Hi @jengastar,

You have a high-potential profile with a strong academic base, relevant finance experience, and an emerging leadership narrative through your work in digital transformation. Your role in credit IB at a leading US bulge-bracket firm, combined with CFA L1 and recognition from the division CFO, demonstrates technical depth and initiative - great strengths for a consulting pivot. While your extracurriculars lack sustained depth right now, the early involvement and diversity of efforts show promise. You still have time to deepen your impact, focus on consistent engagement over the next year, even if it's with a single cause or initiative.

GMAT: Being an Indian applicant with a finance background, you would be part of an overrepresented candidate pool - I’d encourage you to aim for a 695+ score to strengthen your application and stay competitive at the top-tier programs.

It will be crucial to build an authentic, compelling narrative. Focus on articulating your goals and career transition plan clearly - make sure your goals are specific and well-defined. Connect your past experiences to your future goals, highlight the specific skills or exposure you're seeking and explain how the MBA will help you gain these to achieve your goals.

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.

Thank you for sharing your profile @jengastar! A CS degree from BITS Pilani with an 8.4 GPA plus a CFA Level 1 under your belt signals strong academic and quantitative ability, which top schools appreciate, especially for candidates from overrepresented groups like Indian males in finance/tech. Your role at a leading U.S. bulge bracket firm in credit investment banking is impressive. What adds real differentiation is your demonstrated ability to bridge tech + finance through internal innovation, AI literacy, and coding initiatives, these are compelling for schools like MIT Sloan, Booth, and Stanford. The award from the division CFO for shaving 20-25% workload via a project shows leadership, problem-solving, and ownership traits that B-schools value highly. Your involvement in tribal outreach and local initiatives may not be ongoing, but the depth of early exposure and intent to do more before application can still be shaped into a strong “why” story. Many applicants have gaps in consistency, but authenticity and a clear plan forward matter more.

A GMAT score (target 695+) is critical for M7, given your overrepresented demographic. Aim to finish your prep soon and leave ample time for app building. You’ve had meaningful engagement, but it’s episodic. If you can commit to one consistent initiative over the next few months (like mentoring underprivileged students, joining an NGO’s strategic/finance wing), it will round out your profile beautifully. You’re already doing a lot within your team, but try to formalize mentorship, lead a cross-functional AI workshop, or even build a volunteer-led project outside work. This reflects initiative and community building, which schools like Wharton and Kellogg love.

In terms of school fit & application strategy, you’re already aiming high (Booth, Stanford, Sloan, Wharton, etc.), and that’s reasonable, provided your GMAT lands 695+ and you articulate your "Finance x Tech" narrative with clarity. Here's how some of your targets align:

Stanford, MIT Sloan: love innovation + impact. Lean into your AI initiatives, automation work, and early social work.

Booth, Wharton: fits for quant/finance backgrounds. Your award-winning project and sectoral analysis strengths are big assets.

Kellogg: values collaboration, leadership, and personal touch. Emphasize your mentoring and extra efforts in team building.

LBS, INSEAD: strong European fits. Your global awareness and goals can work well; highlight an international mindset and short- and long-term plans.

Build out your "tech-finance" arc and how your MBA helps you become a consulting leader, bridging AI + finance.

Suggested Reflection Questions:
1. How will your tech + finance experience contribute to a diverse classroom discussion?
2. Why MBA now and why consulting after IB? Clarify the motivation.
3. What’s your vision of impact post-MBA (like, solving inefficiencies in finance using tech)?
4. How would you describe your leadership style?

If you'd like help brainstorming or structuring your essays/resume/storyline, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Hi, thanks for sharing.

You’re classic Indian IB → MBB material, but that’s exactly the issue. No GMAT yet, so assume you need a 695+ to stand out.

Your digital projects and CFA L1 help, but your ECs are surface-level. You need to go deeper and build out one sustained social impact or entrepreneurial initiative before apps.

Think Wharton, Booth, MIT, not Stanford unless your story becomes personal and deeply differentiated.

Let’s map out your GMAT timeline and gap-filler projects.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule a call with me: https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

I'm kind of curious about why you applied to Anderson executive with three years of work experience. My school list for media or entertainment would be Anderson full time, USC, NYU, CBS. You might toss in some reach schools as well, like Kellogg, if you can bring up your test score a little bit Stanford GSB, especially for gaming, HBS.

