Profile evaluation for Booth (Chicago), CBS, Yale, Duke Fuqua, Johnson (Cornell), Kellogg, Ross (Michigan), LBS, GMAT Focus 645, Finance background, from India

gmatclub

Comments 9 comments

1 year ago

Hi. You have a great profile. You have great Work experience and brands on the resume.

I feel your biggest challenge to overcome would be providing strong enough reasons for the second MBA. What would give you that you don’t already have? This is the question to answer for both personal success and admission.

Your GMAT is on the lower side. These schools are averaging around 730 on the classic test which is closer to 675…

Aanchal M.

5 months ago

Hi bb, thank you for your response. I had applied to the above-mentioned schools in Round 2; however, I was denied without an interview. I would appreciate it if you could share your insights on whether reapplying makes sense and which schools to target. Was my score a big factor in being outrighly denied everywhere? Look forward to hearing from you.

admitStreet

@ Aanchal M - interesting profile, given the brand names, promotions and ECs. Your GMAT is a bit on the lower side for UST-15; would suggest a retake (or transitioning to GRE) to increase your chances. Average GMAT and GRE scores of top B-schools can be found here and here

Agreed with bb's point on justifying the second MBA. Having a strong narrative would be important i.e. showcasing your skills/ experiences, post-MBA goals and what you hope to gain through the MBA (i.e. beyond the geography difference) that would enable the transition.

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

Many thanks both. Could you please advise on the schools wherein i would have a realistic shot at?

@Aanchal M. - sorry that the outcomes weren't ideal.

Your GMAT score is on the lower side for most UST15 programs. Another reason could be (though I haven't read your application/ essays) the lack of a strong narrative covering your motivation for a second MBA, career goals, etc. If I were to guess, it'd likely be the GMAT score.

I would suggest a retake (or switching to GRE) if you're looking at UST15. Alternatively, if you've hit a plateau with the score, looking at UST15-30 and EU/ UK programs would be prudent.

Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat.

Regards,
Arvind Kumar (Founder, admitStreet)
Website: https://admitstreet.com/ | Book a free discovery call: https://admitstreet.com/#contact

dee1pug1

School selection is as much a science as it is an art. Some points to ponder: a) Has your research highlighted that your 3-year UG (on its own) would be at a disadvantage at some T15 schools? b) That your first MBA degree is a double-edged sword? It offsets the disadvantage (a) but creates another disadvantage—some T15 will outright reject you for a second MBA? c) That none of the T15 schools have their average GMAT score lower than yours?
Clearly, you need to revisit your strategic choices to decide where do you wish to play and how will you win (am using MBA / consulting language already:-)).
- Dee
MBA admissions consultant and Management Consultant
catalysts.success@gmail.com

The dings would have hurt, I am afraid. Most likely, your 645 would not have served your interest. These are highly competitive schools where Indians are the single largest demographic group of applicants. if it interests you, I am happy to offer a ding analysis, pro bono, of course.

MBAandBeyond

Hey @Aanchal M! We understand how difficult and disheartening it can be for applicants to face rejection from a school. It's a difficult moment. We've put together an article on the " Major reasons why your MBA Application got dinged. " It provides some understanding of mistakes you might have made in your MBA applications. Take a moment to review it.

If you'd like, we’d be happy to evaluate your profile and help refine your strategy. Together, we can identify strengths, address gaps, and understand more about your journey. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Email: valuecreation@mbaandbeyond.com

MBADecoder

HI Aanchal,
You applied to excellent MBA programs and I am sorry for the results. With your work experience, I don't see the reason for so many dings and I will pin down the possible reasons to:
1. a sub-par GMAT score. With this GMAT score, you already put yourself at a disadvantage. All your target MBAs have class averages hovering around 728-730, and you were clearly below that. So first and foremost, retake GMAT.
2. You must re-evaluate if your applications were strong enough. For applicants vying for a second MBA, b-schools would really want to assess the validity of your career goals, the need for an MBA and if you will benefit from it. Sometimes applicants are not able to convey this convincingly (experienced this last year while helping a reapplicant who applied to Kellogg for a second MBA. In his first attempt, his story was all over the place making him sound incredulous. Once he fixed this with our help in his reapplication, he got admission).
Other than the goals essay, the rest of your application would also need to be really strong while conveying strengths like leadership, collaboration, maturity, a purpose and strategic mindset in life, and the ability to contribute while at b-school.
3. I see that you lack ECAs after your college, so that could be another area to improve on, but if you are applying R1 this year, then focus on GMAT first.

If it helps you, I'd be willing to look at one of your applications and identify any gaps.

Namita Garg, MBA Decoder
Email: contact@mbadecoder.com
Testimonials: https://mbadecoder.com/testimonials/
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011