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gmatclub

Comments 4 comments

7 months ago

Thank you for sharing your profile @thebestintheworld . You have good academics (8.31 GPA). Your GMAT Focus 585 is the main weakness versus consulting-focused, highly competitive intake pools. It might be workable for many Canadian schools, but it will lower your odds at the most competitive consulting feeder programs unless you raise it and package your application tightly.

3 years’ experience is acceptable for MBA (typical MBA applicants applying for 2-year programs); for consulting recruiting, you’re in a decent window. Marketing + comms background can be positioned toward problem-solving, client-facing, and data-driven storylines relevant to consulting (especially marketing/consumer practices).

Main concerns: GMAT Focus 585: on a classic-equivalent basis (~620-640), it’s low at some top Canadian programs (and below the typical feeder-school medians recruiters like McKinsey/BCG often expect), it’s workable but not ideal for consulting reach programs. 20-30+ points above the average GMAT score of the target schools is always a better place to be.

Industry fit for consulting: you’ll need to make a strong case (quant work, problem-solving examples, client/impact stories) so consulting firms see direct transferable skills from marketing comms to case-style client work.

Short strategy takeaway: Ivey and Rotman are the most recruiter-heavy for consulting, so aim to improve your GMAT modestly and sharpen consulting-ready stories for interviews.

Build consulting-ready stories: Create 4-6 admission-grade bullets showing problem → action → result with crisp metrics (like “improved campaign ROI by X% leading to $Y incremental revenue; led cross-functional team of Z people”). These will power essays, interviews, and recruiter conversations. Quant or analytical proof points: If you have done a verified course (Excel for Business, Analytics, SQL, or data visualisation), attach the certificate to your profile. This addresses any perceived analytics gap from marketing comms and helps consulting fit. Begin informational conversations with consulting alums from your target schools, which raises your odds at both interview invites and subsequent on-campus recruiting.

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.

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

thebestintheworld

3 months ago

Intend to move into marketing-heavy roles in the CPG sector, preferably. Banking on my GPA, Comms and Brand background for this.

ScaleHire

Hi! Here is a brief evaluation for your new selected schools

Overall fit: Solid and realistic for both Schulich and Sauder, given your background and goals.

What works in your favor:

3 years of relevant work experience in marketing communications across public and private sectors — good exposure and client-facing relevance.

Strong academics: DU (top decile) + IIMC is a credible, well-regarded combo for communication and strategy-oriented roles.

Clear post-MBA pivot to consulting, which both schools place into (especially strategy, marketing, and internal consulting tracks).

GMAT Focus (585):

This score is on the lower side but still workable for Schulich and Sauder if the rest of the application is tight.

A retake to ~615–625 would meaningfully strengthen your chances, but it’s not a strict must if essays, CV, and interviews are strong.

What to emphasize in applications:

Translate marketing/communications work into problem-solving, stakeholder management, and business impact, not just creative execution.

Be specific about why consulting, and how Schulich/Sauder’s curriculum, experiential learning, and placements support that transition.

Verdict:
With a well-written application, this is a competitive profile for both Schulich and Sauder. A modest GMAT Focus improvement would help, but strong storytelling can compensate.

If you want a sharper assessment of your admit odds and guidance on positioning your profile for these schools:

👉 Book a slot here: https://tr.ee/TJIGmTX2G_
📩 Or email your CV at: [email protected]

All the best — this is a sensible school strategy.

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Comments 2 comments

Hi! It would be amazing to learn more about your profile (companies worked at, Undergrad course, etc.) but here is a quick evaluation from us:

Profile strength: Solid 6 years in technology with a strong GMAT Focus 725. GPA is slightly below top-tier average (3.4) but your work experience and test score make up for it. Columbia is realistic, but highly competitive.

Strengths:

6 years of tech experience with clear depth and progression

Excellent GMAT Focus (725) provides strong quantitative credibility

Post-MBA goal aligned with pre-MBA experience — makes a credible story

Considerations / Opportunities:

Columbia is highly selective; ensure impactful storytelling in essays highlighting leadership, problem-solving, and tech strategy.

Given your profile, also consider applying to other top US tech-friendly programs:

MIT Sloan MFin or MBA (tech/strategy focus)

Stanford GSB (reach, but possible)

Haas School of Business (Berkeley)

Kellogg (Northwestern) for product/tech management

Verdict:
Your profile + GMAT Focus is competitive for Columbia, but diversifying applications increases your chances at similar top programs. Focus on leadership impact and tech strategy stories in your application.

