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Applying to a top MBA program? You've come to the right spot. We guide and coach applicants to the top business schools in the world, and we don't mind saying that we're really good at this. Our team is comprised of former MBA admissions directors and top MBA graduates who are experienced admissions consultants. With that much expertise packed into one team, it's no surprise that our results speak for themselves: on average our clients' GMAT and GPA stats are slightly lower than the average for the top 10 programs, but their acceptance rate is over 3x higher than the average . How do we do it? We limit the number of clients we work with every year so that we can put all of our resources, expertise and time towards helping our clients achieve maximum success. We take a personalized approach as we know that in order to succeed in this highly competitive process, you must differentiate yourself and tell your story in a genuine, compelling and inspiring way. In this forum, we invite you to ask questions and our team will be happy to opine and guide to the extent possible. We also invite you to request an initial consultation with us: https://vantagepointmba.com/free-consultation/ Here's a quick overview of our services: https://vantagepointmba.com/services/ And here is a link to some free tips and advice: https://vantagepointmba.com/tips-advice/ Ask away - we look forward to meeting you!

Anonymous · Answer

Hi everyone,

We aggregated some information on the Deferred MBA Admissions programs (think HBS 2+2, etc) for you. In addition, Haas has a deferred admissions program that isn't yet open to non-Berkeley undergrads, but may be next year if they follow what other schools have done. Enjoy!

https://vantagepointmba.com/2020/01/27/ ... e-for-you/

Inseadxyz · Answer

Please review my profile and suggest things i could do to improve my chances. Planning to apply next year 2021.

Demographics (nationality, gender): - Indian, Male, 28

· Education (undergraduate institution, GPA, major - high school/entrance exams not needed):
10th : 90%
12th : 91% (school topper)
Undergrad Btech : 70% ( small town college)
Post graduation : 65% ( IIM Kashipur, In the top 15 Bschools in the country)

Cleared CFA level 1 in 2019

· GMAT: 760 (Q-50, V-42, IR – 8)

· Work experience: 2.5 years as a software developer in Infosys and 1 year as a sales manager (reporting to associate vice president and board) in a middle sized firm. (valuation .8 Billion USD), started an education startup a year back, Planning to stay in the same organisation till i apply next year, so 2 years as sales manager in a middle sized firm.

· Extracurricular activities: Won several national level case study competitions during my MBA, Gold medal for academic proficiency in marketing (this was the only subject i could get a hang of

, School topper, Volunteered in Placement and organising committees in undergrad , NGO work experience of 2 years, Several appreciation mails and Rewards and recognition awards.

Sports : part of football team right from undergraduate to postgraduate level - represented iim in sporting events.

· Post-MBA goals: Make a career in Marketing/Consulting and shift to a new geography.

· Target schools: Insead or any other top 10 - 1 year MBA programs

, School topper, Volunteered in Placement and organising committees in undergrad , NGO work experience of 2 years, Several appreciation mails and Rewards and recognition awards. Sports : part of football team right from undergraduate to postgraduate level - represented iim in sporting events. · Post-MBA goals: Make a career in Marketing/Consulting and shift to a new geography. · Target schools: Insead or any other top 10 - 1 year MBA programs

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  Inseadxyz , thanks for sharing your profile!

Your GMAT and work experience (without knowing the particulars of your roles) sound strong, which is great. Hard to tell if you're currently involved in any extracurriculars or if they were during school, but if not, that is one area you could look to improve over the next year until you apply.

The biggest recommendation I have for you is to craft a cohesive narrative around how your work experience to date informs your short- and long-term careers goals and how an MBA (and a 1 year program in particular) will help you get there. Why is a career in marketing/consulting right for you? How does the CFA fit within your path, as it seems a bit disconnected? What skills will an MBA develop that you don't currently have? Network with MBAs in your desired industry and develop nuanced answers to these questions and then spend time researching and getting to know the programs to which you are applying - what resources do they have to help you and how will you contribute to their class?

