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8 years
United States
2026
Male
Score: 655 GMAT Focus
GPA: 3.76
Pre-MBA industry: Technology
Post-MBA industry: Technology
Ross (Michigan)
Full Time MBA
Full Time MBA
Round 3, 2026
17 days ago
24 Apr 2026 04:04
8 months ago
2 Sep 2025 09:09
Short term post MBA I’d like to work in entrepreneurship or technology/product management. I currently work as a Scrum Master/Manager for a tech consulting company. Out of the MBA I’d like to move out of team management and get into director level, strategic work, or work across the enterprise.


Long term would be VP or c-suite product level.

I have taken the GMAT FE once and received a 625. I'll be taking it again in February with a goal of upper 600s.
Comments 3 comments
User avatar
8 months ago
03 Sep 2025, 03:58
Not sure if any of these Full Time MBAs would allow your application without a test, although for many Executive, PT/ evening programs, taking a much shorter EA may help.
Anyway, details of your College, College Standing, Professional accomplishments (not just your role), ECs etc would immensely help. Without those, unfortunately your current list looks more like a wish-list, devoid of the much needed homework on your part.

Hope that helps. Please submit your profile for a Free Assessment over a 1:1 call. https://theivyleagueedge.com/index.php/contactus/
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User avatar
8 months ago
03 Sep 2025, 06:05
Thanks for sharing your profile @mewsmas . You seem to be a competitive candidate for top US tech-oriented MBA programs if you take and score well on the GMAT Focus. With 8+ years, you fit the preferred experience band for FT MBAs and are well-positioned to recruit into product management and senior product roles after MBA. Key remaining lifts are: (1) an admissions-grade GMAT, (2) tightened storytelling to show product/strategy readiness (not just agile/team management), and (3) clear examples of ownership & measurable impact.

Booth, Kellogg, Ross, and McDonough medians show mid-to-high 600s-730+ GMATs and average work experience of around 5-7 years. Your experience is on target, but your score will materially affect admission/scholarship chances.

Take the GMAT / GMAT Focus. Top programs still use test scores heavily to compare quantitatively across applicants. Booth & Kellogg medians are high (Booth ~728 avg; Kellogg ~733 avg historically). A strong quantitative score opens doors and scholarships.

You have the right experience length. With 8+ years, you’ll be at or above the mean experience for many FT classes, good for senior roles and R1/R2 timing. (Part-time students show higher variance and often have 6-8+ yrs.)

Full-time is the stronger path for a role pivot to senior product/strategy. If you want to move into product leadership (director → VP) and recruit via school pipelines, an FT MBA can give the best access to career services, internships, and on-campus recruiting, with good networking and research on your own. Part-time is great if you must keep working, want to avoid opportunity cost, and don’t need a full pivot. (See part-time class profiles and outcomes.)

What each school values, and how you can position:
Chicago Booth (target / reach to lock): Strong analytics/strategy culture and product roles via tech recruiting, emphasizing metrics, A/B results, and analytics you used as Scrum Manager. Booth class GMAT ~728 and average work exp ~5 yrs.

Kellogg (reach/ target): Leadership, product management, and collaborative culture. Kellogg's median GMAT is historically ~733. Sell cross-functional leadership (engineers, PMs, stakeholders) and product strategy exposure.

Michigan Ross (target): Action-based (MAP) and strong product/tech pipeline; medians around high 600s-720. Position as operator → product leader, with examples of strategic initiatives.

Georgetown McDonough (target/ match): Slightly lower numeric medians (GMAT ~696 avg) but strong for those wanting East Coast tech/strategy roles. Good if you seek a balance between rigor and slightly more accessible stats.

Full-time vs Part-time:
If your priority is a substantive industry/role pivot (Scrum Manager → Director Product / Head of Product), → Full-time MBA is typically better: internship opportunities, full recruitment cycle, dedicated career coaches, alumni access, and on-campus interviews.

If you must keep income / senior role and cannot leave job → Part-time/evening /weekend can work, especially for promotions within your company or slower lateral moves. But note: on-campus recruiting and internship signals can be weaker for part-time students. (See Kellogg Evening & Weekend and Booth Part-Time profiles; they show higher average experience and different recruiting expectations.)

Concrete gaps & how you can fix them:
1) GMAT: Set a target early.
2) Product signal beyond agile title: Admissions care about what you own, product metrics, launches, roadmap decisions, prioritization tradeoffs, and cross-functional initiatives. Convert “Scrum Manager” bullets into product/impact bullets (numbers: % retention improvement, time-to-market, revenue enabled, cost saved). If you lack product ownership, create a product project: build a roadmap + prototype + metrics.
3) Leadership at scale: With 8+ yrs, provide 3-4 stories showing strategic influence: leading cross-org initiatives, shaping product strategy, P&L influence, or mentoring leaders. Use STAR + metrics.
4) Networking & internships prep: Booth/Kellogg/Ross, prepare to secure a summer internship if changing function. Start informational interviews with alumni now.

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. Feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Register for our Coffee Session: “Tackle MBA Applications for Canadian Business Schools- Rotman, Schulich, Ivey & More”, which we are hosting on 5th September, 2025 | 9:00 PM IST | 11:30 AM ET. KNOW MORE DETAILS

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
User avatar
8 months ago
03 Sep 2025, 20:17
Hi
Priyanka here from ARINGO. Speaking about your profile, if you are targeting a FT MBA program, I would recommend that you appear for a GMAT/GRE test. A strong score will enhance your profile. Your age will not be a hindrance to your profile, you will just have to have strong answers for 'Why MBA?' and 'Why now?'

It will be crucial for you to figure out which type of MBA program you wish to apply for. I hope our article MBA over 30 helps you to plan your MBA journey.

I’d be happy to offer you a free profile review for your target 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
You can also email me your CV at: [email protected]
Good Luck!