Are you trying to go from T2 to MBB? I'm trying to understand your school choices. Might add 1-year at Kellogg.

@Harvey.H , you have 3years of experience, which is on the lower end for M7 schools, so your application needs to be exceptional. GMAT 685+ is a must to stay competitive in finance-heavy applicant pools. Your story needs to be strong, showing clear progression from diversified financial services to investment banking, backed by leadership roles and high-impact achievements. Consider gaining another year of experience. Also, expand your school list, add some more schools to improve your chances. Good luck!

If you want to deep dive into positioning and application strategy, let’s chat, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

CHECKOUT: SUCCESS STORIES | YOUTUBE SESSION | BLOG

Investment banking isn't really a thing at the GSB or Sloan, i would encourage you to apply to schools that or maybe slightly lower ranked but strong in this area, such as NYU, Tuck, Duke, Cornell and Darden.

Hi Ben, i'm a little curious about how you arrived at your school selection and what you're planning to do you via the mba, with twenty years of experience, I imagine that you will be going for executive options?

Hey @Cedric PAUMARD,
1. For a good insight into the strength of your candidature, we will need to understand your impact in your domain.
2. That said, for yoru GPA (and NO information of your GMAT/GRE score), the chosen schools are unlikely to consider your profile seriously.
3. LOR will hopefully turn out well
4. For all your schools chosen, you would not only need to show demonstrated evidence of leadership, but also be able to present your passion in a compelling manner. Good luck

Hope that helps. For a free, 1-to-1 profile review over the phone, please submit your profile on TheIvyLeagueEdge(dot)com/index(dot)php/contactus/

_________________
Regards
Bala
The Most recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
Coaching success for admissions and scholarships to the World's best - MBA and MS
Linkedin.com/in/balkrishna/

www(dot)TheIvyLeagueEdge(dot)com/index(dot)php/contactus/
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Hey @Cedric PAUMARD,
1. For a good insight into the strength of your candidature, we will need to understand your impact in your domain.
2. That said, for yoru GPA (and NO information of your GMAT/GRE score), the chosen schools are unlikely to consider your profile seriously.
3. LOR will hopefully turn out well
4. For all your schools chosen, you would not only need to show demonstrated evidence of leadership, but also be able to present your passion in a compelling manner. Good luck

Hope that helps. For a free, 1-to-1 profile review over the phone, please submit your profile on TheIvyLeagueEdge(dot)com/index(dot)php/contactus/

_________________
Regards
Bala
The Most recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
Coaching success for admissions and scholarships to the World's best - MBA and MS
Linkedin.com/in/balkrishna/

www(dot)TheIvyLeagueEdge(dot)com/index(dot)php/contactus/
To enhance your chances at HIGHER scholarships, browse our high touch but low price package at a fraction of the application prices.

H

Hi Cedric, this is a unique but high-risk profile.

Eight years in startups and now advising founders directly creates a natural story for a VC pivot. Your GPA will be the biggest hurdle, especially for HBS and GSB. Use the optional essay to explain EPITECH’s grading rigor and your top-20% class rank. A strong GMAT (target 695+) will be critical to offset academics.

Ross is the most attainable target with a strong narrative. For Stanford, emphasize your founder advisory work and long-term accelerator vision. HBS will hinge entirely on execution and test score.

You have a differentiated story; with the right positioning and a high GMAT, it can still land at a top program.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call with me for detailed profile review
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Cedric, is there anything you can do with regards to the GPA situation? Can you go through some type of international transcript evaluation to get a more accurate number to go along with the ranking that you mentioned? I can't know for certain, but I do think this would be a deal breaker for full time programs as it currently stands. I would encourage you to think about executive MBA options where they care more about your work experience. And if you have a good test score, they're more willing to forgive issues around grades. I would really encourage you to see what can be done to fix the actual transcript or to find a way to indicate that you were a good student. And take advantage of any one on one conversations offered by admissions, both full time and executive. With eight years of experience, you might consider Stanford MSx, a 1 year MBA; Haas PT if you can sort out a job here or maybe some type of investment (even buying a laundromat can count) to get a visa without a job.

