MBA Decision Tracker: Monitor Application Status in Real Time

gmatclub

Comments 4 comments

2 years ago

Hi, some thoughts on your profile:

1. Acads (though undergrad pedigree isn't mentioned) and GMAT are fine. Schools list seems alright: LBS and INSEAD might be a tad bit ambitious (given their competitive nature), but with a strong application, I'd give it a shot. Considering your social impact goal, I'd suggest also considering Oxford Said, to then prioritize the shortlist based on your criteria.

2. Your work-ex is interesting, particularly the F100 brand tag, digital transformation client-work and social sector work within banking. Linking your past experiences/ skills to your post MBA goals and crafting a narrative on how/ why an MBA fits in would be important. Some questions to ponder on: Why consulting (social/ PP)? What are your transferable skills? Why MBA (and target school)? What's your plan B (if not consulting)?

3. ECs offer decent talking points for essays. Aim to highlight the skills you picked up in these activities, and how these tie to your journey during/ post MBA.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to have a deeper chat. Happy to also connect you with an alum from NUS if you'd like.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
W: admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

Zedlol

Undergrad pedigree is okayish. Regional university in India (Tier 2)

Thank you for the comment. I am conflicted with Financial Services Consulting(more in line with my previous work ex) and Social Impact Consulting(because of the impact it creates over the long term) and these are the aspects I will cover with the admissions consultant I will take.
I have made a list of transferable skills I have to explain from banking to consulting.

Can you mention some safe/target schools based on my profile (any geography - US/EU/Asia) ?

LBS/INSEAD is a bit of an over-reach with my GMAT score, I agree.

Thanks for the update. While we don't speculate on chances at particular schools based on this initial review (this takes deeper discussions and understanding of your profile and preferences), broadly, European/ Asian programs such as NTU, Oxford, IESE can be looked at.

In the US context, UST15-30 can be the Reach/ Safe options to consider, particularly those with high % alumni in your target roles.

This is one of the first steps I work with candidates on i.e. to prioritize/ shortlist and bucket programs into Ambitious, Reach and Safe. It typically involves 1-2 discussions and data-backed decision-making.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
W: admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

Score-Quest

Your GMAT score is quite competitive, and while an additional 20 points could have strengthened your application, especially for schools like INSEAD and LBS, your current score is still within the range of what these schools typically accept. Your profile does have some unique aspects, such as your experience in both an international F100 firm and in the Indian public sector, which could be appealing to these programs. However, the overall fit for INSEAD and LBS might hinge on the depth and impact of your work experience, which we would need to explore further.

If you receive an offer from ISB, it would be worth considering how it aligns with your career goals compared to potential offers from European or US schools

For Round 2, it might be prudent to also consider some schools that align well with your goals and may have slightly less competitive admissions, ensuring you have a balanced portfolio of programs.

To provide a more detailed analysis, I would recommend discussing your work experience and overall profile in depth. Feel free to schedule a conversation with us or send an email to delve into the specifics of your application strategy.

Regards,
ScoreQuest Team
🌐 Schedule a Free Application Strategy Call: https://calendly.com/scorequest/30min
📧 Email us at: info@score-quest.com

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Comments 2 comments

SajadAlam

Hi Vaibhav, congratulaitons on getting invited for the interview from Kenan-Flagler. When have you scheduled your interview?

Vaibhav1221

Hi Sajad! I am scheduled for 16th November.

Comments 11 comments

MBADecoder

Hi,

wondering what the motivation behind career goals in impact consulting/ non profit entrepreneurship is? With your work as a corporate tax consultant and a side gig in a family business, it will be impossible to justify the impact/ non-profit aspiration as you seem to have no prior experience in this field. With no credible experience, both the b-school and the recruiters are not going to buy that story. However, if you do have some relevant experience which is not mentioned here, then do clarify.
Other than this, your work profile looks nice. I would need to know more details about your experiences and achievements to comment further.
For an Indian applicant, your GRE is going to be woefully low at all your target programs. You should retake before R2 deadlines.

Namita Garg,
mbadecoder.com

You have a number of pluses on your profile, a strong brand on your résumé and hopefully some promotion in the latest job switch.

