MBA Decision Tracker: Monitor Application Status in Real Time

gmatclub

Comments 2 comments

salonipatni

2 years ago

Hey can you specify your verbal and quant split?

leetforcer

1 year ago

curious what was your pre-MBA industry

Comments 7 comments

MBAandBeyond

Hey, @alphaNew13

Your MBA application profile is incredibly strong. The 695 GMAT Focus score is a standout achievement demonstrating exceptional quantitative, verbal, and data reasoning skills. Your impressive 8.6 GPA positions you competitively for top MBA programs.

Your experience at a Big 4 consulting firm is highly valued, showcasing strong analytical, problem-solving, and client communication skills. Additionally, your diverse cross-industry experience and strong extracurricular involvement highlight your adaptability and well-roundedness, suggesting you can succeed in various situations and possess valuable leadership and teamwork skills.

While targeting M7 schools is great, consider adding a few safety schools ranked just outside the M7, like Tepper at Carnegie Mellon or McDonough at Georgetown, to broaden your options. By focusing on quantifiable achievements and impact in your application materials, you can further strengthen your already impressive profile. With this strong foundation, you have a high chance of success at top MBA programs!

Let's connect to provide you with the best advice and help you craft a stand-out application.Click here to schedule a complimentary profile evaluation session with our experts . We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools.

alphaNew13

What do you think about Ross, Darden, Fuqua and Tuck for safety options?

Also, can someone help me understand how a subject back in college could hinder my chances?

Thanks!

With your impressive profile, all four schools are fantastic choices for safety schools. While a strong profile goes a long way, a killer application can definitely solidify your chances at any program

Having backlogs in college can make it harder to get into top MBA programs like the M7 schools. These schools want students with excellent grades and usually have a limit on how many backlogs they will accept. The specific subjects you have backlogs in and how long it took you to clear them are also important factors. If the backlogs are in subjects related to business, or if it took you a long time to clear them, the schools may worry that you are not ready for their challenging programs.

However, many M7 schools look at your entire application, not just your grades. In your Statement of Purpose, you can explain your backlogs and show how you have grown and improved since then. If you can make a strong case for why you are now ready for their program, despite your past academic struggles, that can help overcome the negative impact of the backlogs.

ScottParker1

Even I was having the same doubt regarding backlogs . Thanks for clearing .

ARINGO

Hey @alphaNew13
I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you seem to have a solid foundation. Your diverse industry exposure and strong extracurricular involvement will also tend to enhance your profile.

Your FE score translates to around 730-740 on the classic board which is a strong aspect in your profile. You will need to clearly articulate your career goals and how an MBA will help you for leadership roles within the consulting industry. Answering your question about a backlog, you can justify it by giving a valid reason for it, and since it just happened once, it shouldn't be an issue in your application. You will need to focus on crafting excellent essays as they will be very crucial in impressing Adcoms.

Feel free to connect for a more in-depth discussion.
Click here to connect for a detailed profile analysis.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

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Comments 5 comments

Yes, GMAT is a great way to offset a lower GPA but as an athlete you can definitely provide an explanation that would be respected - your focus was on sports and growth there vs. academic GPA. Put it this way - you were able to walk away with a 3.2 and a sports career from college while someone was able to get a 3.6 for example (about average), and you will get more credit as long as you have some measurable accomplishments during college.

Your 675 is also a nice solid score and while it is an average for most BSchools, having a sports/athlete background will make it on the higher side among peers. Basically none of the Top MBA programs will take you because of a score. it is more of a passing score and then what else you got, so you would have a good chance, just demonstrate a pattern of self-motivation, growth, and learning. Does not mean you have to win and be the best, but it helps if you achieved strong results vs. peers. Schools like people who standout and able to demonstrate repeated accomplishments (failure is OK by the way).

P.S. HBS and Wharton are always long shots for anyone. It is the top choices for everyone and your chances depend on everyone else. What worked last year may or may not work this year and since not everyone is providing most intricate details of their application, e.g. how good will be your essays, LOR's, and how many promotions did you get vs. your peers, etc. It is tricky to judge.

Ill Take 1 MBA To Go

@bb Thank you so much for the commentary - this is very helpful!