Hello Snigdha,

You bring a solid mix of entrepreneurial and corporate analytics experience, but your GRE 316 is well below median for Ross, Anderson, Darden, and Tepper. Without raising this to at least 322–325, your chances at the top end of your list are low.

Seven years of experience is above the average for U.S. MBAs, so your application must position you as a senior leader ready for strategic roles, not as a mid-level analyst. Quantify your entrepreneurial achievements, revenue growth, customer acquisition, operational savings , and highlight leadership examples from Zomato and Noon.

If your goal is strategic or PM roles in tech, make sure your resume and essays show product influence and cross-functional decision-making.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call with me for detailed profile review
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Nice profile @Snigdha Nagpal! You’ve got a compelling vocational arc: analytics at recognisable tech firms > founder/entrepreneur experience > aiming for product/strategy leadership. That combination sells well because it shows technical chops, operator experience, and owner mindset. Admissions will look for proof that your startup + analytics experience produced measurable impact, that you’ve led people/projects, and that an MBA is the right next step (what specific skills you lack). The two immediate red flags to address: a 316 GRE (okay for many target schools but below median for some; raising it helps) and needing clearer quantification of impact and leadership stories. If you raise your GRE score by 8-10 points, your candidacy becomes stronger. You can take a look at this success story.

Strengths to lead with Operator + founder blend. Show you know both how to build and run (analytics + entrepreneurship). Analytics experience at big tech firms, highlight models you built, decisions you influenced, and business outcomes. 7 years is a great spot for MBA recruiters looking for mid-level hires into PM/strategy roles. As an entrepreneur, you likely wore multiple hats, use that to show cross-functional leadership and execution under uncertainty.

Quantify impact aggressively: Admissions and recruiters want numbers. Highlight results:
“Improved DAU retention by X% over Y months through A/B test and model”
“Reduced acquisition costs by X and increased Y%”
“Scaled operations from X to Y users, enabling $Z revenue”... etc.

“Why MBA, why now?” clarity: Which skills (strategy frameworks, stakeholder influence, finance, product strategy, scaling orgs) you will gain from an MBA, and why those can’t be learned on the job. Tailor this to each school. Prepare a “Why MBA / Why School” for each target school, focusing on the school's values and fit.

On-campus recruiting into PM often expects strong product-case storytelling and some technical familiarity (SQL, analytics, metrics). Your analytics background helps. Convert it into a PM narrative like “I used data to define user segments, prioritized features, and measured outcomes.”

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, 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.

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

Hi Snigdha,

Your 7 years of work experience, split between entrepreneurial ventures and analytics roles at major tech companies, gives you a solid foundation for transitioning into strategic business or product management roles post-MBA. However, a GRE score of 316 may limit your chances at top-tier MBA programs, especially in competitive tech-focused tracks. To strengthen your application, consider retaking the GRE or GMAT to aim for a higher score (320+ ; ideally ~325), and emphasize leadership impact, entrepreneurial achievements, and strategic responsibilities in your essays. Your experience is a strong asset if paired with improved test scores and a clear, focused post-MBA plan.

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 @Snigdha Nagpal,
An AdCom member would look at your profile thus:

Your Work Experience of 7 years is clearly above average for all listed schools; You will need to carefully frame yourself as “seasoned but not overqualified"
Your belonging to an overrepresented applicant pool (Indian, Tech) will mean higher competition though at most U.S. programs, your gender would help offset overrepresentation risk, but only slightly
Your GRE of 316 (~equivalent to GMAT Classic 650–660) is clearly below average for these schools. You should aim for GRE of around 325 for a more competitive profile for these schools
While your GPA of 3.5 can come out to be strong, if it is from a Tier-1 college, it is still not stellar to offset your low GRE
Apart from putting in a very strong application, it is important for you to CLEARLY communicate your why MBA in terms of Career acceleration, evolution of leadership.

Finally, all these schools emphasise strong leadership in your non-proefssional space, esp in promoting diversity beyond the generic types. As such, compelling application essays, and strong LORs would be a big help.
You should try improving your GRE substantially for a good chance at these schools, or widen your overall school choices

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
_________________
Bala

1. The MOST recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
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I really have similar profile like you would love to connect and discuss

Thanks for sharing your profile @_zkg! You’ll matriculate with ~6 years of real, technical work: that’s a sweet spot. Admissions will see a candidate who knows the operational side of energy (drilling/geothermal) and has moved toward management and people leadership. That combination is valuable for roles in infrastructure, energy transition, energy tech / geothermal, and corporate strategy. Questions Adcoms will ask: What measurable impact did you lead? Why MBA now (what gaps will the MBA fill)? Where exactly in energy/technology do you want to be after the MBA? Answer those clearly, and you can be competitive. You can take a look at this success story.

