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could anyone share whatsapp chat link for this group?
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‎Open this link to join my WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HOyT0j1hnbe0F ... ?mode=gi_t
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Hi Digitate1897877 5 years is a long period to stay with one IT company. What changed when you moved from a systems engineer to a product engineer role. Use minimal jargons and talk qualitatively about your work contributions. You will have to demonstrate a steeper than usual growth trajectory and align your transferable skills with post MBA roles. Would suggest deep diving into other areas that can help make your profile interesting such as your family business experience. What were the circumstances and what did you learn? How do you apply the learnings to your work today. What do you plan to do in the future. You did not mention your career goals which is an extremely important factor in profile evaluation. Try to score as high as possible, upwards of a 685 would be better.


Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­
Digitate1897877
Kindly evaluate my profile.
10th: 96%
12th: 94%
Jadavpur University B.E ETCE ( 9.03 cgpa)

Work ex:
5 years (Systems Engineer->Product Engineer) at
Digitate(TCS)
On th Spot Team member award.
Consistent high performance ratings in 5 years

Ran family business at young age.
Started a pickle startup in 2023 and ran it for a year.
Part of a social organisation and set up blood camps every year.

School extracurricular:
Headboy at school
Played state level and district level cricket

College extracurricular:
Part of Department cricket team
Volunteer in different cultural activities.

Target B-school : ISB,IIM ABCL

Kindly evaluate my profile and the target Gmat score for me to get in the above b-schools
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Hi aakanksha6698 INSEAD alumna here. Feel free to speak one to one should you want a deeper analysis for the European MBA programs.
If I am understanding your work experience correctly, then you seem to have started in a more backend research oriented finance role and gradually moved closer toward capital allocation and infrastructure investing related work. Your current role in renewable project finance is likely the most interesting layer in your work history. But what exactly your involvement has been within the projects, how close you are to actual financing and commercial decision making, and how all of this could be strategically presented to the schools would probably need a deeper discussion. You did not mention your goals, but I would strongly recommend looking beyond generic consulting goals because there seems to be a differentiated and somewhat intentional underlying theme emerging in your profile already.


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Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­



aakanksha6698
Hi
Kindly evaluate my profile.
10th: 10 CGPA
12th: 94.2%
Chartered Accountant
CFA L1
Bcom Hons from delhi university SOL

Work ex:
1st year WNS - Investment Banking research
2nd year Blackstone COE WIPRO - Investment Management for Asset Backed Securities portfolio
3rd year till now EDF S.A (largest electricity producer in europe owned by french govt) - Deputy Manager Project financing for renewable projects in India

School extracurricular:
Yellow belt - Taekwondo
Debate competitions

Target B-school : ISB, INSEAD, LBS, HEC

Kindly help me the target GMAT score I should aim for and other aspects I can improve to highlight my profile.
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Hi ritishasingh

You did not specify what your core focus is in healthcare/pharma consulting, for eg is it market research for improving patient outcomes or something else like designing sales incentives, etc.? I consider the market research profiles from within the pharma/healthcare sector to have a lot of potential for narrative shaping, and one of my past mentees went to an M7 with this top-tier kind of experience. Doubling down on your focus and expertise is important because you come with less work experience. Depending on your functional expertise and long-term goals, you will have to find connecting underlying themes and project learnings that help to strengthen your goals strategy.
Candidates who exhibit a strong understanding of their industry, supported by extensive reading, research, and hands-on experience, stand out. In your essays and interviews, delve into your industry's future trends, challenges, or emerging approaches.

Yes, consulting with a tier 1 consulting company like MBB with a focus on Big Pharma/Healthcare in a few years' time (if you start as a generalist) would make a more realistic goal. This would give you a hands-on opportunity to work with a number of industry leaders in an area where you would like to focus on in the long term (for example you could ask for specialization in marketing after a few years as a generalist). Applicants who have prior experience working closely in a market research role with caregivers are strong candidates for projects in the market positioning of therapies/treatments in biopharma/pharma. These profiles can also eventually transition into strategic marketing roles in biotechnology companies or pivot to a large pharma company as a Patient Engagement Leads, where they work on enhancing patient-centricity.