Trinhtran11

My pleasure!
P.S. During the application, you want to appear completely indifferent to admissions - think of a fashion model on a catwalk - professional and looking for away and completely not interested in what anyone has to say. 😂(kidding but still) when you care less, you are stressed less, and you show less insecurity (which we all have). That makes the school think/feel you are a strong candidate and that you either have another offer or better alternative or perhaps that you are more confident. When BSchool is our only chance, too much is riding on every essay, application, word, and interview and so we end up spending a lot of time stressing which only distracts.
I don't know why I shared this but there you go. 😂

Hi @dp895

I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. It's not every day that I come across a former professional athlete aiming for consulting. The 675 GMAT FE is decent but may not necessarily offset the 3.2 GPA. However, 3 years in commercial banking with a pro sports career is impressive – that time management and work ethic are exactly what consulting firms look for.

Harvard and Wharton may be a little stretch. But with your unique background you can be a strong candidate at Kellogg, Ross, Johnson, and Yale. The key will be crafting a story that highlights your strengths.
I would like to know a bit in detail about your profile in order for a better analysis of your chances.

Click here to connect for a detailed profile analysis.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Hello, @dp895

Applying to top MBA programs like Harvard, Wharton, and Kellogg with a 675 GMAT is challenging. Still, your unique background as a professional athlete and experience in commercial banking can be strong differentiators. Harvard and Wharton are long shots due to the lower GMAT and GPA, but not impossible with a compelling story. Kellogg is more attainable, valuing leadership and teamwork. Strengthen your application with strong essays, robust recommendations, and additional quantitative courses. Engage with alumni and prepare thoroughly for interviews. Also, consider applying to schools like Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross, and Virginia Darden to increase your chances. Good luck!

If you have any further questions related to your profile or want to have a 1:1 discussion with our top profile experts, Click here to schedule a complimentary profile evaluations session with our experts . We match you with the students and alums of top B-schools according to your background and target schools.

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Sarah967744

hey! im planning to apply to essec and escp as well for 2025 intake! i would love to connect with you and find out more about the application process

Zaidh98

Hey, can we connect on LinkedIn?

Nice to see this. I come from tech background too. Would like to connect with you.

Hi @broyroy
I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. Coming to your profile, your background in consumer products is interesting for Rotman's MBA program. Managing teams across those roles shows strong leadership and business sense. Plus, Super awesome for taking a leap and joining your wife's startup. (Great initiative)

Your GPA will require an explanation in your application, also focus on your accomplishments to showcase your capabilities. While a 555 GMAT FE score is below Rotman's average (usually it is around 670) a strong retake attempt is needed to improve chances.

Please consider adding some "safety schools" to your list too. The key is crafting a compelling story that explains your career path, your decision to join the startup, and your clear goals for an MBA in consulting.

Feel free to connect for a detailed profile analysis.
Click here to contact us.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Hi @broyroy

Your background in FMCG, retail e-commerce, and being a managing partner in a food and beverage startup makes you a strong candidate for top global business schools this year. While a higher GMAT score would bolster your application, your leadership experience and entrepreneurial drive set you apart. Focus on highlighting your achievements and explaining how an MBA will accelerate your career. A clear application showcasing your unique perspective will strengthen your chances of admission, even if your GMAT score doesn't see a significant increase. If your GMAT score doesn't improve significantly, your chances at top global business schools will depend more on how well you present your overall application. Admissions committees also value industry impact, strong recommendations, and compelling interviews. Therefore, emphasize your strengths and readiness for their MBA program to maximize your competitiveness.

If you have any further questions related to your profile or want to have a 1:1 discussion with our top profile experts, feel free to schedule a complimentary profile evaluations session with our experts . We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools.

Comments 4 comments

Hi. You are a tiny bit on the younger side when it comes to experience so for your admission your interview will be important to demonstrate maturity and good presence.

You also want to demonstrate promotion and growth in your application. For your score, I would recommend hitting at least the averages so the score doesn’t keep you out but as a younger candidate you are expected to be still sharp from college and probably have a little bit of a higher score.

There are a number of programs that are strong with tech placements or other used to be strong with tech placements. Some may offer scholarships and those will be substantial savings especially if you end up recruiting on your own off-campus, using your own wits and resources.

The challenge lately with Tech recruiting has been supply and demand and there is a sufficient number of applicants with technical experience which tend to be recruited and preferred due to existing experience. my recommendation for admission and for recruiting would be to try to get some product management experience. Perhaps an internship or volunteering somewhere. Even GMAT Club has an PM internship that we run in October and February each year but it’s quite a bit of ways away. I’m sure there are other organizations that may have opportunities like that.

if you’re looking at education and technology, having teaching experiences also valuable. I’m not sure if you are already volunteering at schools or with other educational organizations but that would build up quite a bit of your authority in terms of being able to use examples in your applications as well as in your interviews. I know a number of tech companies have recruited former teachers for p.m. roles because they wanted people with first-hand experience managing a classroom and managing the technology and so that’s another way you can make yourself stand out.

xhym

Thank you bb!! I have over 10 years experience as a tutor for high school, college, and university students so I'm sure I can leverage that.