I can provide a detailed, free profile review to see how you stand across these programs and optimize your chances:

👉 Book a slot here: https://tr.ee/TJIGmTX2G_
_
📩 Or email your CV at: [email protected]

Great GMAT score @tolin. We’d love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal journey so that we can provide a tailored profile evaluation and an honest school assessment. Feel free to book an evaluation session.

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

ARINGO

Hi Rishita
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you have a solid and credible profile for both LBS and INSEAD, especially given your strong academics and 4 years of relevant experience at Standard Chartered in regulatory and derivatives-focused roles, which fits well with the finance-heavy classrooms at both schools.

Your exposure to global regulations and complex products gives you a clear professional depth that European schools value, and being an Indian female in finance works in your favor from a diversity standpoint. The main swing factor here will be the GMAT, for LBS/INSEAD, you’ll want a strong, competitive score to complement your profile and signal readiness for a career jump within finance. To strengthen your chances further, focus on clearly articulating your post-MBA goal (what role in finance, which geography, and why now) and highlighting leadership, ownership, and cross-border impact in your current role.

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

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

dee1pug1

You could make your candidacy stronger with a higher than median/average score in GMAT/GRE and improved precision in your post-MBA career goals. Do note that INSEAD tends to seek international experience (which is not the same as having dealt with colleagues/customers in international offices).
- Dee | MBA admissions consultant and management consultant | E: [email protected]

Hi! Here is a quick evaluation from us:

Profile strength: Strong 3.5 years in banking with a focus on derivatives and regulatory projects, which is relevant for post-MBA roles in finance or strategy. Academics are solid (9/10 CGPA) and extra-curriculars show leadership potential.

Strengths:

Relevant work experience in derivatives, risk, and regulatory compliance — highly quantitative and structured.

Strong academics from a tier 2 college; CGPA indicates consistent performance.

Exposure to international regulations is a plus for INSEAD and LBS with their global orientation.

Key focus areas:

GMAT/GRE score will be crucial; target 675+ GMAT Focus to stay competitive.

Essays should emphasize impact, leadership, and why an MBA now to pivot into international finance roles.

Clearly articulate your EU/UK relocation goal and how the MBA will enable it.

Verdict:
This is a credible profile for LBS and a solid shot at INSEAD, especially if the GMAT Focus score is competitive and the application highlights leadership and international readiness.

Given your experience, also consider HEC Paris (MSc/MBA) - It's a target school for almost every EU Country + heavy placements to UK Finance.

For a sharper view on positioning and GMAT target, I can review your profile in detail:

👉 Book a slot here: https://tr.ee/TJIGmTX2G_
_
📩 Or email your CV at: [email protected]

Thanks for sharing your profile, @RishitaShanker. How AdComs might see you, ~4 years now; ~5 years at matriculation, ideal for both schools, good academic signal, Standard Chartered Bank (3.5+ years), regulatory projects (EMIR, MiFID, ISDA), derivatives exposure → good finance rigor, Indian female in finance > competitive pool, but diversity works in your favor, Goal > Advance within financial services and settle in EU/UK → coherent with LBS/INSEAD.

You’re a credible R1 candidate once the GMAT lands well and leadership/impact is clearly articulated.

About the schools:
London Business School fits > Finance depth, UK recruiting, global mobility. What they’ll probe: Leadership beyond analysis; clarity on post-MBA role (IB/markets/strategy/fintech).

INSEAD fits > International mindset, finance-to-leadership transitions. What they’ll probe: Interpersonal leadership, cross-cultural impact, and maturity.

For LBS/INSEAD R1 from India, target ~685 GMAT FE. Make the GMAT your #1 priority.

Gaps to address:
1. Visible leadership- You’ll need 2–3 stories showing: Owning outcomes (not just execution), influencing stakeholders across functions, and taking initiative under ambiguity (example, regulatory change management). Try to lead a workstream, mentor juniors, or own a cross-team delivery with measurable outcomes.

Gap 2: Sharpened post-MBA goal > “Career jump in finance” is too broad. Be specific: Markets/derivatives strategy? Financial services consulting? Product/strategy roles in banks or fintech?

You can also explore other schools such as IESE (leadership + consulting), HEC Paris (finance + Europe), or Cambridge.

Line up recommenders who can speak to leadership + ownership, not only technical excellence.

Use optional essays sparingly, only if clarifying context adds value.

