MBA Decision Tracker: Monitor Application Status in Real Time

gmatclub

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2 years ago

Wow. Finally someone who believes in luck - 13 schools! In all seriousness - the more the better as long as you can pull it off and your recommenders don't bail on you.

Good on you having a law degree - that plays well in the US schools. Not sure about the UK.
710 is on the lower side so you will have to have the rest quite perfect in terms of your GPA, Experience, application, etc.

Also, I would recommend to scrap R3 plans. That's a crapshoot of a round to apply. I won't stop you but at least make sure you get app fee waivers if you are going for R3. Traditionally only about 10% of candidates get recruited in R3.

Ritwik_Agrawal

Haha! You miss all the shots you don’t take 😄

Yes I am aware that 710 is on the lower side, but my circumstances don’t let me dwell on the hopes on any higher score. TBH this was a surprise after all 4 of mocks at exactly the 640 mark. I believe I bring a lot more to the table in terms of context and leadership, considering from where I started. I come from an isolated tier 4 Indian city and made the most of what I could.

I am proceeding with requesting app fee waivers and have got 2 by your help (MBA Spotlight - Fuqua and Tepper, Thanks!) and one by requesting directly.

I had a doubt about Stern and A few others that have 4 rounds instead if three, whose R3 align with other’s R2. Which are during first week of Jan 24

Can you please shed some light on this?

That's right, Stern R2 is in a week I believe and I keep forgetting about it. I don't know the strategy between having R1 and R2 a month apart. I think that's going to confuse many people while R3 is known as a "no-no" round is just weird. Most MBA programs avoid this confusing by naming their first round "Early Decision" or "Early round" but Stern is doing just fine, so let's see, and yes, as you mentioned, Stern R3 = R2 everywhere else and that's just fine to apply to Stern in R3.

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Great profile!
Good luck with the test. It’s tricky to recruit and do athletics and also apply so awesome job and being able to focus on it.

I would consider your strength and weaknesses since you will be able to take a new version of the Jim at about a month. The new one is leaning more towards quantitatively inclined people. if you know that’s not you, then it’s an easy choice to take the old test. However, I recommend taking whatever test you can get the highest percentile in… it would be very helpful to be able to get a solid score which is basically anything above 700 though looking at your schools, a 730 or a 740 would be advisable to match the average. GRE of course is another option if you can get a high score.

I would say it’s worth putting in good effort into a test score because unless you get into Harvard or Stanford, you will most likely reuse this score in three or four years when you make another round and try to take another shot at Harvard and Stanford. And having to retake the test would be annoying and would basically use up quite a bit of time to prep again for a high score.

So awesome profile!
Good luck with the test and the applications.

PS. If for some reason you felt you did not have enough to do, something that always looks good on a profile is a startup of some kind. It doesn’t have to be functioning or successful and can be purely on paper but it needs to be an interesting idea and you need to be passionate about it. That has a whole new depth and dimension but I don’t think you’re looking for more things to do and that would probably recommend getting the test done as best as you can.

jake29sf

Thanks for the quick response! I really appreciate your insights.

Comments 1 comment

Wow - all of that is awesome experience! Don't worry about the startup and if it is not a smashing success - that's great learning. Hopefully your family is supportive along the way and giving you plenty of space and room to learn.

I would add Columbia - they have a family business track (worth researching and considering). This will help with LOR's and some of the other considerations since I assume it may be tricky to get LOR's as a founder in your last venture.

P.S. Since you have a slightly lower GPA, would recommend looking into getting a stronger GMAT score or possibly GRE, whichever you can get closest to or above the school's average, depending on what your strengths are.

Good luck!

Comments 6 comments

ESG may be a bit tough to recruit for but you have a good background so it’s a good goal to have. It’s definitely a stronger position than trying to go for tech consulting or something like that.

Supply chain is hopefully less competitive field. Between these two, hopefully you get a back up offer and you can shop for something better when you recruit.

You can also consider UNC and Jones for safeties and potentially Darden for target… 🤷‍♂️

Good luck!

rTKGP

Thank you for your response, by publications you meant UG research publications?

I’m sorry. That was an AutoCorrect and they cannot remember what I meant to write 😱 so I went ahead and deleted that comment…

MBAGuide

Hi, I believe that your current list of target schools is quite extensive. Applying to so many schools can potentially dilute the quality and focus you should have on your top choices. Considering your background in Oil & Gas, along with your focus on ESG and supply chain, I recommend prioritizing Ross and Tepper as competitive picks, with Kelley, Rice, and McCombs as safety schools. While a GMAT score of 329 is good, it may not be exceptional for M7 schools. As you are an IITian from KGP, I don't see why these would not give you a strong consideration unless you really mess up your applications.

If you are interested in the prestige of your alma mater, I strongly suggest considering the MIT SCM program. Alternatively, you can explore the Ross MSCM or LGO MIT programs, which are among the best in the world for supply chain. These programs open doors to top-tier roles in Strategy and Operations practices at leading companies (MBB). If you see your career path in supply chain and operations leadership, having these affiliations on your resume would undoubtedly impress recruiters when they're scouting for leaders.

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

Thank you, Aanchal, I get your point and have revised my list. What's your take on TUCK/Fuqua for my profile? I am fairly clear about getting ahead in the supply chain/consulting domain(Preferably ESG ) with an MBA degree and that is why I didn't choose those supply chain-specific programs. LGO->I am not sure again, I am very positive about the program but a class size of 50 with 40+% female hardly leaves any space for someone like me with an average GPA. So, I kind of considered it but again in hindsight, I am aware of the risk/reward.

Tuck and Fuqua fall into the aspirational group, in my opinion. US schools receive a high number of applicants with operations backgrounds, and it can be challenging to establish a strong fit with schools that primarily focus on consulting and healthcare and pharma. While not impossible, admission can often come down to factors such as your GPA, GRE score, gender, and more. I don't have a sufficient reference point for operations professionals at Tuck and Duke, but I have substantial evidence of healthcare consultants successfully gaining admission.

Applicants should not base their applications to highly selective programs with limited seats solely on probability.
Not everyone needs to be an outlier in a class. While schools aim for diversity, this doesn't require an exotic background or rare skillset. Admissions committees seek students who will contribute diverse perspectives to the class, and these experiences can come from various sources. Smaller classes also value students from prestigious colleges worldwide, as it enhances their own reputation, which is why they consider applicants like you seriously.

When it comes to the diversity aspect, where you're competing for around 25 seats in a class of 50, don't limit yourself to conventional diversity criteria like race and gender. Think beyond these boundaries and consider your cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic background. Have you overcome significant challenges in life? Have you excelled in a specific field or hobby? Have you had a unique education or work experience? These factors can contribute to your diversity and make you stand out, offering a unique perspective in the classroom.

I recently worked with an applicant of average standing, and he has been accepted into Tepper's Masters in Product Management program. This program is highly selective, with a class size of just 50, and it offers a targeted pipeline into big tech product management roles. It's a logical choice for someone with a product background who sees more value in this program than a traditional two-year MBA at Tepper. It comes with a lower opportunity cost and strong management support. If the school sees why, you might pick LGO over the MBA, and is convinced about your focus on the sector, I don't see why they wouldn't take you. But I guess you should apply where you really want to go..

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

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TheMBAEdge

Computer engineering to Private Equity transition maybe too far fetched. Typically, PE funds looks to hire ex bankers / consultants depending on the role and nature of work. Would push you to be a little more pragmatic with your career aspirations and maybe diversify your schools shortlist. 760 is a solid GMAT but other aspects of your profile also matter for an admission point of view and admits from all the 3 schools can be tricky.

Will need more information to provide an objective analysis. 680 can be potentially on the lower side for both the schools, but it depends on the overall profile. Overall your profile looks good and distinct which will be a positive. Will recommend focus on retaking the GMAT and applying to a broader list in Round 2.

All the best! Reach out at [email protected] in case you have any other queries.

Comments 4 comments

Welcome to GMAT club.

Amazing accomplishments! They come a bit as a double-edged sword. How will the MBA help you and enable you to reach your goals… that would be one aspect to address clearly in your essays - why do you need an MBA and how it will help your career. At your level, almost EMBA would be a cinsideration but it does not have OPT so that’s a big negative.

I have known a number of people however in their 30s who got in and were successful but recruiting was done on their own as they were too senior for the jobs traditionally recruited after an mba.

Hey Aryaman,

Coming from the Cleantech background, couple of quick observations:
-You have a pretty solid career going for you, so have you really thought why you need an MBA? Is it a desire to transition from a policy focused role into a more business management role? Think through this question hard.
-What's the end goal? Is it entrepreneurship? Is it CXO? This will be very relevant for a senior executive like yourself since you will be making a heavy investment on the career front
-You are committing the principal mistake of applying to too many programs, please note that in one round not more than 4 school applications (that too with over 3 months+ of preparation) can be done given the nuanced research required for each application
-Round 3 is a strict no for International applicants
-For career in Renewable / Energy, United States may not be the best destination as Energy is a strong state subject and hence most Energy companies do not recruit international students
- EU maybe a good fit since they have an older cohort, have seen that they are open to candidates with 10 years experience and are aggressive on the Net Zero ambition.

If you are really keen on an MBA, please evaluate the prospect of moving back to India or starting at a lower level in a global firm in a business oriented role. Some programs that may do the trick for you are IMD, INSEAD, MIT Sloan Fellow, Stanford MSx and LBS.

If you have any other queries, please reach out at [email protected].

Saxena_Aryaman

Indeed a great thanks for providing feedbacks. I am aligned with the suggestions made hereinabove. The following responses may also be noted and advised:

1. The MBA for me is a tool to unlock a potential life long opportunity of working in energy security markets in India and South East Asia. I primarily see a great deal of policies and political drive in this region for achieving sustainable energy and regional power security. The scenario is similar in European and gulf nations, Singapore is another great destination for my post MBA jobs. Having said this that I do not foresee US markets as my primary employment markets post MBA, why do I still prefer a US B-School? The answer lies in the reputation, opportunities and learnings that are offered here, which are globally recognised and attracts a great deal of recruiters.

2. I do foresee a larger management role post MBA in India, I can not overlook the fact that the opportunities would also be equally available in public policy and government advisory space. Typically, with an MBA from the Ivy League, I can find myself an employment in consulting, advocacy think-tanks, law firms, corporates etc. Therefore, my primary objective is to gather knowledge and business know-how to get into roles which are more on the management or advisory turf.

3. What I would be majorly focusing on in my MBA would be economics &amp; finances, Human Resources, Public Policy, and entrepreneurship. I want to work in agri-tech industry post MBA as it blends my experience of energy and utility sector with the needs of the agriculture sector. Notwithstanding, that the policy, advocacy and finance would be the major drivers of market growth in India for the next two to three decades when we talk about country's food security.

4. I am also interested in exploring opportunities to contribute with foreign governments, specially in the African nations where energy transition is currently underway and requires a global insight to implement financing models and investment policies. I am confident that these opportunities would be possible with a global MBA.

5. As far as the selection of B-school list is concerned, I am fully aligned with the observation that the best approach is to apply for a maximum of 5-6 B schools in one round, the objective of listing several schools is to get a profile evaluation for these schools where I am interested in applying.

Also, just to add, I received admission invitation from NYU - Law in 2018 (rejected) for a specialised LLM in energy laws.

Well my 2 cents:
-Ideally go for an MBA in the geography where you would want to work in the short term since recruiters tend to prefer recruiting from local markets. While US MBAs are well recognized across the globe, if you intend to work in Asia / EU chose a business school over there since a local alumni network (which plays a big role in recruitment) makes a substantial difference.
-A US MBA will cost you over $200k for a 2 year format, so it may not make sense from an ROI perspective to return immediately to India, in the US the industries open to international students typically are Tech, Consulting and Finance. So be mindful that you may have to rethink your career options are be open to moving out of Energy to stay in the US
-LLM and MBA admissions are quite different so please dont make any judgment on the basis of the past applications to LLM.

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Welcome to GMAT club and great profile. A few quick thoughts:

1. If you have any tech p.m. type of opportunities or responsibilities I would take them and include them in your résumé to show that you’re taking those steps already.

2. Development background helps with the number of tech positions and recruiting.

3. For extra curricular things, it’s nice to show you have a personality but they’re not super valuable unless you have a strong result or you are really proud of something or something really takes a lot of your time. So extra curricular and not going to get you very far

4. Your Gmail is a bit on the lower side for the Indian male engineer unfortunately 😬 hopefully your promotions in experience will highlight your capability.

Awesome profile.

Just a few quick thoughts: your activity during college is good and important but that was several years ago and that only talks about your college times. It indicates you had time available despite being busy in college so make sure you give it some attention but don’t make it the focus of everything because you want to focus on your current accomplishments in your job.

In terms of schools to recommend, nothing much else comes to mind perhaps Berkeley and Sloan and maybe on the safety level, would be darden or Johnson but I think you’ve captured schools pretty well. VC is heavily networked and off-campus.

Good luck!

Ritvik_Sharma_999

Thanks for the review! @bb

Hey @DaringDynamo,

You have got a very robust profile with good GRE score, median GPA and strong work experience. However, you school shortlist is very broad and it literally spans across the world which I get from a hedging point of view but will put you in immense pressure during the application cycle. Would recommend applying to maximum of 5-6 schools in the fall cycle and putting in a strong application for these schools otherwise you run the risk of half baked applications which can produce undesired results.
Just based on the limited information that I have here are my 2 cents, Fuqua may not make the most sense, Tepper will be a decent bet, KF and USC can also be good bets depending on your background. Yale may not be most apt to fit your aspirations while Ross being a strong bet maybe more on the competitive side. Have you looked at other schools like McCombs, Anderson which I feel maybe good fits for your profile.
In the Indian context, the IIM PGPx and ISB are very good choices for local market recruitment.

This is my feedback based on the limited information, do drop a msg to [email protected] for a detailed discussion.

All the best!

Thanks,
TheMBAEdge

I would recommend to pick the country where you are going to work/live and decided that sooner than later. Otherwise, lots of fees and cost and effort only to choose later 😇

DaringDynamo

Thanks @TheMBAEdge and @bb . It was really insightful. I have currently applied to Indian B-Schools.

Hi. Welcome to GMAT club!
I think you should be under represented indeed. Sri Lanka has been hit by some hardships in the last few years, based on what I’ve seen and heard. I hope things are better over there and good luck with your applications!

PS. You definitely want to explain your GPA. Your GMAT would be just fine but if your GPA is indeed quite low, your only recourse really is a strong test score. I’m not sure if you have it in you to do a retake and improve your score …a high score never hurts… 😇

sidhusan

Thanks bb

Great score! Are you applying this year again or you started at Queen's?
P.S. I have heard that Canadian schools give 50% at most for scholarship, is that more or less accurate?

Shikharv99

hey can you tell me the process to apply for Scholarship ?

quant92

hey, can you tell me more about Rotman interviews?