Darden Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi Kharevabs,

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I request the good folks of this thread to please evaluate my profile for Darden Round 2.

Also, it would be good to know which colleges are in my range and which I might crack.

Age: 27 yr

GMAT Score: 710 [Quant:48 , Verbal:40, I.R.:2, AWA:5.5]

Post MBA Goal:

Short term - Tech PM
Long term - Security based startup.

Educational Qualifications:

Graduation: GPA: 7.6/10, Completed B.Tech in Computer Science from National Institute of Technology Rourkela in 2015.
H.S.C: secured 84% in Science stream from Odisha Board in 2011.
S.S.C: secured 90.89% from Odisha Board in 2009.

Work Experience: 6 years 3 months as of now
Quality Assurance and Risk Manager at an internally incubated startup of Milliman - An US based actuarial consulting company - 1 year.
Assistant Central Intelligence Officer, Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs (2018-Present) - 2 Years
Security Developer, SAP Labs India (2018)
Security Researcher, Sony India (2015-2018)

Graduation: Bachelor of Technology, Major: Computer Science and Engineering, GPA: 7.6/10
• Member of a robotics club working in the field of computer science and electronics. (2011-15)
• Member of a Quiz Club : Organized prepared content quiz competitions in local schools, as a part of club’s student outreach program. (2011-15)
• Member: National Services Scheme – a group working towards educating tribal children: Contributed by providing weekend informative sessions to underprivileged tribal children, organized local festival celebration events for the tribal children. (2011-2015).


Extra Curricular:
• Certifications: Basic Mountaineering Course, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) by EC-Council, N5 Certified in Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
• Part of the expedition and the rope leader for the team of 13 personnel in the expedition to the peak Mt. Brung Khangtse (18500 Ft) in Eastern Himalaya.
• Student Facilitator: On boarded underprivileged students in Odisha for the scholarship program of Foundation for Excellence (FFE), a charitable organization.
• Mentored students to improve soft-skills as initiative of Foundation for Excellence (FFE), a charitable organization.

• Supported my brother’s venture by performing security assessments, resulting in continuity of operations, avoidance of cyber-attacks and reduction in pilferage.
• Interests: Adventure Travel, Country-side Photography, Volleyball.
• Languages: English (Fluent), Hindi (Native), Odia(Regional), Japanese(Foreign), Urdu (Regional)

I am planning to apply for 2year Stem MBA ( specialization in consulting/finance ) in US [Round 2]. I’m reapplicant at Duke, Ross, and, Cornell

Short term MBA goal : work as a consultant with firms, such as Mckinsey or BCG, and help global financial institutions solve strategic & operational issues.
Long term MBA Goal : To build a technology-driven banking option for India’s marginalized that merges the conveniences of Neo-banks with attributes of traditional banks.

About my profile:-
I am 29 year old Male from Mumbai, India. [ Nationality : Indian ]

Educational Qualification:-
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute (Virginia, USA) - Cleared all levels in 1st attempt, Top quartile in 9 out of 10 subjects
Chartered Accountancy (CPA Equivalent), ICAI (Delhi, India) - Cleared all levels in 1st attempt, Top 5% amongst 43,000 students
Bachelor of Commerce, HR College of Commerce and Economics (Mumbai, India) - Secured First Distinction with a cumulative grade of 80%

GMAT Score :- 740 ( Q50 V41 )

Work Experience:-
I worked at Drip Capital INC (US based Fintech Startup) as Senior Finance manager from Dec’18 - present ( 2 years & 11 months ) - got one promotion
I worked at ITC Limited as Assistant Finance Manager from Nov’15 – Dec’18 ( 3 years & 1 months )
Total years of experience : 6 years ( as of today )
While entering MBA : 6.6 years

Achievements & Participation :-
At Drip Capital INC
• First hire in the finance department; Conceptualized financial management and regulatory processes across USA, Mexico, and India, and built a 5-member core team
• Spearheaded financial due diligence for Series-B funding of $25M led by Sequoia Capital and Accel and collaborated with US-based capital market team for securing first banking line of credit of $40M
• Ideated and convinced the founder on reorganization of business operations for better tax efficiency and delivered tax savings of $400,000 on y-o-y basis

AT ITC Limited
• Steered a 5-member team to evaluate and implement major impact points of new indirect tax regime on 20 projects operating across 15 states of India, effectively regulating yearly tax benefit of $14M
• Customized and automated information workflow in SAP software, an improvement unique across both ITC and SAP India, Augmented compliance and reduced manual reconciliation by 200+ manhours on y-o-y basis
• Key member of core team; Collaborated on yearly budgeting and quarterly variance analysis of capital expenditure across operational turnkey projects worth $850M
• Mentored 10+ member core team having average experience of 10 years; Enhanced their productivity, 4 of them got promoted

Outside Work
• Avid trekker - Trekked across South India and the Himalayas, Volunteer at local trekking club
• I have undertaken multiple pro bono engagements, wherein I helped fellow CA students/graduates with their study plans, career projections, general advisory, etc.