Questions to personalize further:
1) What specific finance role do you want post-MBA (markets, strategy, consulting, fintech)?
2) Any examples of leading people or decisions under regulatory pressure?
3) Are you targeting the UK first, then the EU, or flexible across both?
4) How important is funding?

Overall, with a strong GMAT, crisp leadership stories, and a focused finance goal, you can be competitive for LBS and INSEAD R1. Start now on GMAT + leadership proof points, and consider adding 1, 2 complementary European schools to de-risk.

Recently, most of the LBS applicants who worked with Shantanu, an INSEAD Alumnus (Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond), received Interview invites. If you'd like, you can book an evaluation session here.

Comments 1 comment

Hi @IanWL2. Your GMAT FE score needs improvement. We’d love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal journey so that we can provide a tailored profile evaluation and an honest school assessment. Feel free to book an evaluation session.

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

Hi @i*****. We’d love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal journey so that we can provide a tailored profile evaluation and an honest school assessment. Feel free to book an evaluation session.

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

Hi @explicaboimpedit. We’d love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, work experience, and personal journey so that we can provide a tailored profile evaluation and an honest school assessment. Feel free to book an evaluation session.

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

Comments 10 comments

needforspeed112

4 months ago

hi , are you from IIT or any other tier 1 indian school

Anonymous333333

I’m not from IIT. I studied at Delhi University, though not at a North Campus college or SSCBS.

thanks for replying , can i ask where you worked after your degree completion ? alsowhat is gmat score ? and extra curriculars

actully i'm a startup founder , graduated from nit surat in may 2024 , my startup connect rural businesses with online agents , gave gmat got 715 , i'm thinking to apply in sept, 2026 , not sure about my profile .

arjun221199

Hello, great admits, would love to have a chat, understood you want to be anonymous, can I drop my linkedin here if that would be ok for you?

oh yeah plz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjun-padmanaban-38bba81b7/

check your linkedin dm

Haven't received any DMs on LinkedIn, have sent a connection request to Arjun

www.linkedin.com/in/suryansh-gahraiya-69854420a Hay this is my linkedin plz sent a connection , would love to chat with you

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Hey Anshuman
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile looks solid on the surface especially given the IIT Bombay pedigree + government/strategic projects background. IITB Civil with a ~8 CPI is within ISB’s comfort zone, and your 725 Focus is a major strength that more than compensates for the gap.

Your role as a Scientific Officer at BARC, combined with exposure to nationally strategic infrastructure projects and a formal nuclear engineering credential, gives you a rare public-sector + deep-tech narrative that stands out from the usual private-sector pool. The key work ahead is clarity of transition: you’ll need to clearly explain why consulting, how your experience with large, complex, high-stakes systems translates to consulting problem-solving, and what type of consulting. Focus on building leadership stories beyond technical execution to stand out amidst the pool of applicants.

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

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

Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile looks strong for ISB YLP as you’re clearly playing in the top bucket of early-career applicants. NIT Trichy + ECE with solid academics, elite entrance exam performance, and exceptional campus leadership at scale check exactly what ISB looks for in YLP: intellectual horsepower, execution ability, and people leadership before formal authority.

Your Synopsys experience is short but well-used. Quantified impact, automation, cross-team communication, and presentations help offset the limited duration. The biggest lever now is storytelling: clearly connect your tech depth + large-scale student leadership to a credible consulting motivation. If you articulate why consulting, why YLP, and why now cleanly and avoid sounding like “engineer defaulting to consulting” you have a strong shot.

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

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

Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, you have a strong and differentiated profile for INSEAD and LBS, particularly because of your deep niche expertise at the intersection of consulting, infrastructure, contracts, and regulation, which both schools value highly. Your 7 years of experience leading commercial and contract performance on large, regulated UK infrastructure programs, advising partner-level stakeholders, managing disputes, and mentoring teams clearly demonstrates maturity, leadership, and real impact, qualities that resonate well with MBA classrooms.

The LLB with a strong predicted outcome, combined with CIArb affiliation and hands-on dispute and governance exposure, gives you a compelling narrative that stands out from more traditional strategy profiles. Your extracurriculars add genuine personality and reinforce leadership, resilience, and teamwork. The key swing factor will be a competitive GMAT score to round out a well-balanced profile and reinforce academic readiness. With a sharp articulation of how the MBA bridges your current infrastructure consulting track to top-tier strategy consulting and long-term executive leadership, this is a credible and competitive profile for both INSEAD and LBS.