It would be helpful if you have some leadership experience it would be nice if you could bump up your GRE score to like 325…

One question would be, could you switch to the consulting side at Deloitte or why do you think you wouldn’t you be able to without an MBA? What’s missing?

Jain808

@bb The leadership experience i have is leading a team of 10 and 2 on 2 different clients at Deloitte and directly reporting to a Sr. Manager. Apart from it, for the $1 million dollar deal, I was directly working with the partner, and acting as an intermediary between client and Deloitte. Btw, this deal wasn't in my domain, but I reached out to the partner via networking.

I tried switching but here in India, they only want people from Tier1 colleges or a CA, else they won't conduct an interview also. And this is same across the consulting industry in India.

Thank you for taking time and helping out.

MBADecoder - Thank you Namita for helping out. I do not have any other relevant experience in the Social sector apart from the volunteership, I've mentioned above.
About the motivation for Non-profit : Well, money is a great motivator no doubt about it, but then I feel the need to do something for society. What I'm doing currently such as distributing groceries to the needy or donating food for people in hospitals apart from ones listed above, isn't creating an impact I want to make. I want to do just a little more and understand how you can make the most out of a NPO, and that's one of the reasons for an MBA. I wouldn't mind showing Strategy/Consulting as my short/mid-term term goal if that sounds better and realistic.

About work experience - My work involves preparing and reviewing US Trust and Corporations Tax returns, talking to IRS or State tax authorities for Tax issues of the client, working on automation to ease out the processes, and directly communicating with clients to understand the requirements. I had led a team of 2 and 10 at Deloitte, where I was handling Tax consultants and reporting to a Sr. Manager.

My position timelines were as under - Tax consultant May 16 - June 18, Sr. Tax Consultant June 18 - May 20, and Tax senior May 20 - September 22 at Deloitte. I had to change teams at Deloitte for a year in 2019 as the Client left due to which I wasn't promoted in 2019, but then with new clients coming I was taken back in my old team, and promoted after 2 months of my work there.
I'm due for a promotion at my new company, and since this is a startup, the title wasn't decided properly by them. when I joined, and hence had to join as a Tax senior.

The achievements listed above are the only achievements I have, the only addition/modification to that list is that the quotation of the deal was worth $1-1.1 million USD.

About GRE - agreed, just trying to figure out how to make my way through verbal.

thank you so much again for taking the time to help.

Jain808, appreciate your detailed reply.
Going back to your goals- you don't need an MBA or a consulting jo to work in an NPO- you can do it even now- either as an extra curricular activity (can be very fulfilling depending upon your level of involvement) or as a full time job. Over the years, we have worked with several applicants who quit their jobs, took a pay cut and joined a social impact organization to fulfill a similar interest as yours. When these people apply for an MBA with a social impact consulting career goal, they are more convincing because they have been there, done that, and they have showed commitment. So my earlier suggestion about the goals is keeping this group of people in mind. Think about it and feel free to reach out at contact@mbadecoder.com if you wish to discuss further on this.
For now, your task is cut out- a better GRE Score. All the best for the prep and look forward to an update on this

Namita Garg
www.mbadecoder.com
https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/

TheIvyLeagueEdge

1. Good brand name as employer.
2. Would like to see your career trajectory, and duration before each promotion.
3. Low CGPA, and low GRE. For even a consideration in T15-25, better to push up the score substantially
4. CA (incl grp 2) would have helped offset some of the above, but clearly you don't have time for that
5. ECs are just about average

Overall, for an Indian Male, you are in a very competitive pool. Happy to assess your candidature 1 to 1 on a call. Please submit your detailed profile on https://theivyleagueedge.com/ContactUs

@MBADecoder - Thank you Namita for helping out. I do not have any other relevant experience in the Social sector apart from the volunteership, I've mentioned above.
About the motivation for Non-profit : Well, money is a great motivator no doubt about it, but then I feel the need to do something for society. What I'm doing currently such as distributing groceries to the needy or donating food for people in hospitals apart from ones listed above, isn't creating an impact I want to make. I want to do just a little more and understand how you can make the most out of a NPO, and that's one of the reasons for an MBA. I wouldn't mind showing Strategy/Consulting as my short/mid-term term goal if that sounds better and realistic.

