Evaluate my profile please

Question

Hi All,

Please evaluate my profile.

Currrent Profile: 
* Age- 32 
* Project Manager in a top 5 software development companies of the world. (Based out of India) 
* Total experience in IT: 10 years 
* Nationality: Indian 
* Non-native English speaker

Academic: 
* - Scored 62% - First Class in my BS Computer Science from a top 100 engineering college in India 
* - 9/10 in my finishing school. 
* - GMAT practice tests are indicating 700.

Career: 
Started at a low end company immediately after graduation.I missed a few chances at the tier-1 companies as i did not have a challenging score.However I performed well and within months I was confirmed as an employee from a trainee.I moved to a tier-1 company in India and then to US for consulting work. I did well in consulting and was in the US for 4 years and moved back to India in order to grow in a booming economy. I joined Oracle in their ERP development center and worked for 2 years.I then moved to my current company, where I joined as a project lead and within a year I became a project manager. 
I currently manage ERP support for 2 UK based companies and frequently travel to UK on business.

References: 
*- My current manager, a General Manager with a top tier IT company, a fortune 500 company. 
*- Oracle Practice head,a top tier IT company, a fortune 500 company.

Groups: 
*- Currently a volunteer for Art of living, a yoga group based world wide 
*- Member of Rotary club in college 
*- Prizes for dramatics and spoofs in college

Extracurricular: 
*- take part in charity drives within the company I work 
*- Avid practitioner of Yoga

Goals: 
My goal in doing a MBA program is to first develop into a senior technology executive and then move into overall company operations. In the past 10 years I believe a MBA program will help me develop business skills which are crucial to be a strong leader in any organization.I have lots of "on-the-job business training," but am looking for some rigorous business classes, particularly in finance/accounting. I also see an MBA as a factor in helping me get future promotions.

Current Plans for future: 
I plan to take a sabbatical from work, join get a MBA degree and get back to helping my current organization in growing furthur and sharing my experience.

Questions: 
1.I am aware that I dont bring much to the table apart from experience. So is a score of 700 on GMAT good to get me to top 50? 
2. What else can i do as i want to take the test in September 08. 
3.Should i do E-MBA instead? what are the advantages or lack of it vis-a-vis a regular MBA.
(Doing a part time MBA is not suited for me as I reside in India and generally a part time MBA is frowned upon and has no real value.)

Thanks for the advice!

jallenmorris · Answer

Preface: I have yet to apply to any b-school, so take my advice with that in mind. My advice comes from what I've read here in posts and what I've read in news articles online.

I'm not sure how much you've searched around on here, but your profile seems to fit alot of others. Ironically, many that share your background, education, and successes are in their mid-20s. It seems that some of the top-tier programs are "going younger". There are numerous articles about it around the internet. Do a google search about MBA programs accepting younger people with less work experience.

Also, I've seen posts on here about Indian nationality not being one of the under-represented minorities so it makes it difficult to distinguish yourself from others with similar backgrounds.

I would think with your experience, you can highlight that you've been able to do a lot, travel around the world and live in different cultures so you know what you want out of life and what your MBA can do for you. Often, the younger applicants might appear as though their quest for an MBA is just the next logical step in their education, and they're not 110% sure what they want from it. You seem to know exactly what you want from your MBA degree.

As for your 700 practice scores, which practice tests did you take? One thing I've learned is that all practice tests are not created equally. Some will make you feel stupid and then you get a great score. It's just that those tests are really hard and prepare you well for the difficult questions on the test so when you get to those, you do well.

