Score: 745 GMAT Focus
GPA: 4.65/5
Pre-MBA industry: Consumer Packaged Goods
Post-MBA industry: Consulting
5 months ago
22 May 2025 07:05
University Education: Double Degree in Mechanical Engineering (B-Eng) and Economics (B-SSc) from NTU, Singapore (Top 10-15 university in the world)
GPA:
1. Economics: 4.65/5 (First Class Honors - Highest Distinction)
2. Mech Eng: 4.54/5 (First Class Honors - Highest Distinction)
++ Dean's List (top 5% student) for both in final year
Job Experience -
Supply chain, Tier 1 Consumer Goods Company (~3-3.5 years at Matriculation). Worked as an initiative operations leader with multifunctional teams to launch new initiatives that brought more than $25mn incremental NOS. Heavily involved in digital team - developed tool to project initiative conversion cost that resulted in time savings: from 4 days to 1-2 hours.
I will be due for a promotion/role change soon (before I do my MBA) but likely not in time for my application. Although I have been consistently excellently rated, due to business situation promotions have slowed down drastically.
Extra Curriculars:
Heavily involved in sports (football, chess),
Part of culture team at work,
A bunch of clubs in university (consulting club, chess club, economics club).
Have many volunteering experiences but few which are with formal organisations.
Post MBA goals:
Switch to management consulting that is focus on supply chain strategy & ESG.
Long term goal:
Start my own business that implements sustainable and equitable supply chain planning solutions for growing SMEs.
International Experience:
Lived/Grown up in 5 countries- Zambia, South Africa, India, Singapore and Canada
What are my realistic chances to get into M7 schools. Target: Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, MIT. Will also apply to Haas, Insead, LBS. What can I do to improve my profile (Especially to demonstrate that i have had a big impact and leadership at work despite being in the same role)
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, it looks very competitive. Your strong academic foundation (dual degree from NTU with First Class Honors in both Economics and Mechanical Engineering, plus Dean’s List honors) and a stellar 745 GMAT Focus set you apart intellectually.
Your work at a Tier 1 CPG firm, leading cross-functional initiatives with $25M+ impact and digitization efforts that drastically reduced turnaround times, shows clear problem-solving, innovation, and operational leadership. While a promotion may not arrive in time for apps, the "promotion freeze" context is understandable and can be explained. What matters is demonstrating scope of responsibility, stakeholder influence, and measurable outcomes — which you’ve started doing well. Your international exposure and goal to pivot into consulting with a supply chain/ESG focus is distinctive and aligns well with your background. Plus, your long-term entrepreneurial ambition adds richness to your profile.
To strengthen your application further you should:
1. Quantify and highlight team leadership, change management, and cross-border coordination.
2. Use essays and recs to show influence beyond your role/title.
3. If possible, deepen or formalize your volunteering/community work for added credibility.
Also, can you share a recent example where you led a cross-functional decision despite not being the senior-most person in the room? It will also be crucial to get recommendations from managers who can directly attest to your leadership and impact.
I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for top MBA programs to see where you stand and how to boost your chances— happy to help!
No pressure, no strings—just helpful insights on where you stand and how you can strengthen your chances.
Feel free to connect- Click here
📄 ARINGO is offering a free resume review to 5 lucky applicants.
Get expert feedback on how to highlight your impact, leadership, and global potential.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR A FREE RESUME REVIEW
You can also email me at: priyankak@aringo.com
Good Luck!
Your dual first-class honors from NTU in Mech Eng and Econ, combined with GMAT Focus score, already put you in the top tier academically.
Add to that a high-impact role in a Tier 1 CPG firm with quantifiable outcomes ($25M+ incremental NOS, digitization efforts), and you’re well-positioned for M7 programs.
The lack of promotion isn’t a red flag, especially with consistent high ratings and contextual slowdown, but your application must proactively address it through your recommenders and optional essay.
Your cross-cultural upbringing and targeted post-MBA goals in ESG-focused supply chain consulting add distinctiveness. Leadership depth could be showcased further, consider drawing out leadership from your initiative launches or digital transformation work.
For ECs, your sports and cultural involvement help, though formal social impact could still elevate your narrative. Haas and INSEAD are clear fits given your goals; Stanford and Wharton remain within reach, but you’ll need a strong personal story and tight goals articulation.
Happy to get deeper into leadership stories and school positioning, feel free to book a session!
Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule a free 1-on-1 call with me for detailed profile review
https://calendly.com/ameer-khatri/profi ... th=2025-06
Professionally, you offer a unique blend of supply chain operations leadership and digital innovation within a Tier 1 consumer goods company. Your quantifiable achievements, such as leading initiatives that contributed $ 25 M+ in incremental NOS and developing a tool that cut process time from days to hours, are outstanding. These show both strategic thinking and a proactive approach to solving real-world problems. While you rightly noted the lack of a formal promotion could be perceived as a gap, the reality is that many high-performing candidates face such hurdles due to market constraints. What matters most is how you frame this. If you’ve been consistently top-rated, led initiatives, influenced decisions across functions, and mentored junior teammates, these must be showcased as leadership without authority. Your recommenders will play a crucial role here, and they must vouch for your leadership readiness and upward trajectory. You can take a look at this blog on How to Exhibit Different Forms of Leadership
Your extracurriculars further add dimension to your story. Involvement in sports, work culture teams, and university clubs reflects a well-rounded personality. Although you’ve engaged in volunteering, it would strengthen your narrative to highlight one or two impactful stories or initiatives you contributed to, ideally those connected to your post-MBA focus on sustainability and equitable supply chains. This kind of mission-driven coherence between past actions and future aspirations is often a hallmark of successful applicants to schools like Stanford, Haas, and INSEAD.
Your short-term goal of transitioning into management consulting with a focus on supply chain strategy and ESG seems timely and realistic. The long-term ambition to build your venture serving SMEs in sustainable planning is ambitious yet credible, particularly considering your international background. Admissions committees appreciate applicants who combine technical acumen with social consciousness, and your story fits that mold well. Just make sure your “Why MBA, Why Now” narrative clearly identifies skill gaps (like commercial strategy, organizational leadership, ESG frameworks) that you aim to fill.
To strengthen your application further, consider these final tips: lean heavily on your cross-functional leadership stories in your resume and essays, frame your impact in terms of influence rather than title, and use the optional essays if allowed to address the promotion context. Also, if feasible, take up a short-term ESG-related project or volunteering role that adds recent credibility to your goals.
You’re clearly on the right track. Would you like to begin with brainstorming ideas for your resume, school-specific essay strategy, or perhaps your “Why MBA"? Please feel free to book a profile evaluation session.
Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
For my short term career goal of consulting, although realistic, is quite a commonly overused career goal. Since my interest is more to do with the function of supply chain, I was advised that a goal to rejoin my company in a global leadership role post MBA is more distinctive and credible. The downside is that the company doesn't sponsor H1B typically in US (even though its a US company), but I am open to roles in other geographies as well.
Would really appreciate any thoughts and suggestion because I am trying to not shoot myself in the foot with an unrealistic/not-credible goal but at the same time trying to ensure that its doesn't come across as general or lacking clarity.
Honestly, to come up with a feasible short-term goal, we spend hours discussing. Advice: check out the employment report and see which job role and company align with what you are doing at the moment. In the current scenario, when the job market is extremely bad, refrain from changing domains/functions.