Let me know if you'd like to chat further. We offer hourly services to help you plan for your application, which you can roll into one of our comprehensive packages to help with the actual applications down the road! Regardless, best of luck to you!!

doublewhammy · Answer

Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application - 26, Business education (Undergrad and post-grad from top tier institutes in India)
GMAT: 730 -740 (Realistic target)
Undergrad Gpa- 7.48(equivalent to 4.0 acc to gmac)- top 30%

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)
Common Admission Test 2015 (GMAT equivalent for Indian bschools, 200,000 test takers in a year) - 98.5 percentile

Work experience and leadership - 3.5 years (during application) CPG firm in India, led a team of 10+ management graduates for all these 3.5 yrs, youngest and fastest to get promoted, youngest state head, highest growth and achievement nos. in first 2 years

Recommendations from Pan India Heads

Community and others -

Volunteering at a school for special needs children - mostly kids who don't have resources for correct diagnosis - tried to teach them nuances of human interaction and to make them independent in their daily tasks

Hosted a tedx event and achieved a blackbelt in martial arts, opportunity to represent country and state in international and national competitions

Post MBA goals - transition to consulting in CPG/manufacturing and then start an entrepreneurial venture

zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background?
Which schools shall I target - Stretch, Realistic, Safety? (open to european schools, and only stem in usa)

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  doublewhammy , thanks for sharing your profile! Your education and work experience sound solid. I also like that you are planning to stay within the industry focus (CPG) where your background lies. You'll need to build out the long-term goal more robustly in your essays (what type of venture, where, and why?) and demonstrate why an MBA + consulting will set you up for it. I would target at least a 740 GMAT given that you come from a competitive subset and have a common post-MBA goal. School choice is a very personal decision, but I think you have a solid shot at top 15 (maybe higher). I recommend targeting the five programs that most appeal to you after you've done thorough research and networking. Think in terms of one stretch program, two 'in the range' programs, and two 'safer bets'. Good luck!

doublewhammy · Answer

Thanks a lot for the evaluation. I really appreciate it.
Could you give examples of stretch, in range and safe bets so that I can choose wisely in that bracket.
Stanford, Kellogg,Booth, Stern, Darden are some schools I have shortlisted. Will Stanford fall in my stretch category at all and should I look to schools below darden/stern as safety? (or will school such as Tepper, Olin, Georgetown fall in safety?

VantagePointKatie

Posted from my mobile device

Naseef · Answer

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

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  doublewhammy , unfortunately it's really tough to opine on the feasibility of particular schools without getting to know you better. It also depends heavily on why the particular programs appeal to you and how it fits with your goals. You can leverage the published 'averages' for GMAT/GPA to get a sense for how you stack up on paper and then really take the time to research each program. Good luck!

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  Naseef ! Thanks for sharing your profile! I love how the work you do with your family business lines up with your long-term goal of going into social impact and it sounds like you have some solid achievements in your full time job. School selection and your competitiveness at different schools is tough to opine on with only a high level view of your profile - a conversation is a much better way to provide that feedback and help you approach the application process. However, my general advice is to focus on raising that quant score if possible, as this will help convince the adcom that you will succeed in the MBA coursework despite your GPA. Good luck!

dits93 · Answer

Hi,

I have 2 queries -does pre-undergraduate, mandatory military service (for 2 years) count as work experience for the purpose of fulfilling US universities' MBA work experience requirements/guidelines? What about post-undergraduate internships?

Thank you very much!

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  dits93 , the top US schools look at post-undergrad, full time positions when it comes to work experience. As such, I don't believe the experiences you're referencing will 'count'. Good luck!

Katie

krrishwins · Answer

Any Suggestions help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

29 years Indian Male, Completed B.E Mechanical Engineering.
Currently working as a business analyst at the no.1 oilfield services company.

