Profile Evaluation | ISB/NUS etc.

Question

Hi everyone,
I’d appreciate a profile evaluation for ISB, NUS, NTU, and European MBA programs (like IESE, ESMT, HEC, etc.). I plan to apply in the upcoming cycle, 2025.

Profile Snapshot: 
 
 GMAT Focus Edition: 665 (93rd percentile)
 
 Quant: 83 
 Verbal: 83 
 Data Insights: 83  
 
 B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Tier 1 college, 8.76 CGPA, Class 10th: 10 CGPA, 12th: 92.7% 
 Work Experience:
 
 Product Analyst at MakeMyTrip (India’s leading OTA) (2 years) 
 Business Analyst at Landmark Group, Dubai (6 months)  
 
 Internships (4-5) in some major companies 
 Extracurriculars:
 
 180 Degrees Consulting (pro bono consulting with national as well as international clients- POR holder) 
 President of the arts society in college 
 Some national-level case competition wins  
 
 Volunteering activities  
 Target Schools: 
 
 ISB (India) 
 NUS/NTU (Singapore) 
 HEC, IESE, ESMT, Rotterdam, SDA Bocconi (Europe)  
 Queries: 
 
  How competitive am I for the above schools with my GMAT Focus 665?  
  Which European schools might value my profile the most?  
  Any general feedback on strengthening my profile or strategy before applying?   
Happy to provide more details if needed. Thanks in advance for your insights!

FLY.reachout · Answer

Dear @harsh2435 We will attempt to look at your profile from multiple angles—from the perspective of an applicant to your intended business schools—and cover aspects including academics, work experience, extracurriculars, and test scores to understand how your profile stacks up. Coming to academics, we can see that you’ve performed well throughout your 10th, 12th, and graduation. A degree from a Tier 1 college definitely adds weight to your profile. On the work experience front, it’s clear you’ve had solid exposure working at two eminent companies—across different sectors and geographies. Each company is a well-recognized name in its domain, which certainly adds value. However, for us to truly comment on how distinct or impactful your work experience is, we’d need to understand more about your responsibilities and the nature of projects you’ve undertaken. In terms of extracurriculars, your work with 180 Degrees Consulting stands out and gives you a strong foundation for crafting impact-driven stories. You can also bring an interesting angle to your application through your personal interests, motivations, volunteering work, and involvement with the arts society during college. On the test score front, there’s no doubt you have a solid score—which currently places you close to the median score of applicants to your target business schools. Now, to answer your questions more specifically—we definitely see strong potential in your profile. Based on sheer stats alone, you’d fall in the category of strong applicants. However, one key piece currently missing is clarity around your post-MBA goal and how it ties in with your current experience, interests, and what you hope to gain from a business school. This narrative needs to come together coherently to make your application truly stand out. We can speak more confidently from an ISB perspective, as that’s where we’ve helped the most candidates—and we do see your profile having the potential to be impactful there. Among the European schools you’ve mentioned, based on our peers' experience, HEC is particularly competitive, and your profile might come across as average in that pool. However, for the other schools—IESE, ESMT, Rotterdam, and SDA Bocconi—your profile holds a strong chance. We’d be happy to have a more detailed discussion and get to know your profile better. Please feel free to book a 15-minute session with us here: https://calendly.com/reachusfly/15min You can also visit our website: https://www.teamfly.org/ to learn more about us, our team, and also book a session directly. Happy to help in any way we can. Warm regards, Team FLY

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  harsh2435 ,

Schools will value your international experience, extra-curricular activities, as well as academic pedigree. However, a lot will depend on how well you tie your background up with your future goals in your essays.

The GMAT score looks competitive for most of your target schools; however, if you are looking at HEC Paris, we would suggest a retake.

Hope this helps.

