Hi @Mango21! We are pleased to inform you that we are hosting an essay workshop for HEC, LBS, and IESE on Thursday, 13th November at 8 PM IST. The session will cover key essay questions and provide clear guidance on how to structure and present your answers effectively.

The workshop will be led by Shantanu, an INSEAD alumnus who has supported many applicants in securing admission from top global schools. Feel free to register for the session by filling out this GOOGLE FORM.

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experiences, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Hey
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile looks strong on the surface. You’ve got strong academics and a diverse set of experiences across countries and industries, that alone will grab attention. The mix of running your own translation business, working as a CFO in Sicily, and becoming a CMO with equity in Iceland shows real versatility and leadership.

Your GMAT score also falls within range for your target programs. Your passion for finance and investing makes sense given your background, but you should focus on sharpening your post-MBA goals. AdComs like to see a clear story connecting your past to your future.

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target programs to see where you stand and how to boost your chances, happy to help!
No pressure, no strings - just helpful insights on where you stand and how you can strengthen your chances.

Feel free to connect- Click here
You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Quite surprised that you didn’t even get an interview invite from isb

We are pleased to inform you that we are hosting an essay workshop for HEC, LBS, and IESE on Thursday, 13th November at 8 PM IST. The session will cover all key essay questions and provide clear guidance on how to structure and present your answers effectively.

The workshop will be led by Shantanu, an INSEAD alumnus who has supported many applicants in securing admission from top global schools. Feel free to register for the session by filling out this GOOGLE FORM.

Thanks for sharing your profile @SillyWalk ! Sorry to hear about the MIT Sloan ding. It's a difficult moment, but it can also be a learning to your success, in other school applications. You have good work experience (7 years in supply chain/tech, the right functional depth for post-MBA SCM leadership) and a good 705 GMAT FE score that already places you in the competitive range for many strong programs. Your big barrier is the low undergrad GPA (2.36), this will be the single thing AdComs notice first. However, you’re already taking the right actions (post-grad coursework at Berkeley Extension + a planned GMAT bump to 725+), which, if executed and presented well, can materially mitigate GPA concerns and show academic readiness. With a 725+ and strong storytelling, you should be competitive at many target schools (Anderson, Tepper, McCombs, Scheller, Fuqua) and have a shot at reach schools (Booth, Stern, Columbia, Haas), though the very top programs remain selective. Success story with 710 GMAT

Trajectory & sponsorship, clarify the return-to-company plan: why MBA matters for your leadership trajectory within that company, and how the company role post-MBA will be materially different and higher impact. Use Berkeley Extension grades (and any other recent transcripts) to show quantitative capability and an upward academic trend. Schools place weight on recent college-level coursework to offset a weak undergrad GPA. Quantify scope (headcount managed, budgets, supplier dollars, cost savings, lead time reductions, KPI improvements). Admissions and recruiters need crisp metrics. International/cross-cultural value, highlight any global/supplier relationships, or work across geographies, this is a differentiator as an international applicant. In your optional / education section and short essay, explicitly say “recent coursework completed X term and grade Y to demonstrate academic readiness.” Schools accept this favorably when combined with a strong GMAT.

Lors: Direct manager who can quantify your leadership, sponsorship return plan, and readiness for senior-level SCM. Second recommender: cross-functional stakeholder (like product/engineering leader or supplier/customer exec) who can speak to your strategic impact beyond ops. Provide them with bullet points and metrics.

For Essays' core story: “Why an MBA, why now, why this school, why back to the company.” Because you’ll return to the same company, make the case that the MBA is not just credentialing but essential to take on a different scope (strategy, P&L, cross-border sourcing, digital transformation of SCM). Show concrete courses/clubs/faculty that will enable those skills. Use your Berkeley Extension and GMAT as evidence of readiness.

Networking & demonstrated interest: Have 3-4 good, meaningful conversations per school (students + recent alumni + career staff). Attend a school's virtual info session and brief classroom visits (where available). Request chats with students/alums who have supply chain/tech backgrounds. Ask for concrete info: which courses/experiences helped them, company recruiting trends, and 1-sentence advice you can quote in your essay.

If you attend an on-campus or local event, capturing photos or a short reflection note can be useful for an optional “interest” note to AdCom. Use the “Update/Interest” email channel (if school allows). Keep it short (2-3 sentences): mention the event you attended + 1 specific learning + a one-sentence reiteration of your intent to enroll if admitted. Don’t flood them; 1 substantive update per school should be enough.

You can take a look at this LOW GPA BLOG.How to handle the low GPA in essays / optional essay.

We've put together an article on the " Major reasons why your MBA Application got dinged. " It provides some understanding of mistakes you might have made and improve them next time. Take a moment to review it, reflect on what you can adjust, and get ready to put your best foot forward next time. You’ve got this!

If you'd like, please feel free to book a Profile evaluation session, and we can also do a Ding Analysis for your MIT Application

Feel free to register for our Upcoming ESSAY WORKSHOP on TUCK, YALE, and NYU Stern. Craft essays that shine: pick powerful stories, match your goals with each school, and showcase authentic leadership. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond

Hi, Have you received interview invites form any of the b-schools where you have applied?
Overall your profile looks nice, the more important part would be to differentiate yourself from the other consultants/ product managers while showing rationale for the career pivot post MBA. This is not difficult, but something to definitely address in the applications. Being part of the firm's best team is a good achievement- you could leverage this for the essays as well as the interviews as most b-schools tend to ask team related questions. That said, do focus on your role and contribution to this positive outcome.
The mandatory military service could provide for some interesting leadership stories.
For R2 consider retaking GMAT as your R2 list is only more competitive and some of your target programs have much higher GMAT score requirements

Hi, I'd like to know Duke EA is binding right? Can you apply to other schools?

You mean kira assessment the interviewers?

Were you interviewed at kellogg?

Hi Ketan
Your profile looks strong. GMAT is decent while GPA might be a concern. Focus more on demonstrating impact at workplace. Try building a strong narrative around your application.

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target programs to see where you stand and how to boost your chances, happy to help!
No pressure, no strings - just helpful insights on where you stand and how you can strengthen your chances.

Feel free to connect- Click here
You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Hi, Can you pls share through DM what was asked in IIM A PGPX interview and how to prepare better