That works! the more you can make it sound as professional and show achievements, growth, etc (basically saying you are a better tutor than average and that you are serious about it and achieved great results) the better

Hi @xhym
I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, an aerospace engineer with a CS minor transitioning from consulting to product management in ed tech is a unique story.

While your target schools (Sloan MIT, Harvard, Wharton, Stern) are ambitious, your background is impressive. Focus on how your consulting experience translates to product management skills and also highlight projects where you honed analytical and problem-solving skills.

With a compelling application that highlights your transferable skills and passion for education, you can be a competitive candidate. Feel free to connect with us for a deeper analysis. We can help you craft a story that showcases your unique talents and positions you for success in the ed tech world.

Click here to contact us.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

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MBADecoder

Hi there,
Some relevant bits would be the business impact of your work. As I understand, you are involved in the business decisions and deal sourcing, other than just working as an architect. That's a great point, and this 'business skill' will be more relevant in your applications as compared to the technical skills as an architect. Even for the project management bit, you can make your work experience relevant- you talked about empathetic leadership, and this would reflect in how you deal with your contractors, workers and other stakeholder to get work done as part of your day to day implementation work.
With the b-schools you have mentioned here, a 329 GRE will be a tad less, so i would suggest to bring that score up to a 331-332+
Also, look at MBA programs that have concentrations or certifications on RE/ RE finance - Columbia, UCLA, Stern, Ross and Kellogg come immediately to mind. If you wish to be in the industry long term, these will definitely help.

I'd like to also understand about your undergrad degree, marks and ECA to give a holistic picture about your profile. Feel free to reach out for a more derailed profile evaluation.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
www.mbadecoder.com
Email: [email protected]
Sign up for a FREE Profile evaluation: https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/

bridgeric

Hi, thanks for your detailed response! I've actually only worked as an architect for a year after graduation and since the last 4 years I've basically been in general management (bring an architect has definitely been an indirect help in real estate). I'm heavily involved in our development (liaising with government officials, being a part of successful lobbying initiatives etc, bring involved in entire project lifecycles) and also consulting (where we consult for 2 of India's largest developers, 1 of whom I signed on myself because the first one is undergoing bankruptcy - which I'm helping them get out of).
I understand your point about the GRE, but since this was my 4th attempt I'll just try to stand out in other ways.
My undergrad was a top 10 architecture school but honestly people beyond my state wouldn't know it, let alone US adcoms. I was in the top 5% of GPAs out of 1700 students from my University though. Thanks again for your feedback

dee1pug1

Decent stats. It will really depend on a) how you (an Indian male) can differentiate yourself from other Indian applicants, b) your career narratives, achievement examples, etc.; and c) the depth of your research when selecting schools; you should select only those that can take you where you want to go (which is linked to point b here). When you say, 'consulting industry to gain external exposure by working in multiple industries/companies', you will also need to step into the shoes of hiring managers and think: 'Why should they hire you? just because you have an MBA?' Consultants need three specific skills, and you'd be expected to showcase those in your applications.
- Dee
(MBA admissions consultant and management consultant)

Hi, thanks I've elaborated on my work impact in another comment on this thread. I'm curious about the 3 skills a consultant needs - could you elaborate? I'd think they would be analytical ability, communication skills and time management abilities, all of which I pretty much do daily in my company's consulting division (and have demonstrated examples going back to college)

AugustAcademy

You are looking at some top-ranked programs. While it looks like you can demonstrate impact at work, I feel you may need a higher GRE to safely target the schools you are interested in. I'm not saying you shouldn't apply now - that is entirely your decision. I'm just saying that you will have much better odds if you have a higher score. The post-MBA goal in consulting may not be the best choice - we will need to examine where your current work profile and skills lie, and if that ties in well with consulting, then it's fine. Otherwise, you may be better off revisiting that goal. Happy to have a longer chat - feel free to get in touch: https://bit.ly/GM_AugAcd_Profile_Evaluation

Good luck with your app! Your GRE Score should be great. if you have a low GMAT core, DO NOT SEND it in.

Hey,
I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, a 329 GRE and an 8.03 GPA are decent. Leading a family business and securing clients for major real estate companies demonstrates leadership and strong negotiation skills at a young age.