Feel free to speak should you want guidance

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn|WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­
­


ritishasingh
Hi all, requesting a profile evaluation for ISB PGP R1’26:

Indian Female, 10th: 90%, 12th: 95% (commerce); Bcom Hons from Tier-2 DU: 8/10 CGPA

Work Ex: 2.5 years at a global healthcare consulting firm, involved with projects for a Fortune 500/Top 10 in US pharmaceutical company. 1 promotion here, first-line leader in the firm.

Extracurriculars: Volunteered with WICCI (a women’s commerce chamber) and taught underprivileged kids for 1-2 months with CRY India, both during college.

Post MBA goals:
Short term - Continuing on my healthcare journey, either from healthcare verticals of MBB or joining a pharma directly.
Long term - Becoming a strategic leader in this space. Leading commercialization journeys & drug lifecycles from within the pharmaceutical.

Target GMAT: 685+ (currently in prep)
Target Schools: ISB, T10 in US, HEC/ESSEC in EU
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MBAGuide
Hi Digitate1897877 5 years is a long period to stay with one IT company. What changed when you moved from a systems engineer to a product engineer role. Use minimal jargons and talk qualitatively about your work contributions. You will have to demonstrate a steeper than usual growth trajectory and align your transferable skills with post MBA roles. Would suggest deep diving into other areas that can help make your profile interesting such as your family business experience. What were the circumstances and what did you learn? How do you apply the learnings to your work today. What do you plan to do in the future. You did not mention your career goals which is an extremely important factor in profile evaluation. Try to score as high as possible, upwards of a 685 would be better.


Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­
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Thank you for the detailed feedback.

I understand the concern regarding spending five years within the same organization, but for me this period was also shaped by significant personal responsibilities and life events that deeply influenced my growth and perspective.

I joined TCS Digitate at start of my career and initially worked as a Systems Engineer focused on execution and problem solving. Over time, my role evolved into a Product Engineer position where I took greater ownership across the product lifecycle, including understanding business requirements, driving end-to-end feature delivery, collaborating across teams, and contributing towards client-focused product improvements.

At the same time, my personal life went through major challenges. Within six months of starting my job, I lost my sister unexpectedly in December 2021, which was an emotionally difficult phase for my family and me. While recovering from that loss, my mother and I started a small pickle venture in 2022, where I independently handled branding, packaging, logistics, and operations, scaling it to around 500 jars per month.

However, in July 2023, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and over the next year my focus shifted heavily towards her treatment and supporting my family until she passed away in September 2024. Balancing these responsibilities while continuing professionally was one of the most challenging periods of my life. Despite these circumstances, I continued contributing meaningfully at work, delivered critical product features end-to-end, and supported initiatives that helped drive client impact and business value.

These experiences fundamentally shaped my resilience, sense of ownership, and leadership mindset. They also strengthened my interest in building products and solving meaningful business problems at scale.

Post MBA, I aim to move into product management and strategy roles where I can combine my technology background, execution experience, and entrepreneurial exposure to build customer-centric technology products and eventually grow into leadership roles within the technology ecosystem.
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Thank you for taking the time to discuss the finer circumstances. Surely consider applying to the IIM PGPs as well, as I have seen similar cases in the past that got acceptance from IIM ABC. Focus on layering your profile with your ability to take action in difficult circumstances. Sometimes, the most impactful actions are subtle and personal, as it seems to be in your case. Reflect on moments where you took initiative, or helped others in meaningful ways.
I also specifically want to tell you not to use generic language when you talk about your work experience and goals. In your application, if you want to get an interview, show strong intent. Don’t say, “I can combine my technology background, execution experience, and entrepreneurial exposure to build customer-centric technology products and eventually grow into leadership roles within the technology ecosystem.” Show that you are well researched and know exactly what you want to contribute to or build with your skills, and what these unique skills really are.
You can read an old post of mine here to build a sense around what I am suggesting Product Management Goals in the Age of AI: Why these Goals Fall Flat : Harvard


Best wishes

Digitate1897877




Thank you for the detailed feedback.

I understand the concern regarding spending five years within the same organization, but for me this period was also shaped by significant personal responsibilities and life events that deeply influenced my growth and perspective.