You state that you want Top 50. From my research, I've found that schools # 1 - 25 want very competitive GMATs. As you get down to 25 - 50, Mid-600s to low 700s is going to be very, very competetive. At that point you need to figure out if you're going to a school for the name or the degree. I believe any of the top 50 schools are going to give you a great education. It's a matter of what you want to do with that degree when you're done. I live in Oklahoma City. If I stay here, I'll go to OU (#62 on US News). It's a good school. People outside the midwest know of OU as the football team that can't win a BCS game, but assume their education is good. Around the midwest, (Denver to St. Louis, Dallas to Omaha) people know Price School as good, but outside the midwest, not so much. It's a regional school. If i am able to get into one of the elites, or ultra-elites, it won't matter where I go. People everywhere know those names. If you want to go back and work for your company, top 50 would be great for you. Your company already knows you. But, think about what your opportunities will be once you are done with a top 50 mba program. Will you former company give you the benefit of having that degree, or will they try to put you back where you were 2 years before getting the MBA. You might be able to take your experience + MBA and go to a new company and get an even better position. That's why executives for insurance in the US (I work in insurance so that's the basis for my statement here) go from GEICO, to Progressive, to Farmers, to AllState. Once they work at say GEICO and then Progressive hires them away, they automatically are more desired by GEICO again. It's the concept that if someone else wants what I had, it must be more valuable than I thought. Expand your options. If you worked in the UK on business, you might reach out to some contacts there and ask them, "If I got an MBA from _____ school in the US, what opportunities might I have with technology firms, or business in general in the UK?" You might be surprised at what you find.

Hope this helps

PS - Since it's been 10 years since you were in college, do things now that will replace the civic involvements you did in school. Something that is older than 5 years ago isn't going to look very good to the admissions committee. They'll most likely wonder "Why hasn't he done any community involvement recently?" You also might think about taking some business classes if you can. Just to get your mind refreshed and thinking with a business perspective.

mathan · Answer

Hi, Thanks for your detailed reply. And your points are quite valid. Here are few more additions to mine: 1) I am doing this MBA simply to add value to what I am currently doing. I am a projects manager and manage two - three team. I am in charge of delivery of high end software products and handle routine things like people,invoices and clients. I plan to do the MBA simply to enhance my skills and gain tools and techniques to do my job better. Of course, it will help me grow up the ladder faster, ithat s besides the point.

2) My profile might be similar to many others, but I simply believe that I have an edge in terms of actual experience and the current position that I am in, "management". That plus a good score, I hope to get into a "good" school. Now, how good the school is, I have nt come to that part yet. I am just going over my basics, getting ready for the GMAT. The above might be very simple statements, but they are true for whatever it is worth. Meanwhile, I am also told that my profile would suit Exec MBA. Please can you advise on the same and if it is worth spending money on it. As I am in India, any EMBA from a good school is going to cost money. And EMBA from India is worthless. I might as well not do it. Pls advise.

jallenmorris · Answer

An executive MBA does have a different stigma to it. Kellog has a weekend-only MBA course I believe. I would laugh at someone to say that degree will be less valuable because it's a taken every weekend. Kellog is a great school. I'm not sure about EMBA in India. I know here that there are school that offer EMBA courses because that's how they can get more enrollment which = more tuition and more money. For example, here in Oklahoma City, there is a private university that offers an MBA going one night per week for 4 hours. I think it lasts about 18 months. The University of Oklahoma (OU) has a part-time program where you go up to 4 nights a week for 3 to 3 1/2 hours per night. If you go all 4 nights (Monday - Thursday) you'll get done in about 16 months (neither program takes summers off). If I stay in the area, I'm leaning towards the EMBA program @ OU. I think the time in the classroom pays off. I believe there is a wider variation between EMBA programs each school offers than traditional fulltime MBA programs. For what you want to do, stay with your same company, an EMBA program might be the best. Does your company offer any tuition reimbursement for getting your MBA ? The insurance company I work for will pay up to $500 + books up to 8 classes per year. It's made me consider staying and going to OU rather than move and pay more tuition all on my own.

The decision on which program is right for you really is such a personal choice it's difficult for anyone to put themselves into your position and help you with that choice.

KingKREEP · Answer

I would say that these are your main challenges:
 - Age:  Most top MBA programs are trending younger. But then again you have awesome programs like Wharton, Kellogg, Ross and Duke that still like the experienced applicant. So if you are looking to apply to the top few, make sure you factor this in. 
 - Applicant pool: Three words - Indian I.T. Hate to say it, but managerial experience or not, this is already working against you! And it doesn't help that most of the applicants from this pool who apply to the top schools come in with stellar GMAT scores. When I mean stellar, I'm talking 750+. In all honesty, I am yet to meet an Indian IT male who made it into a top-10 with a sub 750 GMAT. 
 - Extracurriculars:  All the top schools like well rounded applicants. You need to show a keen interest outside of work.

