Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hey cbh88 You have a strong profile with a fantastic GMAT score with a good GPA and work experience. I think as you have mentioned your ECs are a bit lacking so you should try to emphasize the experience you have had so this area does not seem completely lacking. Now if you are targeting R3, you are making an already tough task of getting admitted at HBS even harder given the limited spots available, so R1 next year would maximize your chances if you can mange to wait

Hi vickyleewk thanks for sharing your profile. Strong GPA which will make things much easier for you. Your next big focus will need to be the GMAT, this is an integral piece of your profile that is currently missing. Also, as you sort out your post undergrad and then post b-school plans you will want to make sure your carer position feels linear and clear for admissions. Your internships were both at a Hotel so not sure if hospitality is an area of interest for you. Admissions will recognize you are very early in your career but showcasing a clear career plan will help showcase what type of impact HBS can have on your life

Hey cpw I dont think MBA programs would have much of an issue with a career change given it is within industry and also shows lots of career progression which will be reflected in your salary and hopefully a title change. Overall, your profile is strong and I would not avoid sharing details of your upbringing and personal life that inform admissions about your journey. Just make sure your narrative is authentic and relevant to the topic you are addressing

Hey mrinal0308 your GMAT will be too low for you to really have a shot at HBS especially considering your competitive demo. I would recommend you retaking and aiming for a +730 score if you can manage it. You have the GPA and the work experience now just need the GMAT to match up with the rest of your profile

Indian Male
Age at matriculation: 27

Undergrad Information:
top 5 engineering School in India (CGPA of 7.3 with an upward slope of improvement across the years)

GMAT:
710 (Q: 51, V: 34)

Work experience (at matriculation):
data analytics and strategy making: 4 years, 2 organizations (in top 350 of 'Fortune Global 500'; both are international financial services, the latter employer also being in top 3 'India's best employer' according to 'great place to work')- 1 promotion

Community and others:
Part of women safety organization for last 3 years: grassroots political activist and awareness drive organizer
Mathematics tutor for ~50 students at the time of graduation

Post MBA goals
Short term goal: Strategy consulting with focus on education sector/data analytics
Long term goal: Education delivery reform in education system of developing markets
Why MBA: Develop leadership/management skills, gain broader business education, learn more about problem solving, develop industry network

Anything else?
At time of graduation: Part of various college level organizations to manage funds and depict leadership experience. Photography & music enthusiast with awards in both (at the college level)
Published author of fictional novel with 1k+ sales
Founder of a registered startup that was closed after 2+ years
50% owner of the family business (helped increase profit by 100% and expand to 2 nations)
Not from a financially strong background, and supported my college education by tutoring the children while in graduation.
Won various awards in present organization and helped it gain $1MM+ in revenue

Feedback tips: Kindly help me identify the universities to aim in US top 10 (possibly top 5). I am working on college research, and your help will be appreciated. Please let me know if any additional information is required.

Hi - Sounds like you have solid global experience and interesting past activities - particularly like your work with your family business. You will probably want to steer your career objective and overall story as more of a doer vs. a thinker. Considering your difficult demographic, you will want to have a range of challenging, target, and safety schools of course. You school selection may also consider your revised career directions, locale, size, etc. Easy for me to say, but might consider continued efforts with your test score. Best.

Hi everyone,

As an undergraduate senior, I'm considering applying to deferred admissions MBA programs in 2018, specifically the programs at Stanford and Harvard (2+2). I would appreciate any thoughts/advice/recommendations!

Background:
Age: 22
Sex: Male
Nationality: Indian

Education:
CGPA: 8.0+(out of 10) from best ranked engineering university in India for past three years (IIT)
GMAT: Estimating 710-730
Language: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu ( Last three are regional languages in India)

Work Experience:
Internship in one of Indias leading Truck manufacturing company. ( 6 weeks ) // Developed a new model to evaluate their clutch performance.
Internship working on a supply chain project in Indias leading watch manufacturing firm. ( 6 weeks) // improved cycle-time efficiency.
Summer internship as research intern in Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad(IIMA)(It is one of the best B-School In India) (2 Months)
Project worked during the internship was presented as a paper at a conference conducted in IIMA. // One of two undergraduate presenters out of 43 presentations


School Experience:

Social Impact / community service:

Part of Organizing team which guided 35+ projects comprising of more than 400 people with a budget of ₹45 Lakhs ( roughly around $60,000)
Part of the team which conducted a nationwide hackathon for an emergency response app which was launched by the Chief Minister of TamilNadu
Have a patent pending on an automatic mechanical solution for urinals disposal

Other points

Financial Inclinations:
I am also a Level-3 in NSE certified market professional by completing 7 finance related modules and received NSE certified Investment Analyst Pro by NSE Academy.
Am a Level 1 Candidate for CFA and am writing it in June of this year.

Technical/ Outside college organizational points:
I also have worked on a lot of technical projects and won a few college fest competitions.
My dad is a businessman and owns a small manufacturing plant for plastic bottles and I work with him during my off time.