About work experience - My work involves preparing and reviewing US Trust and Corporations Tax returns, talking to IRS or State tax authorities for Tax issues of the client, working on automation to ease out the processes, and directly communicating with clients to understand the requirements. I had led a team of 2 and 10 at Deloitte, where I was handling Tax consultants and reporting to a Sr. Manager.

My position timelines were as under - Tax consultant May 16 - June 18, Sr. Tax Consultant June 18 - May 20, and Tax senior May 20 - September 22 at Deloitte. I had to change teams at Deloitte for a year in 2019 as the Client left due to which I wasn't promoted in 2019, but then with new clients coming I was taken back in my old team, and promoted after 2 months of my work there.
I'm due for a promotion at my new company, and since this is a startup, the title wasn't decided properly by them. when I joined, and hence had to join as a Tax senior.

The achievements listed above are the only achievements I have, the only addition/modification to that list is that the quotation of the deal was worth $1-1.1 million USD.

About GRE - agreed, just trying to figure out how to make my way through verbal.

thank you so much again for taking the time to help.

duplicate

Duplicate

@Theivyleagueedge Sorry for that. I guess my reply button isn't working properly.

My position timelines were as under -
Article assistant at a CA firm : 2013-2016. Meanwhile I was working for my father's Firm.

Deloitte :
Tax consultant May 16 - June 18,
Sr. Tax Consultant June 18 - May 20, and Tax senior May 20 - September 22 at Deloitte. I had to change teams at Deloitte for a year in 2019 as the Client left due to which I wasn't promoted in 2019, but then with new clients coming I was taken back in my old team, and promoted after 2 months of my work there.
I'm due for a promotion at my new company, and since this is a startup, the title wasn't decided properly by them. when I joined, and hence had to join as a Tax senior.

And the only addition/modification to the achievement list is that the quotation of the deal was worth $1-1.1 million USD, where I was acting as a link between Deloitte and the client.

Thank you so much for taking out your time.

@Jain808:
There were some server issues all of us faced yesterday for sometime. So, my replies also got posted thrice.

As for a profile assessment, there are multiple factors, and there is only so much that can be communicated over anonymous messages, more so when you have options to discuss the same 1 to 1.

For example, that you joined a small start-up at the SAME position, after leaving Deloitte, is a FACT, and your explanations can do with context that helps convince the reader.

Most importantly, you have LITTLE time, if you are serious about applying in R2.
Good luck....

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@TheMBAOne:

Will need more details in your profile to understand and comment on your case better. For a pivot to Mgt Consulting, you can definitely do better than 710. Please submit your profile at https://theivyleagueedge.com/ContactUs . We can also help prepare for interviews, and to discuss your profile and potential

I am a Yale Alum, and Admissions Consultant with proven experience;
_________________
Happy to help discuss your profile 1-2-1. For HIGHER scholarships, and enhanced chances of admission, take a look at our high touch but low price package at a fraction of the prices.
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Bala

Hi, your profile looks good. the GMAT score can do with some pumping up- think 730 and or above. Your goals look alright, but you will have to link your story well and show passion for the ESG space. A few schools you may want to add ( and remove some others) are IESE and RSM Rotterdam, both of which have a strong focus on sustainability.
Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Profile Evaluation: https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/

Comments 1 comment

InvolveConsulting

Hey Lordcheems,

Your GMAT score is pretty impressive and with a growing number of opportunities in Computer Software sector , I'm sure you'll make the best of your MBA. I would be happy to recommend a few more Universities that would better suit your profile!
Please feel free to connect with me on contact@involve-consulting.com.

Thanks,
Mrunal Deo

@ThePrince:
We will need more details to help you assess your profile, and to even plan for schools which fit your goals well...

Also, to help you prepare for interviews for BSchools you have already applied to, feel free to discuss your profile and potential with us 1 to 1;
Please submit your profile at https://theivyleagueedge.com/ContactUs
_________________
Happy to help discuss your profile 1-2-1. For HIGHER scholarships, and enhanced chances of admission, take a look at our high touch but low price package at a fraction of the prices.
_________________
Regards
Bala
The Most recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
Linkedin.com/in/balkrishna/
www(dot)TheIvyLeagueEdge(dot)com
Coaching success for admissions and scholarships to the World's best - MBA and MS

MBAGuide

Hi , hope you are doing great! Congratulations on the very impressive GMAT. You have a good mix of reach and safe schools on your target list. Given your background in automotive and goals in consulting, I would highly recommend adding Ross.