All the best!

admitStreet · Answer

harsh2435 - a bit late to reply, but I hope this would help. Your undergrad college/ grades are fine. The GMAT score is alright, but on the lower side for some top schools in your list (e.g. NUS, HEC etc.), given the competitive Indian Male applicant pool. Was it your first GMAT attempt, and do you foresee an improvement if you were to retake? The work-ex is interesting, given the product/ BA roles, employer brands and international exposure. 2.5 years is a bit on the lower side, but if the quality of your experience and the narrative are strong, this should be alright. What are your directional career goals post-MBA? The right mix of schools would depend on this. Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Book a Discovery Call W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi harsh2435 A little late to your post but nevertheless I hope my comment helps I want to tell you that Landmark's Dubai office experience, especially if you are in the strategy team, is considered a top-tier pre-MBA experience. Many people work at startups in India before taking up a stint with Landmark, and then go on to target top-tier B-schools globally. You will find a steady stream if you look up alumni online. That said, I do feel it’s still a little early for you. There is significant room for improvement on the GMAT, and gaining perhaps another full year of experience before applying would position you more aptly on the work experience and age spectrum for top business schools. ISB could happen even now if that’s your target for it does not shy away from accepting younger applicants with international exposure. But with other top schools like HEC or INSEAD, you may need to be a bit more patient. Feel free to reach out for a focused one-to-one discussion regarding your chances. Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Thank you for sharing your profile  harsh2435 . You come across as a potential early-career professional with a good academic foundation, impactful work experience, and a diverse extracurricular portfolio, all of which are essential ingredients for a competitive MBA application.

Let’s start with academics. Your 8.76 CGPA from a Tier-1 engineering school, with perfect 10th and strong 12th grades, reflects academic consistency and intellectual capability. Admissions committees, particularly at European and Asian schools, will view this as a strength. Your GMAT Focus Edition score of 665 (93rd percentile) is decent. However, it sits slightly low for more competitive programs like HEC Paris and ISB. That said, your (83 each in Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights) indicates balance.

Your work experience is shaping up well. By the time of matriculation in 2026, you’ll likely have around 3 years of full-time experience, which is on the younger side but not disqualifying, especially for schools that welcome early-career applicants. Your roles at MakeMyTrip and Landmark Group are credible and recognizable, and your exposure to analytics and product gives your profile a valuable business-technology intersection. It will be important to clearly articulate how your work has driven business outcomes, be specific about metrics, impact, and cross-functional collaboration. European schools, in particular, look for evidence of leadership and initiative, even at the analyst level. You can take a look at this blog on:  How to Master Your MBA Application

What stands out strongly are your extracurriculars. Leadership in the arts society, pro bono consulting with 180 Degrees Consulting, national case competition wins, and volunteering collectively show depth and range. These activities help distinguish you from the many “analysts from India” profiles and add significant personality and maturity to your application. Schools like NUS, NTU, Bocconi, ESMT, and RSM place great value on holistic profiles, and yours shows you’re not just strong academically but also bring soft skills, creativity, and a collaborative mindset.

Now, coming to school-specific thoughts. You might give it a shot at ISB, though your GMAT Focus score is slightly low. If you have time and believe you can push for a higher score, a retake might improve both admission and scholarship chances. Otherwise, aim for a very polished R1 application with a sharp career narrative. For NUS and NTU, you will be on the lower end of their work experience spectrum, but still eligible. Your analytics background, international stint in Dubai, and academic record make you a good candidate. Just ensure you align your career goals with regional opportunities in Southeast Asia and show cultural adaptability.

For European programs: ESMT, Rotterdam, and Bocconi look like realistic targets where your GMAT can be in range. Schools like IESE and HEC are more competitive.

A key missing detail is your post-MBA goals, and we encourage you to reflect on this soon. What functional role do you want to move into? Product management? Strategy? Tech consulting? And in which geography do you see yourself immediately after the MBA? Clear goals not only strengthen your essays but also help schools assess your fit with their alumni network and recruiter base.

You're on a promising path, but it might be a bit early to apply just yet. With more time, you could strengthen your profile further, particularly by gaining an additional year of professional experience. If you’d like help developing your career goals narrative, brainstorming essay ideas, or revising your school list further, or post-MBA opportunities. Please feel free to  book a profile evaluation session.

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

Profile Evaluation | ISB/NUS etc.

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