specialized master’s programs (including Master of Finance, Master of Analytics, Master of Public Policy, law school) with a 96% success rate. Personal MBA Coach is consistently ranked #1 or #2 by leading sources. Last year, our clients earned more than $6.5M in scholarships! Scott serves on the Board of Directors for AIGAC, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants and is invited to speak at MBA Admissions events globally, including the annual Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) conference. Our boutique team also includes MJ Shores, a former Wharton MBA Admissions Director, Nicole Shay, a former Associate Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School, GMAT/GRE/EA tutors who scored above the 99th percentile (most with 780+) and former M7 admissions interviewers. Visit our services to learn more! We look forward to helping you get into your dream schools. Free Resources MBA Admissions Roadmap https://www.personalmbacoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Homepage-Image-MBA-Admissions-Roadmap-eBook.jpg M7 Essay Analysis https://www.personalmbacoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Homepage-Image-M7-Essay-Analysis-1.jpg MBA Planning Guide https://www.personalmbacoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Homepage-Image-MBA-Planning-Ebook.jpg

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MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:21

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Sajjad1994

nightshade19

Profile Evaluation for MBA/MSBA 2022 intake:

GMAT:760 (v42 q50 ir7)

Indian, Male

Undergrad : 8.8 cgpa Computer Engineering (Pune University)

12th Grade : 93% CBSE

10th grade: 95% ICSE

Work experience: 2 years as software engineer in Mediaocean (US Based IT Company) with interactions with a team in UK as well. Promoted once. (will be 3 years at the time of joining college)

International experience: 6 months semester abroad in Hochshule Hof (Germany), and 1 month internship at NTU and NUS Singapore.

Certifications: Completed two levels of Cisco Certified Network Associate, Completed International Microsoft Certification Course in Network and System Security.

Undertook several projects related to Data Science in 4 years of college.

Extra Curriculars: Secured 3rd rank in the state in ICSE board examinations (10th grade), Played Table Tennis at State Level, participated in several MUNs including Harvard Model United Nations.

Completed open elective course- Economics, Global Leadership Programme in NTU, Singapore.

Completed open elective courses- Project Management, German A1 in Hochschule Hof, Germany.

I am considering MBA in colleges such as NYU stern, tepper, UCLA Anderson and Oxford Said and MSBA in colleges such as Imperial College, ESSEC, Manchester Alliance or Edinburg University. Can I get into a top college for MBA with scholarships (particularly interested in Oxford) and similarly can I get into MSBA top colleges with a significant scholarship? What can I do to make my profile stand out so that my chances for acceptance are increased? And finally, what is my profile better suited to – MBA or MSBA and if MSBA should I not pursue applications for MBA this year.

You can start from this one

Aviral96

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GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 Verified score

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15 Jun 2021, 10:23

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Hi,

MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:24

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Sajjad1994

sk2020

GMAT: 700 (Q45, V41)
•Nationality: Indian Female
•Age: 25 years
•Work experience: 4 years in corporate HR and recently made a shift to HR consulting in a leading professional services firm
•Post Grad: Diploma in HRM (6.11 CQPI)
•Under Grad: Psychology Hons (76.4%)
•Extracurricular : President - theatre club, Mental Wellness Advocate (working on various firm wide initiatives)
•Schools: Oxford, Warwick, Vanderbilt, Emory, Cornell, Darden, Smith (Queens), Manchester
•Short term goal : continue working in HR consulting, geographical change
•Certifications- change management (nasba), undertook finance and economics online courses to counteract the low quant score

Questions-
1. Between Cornell and Darden which would be better suited for my post mba goals? Both of them seem to have their pluses
2. I’ve extremely debt averse so are there any other schools I should consider where I have a decent shot at scholarships and good employment options
3. Are there any safe schools I should look at given my profile?
4. Since I have no international experience apart from working with international stakeholders, would I be better applying to Cambridge than Oxford given the latter’s exposure to int. exp?

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Both Cornell and Darden could be great schools. Check out their Career Management section of MBA Admissions sites to see the breakdown of industries that recent graduates have gone into. In general top consulting firms interview at both these schools and students from top MBA programs such as these find jobs around the world. Both provide great employment opportunities. Scholarships vary by schools.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:25

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Sonal85

Demographic: Indian, female
GMAT: scheduled for JULY, target 730
Age: 25 years
Target School: ISB, (looking for other suggestions)

Work experience:
1. Sole Proprietor - wholesale and manufacturing firm - 3yrs
Role: operations, supply chain management, business strategy, business development
2. Business development manager - early-stage, ed-tech startup - 1yr
Role: operations, sales lead management, customer relationship, and team management

Acads: Bcom SRCC-DU 79%, 12th - 95%, 10th - 9.4 cgpa

achievements: self-funded voucher startup in college, project manager for CDF-SRCC chapter ( non-profit foundation), Director of operations at CIIE-SRCC
artistic skills - prizes for NASA space settlement project in team art portfolios, Team head for Fine arts society, SRCC

GOALS: higher management roles - work opportunities at Top MNCs, international exposure preferred

MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:28

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Sonal85

There many schools that could potentially be a good fit for you. It is difficult to say which these would based on only this information. A good way to select schools is to attend information sessions or MBA forums (gmac.com), talk with graduates of different programs, and reach out to school ambassadors at schools who list them on the MBA Admissions sites as a resource learning more. Also talk to anyone you know who has an MBA to learn about where they attended a program and to learn how an MBA helped them.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:29

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Due to the time limitations we might not answer all the questions but we really appreciate your time and interest to be here with us

MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:30

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Sonal85

Your school would depend a number of items, depending upon whether you wanted to attend a school in Europe, the US, or elsewhere; whether you wanted to attend a one or two year program; and exactly what you mean by higher management roles. It is a good idea to have specific roles and industry identified as part of your school selection process. This is a bit broad.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:31

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ilovecroquettes

Requesting Profile Eval for MBA 2023/2024 Intake
Age: 29
Sex: Female
Ethnicity: Southeast Asian (US Citizen, Immigrant, 1st Generation College)
Schools: HBS, Wharton, Sloan, Columbia, Booth, Haas

GMAT
Not yet taken, aiming for 690-710

Academics:
-BS in Mechanical Engineering from HYPSM-Theatre minor-2.9 Cumulative GPA, downward trend (It’s my weakest area, I know... It was hard adjusting to college, I was dealing with depression... I plan to explain in optional essay)
College Leadership:
-Executive Board Member at Diversity Group 1-Community Engagement Chair at Diversity Group 2-Part-time jobs and internships
-Study abroad in Germany

Work Experience:
- 4 years in F100 Aerospace – Mechanical Engineer, Program Manager, Promoted 1x, Given Program-level award, $1-2million projects w/ international clients, process improvement initiatives saving company $500K-Lead my office Employee Resource Group (ERG) focused on Community Engagement
- 1 year in FAANG – Mechanical Engineer, $50-70million projects
Extra Curriculars:
-Volunteer for national organization focused on Education enablement and College Prep for first-generation students of color - Teaching STEM classes, CS TA, resume workshops
-Ski instructor (2 years)

Goals:
-Short term: Work in Tech - Product Management or Operations
-Long Term: Expand my venture focused on Mental Health and Wellness, Head of Product at Tech company
Questions:-Other than GMAT, any other ways to mitigate my low undergrad GPA? Do you recommend HBX Core? Would enrolling in a Master’s in CS help or detract from application?-Any other schools you recommend would be a good fit?

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MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:33

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ilovecroquettes

Sorry to hear about your depression. You are not alone. There are many reasons not everyone does well in UG. HBX is good. One thing I often recommend is that you retake any Quant classes in which you did poorly in UG (e.g., stats, calc, finance) at an accredited university for a letter grade. Accredited can include community colleges. Brand name is not important.

Nikhil

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15 Jun 2021, 10:35

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We are also doing profile evaluations on YouTube during MBA Spotlight. If you are interested, sign up here! redirect.php?id=unphw78cx9

MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:35

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Nikhil

We are also doing profile evaluations on YouTube during MBA Spotlight. If you are interested, sign up here! redirect.php?id=unphw78cx9

Excellent opportunity!

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:36

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mohit1326

Hello,Background and Nationality:
I am an Indian male(25 years old) currently working in the manufacturing sector(Tata Steel) as an Operations Manager.
Undergrad Information: BTech in Mineral Engineering (7.78/10 CGPA) with honors from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, 12th: 92.40%, 10th: 10 CGPA
GMAT: 760(V42,Q51)
Professional Work Experience: 2 years: Manager Operations, Tata Steel
I, alongside my team, worked towards stabilising the operations of a newly constructed 2MTPA capacity coal preparation plant and succeeded in doing so.

Volunteering Experience(during Undergrad):
2 years: Team Leader at AIESEC India: I worked in following portfolios: Event Management(5 events during college), Content marketing, Graphic Designing: local entity won 3 national awards, created graphic content for Tourism Industry of 2 Indian states
3 months cultural internship at AIESEC Krakow, Poland
Digital Experience Manager: AIESEC Russia (6 months)
Tata ProEngage volunteer program
Secretary at University department societies
Represented India as a delegate at International Conferences

Extracurriculars:
Attended and won at multiple inter-college sports meets
National level Table Tennis Player
National level Squash Player
State Level Badminton player
Marathon Runner: Started Running and Physique Transformation club in college
Post MBA goals: Social Entrepreneurship(in the field of sports), Strategy, General Management, Leadership

Target Schools: M7, Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross

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nj95, Your’s is next

MJPersonalMBA

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Updated on: 15 Jun 2021, 10:39

Originally posted by MJPersonalMBA on 15 Jun 2021, 10:36.
Last edited by MJPersonalMBA on 15 Jun 2021, 10:39, edited 1 time in total.

