Hi. Congratulations on your strong experience and diverse background. I think a big question would be where you want to be after you get your MBA and whether you’re going back to China or want to be in Singapore or Europe or the United States.

From what I have seen, the competition among the China based candidates in the US is very very strong for the top programs but it doesn’t mean you have to get an NBA only from the top seven or 10 programs, the outcomes are not so much driven by the Business school name but with work experience you bring to the table.

At the same time, if you were work experience does not have strong international brands and most of domestic companies not known in the US, it will be a challenge to recruit and it will be a challenge to apply. One way to address this challenge is to add names of your clients since you worked in consultant, and hopefully you have some big brands you can add so that your employer doesn’t matter as much as your clients.

Your GPA is a bit on the lower side but that can be upset by a high test score. Depending on the score you get, that may decide which rank or tier of schools you’ll be applying to. There is also a play and strategy to apply to slightly lower ranked program.

You can also look at the spectrum programs including some top 30 programs which are generous with scholarships, at least the US based ones.

PS. So I pointed out the whole bunch of potential areas of improvement but it doesn’t mean everything is bad, it just means the only ways up but also if you are really busy or not able to dedicate time to test for example, you can still potentially achieve your goals. I would suggest deciding on the geography and you can revisit it later as obviously there are plenty of geopolitical issues going on but the benefits of zeroing in is that the picture will be much less overwhelming and much more achievable.

If you are considering Southeast Asia primarily and looking to stay in Singapore, it definitely makes sense there are many benefits for these programs including a shorter study period, lower tuition cost and potentially lower entry requirements. Sorry this is so long and rambling.

Hi Violet,

Your trajectory shows tenacity, shifting across finance and consulting roles to leading digital transformation at a top-8 Chinese consulting firm is no small feat.

However, a 675 GMAT Focus is a major red flag for INSEAD or NUS, particularly as a Chinese applicant from a non-elite undergrad background. INSEAD typically expects 710+ to offset GPA/GMAT concerns unless you bring in rare differentiation.

You do have strong leadership indicators, leading 11 projects is solid, but admissions will look for global experience or an international brand to balance out perceived academic weaknesses.

For now, NUS seems more attainable, and with an upgraded score (700+), INSEAD becomes a viable stretch. Also consider HKUST, IE, and ESSEC as strong-fit options.

Let’s refine your post-MBA narrative toward digital/AI strategy and strengthen your school list accordingly.

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