Sloan is quantitatively intense and competitive. Aim for a GMAT FE score of 685+ (or GRE equivalent) and strong quantitative proof (courses, certificates, models you’ve used).

For LBS, your international background and industry fit well, especially if you highlight global project exposure. A 675+ GMAT FE score would make you competitive.

Other schools that you can also explore: Cambridge Judge/ Oxford/ Imperial/ Columbia/ INSEAD

Quantify EVERYTHING. like “Led 10-person on-site team; reduced A non-productive time by X%, saving $Y; managed budget of $Z; oversaw operations on N wells.” Replace generic descriptions with clear before/after metrics. Prepare good STAR stories: 1) technical problem + impact, 2) people leadership (workforce coordinator, career development for 100+ engineers), 3) sustainability project (Water Stewardship) with measurable outcomes and stakeholder buy-in. Do you have any consulting projects with an energy startup or fund, or a pro bono analysis? Start informational interviews with alumni from Sloan and LBS in energy/clean-tech.

Questions for you to reflect on:
1) Can you share 2–3 hard metrics from your projects (budget you’ve managed, %s improved, number of wells, team size, cost/time savings)?
2) Which post-MBA role interests you most (corporate strategy in an oil & gas firm, energy-tech product manager, infrastructure/renewables PE)?
3) What’s your realistic GMAT timeline and target score?

We would love to learn more about your extracurricular activities, professional experience, 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.

Join our Coffee Session: “MASTER YOUR MBA APPLICATION ESSAYS FOR INSEAD, HEC, LBS, AND IESE!” on August 22, 2025 | 9:00 PM IST | 11:30 AM ET. DETAILS HERE

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

Hey @_zkg,
Your profile could provide a great differentiator, and my first thoughts are you would be missing big opportunities if you couldn't capitalize on it.
1. Typically, schools in Texas have a greater share of employers coming from the Energy space. Neither MIT nor LBS are aligned to help you achieve your post MBA goal. Happy to discuss more about the right choice of schools/ programs for you to pursue in view of your goals
2. While your demographics could help you, improving your chances at both admissions and scholarships to any of the top 15 schools/ US or Europe would come through high GMAT/ GRE scores
3. Also, I don't see much mention of ECs/ Leadership in non-professional space. Given your GPA is only slightly better than the average for these scchools, and is from a non Tier-1 college, one of the key ways to differentiate yourself could come in the form of a well crafted application with impressive Resumes, flattering LORs, compelling stories/ essays and robust Goal clarity.

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
_________________
Bala

1. The MOST recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
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Sustainability and clean tech is in a state of disaster right now
because of what is happening in the US, and if you apply to schools here, I would not advise that you pick that goal, because they will be worried about you getting a job here.

Hi @suntalias! We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, international experience, 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.

Please feel free to join our Coffee Session: “MASTER YOUR MBA APPLICATION ESSAYS FOR INSEAD, HEC, LBS, AND IESE!” on August 22, 2025 | 9:00 PM IST | 11:30 AM ET. Register for the session now

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

Are you looking at dual degree jd/mba options?

Hi 16 years is quite high for a FT program, would recommend either EMBA if you are within traveling distance to MIT EMBA, KELLOGG EMBA, maybe Duke Weekend EMBA which are all known for HC/pharmaceutical. HBS doesn't have an EMBA option.

or explore SFMBA, the Sloan fellows MBA at MIT which is a 1- year program for midcareer professionals who have 10+ years of work experience.

Thanks for sharing your profile @bill_turner8 ! Military experience is extremely attractive if packaged right. Admissions committees value the leadership, discipline, logistics/operations, risk management, and decision-making under pressure that vets bring, all directly relevant to supply-chain and procurement. Your 3.86 GPA signals academic readiness. The missing element right now is a competitive GMAT and clear evidence that you’ve already started bridging the technical gap into healthcare operations/ procurement (finance/quant exposure, supply-chain projects, or certifications). If you make that bridge visible, adcoms will see a credible, mission-driven career pivot.