Target GMAT Score: 720
Target Schools - Top 10 US B-Schools. Preferred - Cornell, NYU Stern and MIT Sloan. Targeting scholarships

Professional Achievements –
1) Currently leading a safety team for my campus. My role here is to make sure all the 1800+ employees working in my location are aware about the safety protocols, follow data protection policies, Workplace Ergonomics etc., This is an additional role which i have taken up aside from my regular work.
2) International Experience – 6 months in US and Europe
3) Conducted classroom training for more than 800+ Engineers for 2 months. Entire classroom population representing more than 20 nationalities
4) Involved in company wide transformation program for Engineering Function. Achieved cost savings of 1M+ during my time.
5) Promoted twice within the span of last 3 years

Extracurricular/entrepreneurship Activities:

1) Worked with my cousin on his real estate business. I was involved in Marketing, Sales and Strategy
2) Mentoring my College juniors and Workplace Colleagues on their career transition. Successfully helped the placement of 2 candidates in product-based companies.
3) Got a chance to start my own retail shop. But the deal failed before the launch. But during this process involved in Market Analysis, Supplier Selection, Supplier negotiation etc., (This is basically a failure am not sure whether I can talk about this in my application)

Volunteer experience -
1) On Multiple occasions, Along with my family and friends worked on the community kitchen, Where we cooked home made food for elderly home residents. Last 2 years we have delivered around 1000+ food packets. I Lead this effort.

farbahar · Answer

Background: 25, female, parents on Bangladeshi descent

Undergrad: Duke University, Economics, 3.5 GPA

GMAT: 750 (Q49, V42)

Currently: Strategy Consultant at Accenture in CFO & Enterprise Value practice. Promoted twice in two years. Based out of New York City

Extracurriculars: 
 1. Founder and host of a podcast spotlighting unique Ismaili Muslim voices (600+ average monthly listens with 1100+ followers engaging on Instagram)
 2. Pro bono consulting for small businesses through a nonprofit in NYC called Aga Khan Economic Planning Board, helping small businesses gain resiliency and financial stability post-Covid
 3. Tutoring and mentoring underprivileged students in NYC area through iMentor and SEO Scholars
 4. Treasurer of service nonprofit in college
 
Target schools: HBS, Wharton, Columbia, Stanford, MIT
Future goal: finance or startup

MXDude · Answer

Hi everyone, please evaluate my profile:
25 year old male from México.
Professional Experience:
- Will have two years MBB consulting at the time of starting MBA.
- 1 year as a full-time Junior Buyer at a Tier 1 Car Manufacturer, while I was still an undergrad. I managed several projects and over 5 million dollars in savings initiatives.
- Worked 1 year as a Purchasing Intern at the same car manufacturer.

Academics:
- GPA out of 10 is 9.4 in undergrad with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering at Mexico’s #1 Ranked College.

Extra-curriculars: 
- President of the Industrial Engineering Student Association
- Fundraised over 220k dollars to organize an international commercial mission in Asia, with participation of 25 mexican companies and the mexican government.
- I lead a social initiative at college where we impacted over 6k children of low income backgrounds we a school drop-out of 40% after elementary. The program was complimentary to their studies. We helped the kids develop soft skills and introduce them to different professional roles(policeman, engineer, architect, doctor, etc.)to motivate them to continue with their studies. 
- Won the Supply Chain Excellence Award by the MIT. This award is given annually at each partner university to the most outstanding graduating senior in a supply chain and/or industrial engineering major. The award entitles the winner to a tuition scholarship of $25,000 towards the MIT Supply Chain Management (SCM) Master’s Degree Program.
- Several awards / recognitions by the university board for serving as a positive leader in the student community while excelling in its academic performance.

Post MBA Goals:
Short term: Go back to MBB Consulting for some years and developed myself further.
Mid term: I want to be an entrepreneur and start my own company.
Long term: I want to revolutionize the way education is given in Mexico and many third world countries. My goal is to find a way in which marginalized communities can improve their access to academic development and improve the overall situation of my country. Also, I would love to retire and become a high school teacher.