Post MBA aspirations,
Currently Got placed in a Tier-2 Consulting firm. Was planning to go for Impact Investing.

Do you think there is anything key missing? What would help my application? I would really appreciate any insights or advice.

Kghp Thanks for sharing your profile, breaking into the 2+2 program is really tough for all candidates and especially so for candidates coming from your competitive demographic. Your profile is solid, nothing here that will have you stand out however, what is your GMAT?

Hey @tvaxp nice solid profile here. The one thing that stood out is your GMAT which will be on the lower end for a school as competitive as HBS also given your demographic, top programs like HBS will have tons of similar applicants who will have higher GMATs. Do you think you can bump up that score a bit?

Hi Everyone. May be a bit early but want to prepare, so would appreciate a critique and any advice for application in the next 1.5 years

Work Experience: Approx. 1.5 years at a mid-tier management consulting firm. Fast tracked for an early promotion after 1 year and on track for another. Considering trying to get into a top tier Consulting firm if it seems the brand name would be worth it.

GMAT: 780 Q50 V50

Academics: BA in Economics from UC San Diego with a 3.45 GPA

Extracurriculars:
1. 7 years of work with a homeless shelter in Harlem, NY. Organized and led a project to landscape a secure courtyard into a play area for children to play in safety.
2. 2 years work with a local charity aimed towards underprivileged women and children. Tutored and helped host courses to teach kids life skills
3. Just got involved in the local Toastmasters club, intending to continue

What areas do i need to improve the most?

Hey Crazycow1028 looks like you are off to a good start, ok UG academics...GPA will be slightly under the avg at HBS and UCSD won't be seen as an elite UG but still solid. But your GMAT is really strong so there will be no doubts about your aptitude. Work experience also seems to be going in the right direction, albeit a limited amount of experience. If you can keep up with this trend and or trade up to a top firm that could also help your candidacy.

No real gaps in your profile based on the info provided, if you can put together a strong application and an insightful essay, you may be competitive at HBS

Hi,

Indian, Male, Age - 26 (Sep 1991 Born)
Graduation - IIT Madras - B. Tech in Biotechnology (2009-2013)
Graduation CGPA - 7.55/10
12th - CBSE - 92.4% (2009)
10th - CBSE - 92.6% (2007)

Work Ex - 2013-2019 (By the time I join a B-school) - 05 years

• Assistant Central Intelligence Officer, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
o District Post In-charge, Border Intelligence Post, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
o Have been issued the Annual Commendation Certificate - 2017, a Letter of Appreciation signed by the Joint Director (Bihar), and have received 04 cash rewards from the Indian Government for my work in these 02 years.
o Classified clandestine activities of secretive nature. (May 2016 – Continued)

• Co-Founder, IAS-Baba Educational Services for Civil Services Examinations (Start Up) (Jan 2015 – Mar 2016)
o Broke even within 3 months of launch; Achieved a turn-over of 1.5 million INR within 12 months of operation.
o Content Generation, Management of Offline Classes and Marketing Head.

• Studied for and attempted the Government of India’s Civil Services Examination, conducted by the Indian Union Public Service Commission. (Dec 2013 – Dec 2014)

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY
• Core, Events, BioFest 2012 – IIT Madras Biotechnology Department’s FIRST festival. (2012)
o Organized and structured the first edition of Biofest which attracted over 500 participants.
o Headed a team of 35 students to organize 12 Events for the first time.
o Conceptualized 5 new Biotech-based events which were not implemented before in any college fest.
o Impressed with the quality of the events, sponsors offered to support for an additional two years.

• Core Committee Member, Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition 2011, IIT Madras. (2011)
o Headed a team of five coordinators to conduct this international event at IIT Madras.
o Increased the sponsorship amount from 50,000 INR in the previous edition to 350,000 INR.
o Doubled the participation by implementing new publicity strategies, as a result had foreign participation for the first time from Dhaka University, Bangladesh.

• Coordinator, National Services Scheme – Environmentally Conscious Group, IIT Madras. (2011)
o Headed a team of 20 students and organized humanitarian activities throughout the year.
o Includes a beach clean-up & teaching in flood-affected schools for 5 days in rural parts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Counselor, Narmada Hostel Freshers, Guidance and Counseling Unit (GCU), IIT Madras. (2011, 12)
o Mentored 6 freshmen by conducting personal guidance sessions to ensure a smooth transition to college life.

HOBBIES, SKILLS AND INTERESTS
• Quora Top Writer – 2017. Followed by over 50,000 users and have over 08 million views on my content in the popular Q & A website, Quora.
• Motorcycle Riding – Rode over 1000km across the mountainous Himalayan roads, in my Royal Enfield Classic 350.
• Cycling – Chennai to Mahabalipuram – 100km in one day cycling. Chennai to Kovalam beach - 60km in one day.
• Secured All India Rank 225 in National Cyber Olympiad held by the Indian National Science Foundation.