That said, I still do think you have a chance at some of the schools that I mentioned above. You have a couple of great things going for you
 + Experience:  All said and done, nothing beats real world experience. With all the experience that you have you should have some great stories for your essays. 
 + International Career:  From what I read, it looks like you have traveled quite a lot.Wharton, for one, is a school that really loves international experience. 
 + Recos:  It looks like you have some pretty great people recommending you. Maximize the value of this by working closely with your recommenders to produce strong, anecdote-filled recos.

The FT MBA is great and its value is unmatched when it comes to people who are looking to switch careers. For people looking to continue in their same career path, the value of the full time MBA *may* be somewhat diminished. This is especially true for people with significant experience. They may already be in positions *most* people get into after their MBAs. Son in terms of age, experience and career interests, I feel that the executive MBA makes a little more sense for you. Since you are interested in continuing in IT, have you considered the P.G.S.E.M program offered by IIMB? The firm that I work for has a partnership with IIMB where we are allowed to work 4 days a week and get the fifth day (Friday) off to attend school. Classes are conducted on Friday and Saturday, and occasionally on Sunday too. When I told my manager about my GMAT score and my plans, he offered me this option. In the spirit of full disclosure I turned it down as I felt I was a little young for it and I was/am looking to switch careers.

All said and done, you need to sit down and think deeply about 'why' you want this MBA? When you figure this out, Part Time or Full Time will be a lot easier to decide. All the best!

kk.iyer · Answer

The UEs are tougher; The Elites however, are all very much within reach.
I am one (Indian IT Male-720), and know others with a sub 750 GMAT making it into Elites like Cornell/UCLA/Duke etc.

The GMAT at 700 will NOT keep you out, but your essays and overall application need to be well-crafted.
You will need to show in your application that you know your industry really WELL and are ready to use the MBA to do something drastic. A "sabbatical" unfortunately is not good enough; try to articulate a slightly more concrete plan in your essays.

Since you have decided to go back to your employer after your MBA, the EMBA may very well serve the purpose. You might also want to take a look at the AMBA program at Cornell and the program at ISB; they both seem to be good fits. Make sure you know well what placement services the EMBA/AMBA program offers, if any.

My two cents...

togafoot · Answer

My 2 cents...

You are a career-enhancer who intends to stay within the same company.

A 2-year MBA is not the best ROI for your career goals. I would focus on a 1 year or shorter course. I don`t think an EMBA is applicable for you unless your company is willing to sponsor you. As such, I would recommend looking towards Europe for your MBA particularly because you travel to Europe quite a bit on business. This will add to the strength of your application.

Furthermore, a lot of European B-Schools takes only 1 year and are very good at delivering a 1 Year course. If you want to go even shorter, INSEAD is a good candidate because it only takes 10 months. Probably the best career-enhancing MBA in industry is IMD (as opposed to a USA B-School) and its also very very older applicant friendly, but does have some rigorous language entry requirements..

To be perfectly frank, in my opinion, a traditional USA 2-year MBA does not appear to fit your b-school goals. So if the USA is a must, you need to look at the accelerated MBA programs such as Cornell.

Alternatives are in Australia which also have a host of 1 year MBA`s, and of course there is also Asia, but not many 1-year MBA`s of good reputation/quality in Asia.
Of course you could study domestically, it all depends on how much of an international outlook you want from your MBA

Audio · Answer

Did you post your profile on the other gmatclub forums in specialized profiles, where pros like Paul from accepted.com give you their insight? If not, you might want to consider doing that too.

mathan · Answer

Hi,

thanks, I will post there as well.

As far as my career is concerned, I am planning to pursue in technology simply because this is where I have been for 10 years now and moving away to finance etc doesnt make sense (or does it?)

I would like to come back to this industry, whether in india or US or Europe does not make a difference. But yes, I would prefer international simply for the exposure it brings. That is the reason I want to get to US. But again a EMBA or part time in US does not make sense due to the costs involved. And if i cant get into a full time, I might as well try Europe full time. So my question is:

1)Are there good schools in Europe ie in top 50? Worth the money and time? And how stringent are they in terms of GMAT and other fitments compared to US schools.I am hoping that my job experience will get the due weighage.

2)If we do a full time MBA in any country most placements happen there. US is not a problem for me, but do they do the same for European/Aus schools and how good are they?

As i said earlier, moving international is not an issue as long as the job and the move are worth it. Please advise.

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