Scores:
- GMAT(around 720 at the moment)
- TOEFL 114

Target Schools: 
HBS, Stanford GSB, Sloan, Wharton, Booth, Haas

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi  krrishwins , thanks for reaching out!

A few follow up questions so that I can appropriately opine: 1) how was your academic performance during undergrad (ie GPA equivalent) and where did you go? 2) what are your post-MBA goals?

Thanks!
Katie

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi farbahar , thanks for sharing your profile! You have very solid 'stats' (ie GPA/GMAT) and your work experience sounds like it will be an asset as well. I also love your extracurriculars, particularly the post-COVID pro bono consulting - great job finding a way to contribute during a challenging time! You have the makings of a strong application to your target schools, although, given that it's going to be a very competitive year, it might help to round out your list with a 'safer' option or two. I am also curious to hear more about your post-MBA goals and why they are of interest to you, as this is an incredibly important part of your 'story'. We offer free 30-minute consults if you would like to discuss further offline: https://vantagepointmba.com/free-consultation/. Good luck! Katie

VantagePointKatie · Answer

Hi HSand , thanks for sharing your profile! You have solid academics and a strong brand name on your resume, as I'm sure you know. I am particularly impressed with all of your extracurriculars / leadership positions, particularly those that align with your long-term goal of helping under-served students / passion for education. The only risk I see to your profile is that your years of experience are on the low end at two upon matriculation. You will need to demonstrate that you have comparable problem-solving / leadership / teamwork accomplishments to your peers with ~1-2 more years of experience. It is also important that you achieve or exceed your target GMAT score to be competitive with the consulting subset of applicants. Happy to discuss further on a free consultation call: https://vantagepointmba.com/free-consultation/! Katie

krrishwins · Answer

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

My Indian CGPA is on a lower side - 7.1.
I studied in a Government College of Engineering (Non - IIT)

Post MBA Goals:

I want to pursue either one of the below.

1) Product Management in Tech Industry. This is my first preference. I think my business analyst profile will help me in transitioning to the product management role.

2) I would like to target the Strategy consulting industry.

Regards,
Gopalakrishnan

GJ12 · Answer

Hello everyone,

Please help evaluate my profile: Applying in the first round for 2021 intake for a one-year MBA program [Kellogg, Cornell, Duke Fuqua, INSEAD]
Field: General Management or Marketing

Profile Details:

Age: 29 years
Gender: Female
Nationality: Indian
Country of residence: Ireland (Dublin)

GMAT: 710 (Q49 V38 IR5)

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Engineering (IT), Score 71% (India)
Postgraduate: Tier-2 MBA (Human Resources), GPA 2.8 (India)
Professional certification: CIPD Level 5 in HRM (Ireland)

Work Experience: 5.5 years as an HR Business Partner (overall 2 promotions)

Indian experience: 2014 – 2019
Experience in established companies – TCS, Verizon, Tesco
Experience working in a fast-growing start-up

Career break: Jan 2020 – June 2020

International experience: Starting July 2020
Lead HR in a non-profit organization in Ireland, Dublin
Crisis Volunteer in a Govt funded mental health initiative in Ireland, Dublin

Appreciate your inputs. Thanks in advance

raipriyadarshi · Answer

Hi,

Please help evaluate my profile and let me know my chances at the following B-School :

SDA Bocconi School of Management
  Iese Business School
  Esade Business School
  IE Business School
  Imperial Business School
  Warwick Business School
  City, University of London
  University of Edinburgh

Indian - Male (29 years old) - Bachelor Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

# Undergraduation -
1] Tier 3 college in India - 70.22 % - GPA (7.0/10)
2] Head of the Dramatics Club, Volunteered for 2 years
3] Recommended for the Indian Army

# Professional Experience - 
Currently working as a Data Science Analyst. 
Total 78 months of work experience in the space of Data Science and Analytics.
1] 2 Research Publication at IEEE conferences
2] 2 filed patents

GRE - 321 (Q165,V156)
IELTS - 7.5

# Post-MBA Career Goals: Management Consulting

Thanks - 
Priyadarshi

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