I have over a decade of experience across automotive manufacturing and ops design and strategy in general. Feel free to connect should you want candid advice and a first hand perspective on the odds and strategy.

Best wishes

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Comments 6 comments

Good profile. Many of the lawyer applicants I know or have helped with their MBA applications, worked at law firms doing corporate law. So, working at a big 4 could be a slight differentiator in your profile, for whatever its worth. Your could consider a lot more b-schools with your career trajectory and goals - I wouldn't be able to suggest any at this point as its not clear what your rational for selecting b-schools is (your list mentioned here has very varied choices).
Congrats on the Ivey admit. Did you make it to Ivey without a GMAT/ GRE score?

Namita, MBA Decoder.com

TBull9

Thanks, Namita. Canadian in California, hence the school choices. The main goal is to move to consulting so more global mobility (hence INSEAD). Yes to GMAT waiver for Ivey, also applied to USC with GMAT waiver. Based on your opinion, and the limited information above, can you gave me an honest opinion on the chances of getting into INSEAD? Thanks again.

Hmm. You can study practically at any good MBA program and be a contender for a consulting role. Talking about INSEAD- the b-school loves applicants who have an international orientation, which you seem to have plenty of - Chinese descent+ Canadian upbringing and education + US education and work experience - play this to your strength, tell how the combination of all these cultures shapes you into the person you are today and you'll be good.
The other aspect to focus on would be your leadership skills - both at work and in your extra curricular pursuits.

Thanks, Namita. I appreciate your input. Yes on the leadership skills as well. Multiple club president roles (all elected) throughout undergrad and law school, also lead engagements as a senior associate (20-30M deal size), with managerial tasks over all other international tax team inputs (usually 2+ other teams we need to manage depending on the deal size).
I'm confident in my profile, however, my concern is INSEAD requires GMAT. With the short time I have to prep (less than a month), honestly don't think I can get to the average GMAT score. I just took an official GFE mock exam yesterday and I scored right above the recommended 65 percentile on GFE. Don't see significant improvements since the exam is a week away and I need INSEAD's decision prior to early March when Ivey starts (already talked to INSEAD recruiter, and the recruiter is open to the idea of providing a decision earlier in R3, or let the adcom consider my profile in R2 even after the deadline).

You already have an admit in hand, where I assume you will join anyway, so my suggestion is- go ahead and take your chances with INSEAD. Submit absolutely your best application and do your best in the GFE. If postponing the exam by a week or so is an option, then it may help ironing out last minute testing challenges.
My guess is your work would not involve number crunching. However, do bring out the analytical/critical thinking nature of your work however possible. Lawyers can easily justify good communication skills. So my advice would be to use some part of the application (an optional essay) and the recommendations to tell that you satisfy the criteria tested by the GRE/ GMAT in your day to day work life.
Hope that helps.
Namita, MBA Decoder.com

Thanks Namita, I'm a tax lawyer so our day to day actually involves number crunching, even model building. We do tax due diligence for US tech companies which I've highlighted in my optional essay for INSEAD. It was also my basis for applying for GMAT waiver, based on my quantitative working experience.

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Hi. The GMAT is fine (hopefully the Q&V split was balanced). What was your career trajectory like e.g. projects, promotions?

Coming from an overrepresented background (Indian Male Engineer), the strength of your work-ex (i.e. roles and the impact you had), motivation (i.e. why MBA, post-MBA goals, how/ why ISB) and introspection (i.e. strengths/ weakness, failures/ successes) would play a key factor in your ISB application.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet

Aryaman Agarwal

Hi,
For me ISB is not the first choice. I want to go to the US for MBA

But I am not sure what colleges I can aim for with my GMAT score. Should I try to improve my GMAT score ?GMAT 720 split is Q49 V40.

My profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aryaman-aga ... ndroid_app

I have got 1 promotion during 3 years 2 months.

While we can't comment on specific schools based on this initial context (this would require a deeper understanding of your work-ex, post-mba goals), broadly UST15-25 programs which are aligned to your goals can be considered.

For US T10/ T15 programs, a higher score (ideally 10-20 points above the school's average) would be recommended in my view, given the Indian applicant perspective.

Feel free to reach out via the email below for a deeper chat.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

Comments 14 comments

I would recommend to aim for a 700 on the GMAT. A higher score would help secure a scholarship as well which means but Big score by 100 points could be worth $150,000… something to consider seriously.

A score of 700 would make you somewhat competitive but if you’re not able to reach it, you can consider taking the GRE as that test seems to be more forgiving

Bodhisatya Chatterjee

Thank you for the insights.

Does it make sense to apply for MS BA programs as well? Most of the programs that I want to apply to don’t need any test scores and I feel I can leverage my work ex there.

Most of the time these programs are quite new and do not have the same alumni footprint or recruiting resources that an MBA program would. Usually you would also recruit for different jobs but sometimes that’s not the case. If you feel or have a good sense of recruiting outcomes after the masters programs, definitely worth considering. However, keep in mind that if anyone can walk in into a masters program, you will not impress many people with that degree.

Understood.

However, given the short time frame for R2 applications, I doubt I have much time for a 3rd GMAT attempt or a GRE attempt. Which is why I am keeping the MSBA in consideration.

I am familiar with the McCombs program since many of my current colleagues have gone there.

Got it. Makes sense. It’s good you are in touch with current students and it’s good you’re getting reports about opportunities and career outcomes 👍

Hey bb

Thank you for the insights.

An update on my profile- I gave my second attempt at GMAT today. No improvement in score.

With the little time left for R2 and given I am an ORM candidate, should I switch to programs that don’t require a score?

I have not checked the scores for all the programs, but looking at the GMAT score of international applicants here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-school-s ... 66143.html, it looks like not even the Top 35 have it below 680... since you have consulting as your background you are heading to consulting, it may make you attractive but it will be a detriment. I think you can still try to apply to some since many of these will be free with app fee waivers but you should hedge your bets with either GRE or Applying with test waiver to programs that have it.

I understand.

I think it would be better to switch to MS programs instead and do an MBA some years down the road.

I think that would be excessive to do an MBA after a masters. You would also be the old guy out… I can tell you that it will be harder to do a traditional MBA later. You can do a part-time or executive

I understand, but I am out of time to boost my profile and apply. R3 admissions are not really useful for an international candidate.

I think a MSBA+ executive MBA later makes more sense

You are correct in your assessment of R3. 👍

Hi, Here's my assessment:
1. Work towards a higher GMAT/GRE score. Even if you have a decent score by December first week, you can get roughly 3 applications in for R2.
2. Some b-schools do accept international students in R3 as well- I know UNC does and my applicant got admission into McDonough last year after submitting in R3. (he applied with a 700 GMAT in R1 and pushed it up to 330 GRE by R3). You will need to do some research on which b-schools will be more welcoming in R3.
3. I would advise you to do an MBA and not MSBA IF the MBA will still be a dream after completing the MSBA. MBA programs these days have a solid chunk of data related courses and co-curricular modules which may help you achieve the same learning objective as an MSBA.
We have worked with many data specialists for their MBA applications over the years so I have a fair idea about their career paths. My understanding from them is that they already have the advanced data knowledge but want to round out their skills by learning about business courses through an MBA. Moreover, they are able to target post MBA roles that are more business focused roles which also require data skills. You can understand this better by looking at the employment reports of both MBA and MSBA and making a comparison for the kind of designations students get hired for (for MSBA, this could be data focused roles such as data scientists whereas for MBA is could be more generalist roles like consultants)
4. Given the advice mentioned above, i would encourage you to study for the course you find right for you, rather than the one you find easier to get into.
Namita, MBA Decoder.com

From my experience from applying last year, the international applications in R3 are mere formalities- less than 1% are actually ever admitted, as most of the international slots are filled in by then.

MS BA is something that is somewhat practical at this point. I understand that MBA is the better degree, but I really have few options. I tried bumping my March score and the best I could do was 10 points. I don’t know if 50 points is really doable in 3 weeks.

understand. You should do what you believe to be right for you

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