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Personal MBA Coach offers 30 minute consultations in which we can go into more detail about your profile, give you some general tips, and provide information about our services. https://www.personalmbacoach.com or [email protected]

Sajjad1994

mohit1326

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Great job on being a team lead. Make sure on your application to include undergraduate sports and volunteer activities - unlike traditional job resumes. Make sure to highlight any leadership or management experience and have your recommendations refer to skills you have demonstrated in these areas and/or your potential.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:40

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nj95

GMAT: 760
Indian, Male, Lawyer

Went to one of the top law schools in India and started working at a PE/M&A team at a top law firm right out of college. 3 years’ work ex. (4 by the time I’ll join). Have represented US mega funds on several acquisitions in India. Closed transactions worth more than USD 1bn. Was active in co-curriculars in law school and have represented the law school at many competitions in India and abroad.

R1 schools - Wharton, Booth, Columbia, NYU, Tuck

Short term goal – IB, Medium term - PE

1.In terms of growth, law firms in India have pretty rigid promotion structures (as do firms in the west) and there’s no possibility of a promotion before 4 years. How do AdComs judge transactional lawyers in terms of growth and what aspects should be highlighted to them.
2.While I was active in co-curriculars at law school, I have not been able to do anything substantial after I started working. How detrimental can this be and will recent non-profit experience (after I gave the GMAT) harm my prospects instead of improving them?

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MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:43

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Sajjad1994

nj95

Up next

Admissions teams take different industry opportunities into account when they assess applicants. Some industries, such as law or government, do not always have the same kind of rapid advancement as others. The key is emphasize the accomplishments you have. Your recommenders could briefly mention that promotions do not occur before 4 years and even that you will be eligible at the point due to strong performance. many applicants do not engage in as many volunteer activities once they graduate from school and begin work. Do try to have some involvement, however.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:44

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manidhar1

Hi
This is Maddy, 25 years, Male Indian Citizen
GMAT: yet to take. Target- 720.
Undergrad- (7.8 CGPA) B.Tech mechanical, VIT Vellore, India
12th – 93%
10th – 91.33%
Work experience – 2.7 years as software engineer in TCS. (will be more than 3 years by the time of joining). With 2 promotions.
Moving to one of the top 10 Fortune companies in a month. ( will this be helpful in application process?)
Publications- International Conf. 1 research paper, 1 Poster at IEOM conf. Malaysia
1 International Journal.
Volunteer Exp – 1 Global Volunteer program with AIESEC in Mauritius
Currently doing distance 1 year PG course from IGNOU India on International Business Operations. (Is it helpful for admission process?)
Chances or getting admit from top 10 B schools in US and the scholarships? ( If possible what should be target GMAT score?)
If not top 10 which schools can I target with good scholarships? ( ranking range/ school names)

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MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:48

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manidhar1

MBA Admissions is very competitive for engineers from India, as they apply in huge numbers to US MBA programs. A GMAT score of 770 or higher is very common, so aim very high. There are great schools that are not in the Top 10 that offer great opportunities post-grad. Which ones you would target would depend upon your career goals. It is sometimes easier to get scholarships from these schools. Visit the financial aid section of school MBA admissions websites for more details. Awards vary widely by school.

Sajjad1994

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cshreyasee

Hi, Shreyasee here (Indian female, 29 years old).

• I am currently preparing for my GMAT. I’ve taken three mock tests so far and am consistently scoring between 730 – 740. My target is 760+.
• I have been working in Analytics for the last 5 years. I currently work in Customer Analytics at a large global bank, in the Wealth and Personal Banking department.
• Prior to that, I was a consultant in Marketing Analytics at one of the top 10 market research companies. Worked in New York for 5 months.
• I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Economics (Undergrad CGPA: 8.23 / 10; Postgrad CGPA 9.77 /10).
• Extracurriculars include volunteer work throughout Undergrad, participation in employee engagement committees at work and core member of the Diversity & Inclusion employee resource group in my current organization.
• Awards: Gold Medal in Economics (Postgrad), various performance awards at work, winner of global competition in current organization to drive revenue growth & customer acquisition.
• Post MBA goal is to move into Management Consulting.

My question is really in terms of understanding whether I am a good candidate for a top school (seeking guidance in terms of which schools to realistically target). Would really like to apply to Wharton and Darden for sure. Any suggestions on which aspects of my profile to highlight and / or further work on?

MJPersonalMBA

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15 Jun 2021, 10:51

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cshreyasee

In terms of your academic profile, if your quant section on the GMAT is strong and your undergrad performance in Quant courses (e.g, statistics, calculus, finance) is strong, there certainly try for some top schools. Also aim for ones that are a bit more certain. There are so many variables that go into admitting students into a program. You have some nice features in your profile, such as the Gold Medal in Econ.

Sajjad1994

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15 Jun 2021, 10:53

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CBRMBA

GMAT: not yet taken target 700
•Nationality: Indian Female
•Age: 31 years
•Work experience: 2 years as an software engineer IT reputed MNC, 5Years Public Sector Bank general management

•Role: Software Engineer, Banker
•Under Grad: BE Computer Science 7.2(top 5percent of class)
•12th: 70% ; 10th: 75%(ICSE)
•Extracurricular : school level dance competitions (Indian classical dance for 9 years, performances given at various locations)
blogger, poetry
•Target: Sloan, wharton, ucla
•Short term goal: work as a management consultant/data analyst

kindly evaluate this profile too