Some callouts for you to consider:
1. For an Indian male engineer (the largest demographic pool of applicants), 685 may not give you an advantage. Do consider improving it by 20-30 points.
2. Study about the product manager domain very well. After IB and consulting, this is the most often quoted career and many get their understanding wrong.
3. Hedge your risks by broadening your school selection.

- Dee (MBA admissions consultant and management consultant)
[email protected]

Hello, thanks for sharing your profile.

Your GMAT Focus 685 is a bit low for M7 like Kellogg/Sloan; strong undergrad, impactful work at AmEx, and teaching ECs help. I suggest adding Duke, Ross, and Tepper as realistic targets while keeping Stern and Haas on the list with strong execution. We can connect on a short 1-on-1 call to evaluate better and sketch out a plan accordingly. All the best.

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

AshGreninja21, your profile looks very much on track for doing an MBA. A lot of Indian applicants with your kind of work experience and exposure apply to the top MBA programs. The flip side is, this increases your competition and you will have to work extra hard to differentiate yourself. A higher GMAT (even by a 10-20 point increase) will surely help. More importantly, you will have to present every aspect of your profile in a compelling manner. You have strong work experience, but that should translate into a solid resume that shows your quantifiable achievements and the ability to make an impact. I am glad that you have volunteering experience- again some depth and creating impact through your actions will matter. Your career goals will need a whole level of depth (what is your passion, what do you want to do about it in the short term and long term, why is this important for you at a personal level? ) and good storytelling.
All of this is achievable by spending considerable time on your applications, researching business schools thoroughly, approaching current and recent students and picking their brains on their MBA journey.
Also, I agree, you can add a few more b-schools like Duke, Ross, UCLA and maybe Booth (my applicant got in with PM as a career goal this year; however you will definitely need a stronger GMAT score)
Feel free to reach out to discuss your profile in more depth. I'd be happy to offer advice.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

Thank you for sharing your profile @AshGreninja21 ! You seem to have a good profile for top MBA programs, especially for your targeted U.S. schools like Kellogg, Haas, MIT Sloan, Tepper, and Stern. Academically, you are well-positioned: graduating from BITS Pilani, with a GPA of 8.85 and ranking in the top 5% of your batch (top 50 out of 1100 students) is impressive and will stand out to admissions committees. Your published research paper with IEEE Sensors further adds intellectual depth to your candidacy, something schools like MIT Sloan particularly value, given their emphasis on analytical and technical rigor.

Professionally, your experience at American Express is compelling. Although you haven’t worked abroad physically, your work with international stakeholders from countries like the U.S., Australia, and Singapore brings a global dimension to your experience. Your measurable business impact, including over $10MM in annual fraud savings, is exactly the kind of tangible, results-driven achievement top MBA programs seek. Roles in strategy deployment and fraud prevention showcase your leadership potential and strategic thinking, both highly valued at schools like Kellogg and Haas, which emphasize leadership development and cross-functional excellence.

Beyond academics and professional achievements, your social impact work, teaching underprivileged students for over 15 months, will resonate well, especially at values-driven institutions like Haas and Stern. The fact that some of your students progressed to prestigious universities like Delhi University shows genuine impact, not just participation. Adcoms love to see candidates who invest time meaningfully in communities, and your consistent engagement will be an important strength in your application narrative. Extracurricular Activities for MBA: Showcasing Your Potential

However, one slight concern is your GMAT Focus score of 685. Given that you are part of the highly competitive Indian tech applicant pool, this could be a point of vulnerability. If possible, retaking the GMAT Focus to push your score with 20,30+ points would significantly strengthen your profile and give you a better cushion against other strong applicants. That said, with outstanding essays, a powerful resume, strong recommendations, and polished interviews, you can still remain highly competitive at your chosen schools. You can explore schools like IE, ESADE, Ross, Fuqua and UCLA.

