Your GMAT/GRE score and the alignment of your pre-MBA career with post-MBA goals will be key. Do network with IB professionals in the US who are alums of your shortlisted schools to find meaningful insights.

Hey, I'm just getting started with the GMAT and application process. May I pry and ask what 67% means in your GPA section? Moreover, I think you have a shot. Good luck!

Thanks for sharing your profile @laborumautem ! You can be a credible candidate for top schools: senior leadership in controls/analytics at global banks, rigorous professional accounting credentials (CIMA + CPA), and a master’s in the field. Those are good signals of technical credibility and career intent for strategic finance. Your main challenges are (A) a mid-range undergraduate percentage (67%), (B) the need to show a clear, realistic pathway into U.S. investment banking (IB) / strategic finance from your current controls/analytics background, and (C) ensuring your test score and networking plan match your school ambitions. With a high GMAT/GRE, tight essays, 2-3 strong LORs, and a focused IB-transition plan, you can be competitive for Columbia and Kellogg and remain in the running at HBS (a reach for nearly everyone).

How AdComs will read your profile (strengths):
8 years with promotions up to Sr. Manager, shows leadership and increasing responsibility (good for a 2-yr MBA cohort). Big-name experience & controls/analytics expertise: JP Morgan, CIBC, Scotiabank, employers whose brand carries weight with adcoms and recruiters. Professional credentials: CIMA + CPA (high CPA scores), which signals advanced technical mastery and differentiates you from peers. Professional licenses are seen positively by AdComs and employers. Master’s in Accountancy & Finance + analytics role → reliable academic & functional signals for finance recruiting.

Risks / what adcoms will probe:
Undergrad score (67%)- Adcoms will notice this; they’ll want evidence of academic capability since many admitted applicants have higher UG scores. Switch to front-office IB/strategy: moving from governance/controls/analytics to IB is achievable but requires a clear plan (internships, alumni network, demonstrable deal/transaction experience, or modeling skills). Geography/work authorization for the U.S.: You live in Canada and want to move to the U.S. post-MBA. That will affect employer willingness to sponsor and your ability to convert internships into offers; you’ll need to show you’ve considered visa logistics and have a strategy. You said limited extracurriculars; schools like HBS look for leadership outside work, too. You’ll need to show impact (mentoring, volunteering, internal programs, like leadership in ERGs, coaching, or pro-bono projects, etc).

Target: GMAT FE 685+, ~730+ (classic) or GRE equivalent. Explain your 67% (context: rigorous program, work-study load, mature upward trend if applicable). You can pair it with recently graded, high-quality coursework (like online graded courses: corporate finance, accounting, modelling) that include certificates or transcript-style proof.

Build a credible IB/strategic finance transition plan with good examples like an internship during MBA (Columbia/Kellogg career centres run internship pipelines), targeted alumni outreach to IB groups, short modeling projects/deal experience (pro-bono modeling for a small M&A or project finance transaction), and recruitment networking in NYC / US banks. Show you understand the recruiting calendar and will use school resources to secure a summer internship that converts to an offer.

Leverage CPA/CIMA in essays and recommenders. These credentials are differentiators; ask recommenders to note how your CPA-grade performance demonstrates technical prowess and trainability for IB/strategy roles. Mention CPA results briefly in essays as “evidence” of quantitative preparedness.

Network with alumni, focusing on recruiting pathways into IB/strategy.

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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Shantanu Sharma
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Hi @laborumautem,

You bring a very strong professional background with global experience across top firms (HP, J.P. Morgan, CIBC, Scotiabank) and highly respected qualifications (CIMA, CPA). Your clear career progression and recent promotion highlight strong leadership and analytical skills, which are attractive for MBA admissions. The main concerns are your relatively modest GPA and limited extracurriculars, but these can be offset through strong test scores (GMAT/GRE), well-crafted essays, and leveraging your professional leadership impact as a substitute for community engagement.

GMAT - you should aim for a 685+ score to strengthen your application and stay competitive. Strengthen your narrative by framing your cross-market experience (India to Canada) and positioning yourself as someone who bridges global finance practices.
Feel free to book a free call with our MBA experts for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, I see a super strong finance/control background with blue-chip names and now sitting in a Sr. Manager role, that’s a solid upward trajectory. Add to that CPA + CIMA + Masters in Finance/Accountancy and your technical/academic credibility is airtight. Where you’ll face challenges: your GPA (67%) is on the lower side for HBS/Kellogg/Columbia, and your extracurriculars are light, which adcoms notice at this level. You’ll need to lean hard on your career progression, your CPA scores and your unique cross-continental experience to show resilience and global perspective.

Your post-MBA goal of pivoting to IB/strategic finance is realistic given your skill set, though you’ll want to craft a clear narrative on why MBA now at age 30 and what piece is missing that an MBA specifically provides. This article talks about applicants who want to pursue an MBA over 30. This article talks about applicants who want to pursue an MBA over 30. Overall, your profile has strong professional/academic credentials, clear finance pivot story.

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target MBA 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: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!

Hi @commodiquisquam ! 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 school more accurately. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @autveritatis ! 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 school more accurately. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @gsiebert29 ! 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.

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Congrats @halamadrid1902 on your great GMAT FE score! 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.

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Hi @isteassumenda ! 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.

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Shantanu Sharma
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Hi @doloremsequi ! 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 school more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @Rarefind ! 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 school more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @reprehenderitaut ! 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 school more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Shantanu Sharma
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A few thoughts for your perusal:
- Your current GMAT doesn't give strength to your candidacy for the schools you've listed; your nationality is helpful, though.
- Have you checked if RE players sponsor internationals (unless you are considering RE consultants like JLL, etc.)?
- Revisit your school selection based on the previous points here. MIT Sloan is a very different program.

Hi @Boat32674,

You have a well-aligned background for an MBA in real estate, with a strong academic foundation in architecture and progressive experience moving from design into business development and investment management. Managing large-scale projects with significant valuations demonstrates strong responsibility and industry expertise. The main weakness is your GMAT Focus score of 645, which may be below the average for top global programs; you should consider a retake to target 675+ for competitiveness. That said, your clear career goals in real estate consulting and your track record of bridging design and investment give you a distinctive, industry-specific story. You should explore schools with strong real estate offerings such as Columbia, NYU Stern, Cornell, UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Highlighting your leadership, professional achievements/tangible impact, relevant skills, career goals, unique experiences, and fit with the program effectively will be crucial in crafting a compelling application. To maximize your chances, consider applying to a balanced mix of reach, target, and safety schools.
Feel free to book a free call with our MBA experts for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you have got a really cohesive story: Architecture to Real Estate Business Development to Investment/Development Management. That progression makes a lot of sense and positions you well for post-MBA real estate consulting. The 5 years of experience with exposure to high-value projects is a strong differentiator since you have actually had material responsibility in tangible, high-stakes work.

Academically, your GPA looks decent. Your GMAT score also falls on the similar scale. That said, your niche background in real estate development plus being from an underrepresented region is a plus.

Fit-wise, MIT Sloan and Haas are great matches given your real estate + development focus. Stern and Booth also make sense with strong real estate/finance exposure. Yale could be a tougher sell with the score, but your narrative of design to investment to consulting aligns with their mission-driven and interdisciplinary outlook.

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target MBA 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: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!

Hey
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you have got a pretty strong narrative for an MBA pivot into media/entertainment marketing. The 7 years of experience is solid, and the way you transitioned from engineering into digital/social media marketing, working with big brands in sports/gaming and now LinkedIn advising F500/CXOs, gives you relevant and differentiated exposure.

Your GPA slightly looks on the lower side and while you don’t have a formal business/marketing background, your career story already shows progression in that direction, which strengthens your “why MBA.” Target schools like Kellogg, Columbia, INSEAD, and ISB make a lot of sense given their strengths in marketing and global exposure. IIMs/HEC Montreal may be good additions for safety, but I’d suggest also looking at Ross and UCLA Anderson since both have strong reputations in marketing/entertainment.

You haven’t mentioned a GMAT/GRE score, Adcoms at top schools will want to see a competitive number. Overall, with the right test score and essays tying your career shift together, you’re a strong candidate.

Jenifer (CEO, ARINGO MBA Admissions) is hosting a live coffee chat on Sept 20 about building a strong Round 2 MBA app in just 90 days.
Click here to register

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target MBA 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: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!

I understand that the US media/entertainment/CPG industries do not hire international MBAs. Do exercise caution when stating your post-MBA goals. You may end up doing self-harm.
- Dee (MBA admissions consultant and management consultant) | E: catalysts.success@gmail.com | https://lnkd.in/dDDYQvz2

Hi @Rakravi123,

You bring a strong professional narrative with 7 years of experience spanning sports, gaming, and now LinkedIn, where you engage directly with senior leaders across multiple industries. This showcases both industry depth and client-facing leadership, which are valuable for MBA programs. Your GPA is decent, though not standout, so a strong GMAT/GRE will help balance the academic side. GMAT - you should aim for a 695+ score to strengthen your application and stay competitive for top-tier programs.

The pivot into core marketing is logical—you’ve already built expertise in digital and social media, and the MBA can provide the broader strategic and brand management foundation you seek. You should frame your essays around your transition from digital marketing execution to shaping overall brand and marketing strategy.

Feel free to book a free call with our MBA experts for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

Thanks for sharing your profile @Rakravi123 ! Let's start with your strengths: Relevant marketing + tech platform experience. Working at LinkedIn, engaging with enterprise clients, with exposure to media, gaming, retail, etc., gives you a platform & credibility. Leadership and client exposure. Senior-stakeholder interaction, managing brand presence, and likely metrics/data leadership. Quantitative foundation, the engineering + digital marketing course provides quantitative comfort; that’s useful especially for analytics in marketing.

Risks / Weaknesses: GPA ~7.52 is OK, but below many of the medians for top MBA programs, especially in the US / top global schools, where UG grades often are higher. This may require explanation/context. Lack of a formal business or marketing degree. You’ll need to provide proof of knowledge/impact in marketing: campaigns, metrics, analytics, etc. Competition in marketing roles. Many applicants to top schools also have strong marketing + business backgrounds; you need to differentiate: through scale, impact, creativity, data, leadership. IIMs and regional schools will likely view you favorably, but for INSEAD, Kellogg, Columbia, marketing authority, external signals (awards, published work, portfolio) help.

If you plan to take the GMAT or GRE, aim high enough to match or exceed the medians at your reach schools. For U.S./top global schools, scores in the top percentiles in the quant + overall matter. Ensure consistent performance across sections (especially quant/analytical) since marketing roles will require measurable and analytical skills.

Gather evidence of real outcomes: growth in engagement, revenue, ROI on campaigns, incremental impact, conversion numbers, etc. If possible, take on a side project or freelance/consulting in marketing that gives you more ownership + measurable results. For example, optimize a campaign’s efficiency, A/B test something, launch a new product feature, etc.

“Why MBA now?” This is especially important since your undergrad isn’t in business. You need to clearly identify skill gaps in marketing leadership that only an MBA can fill (strategy, consumer insights, leadership, scaling, global exposure). “Why X school?” Align each target school’s marketing, media, entrepreneurship, digital marketing labs, or partnerships. Cite concrete resources, case competitions, and professors, if possible. Show proof of academic rigor post-undergrad (courses, certifications, top performance in mocks or ongoing learning).

Since formal academic credentials are strong but not in marketing/business, adding or more strongly highlighting extracurriculars is useful. Perhaps coaching, content creation, volunteer work in media/branding, public speaking, or community initiatives in your domain. Even modest ones help.

Engage alumni/marketing leaders via LinkedIn from your target schools for info & networking. If possible, take a short marketing analytics/brand strategy/data course and complete a small project you can include

Questions for you to reflect upon:
1) What are your unofficial or practice GMAT / GRE scores to date (especially the quant section)?)
2) Do you have specific brands/companies you aim to work for post-MBA (especially Entertainment / Media)? Knowing that helps with “why school”.
3) Who will be your recommenders (title/relationship)? How well do they know your marketing & leadership work?
4) Any marketing campaigns or projects you led or had ownership over (with numbers) that you haven’t yet written down?
5) Which of your target schools is your highest priority (if only one)?

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.

You can register for our Upcoming Coffee Sessions on “Mastering Essay Questions”. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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

Did you end up applying/ going to BSchool?

Hi @shree18 ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @jeflemos ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @cumsequi ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @confirmareabas ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @zarin5683 ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @User #1676469 ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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Hi @gmatguy62 ! 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. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

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