I want to maximise the chances of my selection. Kindly advise I should apply to which Top 20 US based B-school

Student Profiles of Darden Admitted applicants

Hi Everyone,

We are collecting the profiles of those who got admission into Darden. It would be a great insight for future applicants. If you got admitted into Darden, I request you to share your profile with us by replying to this topic. You can use the following format to share your profile. Feel free to add any other details you would like to share.

Name/username:
Age :
Country/Location :
Under-Graduate School :
Under-Graduate GPA:
GMAT/GRE Test scores:
Total Work Experience :
Pre-MBA Industry :
Target industry post-MBA:
Brief about Work Experience :
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc):
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars:
International Experience :
Scholarship Given? :
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? :
Why Darden? :
Which Round did you apply in? :
Status of your application? (A or WL) :
Short-Term Goal :
Long-Term Goal :
Link to your interview debrief:
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? :
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:

Hi all! Made it to Darden in R1. Sharing my profile and hoping this might help someone.

Name/username: Shaoli Mahjabin/ShaoliPrapti123
Age : 26
Country/Location : Bangladesh
Under-Graduate School : Bangladesh University of Professionals
Under-Graduate GPA: 3.94
GMAT/GRE Test scores: GMAT: 680
Total Work Experience : 40 months at matriculation
Pre-MBA Industry : CPG corporate finance
Target industry post-MBA: Consulting
Brief about Work Experience : I joined Unilever Finance as a UFLP Management trainee (their global flagship program). Went through 15 months of cross functional rotation and then graduated the program to look after Product Innovations - preparing and evaluating business cases based on which new products are launched into the market.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Former Direct Supervisors
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: VP (events) at Undergrad cultural forum, community work
International Experience : 2 month stint at Unilever Philippines
Scholarship Given? : Yes ($)
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Career pivot and global exposure
Why Darden? : Loved Darden's culture (attended the diversity conference) and the school was an obvious choice given that it's a consulting powerhouse
Which Round did you apply in? :
Status of your application? (A or WL) : R1 admit
Short-Term Goal : Pivot to consulting (MBB)
Long-Term Goal : Climb the career ladder at a top consulting firm
Link to your interview debrief:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/darden-197/i ... brief-1913
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : No
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: Be honest and unapologetically yourself in your application. I mean it.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi all was accepted in round 2 with a full scholarship (batten entrepreneurial scholar scholarship)

Name/username: DardenBoun
Age :27
Country/Location : USA, CA, San Francisco
Under-Graduate School : Top Liberal Arts
Under-Graduate GPA: 3.44
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 710 Q47 V40
Total Work Experience : 5yrs
Pre-MBA Industry : Goldman Sachs Trading
Target industry post-MBA: Venture Capital or Entrepreneurship
Brief about Work Experience : 5yrs in trading division at GS across equities and fixed income, also co-founded startup in short term rental space that is in early stages
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): former Manager at GS and President of non profit of which I serve on board and have volunteer'd over last 10yrs
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Coach 5th grade basketball, sit on board of non profit that ive been involved with for 10yrs, co-founded a startup but still pre revenue... (in college manager of basketball team, led recruitment for fraternity, tutored)
International Experience : none
Scholarship Given? : Full Scholarship (Batten Entrepreneurial Scholars scholarship), this is open for anyone to apply to...
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : career pivot out of trading into the world of entrepreneurship and VC
Why Darden? : 1) love the school size, remote location in charlottsville, top notch academics/case study approach, tight knit student body with very loyal alumni (and UVA as a whole is powerful alumni base), entrepreneurship program was strong and they gave me a full scholarship
Which Round did you apply in? : 2
Status of your application? (A or WL) : A
Short-Term Goal : founder/operator
Long-Term Goal : investor in VC space
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : no
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: keep at it... I was denied from GSB, HBS & Columbia in round 1.... after some reflection and deep thought out of what schools I wanted, I applied to more schools in round 2... Full ride to darden, accepted at Yale, UCLA and waitlisted at Kellogg and Tuck (surprised about Tuck tbh)