Your career goals, short-term as a product manager in top tech firms, and long-term aspirations in entrepreneurship/startups in AI and Data Science, are both credible and aligned with your background. Your goals make logical sense and match the recruiting strengths of your target schools. MIT Sloan, in particular, can be a good fit for your tech and entrepreneurial aspirations. Kellogg and Haas can also be strong for building your product leadership skills, and Tepper offers a tech-forward curriculum with links to analytics, which matches your interests well. Stern, with its proximity to the vibrant NYC tech and startup ecosystem, is another strategic choice. You can take a look at these blogs on Product Management and Consulting as Post-MBA goals and Importance of Personal Anecdotes

A few questions you shall reflect on: Have you led any initiatives at American Express that involved informal leadership or innovation beyond your formal role? Are you open to joining leadership development or rotational product programs, post-MBA to fast-track your PM career? Are you clear on specific clubs, centers, and initiatives at each school where you can immediately contribute? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the "Indian tech male" stereotype in essays?

With the right application strategy and nice storytelling, you can have a shot at your dream schools.

Stay Tuned: YouTube | Success Stories |LinkedIn

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

Hi @AshGreninja21
Thanks for sharing your profile!

Your profile has got the makings of a stellar application! Placing in the top 50 of your cohort of 1100 and securing an 8.85 GPA are markers that will convince the AdComs of your strong academic aptitude. You’ve also made the right decision to minor in data science as it serves as the perfect springboard for your post-MBA plans. Professionally, you have a strong brand name like American Express on your resume but what really stands out is the impact you have made via your work: $10MM+ in fraud savings. If you can highlight or quantify more such impact in your applications and essays and also explain how your experience here would furnish your product management plans, then you have a compelling profile in-hand. Another feather in your cap is your involvement in global stakeholder management from prominent regions like the US. Australia, and Singapore. Such an international exposure will be well-appreciated by the AdComs.

The social contributions you have made like mentoring underprivileged children definitely uplifts your profile and shows that you are a holistic individual. You will also be a strong fit for the schools’ student organizations and societies that support causes of empowering through education, etc. Focus on drafting a good social impact narrative in your essays for Kellogg and Haas as both these institutes highly value applicants who have demonstrated community leadership.

Looking at your career goals, becoming a product manager for a tech firm is a good choice as it aligns with your ECE+DS Minor+Amex background and desire to work in a people-facing yet technical role. Just be clear about what kind of AI-based products you wish to manage (eg: fraud prevention tools, customer solutions, etc.), the specific industries you’re targeting (FinTech or Consumer Tech, etc.), and the specific companies you wish to work in (this will be University specific. Refer to the employment reports of the schools you are applying to to understand what companies hire from there.) Your long-term plan also needs to be well-articulated as just mentioning becoming an entrepreneur or joining a startup is too generic. What kind of products do you want to build? What kind of real-world problems are you hoping to solve through the products you will develop? How do your past experiences support this ambition? Remember to maintain a continuum across your goals and give a solid reasoning how your product management skills will be in tandem with your data science knowledge.

Coming to your GMAT score, 685 is a strong score for Tepper and Stern but is a little weak for schools like Sloan and Kellogg. These schools are currently hovering around a 700-710 score so you can consider retaking the GMAT for another 20-30 points boost to improve your odds here. Do note that Sloan favours analytical and research experience for which your IEEE paper will be valuable. You will be a very good match for Stern as this institute is a product/tech/finance hybrid and Haas too will suit your profile as you possess social and tech-driven leadership.

Apart from the schools you have chosen, we would also recommend adding Cornell Johnson, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross, Indiana Kelley, and Georgetown McDonough as backup choices as these Unis also have strong tech and product career services.

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: [email protected]
Phone/WhatsApp No: +91 88502 49409
Website: https://thembaedge.com/

Warm regards,
The MBA Edge Team

Hi AshGreninja21
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, I see a strong technical depth, a compelling impact story and a thoughtful career vision. Your current role at American Express, with over $10MM in fraud savings and cross-border stakeholder management demonstrates global business exposure and measurable impact, some key traits which adcoms at top MBA programs look for in candidates.

Your post-MBA goals in PM, with a long-term view toward entrepreneurship in AI and data science look well aligned with the strengths of tech-forward programs like Sloan, Haas, and Tepper. Plus, the tutoring underprivileged students adds a powerful personal and social dimension to your application, especially given your students’ success stories about admits at top universities. Adcoms at your target schools will truly value this.

Speaking about your score, a 685 FE looks slightly below average for M7. Are you considering a retake? It will also be important for you to focus on strengthening other aspects of your application including your essays and recommendations to stand out amidst the pool of applicants.

Feel free to schedule a free profile review to explore your candidacy in more detail.
CLICK HERE TO CONNECT.
You can also email me at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Good Luck!