Your focus on empathy-based leadership is impressive and could translate into powerful essays that showcase your unique perspective. While aiming for Yale is awesome (reach), your target list with Darden, Kenan-Flagler, Anderson, and Goizueta is solid. These schools have top-notch real estate programs and would value your experience.

Feel free to connect with us for a deeper analysis. We can help you craft a compelling story that highlights your leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion for real estate.

Click here to contact us.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Comments 3 comments

ckeeerthi

Hi, have you taken help of any consultancy? if know any good ones please let me know.
I am targeting LBS for 2024 for MiM

KaoutarOuattou

Hey, how come not accepted at HBS with a very good Gmat score ? 760 is great

B-schools look at profiles holistically and just a high GMAT score can not help you get admission. It also depends upon the rest of your application + your interview

Namita Garg,
MBA Decoder,
www.mbadecoder.com

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Hi @Hyu98
I am Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you have a strong academic background. Dual degrees in Business Law and Accounting with a first-class honor, followed by a first-class Bsc Hons in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes, demonstrates both breadth and depth of knowledge.

Your 4 years of experience in Vietnam's accounting sector, including a stint at a Big 4 during a major IPO project, showcases valuable industry exposure. Transitioning to a tax and accounting specialist role at a leading Vietnamese conglomerate further highlights your adaptability and growth trajectory.

Your extracurricular activities as a social project content leader and free student mentor demonstrate leadership, initiative, and a commitment to giving back. ACCA membership with plans for CFA adds another layer of credibility to your finance aspirations. With a clear desire to shift from accounting to finance post-MBA, your target schools are all excellent choices with strong finance programs.

Given your scholarship goals, a detailed look at your CV would be helpful to identify specific scholarship opportunities you might qualify for. Additionally, connecting with us would allow for a more tailored discussion about your application strategy and how to best position your profile for each program.

Click here to contact us.

You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!

Hi Congrats on your profile. Not sure if you have room to bump up your score - most schools are motivated by high scores when it comes to scholarships. It helps that you are a woman in finance, which is more rare and that's something they would be open. I would encourage you to check out Forte. I think their class and program have completed the recruiting process for the new class, but they still have good resources and lots of app fee waivers (though those are easier to come by these days).

Anyway, GMAT score is the best way to move a program to offer $$. Having a strong achiever profile like yours would solidify it. I would also recommend UNC. It is finance-friendly and is often generous with scholarships. Another though much lower-ranked program would be Simon. They used to be a Finance powerhouse but never recovered from the 2008 crisis. Also would be very generous with a scholarship for your profile. As an example, moving your score 20 points can probably get you a scholarship at a place such as Darden or potentially Fuqua. Not sure how much room you have to maneuver with the score, just saying and totally understand if you don't want to touch the test with a 7-foot pole.

What are your plans after MBA? What are you looking to do afterwards?
I would also encourage you to connect with Vietnamese students at some of the programs.

I suggest you revisit your school selection / shortlist approach. Barely 15%–16% of the students go to Tech industry from two of the four schools you listed.
- Dee
(MBA Admissions Consultant and Management Consultant)
[email protected]

akmitt20

Hi, I’m aiming for similar schools and would love to know how your experience was interviewing with Harvard and Columbia, let me know if I can ask you a few questions over messages, thanks!

Kartikey02

Hey I would Like to connect mate

chan1808

Hi, I would like to connect with you

Hey @ElliotW

10+ years crushing it in US transportation - that's amazing. With that experience aiming for an MBA in 2025 is a smart move. The 319 GRE might need a little bump for schools like INSEAD and Wharton, but there are ways to boost your score.
Love your post-MBA goals! Using the MBA to springboard into consulting for a few years before becoming a transportation exec rockstar, or diving into massive infrastructure projects, shows serious planning.

To really nail your application strategy and suggest the perfect schools (including some safeties), we'd love to hear more about your specific transportation experience and what makes INSEAD and Wharton your top picks. If you're down, send me your CV and let's connect.

Click here to contact us.
You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck

kn1

Hi florenciadx! Congratulations on being called in to interview at INSEAD. How did the interview go? I am considering applying for the same program for the 2025 intake. Any tips you'd suggest I should consider during my application process? I am yet to give the GMAT - did you go for some coaching or self-study?

BatrickPatemann

Hi! Congrats on the massive opportunity, hope you get the result you want. I'm interested in learning more about your experience, would you have some time to chat?