Name/username: CatdogFlynn
Age : 29
Country/Location : USA / Midwest
Under-Graduate School : Non-Target State School in the South also have a MSF from top school
Under-Graduate GPA: 3.6 (both undergrad and MSF)
GMAT/GRE Test scores: GMAT: 650 GRE: 317
Total Work Experience : 6 Years
Pre-MBA Industry : Investment Banking / Corporate Strategy
Target industry post-MBA: Consulting
Brief about Work Experience : Worked for middle market IB as generalist M&A for ~3 years then took a job in corporate strategy for a former M&A client who took a job as CFO of public auto technology company. Also did one year of equity research at large, multi-national bank before going to IB.
What is your relation to the Recommenders? Former and Current Direct Supervisors as well as former client from IB
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Pro-bono consulting
International Experience : None
Scholarship Given? : No
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Career pivot and global exposure
Why Darden? : Loved Darden's culture and the school was an obvious choice given that it's a consulting powerhouse
Which Round did you apply in? EA
Status of your application? (A or WL) : EA admit
Short-Term Goal : Pivot to consulting (MBB)
Long-Term Goal : Transition into operation exec role at top PE shop
Link to your interview debrief: NA
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : Yes - Scott Edinburgh
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: Suck it up and do the work for the apps. Reflect, be thoughtful and most importantly, be yourself. Why would you want to get something being anything else anyway?

Hi
I would appreciate if someone can evaluate my profile for Darden MBA.

Background - Indian, Male, 28
GMAT - 710 (Q47, V40, IR 8)
Educational Background - Chartered Accountant (Cleared all levels in first attempt)
Total Work experience - 6.5 Years

Job 1 - Risk consulting in one of big 4s (Associate consultant & Consultant) - 2.5 Years
Conducting consulting engagements for clients in Oil & Gas Industry in India & Malaysia to identify the revenue leakages, supply chain efficiency, Sales & Marketing spends effectiveness, Logistics cost control. Also operated Program Management Office for Largest Tree Plantation drive by forest department (~5 crore saplings were planted in 24 hours) of one of the states in India (Appointed as consultant by Guiness Book of Records)

Job 2 - Management Consulting in Boutique consulting firm based out of Mumbai – 3 Years
Reason for change - Wanted to work in space which would have greater impact on business and which would give me multiple opportunities to enhance my problem solving skills.
Key projects include -
Project 1 - Worked in Founder's office of a unicorn startup operating in cab business. Improved driver partner experience on the platform by 30 points. Solved various issues faced by partners by implementing new payment gateway options, revising business policies, etc.
Project 2 - Worked with a real estate company. Helped client to improve sales by 33% Month on month in the sustenance projects by strategizing and implementing various initiatives.
Project 3 – Worked for the Pharma company to help the client reduce the market expiry of the products. Optimized supply chain to reduce market expiry from 3% to 1%
Project 4 – Estimated Market size and growth for the diagnostics company.
Project 5 – Provided Go – No go decision to the Chemical company for launching novel chemical to treat waste water.

Job 3 – Management Consulting in Big 4 (Ongoing) – 8 months so far
Project 1 – Customer experience improvement by digital transformation of the complete customer journey for the Automotive OEM in India.


Extra-curricular activities
Sports & Passion projects
1. Co founded mountain biking club in suburbs of Mumbai.
2. Organized National level races with approximately 85 participants from across India (participants count was high even considering it’s a niche sport in India)
3. Onboarded various sponsors during racing events
4. Built various mountain biking trails to support the sport and the community

Volunteering
1. Volunteered for India’s largest stationery kit distribution drive

Post MBA Goals
1. Short term - Work in top consulting firms (MBB) globally to enhance my problem solving skills and help clients grown in their respective industries
2. Long term – Work in various leadership roles in consumer facing industry (Tech product, Automotive, FMCG)

Background and nationality : Indian Male IT (Innovation with ML/AI)
Undergrad Information :Tier 1 Top 10 Indian college, GPA - 3
GMAT: 750 (Q50,V41) AWA6 IR7
Work experience and leadership : Innovation department of a Big IT firm. 3 years, couple of promotions, mentored over 100 students with 40+ innovative projects. Delivered products for healthcare and retail clients. Lead teams of 10+ people. Worked directly with CTOs and Directors.
Community and others : Involved with a few NGOs which work towards eradication of Poverty and illiteracy. Cycling club. Cricket and volleyball teams in college.
Post MBA goals : Tech Management

Posted from my mobile device

Please find my details below and kindly provide feedback if I can apply to Darden:

Background - Indian, Female, 25
GMAT: 750

Academics :
B.Tech -> 9.2 GPA (College Department Rank - 1): Computer Science & engineering from State University
10th - 94.43% , 12th - 88% (CBSE)

Post MBA Goals: To work as a Product Manager in Tech / Consultancy.

Professional Experience:

I have 3 years of experience as a Software Developer in Niche Product Development at an Indian Service Based MNC, and have been a key member from Conceptualization of the Product to Marketing and Release, and have witnessed and participated actively in navigating through the different challenges in Product Development.
I have assumed 2 roles in 3 years (1 promotion) and have accolades at team as well as organizational level.

