Hello Ayush,

Thanks for sharing your profile. With 6 years of experience in the U.S. software industry and a 3.5 GPA, you bring a solid foundation for a Northeast MBA. However, the 655 GMAT Focus score presents a challenge, it's below the median for all your listed schools, especially the M7 and top-tier programs like Wharton, Sloan, and Columbia.

Your pivot to a business/tech hybrid role is a natural evolution, and your communication skills can certainly support that transition. That said, admissions committees will want to see clear evidence of leadership, strategic impact, or cross-functional collaboration, these can strongly support your case given the current test score.

NYU Stern and Cornell Johnson seem like better fits at this stage, especially with your NYC preference, and Tepper remains a viable option with strong execution. Still, if you're aiming for schools like Wharton or Sloan, a GMAT retake would significantly strengthen your competitiveness and open up more scholarship opportunities.

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

Hi @Ayush Mittal
Thanks for sharing your profile!

With 6 years of work experience in computer software and a 3.5 GPA, you have a admirable repertoire. However, the primary concern at the moment is your 655 GMAT score which may prove to be a hurdle for schools like Wharton, Columbia, Sloan, and Stern, all of whom need a 690+ to make the cut. You should consider retaking the GMAT if these schools are your ultimate targets or you can consider attempting the GRE and try for a 325+ score.

Looking at your professional pursuits, working in hands-on engineering roles will be well-appreciated by the AdComs. However, you haven’t specified much about your work because of which it’s difficult to estimate how well your application is placed at this moment. Provide some insights into your company’s pedigree, your roles and responsibilities, promotion history (if any), the impact or outcomes you’ve delivered in both quantitative and qualitative terms, any leadership exposure, etc. Since you’ve mentioned that you want to pivot from hands-on engineering roles into a business/technology hybrid role, try to show some transferable skills (cross-functional work, project management, etc.) you have acquired from your work. Also, explain your pivot well instead of simply saying ‘leveraging communication skills and broader strategic impact.’ Talk about what inspired you to make the pivot. Maybe you were influenced by the business outcomes you were able to achieve via your contributions, or you were involved in strategic decision-making or were part of one or you had been involved in some inter-departmental work with sales/product/strategy teams. Whatever it may be, ensure that you provide a well-curated reasoning.

For your stated post-MBA goals, while they are attainable, they currently lack specificity as well. Ask yourself: ‘What kind of roles am I targeting? (Product Manager, Tech Strategy Consultant or Business Operations Lead?’ ‘What type of industries captivates my interests? (FinTech, SaaS, tec.)’ ‘What are my long-term plans? (overseeing scalable tech transformation, etc.)’ Answering these questions will give you clarity on your goals. Just remember to relate your ambitions with your existing skillset.

Moving on to assessing your school options:
- Columbia and Stern align well with your regional preference and career goals. But both are competitive, and your score is notably below their average GMAT Focus ranges (~690–710). A GMAT retake will be quite helpful here.
- Johnson (Cornell) and Tepper may be open to your current score, especially if your essays are strong. Both offer good tech pipelines, and Johnson's immersion program and close ties to NYC are strategic advantages.
- You mostly will not be a competitive fit for MIT Sloan and Wharton in their Round 1 cycle. Consider applying here in Round 2 after retaking the GMAT.
Would you be open to adding schools like Darden, Ross, or Fuqua to your list. These schools are more suited to your present score and also have a strong tech-business presence.

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

Hi @Ayush Mittal,

You have a solid foundation for an MBA application with 6 years of experience in the software industry and a clear goal to transition into a more strategic, business-facing role within tech. Your GPA of 3.5 is within range for most programs, but your GMAT Focus score of 655 is slightly on the lower side for top programs. If possible, I’d encourage you to retake the GMAT and aim to improve your score by 20–30 points to strengthen your application and stay competitive. 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.

Highlighting your leadership, professional achievements, 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 consultants for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.