Strengths you should highlight (loudly): Leadership under ambiguity, command/leadership examples that show influence at scale (managing people, coordinating units, or cross-functional stakeholders). Even small procurement/logistics projects in the military translate extremely well to the pharma supply chain. Quantify them (units moved, expedition time reduced, cost savings, lead-time improvements). 7 years is a good sweet spot: experienced enough for post-MBA responsibility, still early enough to pivot.

Aim for 675, 685+ GMAT FE score if you want to keep top-tier reach schools open. Adcoms and recruiters will ask: “Why pharma? Why procurement?” Build visible, finance/ops-adjacent credibility now, short courses (supply chain, procurement, finance), a small on-the-side consulting project with a hospital/clinic or regional health system, or internal projects showing vendor negotiation, demand forecasting, and inventory reduction.

Many veterans apply; differentiate by impact metrics and a clear bridge to healthcare. Don’t rely on “military leadership” alone. PM is a reasonable mid-term goal after supply-chain exposure, but you must articulate the skills path: supply-chain > ops/data/ stakeholder management > PM (customer-centric product delivery). Show how MBA coursework and internships will bridge the gap. You can take a look at this SUCCESS STORY.

You can also explore other schools like Michigan Ross, MIT Sloan, Wharton/ Booth, and Kellogg. Talk to alumni from Fuqua, Darden, Kenan, Owen, who went into healthcare supply chain and product management. Ask about summer internships, course fit, and how they made the transition.

Community/ Extracurriculars: If you’re not already active, lead a veteran/student healthcare initiative, join a local hospital advisory board, or volunteer. Sustained extracurriculars boost your leadership story and community fit.

Questions for you to reflect upon:
1. Which branch of the military and what were your primary duties? Any direct logistics/procurement responsibilities?
2. Can you list 2-3 quantifiable outcomes from your roles (like “reduced spare parts lead time by 30%,” “managed $X budget,” “led X people across Y sites”)?
3. Do you have any prior exposure to healthcare (military healthcare logistics, joint operations with medical units, or civilian hospital projects)?
4. Do you have recommender options lined up? Who can best speak to your leadership and logistics accomplishments?

We would love to learn more about your extracurricular activities, professional experience, 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.

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

Hello Bill,

Your military career is a strong differentiator for U.S. MBA programs, but you cannot rely on service background alone. Schools will want to see clear, quantifiable leadership and operational results.

Your GPA is solid, but with no GMAT score yet, your applications will not be competitive for Fuqua, Darden, or Kenan-Flagler unless you reach at least 680–700 Focus.

Your post-MBA interest in healthcare supply chain makes sense, but your narrative needs to explicitly connect your logistics and procurement experience in the military to supply chain roles in pharma. Without a strong link, it will feel like a generic industry switch. You should finalize the GMAT, prepare examples of measurable impact, and ensure your career plan is specific.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call with me for detailed profile review
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Hey @bill_turner8,
An MBA AdCom member would see the following:
1. Academics
Your GPA of 3.86 is strong, well above Fuqua’s class median (~3.5); Darden's is also , signalling strong intellectual ability and readiness for the quantitative rigor of the MBA.
GMAT: Unknown — Without this, it’s hard to fully judge. For reference, Fuqua & Darden GMAT ranges (middle 80%) correspond to roughly between 77th percentile and 99th percentile. As such, a 675+ would be decent, though higher scores would obviously improve your chances further.

2. Work Experience
Your WE of 7 years is above typical class average (Fuqua~6 years; Darden~5 years). Extra experience can be a plus PROVIDED it shows leadership progression and impact. You would have to be careful of coming across as “too hardened in your beliefs” for a post-MBA associate role in healthcare/pharma.
Military background — Fuqua is historically very military-friendly. They value leadership, resilience, teamwork, and global mindset — all of which military candidates can highlight. Military candidates often place well into healthcare, pharma, consulting, and operations roles after the MBA.