Extra-Curriculars:

I was a key member of a non-profit organization at College, that focused on the education of underprivileged children.
I led the educator team and we travelled to various areas of the city to conduct weekend classes and Quarterly Campaigns at Blind Schools - for a period of 3 years.
I am recently engaging with another non-profit organization to volunteer as an educator for children from 8th - 10th Standard.

Thank you.

Visit our Website for more free resources and absolutely anything and everything latest about MBA on MBA and Beyond

Hi, techie0912,

Thank you for sharing your profile.

First, I would like to congratulate you on backing a stellar 750 in your GMAT. That’s quite exceptional, so kudos on that! Coming to your GPA, it’s great! Also, your previous marks add a boost to your academic front. Additionally, I would suggest adding a bit more about your overall statistics and information about any additional courses, certifications, and academic accolades, along with your GMAT score. That should be all for your academic front.

About your work experience, you do have a relevant amount of work experience. Now, you need to describe your roles & responsibilities and critical projects and add any stellar leadership examples. The biggest edge will be presenting these activities strategically and ensuring they don’t go unnoticed by the adcoms! Moreover, Since you want to change your career, I suggest you go through our article on How you can justify your career switch to pursue an MBA! It would help you gain critical insights into your profile.

Coming to your ECAs, you have some relevant ones, but most are during your college times. Hence, I would suggest adding some more ECAs or even some hobbies will do! Moreover, it would help if you elaborated on your ECAs, especially the leadership opportunities, and portray the impact generated. That should help start an interesting conversation between you and AdComs. Furthermore, I suggest you go through our article on Significance of ECAs for MBA Application, to understand the importance of drafting exemplary ECAs essays!

Overall, you have a competitive profile and a chance at Darden. However, it would help if you worked on your ECAs and defined your Career change, and finally, be extremely clear on how an MBA can help you reach your goals and mention your motivation/driving force, your aspirations, and ultimately, why you think it’s a good choice for you to go for an MBA now since you are still early on average experience. You do have the relevant skills to be successful! Hence, If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to your target MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: [email protected]”

Collected from the chat.

9 years WE (military officer)
730 GMAT
3.77 UG GPA
JD from T25
Lots of work accolades/awards (#1 out of peer group multiple times)
Casual volunteer work, nothing major
LORs from military O5 / O4 bosses

Using a military-funded program for MBA while still on active duty. Darden gets a fair share of admits from this program. Usually 1 or so every class or 2.

Got in with a full scholarship.
My GMAT is 710
GPA 3.92
WE 96
Industry consumer goods

US Veteran with 6 YOE
Admitted on: 2023/03/06
GMAT: 680, Q42, V39
GPA: 3.27
WE: 78 months
Location: United States, TX
Heard back via: Email

25 M, Pakistani national.

Assistant Manager Audit @big4

5 years experience in Assurance Audit in big4.

I’m an ACCA ( UK equivalent of US CPA) with a BSc in applied accounting and finance (lower second class) (lower second because of exemption obtained for the bachelors based on my ACCA) with a gmat of 715+ ( to be given) wondering if I can get into M7. Working as an assistant manager in audit in big4 in the middle east.

YOE:
1.5 years in big4 audit

2 years in a T2 audit

2 years in a T2 consulting firm

EC
- Have been awarded the tech lead award at my firm (automated several hectic reports at national level).

- Team lead for my firm (15+ employees).

- Coaching new joiners regarding their careers.

- Founder of an ecommerce store for local region (raised round 1 investment)

- Started my own ecommerce journey during covid employing more than 10 people.

- Have organized a group of 50+ finance professionals from ACCA background in Saudi Arabia to hold qurterly meetings regarding finance updates, economic upates etc.

- Acted as ACCA student lead in Saudi Arabia to help new joiners and fresh interns and set a career/path for them.

I’m looking to get into Management consulting or IB/PE and get into M7 please tell me if reach is too high. Which schools would you suggest.


Can I apply for thr GMAT Waiver and ultimately get admitted?

Posted from my mobile device

Considering your application to a B-School? The first step in this significant journey is to evaluate your profile to gauge where you stand among the vast pool of applicants. We're excited to introduce a NEW and IMPROVED consolidated list of tools and platforms available on GMAT Club to assist you in this endeavor.

1. Detailed Profile Evaluation:

Multi-School & Multi-Consultant Evaluation in the Decision Tracker

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2. Personal Profile Evaluation:

Personalized Evaluation in the Ask Admissions Consultants Sub-forums
Request a personalized evaluation from a consultant, keeping in mind that it's best practice not to post the same question to multiple consultants.

Dive into these resources and empower your journey towards your dream B-School. If you have any further queries or need assistance, feel free to reach out. Happy evaluating!

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