GMAT Score - 690 Q48, V35 (Will be re-taking it. Some issue at the centre - https://gmatclub.com/forum/horrifying-g ... 61187.html)

So, after graduation, while I studied for the Indian Government Civil Services Examination, I had to study history, geography, politics, international relations, science, economics and everything else under the sun. I had become a jack of all trades, trying to understand a bit of everything. And then when I started the company that teaches syllabus and provides test series for Civil Services Examination, I became better at analyzing any issue of any topic on any subject.

Then, when I joined the Government of India, I quickly rose to become a head of the entire post in a district. I had to handle the issues of the district with my staff. So, leadership skills were also imbibed, alongwith application of real-time solutions to real-time cases, of a variety of topics. (Had to work through devastating floods, helping people, in a rural setting, set up elementary schools for the poor etc, which all are well-documented in my online blog and Quora profile.)

But, as of now, I am stuck in middle management of the Government and raising through the ranks in a Government sector takes years, if not decades. I have potential to manage issues at a much larger scale, and I have received recognition and awards within a very short span of time. But, promotions are seniority based and the pay is uniform. So, I shall get promoted only after 5-6 years minimum and for almost negligible pay rise. So, I thought an MBA at this stage would be logical, where I have stagnated a bit career-wise, but where I still have potential to take more responsibility for a faster rise on the career ladder.

Because I have had a history of understanding a lot of topics on a lot of subjects, and since I have applied solutions on a variety of cases as a District Head, I thought a career in Consulting would do me good. Where the entire job is to find the most optimal solutions for a variety of case studies. And the best way for a career switch from a Government job as a District Incharge (Which doesn't give much responsibility, cannot get faster promotions based on merit, nor can offer a raise in performance based pay), would be pursuing an MBA.

That way, I can switch careers to Consulting or General Management.

I am not interested in Finance, nor in Sales nor Marketing or such. I want to sit and solve real life issues, cases and provide out of the box solutions. So, yeah, Consulting or General Management.

I am focusing on schools in and around Boston / New York area. So, where do you think I would fit? Thanks! I am new to all this. I just know what I want to do. But, dont know how to proceed or where to apply.

Hi - You certainly have a great track record so far. The deferred programs are very small, of course - but certainly may be worth pursuing for you. It can also sometimes show your commitment when you might apply again a few years later. I would suggest that you consider getting some international exposure (outside India or for a U.S. firm) while have a meaningful leadership role in your family business. Best -

Hey Crazycow1028

Wow -- now that's a great GMAT score! Nice to have that in the bag and not have to worry about it. You don't say exactly when you're planning on applying but I think getting yourself to the point where you have 3 years of work experience upon application makes a lot of sense. Also, if you can switch from mid-tier to top-tier, that will be a nice bonus to your candidacy. The competition at the mid-tier level is pretty fierce and it can be hard to stand out, even with a 780. Please keep up the extracurriculars because you have some great stuff.

You have the luxury of time so my other suggestion is that you use this time to get to know each program and put together a diverse portfolio of options for yourself. You want a good mix of reach, target, and safety options. Talk to current students and make campus visits and attend local info sessions where possible. Trust me, time will pass quickly!! And timing wise right now, you're in a great place because schools are going to start doing their info sessions very shortly. So you can do all the research this year and then apply in September 2019 if you're ready.

Hope that helps!
Krista

Hey munchkin123

Thanks for posting. Lots to think about here but the main think right now is...GMAT. For you to crack the top programs in the US as an Indian applicant, I'd really like to see 750+. Great that you got a 690 with all that chaos at the testing center so let's hope you can get even higher with no chaos and those 6 extra minutes!

IIT Madras will help you a bit and you're Biotech which is also a little different from your demographic. I also really like this Central Intelligence angle. I can't speak for India but for US applicants, if you have experience with the CIA in the US, that's looked upon favorably. Your challenge will be figuring out a way to talk about your work as you probably have limits to what you can say. (Address this in an optional essay please just so it's clear to Admissions.)

HBS will be tough at the 690 level but 750+ and IIT + intelligence officer + your strong extracurriculars/leadership could be an interesting combo. At the same time, I'd really like to see you broaden your portfolio of schools because the competition from India is so fierce. When you have an updated GMAT score, get back in touch and we can talk more. (I advise setting up a free consultation with us once you have that new score.) Hope that helps!

Krista

Background and nationality: Indian business and finance graduate
Undergrad Information: 6.86/7 GPA
GMAT: 770
Work experience and leadership: I'm currently in KPMG as a Business Analyst under Management Consulting; Expect to finish 3 years here when I go for my MBA (I will be an Associate Consultant)
Community and others: Debating society president in college, have studied spanish till a C level, going to finish another language too
Post MBA goals: I'm not sure

I would like to do the MBA + MPP dual degree

How are my odds looking?

Hey!
I want to do my MBA from Harvard but before that in oder to start my career i am planning to go for MSc Finance in Europe, So am i eligible for MBA at Harvard and will the MSc Programme enhace my profile or not?

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