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

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

Hi! Here is a quick evaluation from us

Profile strength: This is a very strong fit for both INSEAD and LBS from a work-experience and leadership standpoint. Your role sits at a rare intersection of strategy, law, infrastructure, and governance, which both schools value highly.

What works extremely well:

~7 years of high-quality experience on large, regulated UK infrastructure programmes — complex, capital-intensive, and senior-stakeholder heavy.

Clear leadership and ownership: commercial lead roles, dispute strategy, mentoring juniors, partner-level exposure.

Differentiation: LLB (Law) alongside consulting work + CIArb affiliation strengthens credibility in contracts, regulation, and dispute resolution.

Strong extracurriculars (rugby, professional music) that genuinely reinforce leadership, resilience, and discipline — not filler.

Key focus areas / risks:

GMAT / GRE will matter: For INSEAD and LBS, you should realistically target GMAT Focus 675–685+ to stay competitive.

Be careful not to position yourself as too niche. Your essays must clearly translate infrastructure + legal depth into generalizable strategy and leadership impact.

Post-MBA consulting goal is credible, but you must clearly articulate why MBA now vs continued progression in your current track.

Verdict:
This is a credible INSEAD and LBS profile provided the test score lands in the right range and the story is framed around strategic leadership, not just technical excellence.

If you want, I can review your profile in detail and help you benchmark test score targets, school fit, and application positioning.

👉 Book a slot here: https://tr.ee/TJIGmTX2G_
_
📩 Or email your CV at: [email protected]

You’re targeting the right schools — execution will matter.

Hi! Here is a brief profile evaluation for you.

Big positive: Running an e-commerce brand at ~$1M annual revenue for 5+ years, with expansion across the US, UK, and Europe, is serious entrepreneurial scale. Adcoms at Wharton / GSB will treat this as real founder experience with full P&L ownership.

Strengths:

10 years of experience with deep operator/founder exposure

Proven international expansion and execution capability

Perfect GPA (4.0) removes academic risk

Natural transition narrative from commerce → technology

Key focus areas:

GMAT Focus is critical for Wharton and GSB — you should target 675–685+ to be competitive.

“Manufacturing → Tech” must be positioned as a tech-enabled commerce journey, not a late pivot.

Essays should highlight judgment, scale decisions, setbacks, and why an MBA now accelerates impact.

Verdict:
With a strong GMAT Focus score and a sharply articulated founder story, this is a credible Wharton profile and a reach-but-plausible shot at Stanford GSB.

I’m happy to review your profile in detail and help you benchmark your GMAT Focus target, school fit, and application positioning.

👉 Book a slot here: https://tr.ee/TJIGmTX2G_
_
📩 Or email your CV at: [email protected]

Hey Radhika
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, can you elaborate more on your profile and your years of experience.

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

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

Consider applying with at least 3-4 years of work experience so that you matriculate with 4-6 years WE. A strong GMAT/GRE score will strengthen your candidacy too. Your motivation to pursue an MBA (enhance leadership skills and widen opportunities) is too generic. Reflect on your true reasons - the answer should be unique to you and not cookie-cutter. Why PE? And if PE is your goal, then try getting into the industry right away to clock relevant experience. PE firms generally seek PE experience pre-MBA.
- Dee | MBA admissions consultant and management consultant | E: [email protected]

Hey
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, your profile looks strong on the surface with about 8 years of experience. GRE and GPA slightly look on the lower end, thus you will need to work on strengthening other aspects of your profile.

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

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

Comments 3 comments

1 year ago

Your profile shows a good academic background and years of experience. However, since you are applying for round 2, I recommend you retake the GMAT and aim for a more competitive score. This will make your profile more competitive for ISB.

Click here for a detailed profile evaluation .

Probably a bit low of a score for the average among these programs so really a question of how your profile stands up against the class. If not great, then you may want to consider retaking the GMAT.

Amangarg1092

Hi there,
Congratulations forgetting admit at IIMA PGPX.
Can you share your interview experience?

Show all 3 comments

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

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

MBADecoder

6 months ago

Your GRE score is very good. I see that your list already has a pretty broad range of b-schools on it. Perhaps you could add 1-2 that would be safer bets, and reduce some from the list you have mentioned, that said- apply to only the programs you will be sure to attend if that would be the only admit you get.
As a military applicant, you should be able to show a lot of leadership skills and achievements, which will be valued by b-schools. Be sure to have a solid goals essay.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

Routineactivity33

Hi Namita, thank you for your thorough reply. Any suggestions on schools to add? Thanks!