Hey Luna,

Thanks for sharing your profile. With seven years in tech and strong academics, you're solid for top European MBAs. Your GMAT Focus is borderline, but can work for schools like IE and IIM A. For INSEAD, LBS, and HEC, ensure your essays connect your fintech experience to your PM goals at Amazon/Google.

To stand out, highlight leadership, cross-functional work, and any international exposure. If you get waitlisted or dinged, a retake could open more doors, especially at INSEAD.

Wishing you the best this cycle! Let me know if you need help with this pivot.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule a 1-on-1 call with me for a detailed profile review:
https://calendly.com/ameer-khatri/profi ... th=2025-04

Hey Luna16
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, I see a good mix of solid academics, strong work experience, and clear career goals. 6+ years in tech (especially with UK-based fintech) shows you’re thinking ahead and planning smartly.

Your post-MBA goal of moving into PM at Amazon or Google is totally doable with your background—it’s just about connecting the dots and building a strong, focused story. However, I am slightly concerned about your GMAT score, are you open for a retake? A 645 would fall on the lower end specifically for schools like INSEAD and HEC. With 6+ years of experience, the major highlight of your application should be your work experience. Highlight more about your leadership skills, impact at workplace and skills that you are looking to gain from an MBA and how those skills will help you achieve your long-term career goals.

I would like to know a few details in order for a better analysis of your chances
1. Have you had any team leadership or product-facing exposure?
2. Any experience working cross-functionally or with end users?

FEEL FREE TO CONNECT FOR A DETAILED DISCUSSION
CLICK HERE TO CONNECT.
You can also email me at: priyankak@aringo.com

All the best for your INSEAD Application @Luna16 ! With nearly 7 years of experience as a software engineer in UK-based fintech firms, you bring a good technical foundation, international exposure, and deep industry relevance. Academically, your good high school scores and an 8.09 CGPA, along with being the university topper, offset the Tier-3 undergrad background. Area of concern can be your GMAT Focus score of 645, which is slightly below the average at your target schools, particularly for INSEAD and HEC. If you'll not be able retake the exam, it's essential to compensate with strong essays and examples of analytical thinking at work. Your post-MBA goal of transitioning into a Product Manager role at Amazon or Google is ambitious but realistic given your experience, though you'll need to highlight product ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and business impact in your applications. As a female candidate in tech from India, you bring diversity to the class profile, but differentiation will come from how you present leadership stories, your passion for product strategy, and any extracurricular or community impact. Ensure your application clearly explains your motivation for a European MBA and how it connects to your long-term career goals. You seem to be on a good path, polish your application with a strategic narrative, and you can be a competitive candidate. Feel free to reach out. Best wishes : )

Hi @Luna16
Thanks for sharing your profile!

You’ve got a good GPA and you seem like a meritorious student as exemplified by the fact that you ranked 1st in your class and have secured merit scholarships. You’ve also got a decent GMAT score. But, if possible, consider the possibility of retaking the GMAT, aiming for a 675+ score which should be competitive for your profile.

Your 6 years of work ex is very optimal for an MBA program and working in a niche sector like Fintech, especially in the UK markets definitely gives your profile a boost. But you haven’t specified your responsibilities (Did you work on high-impact projects and is so what was the outcome both in quantitative and qualitative terms? What kinds of tools and tech have you employed? How have you grown in your profile and what were the associated responsibilities and outcomes?). You’ve mentioned that your post-MBA goal is to be a Product Manager at firms like Amazon or Google which is a good continuum of your career but you need to specify your experience with product management or development to link your goals. If you don’t have experience in the same, then you need to explain very well why you want to become a product manager and how the MBA program will support this ambition. Also, in your goals essay, try to explain what kind of products you would like to contribute to: at consumer products, cloud tech, or fintech products. Give good insights into your long-term goals as well: maybe becoming a CPO or going down the entrepreneurial path.

You work ex is an outstanding fit for ISB, IIMA’s PGPX, HEC Paris, and INSEAD, but an improved GMAT will help your candidacy a lot, especially since you’re from the Indian tech applicant pool, an extremely competitive and common profile. HEC Paris is one of your best choices as they may consider your current GMAT score and the schools aligns with your goal of pursuing a European MBA. You can also consider other European schools like IESE, Rotterdam School of Management, ESMT Berlin, Oxford Saïd, and Cambridge Judge. They’ve got a solid footing in Europe’s product markets.

We’d love to offer a 1-on-1 profile evaluation to dive deeper into your strengths, talk through your fit across schools, and co-create a tailored application game plan!

Feel free to reach out to us at the coordinates below!
Email: gwyneth@thembaedge.com
Phone/WhatsApp No: +91 88502 49409
Website: https://thembaedge.com/

Warm regards,
The MBA Edge Team