3. Post-MBA Goals
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals — This aligns strongly with the strengths of these schools. For ex. Fuqua has:
Health Sector Management (HSM) certificate — one of the best in the country; Close ties to the Duke University Health System and Research Triangle Park companies like GSK, Pfizer, and biotech startups. Similarly, Darden's proximity to Virginia and East Coast gives greater access to Healthcare & biotech firms. Additionally, Darden's Case Method can prepare you well for the pivot.

The above make your post-MBA goal both plausible and well-supported by school resources.

4. Differentiators
Military experience + pivot to healthcare gives a compelling service-driven narrative.
Your strong GPA means fewer academic concerns.
Potential fit with the cultures, whether it's Team Fuqua or Darden's Responsible Leadership. Military officers often resonate with collaborative, leadership-driven environments.

5. Risks / Weaknesses/ Critical components of the application to take care of:
Unknown GMAT score could be the biggest variable.
Must clearly articulate why healthcare/pharma and how skills from military leadership will transfer to corporate leadership.
If age is above 32, may need to address “overqualification” concerns for standard post-MBA roles.

Overall, assuming you can get a GMAT of 685+, you profile can come out to be competitive, and a strong shot at admission. Stellar leadership stories and cultural fit essays, and well worded LORs would help.

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
_________________
Bala

1. The MOST recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
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Hi Buddy,

I'm also planning to apply for IMD, I wanted to know how you received scholarship and what is the employment chances ?
Also, did you take any counsellor's help for the application process ??

Hello, I recievd admit to IMD. Are you planning to Join? Can you ping me I would like to clarify few questions.

Yes, I’m also planning to apply

Hello Samrat, your five years in merchant navy bring rare operational exposure, but your target schools will expect strong evidence of leadership and strategic decision-making, not just technical execution.

Your GMAT Focus score of 615 is well below the bottom range for Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Booth, Sloan, and Yale. Without a score above 685–700, these programs are not realistic.

Your transition to finance needs a concrete link to your maritime trade experience, with examples where you influenced business outcomes, revenue, or cost optimization.

This is not clear yet from your profile. You should focus on retaking the GMAT, documenting leadership situations, and building a stronger narrative that connects your past to your post-MBA goals.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call with me for detailed profile review
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Hey @samratpunia,
1. As you may already know, a GMAT FE score of 695+ would improve your chances a million times.
2. Additionally, your current choice of schools and programs shows more of your chasing MBA rankings rather than a consistent fit with their culture/ the reason WHY you think that school could help you achieve your career goal. It needs to be better thought out, and more home work needs to be put in
3. Thirdly, your choice of post-MBA career goals also needs to be aligned better with your experiences and skillsets.
4. Finally, for you to be able to convince the AdComs of why you think an MBA can help you reach your desired goal is critical, and that's also why if you have the time (between 2-4 months), it will be good to do a lot of homework. If you want to compress your application within deadlines, you would do well to go with a good mentor/ guide who can help you ask and answer the questions that will help your clarity
Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
_________________
Bala

1. The MOST recommended Admissions Consultant on Linkedin, WORLDWIDE
https://www.linkedin.com/in/balkrishna/
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Thank you for sharing your profile @samratpunia ! Your background is unconventional for top MBA programs, and that can be one of your biggest advantages if you play it right. The merchant navy > finance pivot is unusual, and the key will be to connect your global trade exposure to the skills and perspective you’d bring into a finance role.

Let’s go step-by-step:
Strengths that will help you stand out: Unique Industry Experience > Very few MBA candidates come from merchant navy/oil tanker engineering. You’ve lived the backbone of global commerce. Global Exposure > First-hand view of how world trade moves, and how energy logistics work, schools love cross-border, real-world perspectives. Your “how a small price change can cost millions” insight is exactly the kind of commercial awareness adcoms like. You’ve likely worked in multicultural teams under high-pressure environments, transferable to leadership.

Challenges to address: GMAT FE 615 is far below the median for your target list. You’ll need to significantly raise this to be competitive. Non-finance background, you’ll need to prove you can handle finance/quant-heavy MBA coursework and have a credible reason why finance firms should hire you post-MBA. No direct corporate management, as a 4th engineer, you may not have had formal people-management, so you’ll need to frame leadership differently, like safety-critical decisions, cross-functional collaboration, and crisis response. You can take a look at this success story.

