Booth Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Totally agree, looking at the schools I applied to and got into should be a great example of how fickle the process is lol.

Would you have any advise to give me?

Extracurriculars aren't that solid honestly.
- was a teaching assistant ad-honorem in Statistics 1 for 8 months
- assisted a Junior Achievement event hosted by the company I worked for
- not sure if it helps, but I have solid programming skills (Python and VBA)

i started working at 19 to bring money to home, so I pretty much completed the undergrad career while working full time. And while working, I started to grow in the company, becoming a team leader at the age of 21. What can I do to improve my profile?

Nationality: Chinese Female (International)
Age: 25
Undergraduate Qualification: Bachelor in Business Administration (4 year course with a GPA of 3.5) in the United States
GMAT: 730
Work experience: 2.5 years in investment banking as a generalist in the United States
Extracurriculars: Moderate: Young professional boards in a few non-profit organization based in New York City, mentoring young children and guidance on domestic relationship
References: Will be able to get some strong references from people in Booth Alums

Hi Blaire! The basics of your profile look solid. The key piece of info I'm missing is your post-MBA goal? This will be a critical component of your application. You are also on the young side, so might benefit from waiting one more year to apply. The current turbulence may present some great opportunities to demonstrate leadership and other qualities top programs like Booth are looking for. Good luck!

Background and nationality - Indian (male), age at application stage - 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)

Post grad Gpa - 2.93/4.33 from IIM (top 30% of class)

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, promotion in 2 years, 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 -
1) volunteering at a free school for the underprivileged - arranged youth awareness camps and increased enrollment at school
2) 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 and then start an entrepreneurial venture



zero international experience, but experienced many cultures in India

Ideal GMAt score considering my background

Posted from my mobile device

VantagePointKatie
easterngod
Admissionado
SiaAdmissions

Hi,

Hope whoever is reading this is doing well and keeping safe.

As an Indian IT Male, how good are my chances at scoring a Booth admit?

Indian Male, 26
GRE - 332 (170Q 162V)
Planning to take GMAT soon, hoping for a score of ~750 (consistent with mocks). Hoping to score a scholarship

Education: IIT (top 3 engg school in India) graduate, Chemical Engg (bachelors+masters)
GPA: 8.4/10
Extra-curriculars: Secretary (elected by ~400 students), Hostel water-polo team, College festival coordinator, drummer (planning to appear for grade exams soon)

Work-Experience (4 years at the time of application): Decision Science and Business Analytics
1 year as a consultant with a data analytics consultancy (1 promotion + award)
2 years as a product analyst with a top global financial services company (top performer in team, 1 promotion, closely worked with partners around the globe to drive multi-million $ impact)
Current: 1 year as an associate (decision sciences) with a very selective top global Investment Bank

Post MBA aspirations:
short term: Strategy Consulting
long term: Big data augmented strategy roles at Big-tech firms

Primarily targeting 'quant-y' schools with a strong international brand, as I plan to move back to India later on (the brand would help open a LOT of doors) and pursue a role that is relatively quant heavy.

Other schools: Sloan, Kellogg, Darden, Tuck, Yale, INSEAD

Thanks a lot!

Hi ajay94,
Hope you are doing well also.
I think overall you have a strong profile and have a good shot at Booth. I would apply to a few schools outside the M7 too, just in case, so overall it looks like you have a good list of schools.
In terms of specific strengths of your profile, your GPA from an IIT is great, and that's great you were involved in extracurriculars too. I think your focus on analytics/decision science will be attractive too, especially with top companies and a bit of international exposure through clients. I would be curious to know more about the job moves you made. On the one hand, having experience in consulting and financial services and a bank provides you a more diverse view, but it also could be seen by admissions as lacking some consistency. So make sure you use your application materials to explain your motivations for making these changes and how they connect together to inform your post-MBA goals.
I assume you are taking the GMAT too because you're targeting consulting? Because you could apply with your GRE score, which is very high (converts to a 760, FYI).
Hope that helps, and best of luck with the process!
Kate

Hello all, and hope everybody is staying safe! Would love an honest profile evaluation if possible.

Background:
White Male
Age 26

College:
Finance degree from "Public Ivy" (but not one that's quite UVA/Berkeley caliber) with top 10 undergraduate business school
3.6 GPA

GMAT: 730

Work Experience:
4 years at top real estate mortgage banking firm (though unsure if MBA programs have a sense for what "top" mortgage banking firms are, so not sure how much this helps me). Have held multiple roles within the firm, a path I chose to broaden my skill set.

Extracurriculars:
Admittedly a weak spot. Outside of work I stay involved with a leadership role in my high school's alumni association, which is something I'm passionate about, but I'm not sure how this would be viewed by an MBA admissions office.

Post MBA Goals:
Move to investment side of real estate, leverage Booth brand and network to help source equity investor relationships. However a lot of the interest in pursuing an MBA is to explore the PropTech field, where I could leverage my real estate knowledge but would certainly be looking at it though a different lens that MBA classes and connections would really help with.

Other comments:
Would be nervous to seek a recommendation from a direct supervisor given economic uncertainty during the pandemic, but could get a good recommendation from a direct supervisor who now works for a competitor.

Hi @gmatfan5,

I remember evaluating your profile for Kellogg too and thank you for giving an opportunity to evaluate the same for Booth too.
You have got a great profile there! Booth is a great school when it comes to Tech (20.7%) as a post-MBA goal.

Booth looks for the following criteria while evaluating MBA applicants:
1. Academics
2. Collaborative Leadership
3. Career

GMAT score of 730 is great for Booth but with that you will need to showcase your intellectual skills in the essays and interviews. Having multiple roles at work definitely puts you in a good spot but for that you need to leverage these according to the values that Booth demands.
I wouldn't worry much about MBA programs having a sense of what 'top' mortgage banking firms are (which they would know) as long as I can showcase what the school is looking for in an applicant. In addition, your constant touch with your alma mater will be an icing on the cake highlighted with philanthropic tendencies in your leadership.

About recommendation, Booth specifically asks for a current supervisor but if that is not possible you can turn to the former one with an explanation of the same.
Considering your score and profile, I believe you have a fair chance to make it to Booth. What’s going to matter most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story to stand out from other applicants in the pool.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma,
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Schedule a free session
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Call: +49-15212121641
Linkedin








quote="gmatfan5"]Hello all, and hope everybody is staying safe! Would love an honest profile evaluation if possible.

Background:
White Male
Age 26

College:
Finance degree from "Public Ivy" (but not one that's quite UVA/Berkeley caliber) with top 10 undergraduate business school
3.6 GPA

GMAT: 730

Work Experience:
4 years at top real estate mortgage banking firm (though unsure if MBA programs have a sense for what "top" mortgage banking firms are, so not sure how much this helps me). Have held multiple roles within the firm, a path I chose to broaden my skill set.

Extracurriculars:
Admittedly a weak spot. Outside of work I stay involved with a leadership role in my high school's alumni association, which is something I'm passionate about, but I'm not sure how this would be viewed by an MBA admissions office.

Post MBA Goals:
Move to investment side of real estate, leverage Booth brand and network to help source equity investor relationships. However a lot of the interest in pursuing an MBA is to explore the PropTech field, where I could leverage my real estate knowledge but would certainly be looking at it though a different lens that MBA classes and connections would really help with.

Other comments:
Would be nervous to seek a recommendation from a direct supervisor given economic uncertainty during the pandemic, but could get a good recommendation from a direct supervisor who now works for a competitor.[/quote]

Hi Shishou,

You have got an amazing profile. And your entrepreneurial experience gives an edge to your profile, which will definitely make you stand out of the pool.

Booth majorly evaluates the candidates on these 3 values:
1. Academics
2. Collaborative Leadership
3. Career

I see a good mix of all 3 in your profile. On academic and work front your profile seems promising. You show great signs of a collaborative leader and the experiences of having founded training programmes plus authoring two books put you at a great spot, though you may have to give valid reasons for starting a business different from the industry where you gained most of the experiences. What impressed me the most is you play guitar at a church which you should definitely bring out in your application.

I would like to know what other colleges you are looking for, since with this profile you have quite fair chances at other top b-schools too. Which stage you have reached, now that the applications for the next intake are about to start?
If you’d like, I am happy to hop on a call sometime this week to discuss your chances in further detail. Feel free to book my calendar as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma,
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Schedule a free session
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Call: +49-15212121641
Linkedin

Hi,

I'm planning to apply to Booth in R1. Please find my profile below.

Background and nationality: Male 24, Indian

Undergrad Information:
-Graduated in Bachelors of Technology majoring in Electronics and Communications with a 7.91 CGPA(79.1 %), from GITAM University (Not a top tier university in India).
-Published a paper at IJARCEE in 2017
-ExCom member of the cultural committee 2015 & 2016

GMAT: 740 (Please let me know if I should retake and improve my score)

Work experience and leadership:
-Will be completing 4 years by June'21 at ADP (a US-based fortune 500 and blue-chip company) as a software engineer.
-Worked in the Product Implementation domain, with strong interaction with clients(Fortune 100 and 500 companies) and my on-shore partners from US and Philippines, giving me good amount of international exposure( specifically how people from different parts of the world perceive a client's request and negotiating with them to develop a common ground for us and deliver it to the client).
-Was able to suggest/change/improve many longstanding procedures and practices in my India team, to decrease our delivery timelines to clients and drastically improve their experience.
-Led a team of 4 fresh graduates with their onboarding, training, work assignments and mentoring.
-Led a team of 16 members to conduct personality and career development programs as part of associate engagement at ADP

Community and others:
-Member of EWB(Engineers Without Borders) student chapter, responsible for providing decent sanitary conditions in a rural village by setting up quick-build toilets in the entire village. Digitising a rural school with electronic infrastructure, and training the faculty and students. (2014-16)
- Organised and volunteered Food, groceries & essentials drive from April’20 – June’20 in my community serving to ~500 migrant workers.
- As a member of ISKCON, hyd - a world-renowned spiritual organisation - helped in food drives, book distribution and charity.

Post-MBA goals:
-With my experience in product implementation, I would like to transition into Product management in tech. (Short term)
-Would like to try and test out entrepreneurial ventures in the field of Blockchain(Currently pursuing Blockchain Revolution Specialisation by INSEAD for this) (Entrepreneurship - Long term)
- Frankly, I'm inclined towards consulting also (in short term) and would like to explore this in my 2 years during MBA

Extracurriculars:
- Helped my family business, in construction and real-estate, by brokering with potential customers. - 2019
- Worked as a Freelance Consultant with Defmax, a cybersecurity startup, to close a deal worth 400000 INR with Rothys, a US-based shoe company – 2018
- Secured Second place at Intra-University Debate Tournament - 2015
- Participated in State level Swimming and Skating tournaments - 2010, 2008 respectively
- Member of National Cadet Corps (NCC), Airforce Battalion – 2009-2010
- Member of Toastmasters, ADP - 2017-Present

I know this is very lengthy, but I would like to get a comprehensive evaluation of my entire profile and suggestions to improve my chances at Booth and to secure a scholarship. Please evaluate.

Thank You!

Hi VarunGampa,

You have got one great profile there! Along with strong stats (that you already have), Booth requires the leaders who can serve the community and who possess a strong, successful career. I see you have a GMAT score of 740 which not only compensates for slightly lower undergrads in your profile but also makes you a great fit for Booth.

Now, about your work ex, I can clearly see elements of strong leadership and bold initiatives but do include evidence of career progressions in your applications. You possess great global exposure and have had an impact on your work (by improving client exp). Also, you make a great fit for Booth because you provide the characteristics of a collaborative leader who has served the community in many areas. And your extracurriculars can speak for your strong personality and you definitely can bring stories of passion and resilience. But beware of writing only about your career experiences, you should have a good blend of professional and personal experiences in your application. Write about your hobbies, your motives in life, and bring a live vibrant personality in your essays. What’s going to matter the most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story to stand out in the application pool.

Also, your post-MBA goals seem perfectly aligned with your prior experiences but you need to identify gaps in your profile which Booth can help you fill and I must advise you to apply for other top-notch business schools, say, the trio of HSW, Insead, Ross.

Now, about scholarships, Booth offers a plethora of them, most of which are based on your application, stats and interviews. One that I would like to mention is ‘Marvin Zonis International Scholarship’ which is especially for international students from an emerging economy (as in your case India) and who demonstrates strong leadership, academics, and extracurriculars, which I think you provide the potential for. Also, there are merit-based, industry-specific, and various others for which you seem like a potential candidate but one thing that I want to add here is a 750+ gmat score since there will be many others with a similar profile like yours.

If you’d like, I am happy to hop on a call sometime this week to discuss your chances in further detail. Feel free to book his calendar as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma,
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Schedule a free session
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Call: +49-15212121641
Linkedin

Hi,

Thank you for the detailed evaluation. Surely, this helps.

I will reach out to you/ your team in the coming days.

Thanks again,
Varun G

Hi,

Here's is an overview of my profile.

Background and nationality - Indian, female, age 25

Grad Information - Masters in Economics (65.33%) from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi - graduated in 2017

Undergrad Information - Bachelors in Economics (85.16%) from Hansraj College, University of Delhi - graduated in 2015

GMAT Score: 710 (Q50,V36,IR6,AWA5)

Work experience - 3 years, work as an analytics consultant with FICO, develop analytic solutions for banking and financial services clients in the Asia Pacific. Delivered solutions onsite to the key stakeholders. Joined as consultant I in June 2017, promoted to consultant II in June 2019.

Leadership/extra curriculars - Headed the conceptualization of the annual economics magazine in college
- Led Hindustan Times 'Read/Renew/Recycle’ campaign to organize recycle drives in schools
- Volunteered for an NGO in college
- Trained in Indian classical music

Post MBA goals - strategy consulting, interested in being at the intersection of banking and analytics