I joined TCS Digitate at start of my career and initially worked as a Systems Engineer focused on execution and problem solving. Over time, my role evolved into a Product Engineer position where I took greater ownership across the product lifecycle, including understanding business requirements, driving end-to-end feature delivery, collaborating across teams, and contributing towards client-focused product improvements.

At the same time, my personal life went through major challenges. Within six months of starting my job, I lost my sister unexpectedly in December 2021, which was an emotionally difficult phase for my family and me. While recovering from that loss, my mother and I started a small pickle venture in 2022, where I independently handled branding, packaging, logistics, and operations, scaling it to around 500 jars per month.

However, in July 2023, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and over the next year my focus shifted heavily towards her treatment and supporting my family until she passed away in September 2024. Balancing these responsibilities while continuing professionally was one of the most challenging periods of my life. Despite these circumstances, I continued contributing meaningfully at work, delivered critical product features end-to-end, and supported initiatives that helped drive client impact and business value.

These experiences fundamentally shaped my resilience, sense of ownership, and leadership mindset. They also strengthened my interest in building products and solving meaningful business problems at scale.

Post MBA, I aim to move into product management and strategy roles where I can combine my technology background, execution experience, and entrepreneurial exposure to build customer-centric technology products and eventually grow into leadership roles within the technology ecosystem.
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Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to ISB PGP Young Leaders (YL 2027 intake) and would really appreciate a profile evaluation along with suggestions on how to improve over the next 6–8 months. The first deadline is around December.

Background:
Indian female, Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Business Systems from VIT-AP (2025 CGPA: 8.73)

Work Experience:
~13 months with a digital marketing agency (part-time during college(9 months) + full-time post graduation(4 months))
Worked on content, scripting, and creative strategy
Currently building my own agency (early stage, no clients yet)
Freelancing as a scriptwriter and video editor

Additional Experience:
Strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle health
Designed personalized diet plans for family members
Helped improve cholesterol and pre-diabetic markers through structured nutrition plans
Currently working on documenting these as case studies

Career Goals:
Interested in working at the intersection of business, behavior, and health
Long term: build scalable solutions in the health/wellness space

GMAT: Just started preparation - Targeting 695–715 (Focus Edition)

Concerns:
How competitive is my current profile for ISB PGP YL?
What are the top 2–3 things I should focus on improving in the next 6 months?
Does my experience (marketing + nutrition + startup attempt) come across as unfocused, or can it be positioned well?

Any honest feedback would be really helpful. Thank you!
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Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
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Quote:

*Samsam249 writes:*
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to ISB PGP Young Leaders (YL 2027 intake) and would really appreciate a profile evaluation along with suggestions on how to improve over the next 6–8 months. The first deadline is around December.

Background:
Indian female, Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Business Systems from VIT-AP (2025 CGPA: 8.73)

Work Experience:
~13 months with a digital marketing agency (part-time during college(9 months) + full-time post graduation(4 months))
Worked on content, scripting, and creative strategy
Currently building my own agency (early stage, no clients yet)
Freelancing as a scriptwriter and video editor

Additional Experience:
Strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle health
Designed personalized diet plans for family members
Helped improve cholesterol and pre-diabetic markers through structured nutrition plans
Currently working on documenting these as case studies

Career Goals:
Interested in working at the intersection of business, behavior, and health
Long term: build scalable solutions in the health/wellness space

GMAT: Just started preparation - Targeting 695–715 (Focus Edition)

Concerns:
How competitive is my current profile for ISB PGP YL?
What are the top 2–3 things I should focus on improving in the next 6 months?
Does my experience (marketing + nutrition + startup attempt) come across as unfocused, or can it be positioned well?

Any honest feedback would be really helpful. Thank you!
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Honest suggestion:
focus on just one thing... GMAT Score 😀
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Hi all, requesting a profile evaluation for ISB PGP / MBA R1 2026 applications.
Indian Male | Engineer | Entrepreneur
Academics:
• 10th: 8.4 CGPA
• 12th: 71%
• Graduation: 76%

Entrepreneurship:
• Presently Co-Founder of JamalJamaloo, a luxury furniture and home décor brand.
• Created and scaled a complete e-commerce ecosystem across branding, technology, sourcing, marketing, logistics, and customer acquisition.
• Generated ₹25+ lakhs in revenue within the first 13 months while expanding across both online and offline channels.
• Led business growth, customer acquisition, and strategic partnerships while building a premium brand presence in the luxury home décor segment.
Professional Experience:
• 4 years at Infosys MCCamish Systems , a U.S.-based Infosys subsidiary, working as a Software Developer.
• Built and enhanced enterprise-scale insurance systems impacting core customer and business operations for large U.S. insurance clients.
• Worked across development, system enhancement, and platform modernization initiatives in a high-impact client environment.

Leadership & Social Impact:
• Served as President of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (ED Cell) during college.
• Volunteered with HelpAge India for 200+ hours on social impact initiatives.
• Selected for the Department of Science and Technology INSPIRE Internship Camp, a national-level science talent initiative by the Government of India.

Innovation & Awards:
• Developed an energy innovation prototype capable of generating electricity from body heat for flashlight-based applications.
• Published and orally presented a research abstract at India International Science Festival under the Ministry of Earth Sciences at Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL); among the youngest presenting authors at the conference.
• Received recognition from the Tata Institute for rural entrepreneurship based on the innovation project.
• Advanced to the KPIT Sparkle innovation incubator stage among 1000+ ideas nationwide.
• Selected among the Top 50 finalists in Maharashtra Government’s Startup Yatra initiative.
• Received multiple awards and recognitions at district and college levels for the innovation project.

Post MBA Goals:
• Leverage my combined background in technology and entrepreneurship to transition into Product Management / Growth Strategy roles within consumer-tech, e-commerce, or AI-driven businesses, with the long-term vision of building and scaling technology-enabled consumer brands globally.

Target GMAT FE:
• Currently preparing; targeting 685+
Target Schools:
ISB, IIM ABC
• Selective US/EU MBA programs
Would really appreciate honest feedback on:
Overall competitiveness for ISB/T15-type schools
Realistic GMAT score needed for this profile
Biggest strengths and weaknesses in the application
Whether the technology + entrepreneurship narrative comes across strongly enough
Thanks in advance!
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Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 09 May 2026, 07:42
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Low GPA or GMAT? Still targeting ISB or other top MBA programs?

Join Senior MBA admissions Consultants- Shimri Winters and Danielle Marom for a Live Coffee Chat on how applicants can strengthen their profile, address academic concerns, and improve their chances beyond their GMAT/GRE Scores.

Date: 14 May
Time: 8:30 PM IST

Topic: Beyond the Score: Strategies for MBA Admissions with a Low GPA or GMAT

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE SESSION
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Another year of dreams to come true. Aspirants, this is for you!

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Samsam249
Work Experience:
~13 months with a digital marketing agency (part-time during college(9 months) + full-time post graduation(4 months))
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This is quite confusing. When did you graduate Samsam249?
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Ashish
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This is quite confusing. When did you graduate Samsam249?
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2025
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Hi Samsam249,

Your academics are good, and your background in digital marketing, freelancing, and health/wellness can become a strong combination if presented well. Right now, the biggest gap is limited work depth and scale, so over the next few months try to build stronger impact through clients, projects, portfolio, or leadership activities. A GMAT FE score in the 695–715 range would make your profile much stronger for ISB YL.

All the Best!

Happy to connect if you’d like to discuss your profile in more detail.

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Samsam249
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to ISB PGP Young Leaders (YL 2027 intake) and would really appreciate a profile evaluation along with suggestions on how to improve over the next 6–8 months. The first deadline is around December.

Background:
Indian female, Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Business Systems from VIT-AP (2025 CGPA: 8.73)

Work Experience:
~13 months with a digital marketing agency (part-time during college(9 months) + full-time post graduation(4 months))
Worked on content, scripting, and creative strategy
Currently building my own agency (early stage, no clients yet)
Freelancing as a scriptwriter and video editor

Additional Experience:
Strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle health
Designed personalized diet plans for family members
Helped improve cholesterol and pre-diabetic markers through structured nutrition plans
Currently working on documenting these as case studies

Career Goals:
Interested in working at the intersection of business, behavior, and health
Long term: build scalable solutions in the health/wellness space

GMAT: Just started preparation - Targeting 695–715 (Focus Edition)

Concerns:
How competitive is my current profile for ISB PGP YL?
What are the top 2–3 things I should focus on improving in the next 6 months?
Does my experience (marketing + nutrition + startup attempt) come across as unfocused, or can it be positioned well?

Any honest feedback would be really helpful. Thank you!
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MBAGuide
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Concentration: Operations, Marketing
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
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Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 11 May 2026, 00:54
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NovaPane Hope you are doing great

I actually think there is more depth in your profile than what may appear at first glance. There seems to be a genuine underlying inclination toward innovation building, experimentation and entrepreneurship that has existed for years through your science projects, startup initiatives and now your business. That continuity is valuable.
At the same time, I also want to give you one honest thought to reflect upon strategically before the MBA applications. Although entrepreneurship is absolutely respected by top MBA programs, the adcoms will still subconsciously try to assess external market validation of your capabilities beyond a self owned setup. This becomes more relevant when the venture is still relatively early stage or modest in scale financially. So one way to further strengthen the profile before applying could be either moving back into a strong corporate, product or growth oriented role where your capabilities are validated in a highly competitive external environment,
or continuing to build far stronger third party validation within the entrepreneurship and impact ecosystem itself. And by third party validation, I mean things like highly selective fellowships, national level startup incubators, accelerator programs, media features,
[*]grants, or endorsements from credible organizations within the entrepreneurship or impact space. because many applicants today write variations of this startup then PM goals, the stronger applications are the ones where the candidate demonstrates very sharp thinking around what exact problem space they care about and why they care about it. Feel free to speak should you want to discuss more.
[*]Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­




NovaPane
Hi all, requesting a profile evaluation for ISB PGP / MBA R1 2026 applications.
Indian Male | Engineer | Entrepreneur
Academics:
• 10th: 8.4 CGPA
• 12th: 71%
• Graduation: 76%

Entrepreneurship:
• Presently Co-Founder of JamalJamaloo, a luxury furniture and home décor brand.
• Created and scaled a complete e-commerce ecosystem across branding, technology, sourcing, marketing, logistics, and customer acquisition.
• Generated ₹25+ lakhs in revenue within the first 13 months while expanding across both online and offline channels.
• Led business growth, customer acquisition, and strategic partnerships while building a premium brand presence in the luxury home décor segment.
Professional Experience:
• 4 years at Infosys MCCamish Systems , a U.S.-based Infosys subsidiary, working as a Software Developer.
• Built and enhanced enterprise-scale insurance systems impacting core customer and business operations for large U.S. insurance clients.
• Worked across development, system enhancement, and platform modernization initiatives in a high-impact client environment.

Leadership & Social Impact:
• Served as President of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (ED Cell) during college.
• Volunteered with HelpAge India for 200+ hours on social impact initiatives.
• Selected for the Department of Science and Technology INSPIRE Internship Camp, a national-level science talent initiative by the Government of India.

Innovation & Awards:
• Developed an energy innovation prototype capable of generating electricity from body heat for flashlight-based applications.
• Published and orally presented a research abstract at India International Science Festival under the Ministry of Earth Sciences at Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL); among the youngest presenting authors at the conference.
• Received recognition from the Tata Institute for rural entrepreneurship based on the innovation project.
• Advanced to the KPIT Sparkle innovation incubator stage among 1000+ ideas nationwide.
• Selected among the Top 50 finalists in Maharashtra Government’s Startup Yatra initiative.
• Received multiple awards and recognitions at district and college levels for the innovation project.

Post MBA Goals:
• Leverage my combined background in technology and entrepreneurship to transition into Product Management / Growth Strategy roles within consumer-tech, e-commerce, or AI-driven businesses, with the long-term vision of building and scaling technology-enabled consumer brands globally.

Target GMAT FE:
• Currently preparing; targeting 685+
Target Schools:
ISB, IIM ABC
• Selective US/EU MBA programs
Would really appreciate honest feedback on:
Overall competitiveness for ISB/T15-type schools
Realistic GMAT score needed for this profile
Biggest strengths and weaknesses in the application
Whether the technology + entrepreneurship narrative comes across strongly enough
Thanks in advance!
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MBAGuide
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Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 11 May 2026, 01:07
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Hi! Your profile reads like you are still exploring interests rather than someone who has already demonstrated strong directional momentum toward a high potential career path. And that is completely okay at this stage of life, but it also means you should think carefully about whether rushing into YL applications immediately is the best use of your energy. The underlying interests you have around behavior, wellness and health are interesting, but at the moment, the application may still struggle to answer a very important question from the adcom’s POV which is, “What has this candidate done so far that gives us confidence about the scale of future potential?”. The nutrition and wellness angle sounds more like a personal interest than a professionally validated direction yet. Similarly, the agency is still at a very early stage. So if you apply right now, a large part of the application may unintentionally end up relying on future aspirations and hypothetical potential rather than already demonstrated momentum. I think your next 1 to 2 years could become much more valuable if you focus aggressively on building stronger quality opportunities and external validation first. That could mean joining a strong startup or growth environment. Many young applicants underestimate how much clarity and maturity MBA/PGP programs expect, even from candidates with limited work experience. My honest feeling is that you may actually become a much stronger MBA candidate if you spend some more time intentionally building substance/experience first rather than trying to optimize applications too early. Feel free to reach out


Samsam249
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to ISB PGP Young Leaders (YL 2027 intake) and would really appreciate a profile evaluation along with suggestions on how to improve over the next 6–8 months. The first deadline is around December.

Background:
Indian female, Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Business Systems from VIT-AP (2025 CGPA: 8.73)

Work Experience:
~13 months with a digital marketing agency (part-time during college(9 months) + full-time post graduation(4 months))
Worked on content, scripting, and creative strategy
Currently building my own agency (early stage, no clients yet)
Freelancing as a scriptwriter and video editor

Additional Experience:
Strong interest in nutrition and lifestyle health
Designed personalized diet plans for family members
Helped improve cholesterol and pre-diabetic markers through structured nutrition plans
Currently working on documenting these as case studies

Career Goals:
Interested in working at the intersection of business, behavior, and health
Long term: build scalable solutions in the health/wellness space

GMAT: Just started preparation - Targeting 695–715 (Focus Edition)

Concerns:
How competitive is my current profile for ISB PGP YL?
What are the top 2–3 things I should focus on improving in the next 6 months?
Does my experience (marketing + nutrition + startup attempt) come across as unfocused, or can it be positioned well?

Any honest feedback would be really helpful. Thank you!
Show more
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harumnemo
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Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 11 May 2026, 02:17
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Hi all,
I would like to have a profile evaluation for ISB PGP. ( Female )

Note : No GMAT score yet.

10th : >95 % ( Full A+) - only grades were available
12th ( science ) : 96.84 %

A gap year after 12th for entrance preparation

Btech : Agricultural Engineering from state govt University - 8.52 cgpa

Mtech: Farm Machinery and Power , IIT Kharagpur - 9.27 Cgpa

Work experience : 3 years of experience in the R &D division of a construction and agriculture heavy machinery manufacturing industry. My work here is into mechanical design and analysis on machinery structures. I predominantly work on machines like Compact wheel loaders, tractors etc.

Extra curricular :
During schooling - Dancing, theatres, poetry, extempore , elocution, scout & guide - (Rajyapuraskar awarded guide) etc

During Btech- dancing ( represented university in national level consecutively for 2 years), acting ( won best actress once in University level and twice at college level), extempore, college basketball team player

Mtech - class leader, class topper

At work- organize field visits, organize office level cultural programmes and events along with HR team, won multiple appreciation awards (one at India level too) , innovation award, 1 defensive publication in my name.
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MBAGuide
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Location: India
Concentration: Operations, Marketing
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
Posts: 2,446
Kudos: 1,005
Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 11 May 2026, 03:46
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Hi harumnemo

Interesting profile, and you specialized in a very niche field too. As a woman from a heavy engineering/manufacturing background myself, I would encourage you to focus on narratives from your professional life where you demonstrated strong leadership skills. Wrong selection of stories for essays is more common than people talk about. Some ideas to dwell upon while finding the right stories:
  1. Have you worked for a manufacturing multinational? Did you have any international angle or opportunity at your company? Were there situations where you helped bring processes, quality standards, operational practices, or ways of working closer to multinational benchmarks or global standards?
  2. Were there situations where you were faced with the uphill task of expediting projects, meeting deadlines with limited resources, resolving conflicts between stakeholders, influencing senior management to take suitable decisions, mentoring a team on something extremely important for the company, and so on? What was the outcome in terms of your rewards and the company’s benefit, and how did others perceive your leadership? What greater opportunities did you get afterward?
  3. How have you grown through all these stories you could think of? Have you faced situations where you had to let go of certain perceptions and preconceived notions to become a better manager, leader, or team player?
  4. How do you feel as a woman in the manufacturing sector? What has your experience been like? Is your workplace mostly dominated by men? What larger vision do you have in this regard? What can you do to make this industry more inclusive with an MBA under your belt?

Think smartly about your goals strategy. Reach out should you want guidance

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­

harumnemo
Hi all,
I would like to have a profile evaluation for ISB PGP. ( Female )

Note : No GMAT score yet.

10th : >95 % ( Full A+) - only grades were available
12th ( science ) : 96.84 %

A gap year after 12th for entrance preparation

Btech : Agricultural Engineering from state govt University - 8.52 cgpa

Mtech: Farm Machinery and Power , IIT Kharagpur - 9.27 Cgpa

Work experience : 3 years of experience in the R &D division of a construction and agriculture heavy machinery manufacturing industry. My work here is into mechanical design and analysis on machinery structures. I predominantly work on machines like Compact wheel loaders, tractors etc.

Extra curricular :
During schooling - Dancing, theatres, poetry, extempore , elocution, scout & guide - (Rajyapuraskar awarded guide) etc

During Btech- dancing ( represented university in national level consecutively for 2 years), acting ( won best actress once in University level and twice at college level), extempore, college basketball team player

Mtech - class leader, class topper

At work- organize field visits, organize office level cultural programmes and events along with HR team, won multiple appreciation awards (one at India level too) , innovation award, 1 defensive publication in my name.
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harumnemo
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Calling all ISB PGP Applicants: 2026 Intake Class of 2027 11 May 2026, 04:46
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Quote:

*MBAGuide writes:*
Hi https://gmatclub.com:443/forum/memberli ... =harumnemo

Interesting profile, and you specialized in a very niche field too. As a woman from a heavy engineering/manufacturing background myself, I would encourage you to focus on narratives from your professional life where you demonstrated strong leadership skills. Wrong selection of stories for essays is more common than people talk about. Some ideas to dwell upon while finding the right stories:

Have you worked for a manufacturing multinational? Did you have any international angle or opportunity at your company? Were there situations where you helped bring processes, quality standards, operational practices, or ways of working closer to multinational benchmarks or global standards?
Were there situations where you were faced with the uphill task of expediting projects, meeting deadlines with limited resources, resolving conflicts between stakeholders, influencing senior management to take suitable decisions, mentoring a team on something extremely important for the company, and so on? What was the outcome in terms of your rewards and the company’s benefit, and how did others perceive your leadership? What greater opportunities did you get afterward?
How have you grown through all these stories you could think of? Have you faced situations where you had to let go of certain perceptions and preconceived notions to become a better manager, leader, or team player?
How do you feel as a woman in the manufacturing sector? What has your experience been like? Is your workplace mostly dominated by men? What larger vision do you have in this regard? What can you do to make this industry more inclusive with an MBA under your belt?

Think smartly about your goals strategy. Reach out should you want guidance

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]

> Hi all,
> I would like to have a profile evaluation for ISB PGP. ( Female )
> Note : No GMAT score yet.
> 10th : >95 % ( Full A+) - only grades were available
> 12th ( science ) : 96.84 %
> A gap year after 12th for entrance preparation
> Btech : Agricultural Engineering from state govt University - 8.52 cgpa
> Mtech: Farm Machinery and Power , IIT Kharagpur - 9.27 Cgpa
> Work experience : 3 years of experience in the R &D division of a construction and agriculture heavy machinery manufacturing industry
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Thanks a lot for your detailed feedback and suggestions.
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