With a GMAT FE score of 685+, the target schools can still be a reach, but you’d be in the consideration pool, especially if essays and recommendations are strong. Your unique story could make you stand out in a small niche segment. You can also explore Columbia, Darden, Fuqua, Johnson, NUS / HKUST, and Rotman.

Avoid sounding like you’re abandoning your past; instead, position it as a deep foundation for your pivot.

Questions to sharpen your strategy:
1) What’s your undergraduate GPA and in what field? This will influence how much your GMAT needs to carry the load.
2) Do you have any shore-based internships or roles that tie into finance or business operations?
3) Have you done any cost-optimization or revenue-impact projects in your sailing role?
4) Are you open to doing your MBA outside the US if it means stronger alignment with global trade/finance?

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You should pursue an MBA program with GMAT Optional/ GMAT waiver program. Some of these could be Katz/ Marriott/ Babson etc.
ISB is highly unlikely with that score, and that kind of WE

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
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Hey @Jackson2019,
Solid WE, and esp the transition from a whitewater rafting guide to the military; a sound application from you could focus not only on stories from your military experiences, but also highlight the discipline in real life, and how it has trained you to stretch.
The GMAT FE score is decent for all the schools listed.
Assuming you have LORs that show you in a flattering light, and a resume that is designed to impress, you would do well to show WHY a career in Strategy consulting suits you.

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Hi BlueAtlas, nice profile here. Your stats look good- a 685 GMAT, 7.42 GPA and WE at Sprinklr with some impactful projects and achievements(quantifiable) should serve you well. Now, your challenge would be to differentiate yourself, as a lot of ISB aspirants would have similar profiles. ISB's essay questions this year require deep thinking for telling your story well, so put in the effort there. Don't use any software to write essays, but use your own tone and language which will sound more human and realistic.
In terms of other MBA programs, I would look at programs within the top 10-20 range in the US.

Namita Garg,
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Given a client from the same firm, I believe your work achievements can come out very well, though your ECs/ non-academic interests/ volunteering/ leadership etc would add extra feathers to your profile.
Additionally, unless I am able to understand your goal clarity, I would hazard a guess and say some T-15 MBAs in the US & Europe would be better suited for your post-MBA Career outcomes.

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
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Hi @Starr123 ! All the best for the results.

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Have you done everything in your power to improve your test score? I really think you would be better off nailing that and doing R2, maybe LGO in November (for focusing on transformation and strategic operations for large consumer goods companies.)

If you feel as though you have, then you might take the waiver path for more schools. Tuck, Stern, Ross, Anderson, maybe Tepper. If you have good grades, as you do, then that would be better than submitting a test score that is lower than their average.

If you have NOT done everything in your power to improve your test score, then my school list for you would be Kellogg, Sloan, Berkeley, and maybe Wharton in additional to these others above.

Hello Maria, your GPA and consulting background are strong, but your GRE 318 is weak for Kellogg and Ross. Without pushing this closer to 322+, your chances will drop significantly, especially as a Southeast Asian applicant from a competitive consulting background.

You need to show leadership in client engagements, not just execution. Given your post-MBA food tech goal, connect your consulting work in consumer goods to specific skills in supply chain, operations, or digital transformation that will be valuable in that sector.

Strengthen your extracurricular involvement, schools like Kellogg value community engagement, so showing active leadership outside of work will help.

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Hey @maria119,
1. Much advice has already centered on attempts you should make to improve your GRE score;
2. I would add to that to try GMAT (since your quant is high, you may score high enough on GMAT Quant & DI, and get a more competitive score. Whether it is GRE retake, or a GMAt, the key is try everything to align yourself better with the candidates that the schools selects.
3. If you cannot get your score high, you should also widen your net, and apply to schools that may give you similar career outcomes, but may have much more likelihoood of granting you admissions (and possibly scholarships)
4. In terms of your post MBA goal, you would also need to align them better, both with the school, and with the future 3 years hence... and maybe think of a wider category of careers/ employers.

Hope that helps. Feel free to connect for a Free Profile Assessment over a 1:1 Call
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Congratulations 🎊

Hi @salaar1000! We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, 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.

Join our Coffee Session: “MASTER YOUR MBA APPLICATION ESSAYS FOR INSEAD, HEC, LBS AND IESE!” on August 22, 2025 | 9:00 PM IST | 11:30 AM ET. Details here

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Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond