Hi tga321,

Thank you for sharing your profile in detail for the evaluation. Your profile looks pretty good on the surface for Columbia. I see strong leadership qualities in your profile and a CFA charter holder badge can add good weight to your profile and post-MBA goals. Your undergrad GPA is quite low, but I'm sure your 760 GMAT score, background and work exp. will certainly compensate for it.

On the work front, you’ve got a really good work experience. Being part of the advisory board reflects the consistency of your embracing Team-work and speaks about your potential as a consultant. Also, demonstrate what problems you have encountered when consulting the public-private companies, how you have come up with a decision that will exemplify your good decision-making skills and what impact it brought on the companies and maybe, the industry.

I can see that you have worked on a lot of infrastructure projects as a consultant. So share your experience and learning from these ventures and how it helped you shape your “globally-aware” vision.

Well, your ECs are fine. Speak about volunteering and how it has had an influence on society and you. I'm sure you're going to have a lot of stories to dig out and share in your apps. Your interest in sports demonstrates your dynamic personality. You seem to have good-clarity around your vision which is going to help you a lot in framing the right narrative of your story.

Overall, your profile looks decent for Columbia and now it majorly depends on how you link the experimental dots in your profile to make an impactful story. Also, mention how an MBA from Columbia will help you fill the spaces in your profile to achieve your goals.

If you'd like, I'm happy to hop on a call some time this week to discuss your chances in detail and help you address your concerns. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi Ndharni,

Your profile looks good on the surface and the acads are impressive with several other evidence of your academic potential. Columbia tests the profiles of the applicants on multiple factors that are important for you to know and understand.

Columbia is searching for potential champions, and I can feel the leadership qualities in your profile are aligned with Columbia's standards. On the work front, highlight the impact of the projects you undertook during your Amazon internship. It will help amplify any impact you created and will provide credibility to your potential. The start-up experience will give a new outlook to your resume and story. To make a mark on the adcoms and give an interesting flavour to your application, show the challenges you've faced on this journey and how you've saved the day!

Address the leadership experiences you've had in your undergraduate studies from ECs and community services and try to bring your authentic personality here. Your certification courses demonstrate your willingness and eagerness to learn new things and increase your knowledge and will add value to your profile. Speak about the success you have had in the courses, what you learned from them, and how it helped you shape your short-term goals.

As your post-MBA target is to consult, you can also consider Darden in your list. If you’re able to score the expected GMAT score, the chances for Columbia or any other deferred program will certainly improve.

Overall, you have a good profile but being an Indian male, you belong to one of the most competitive pools and you need to work hard on getting your story right, unique and impactful. You can have a loot at other deferred MBA programs here with their deadlines and criteria. It will help you get better clarity of which schools should you apply to.

If you'd like, we're happy to hop on a call sometime this week to discuss your chances in detail and help you address your concerns better. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi there!

Gonna jump in with a profile summary out of general curiosity but also feel it's a good exercise in summarizing my story while prepping for essays and interviews.

White male, US Nationality, Age 26 at matriculation

BS Industrial Engineering from a top 5 US engineering program, honors college with named scholarships and finished top 15% of my class

GMAT: 700 (Q47 V40, IR 7, AWA 6) *side note, I still am surprised this composite wasn't a 710 but oh well!*

4 years in supply chain strategy consulting at a medium-sized US consulting firm, lots of Fortune 500 exec interaction, data analysis, and breadth of industry experience. Also received several promotions ahead of my peers.

Community / extracurriculars: Recruiting lead at my firm, so lots of interviewing, career fairs, and onboarding. Volunteer at my alma mater to review resumes and talk with students about consulting careers and interview prep. Also I have been a guest lecturer at a top 25 business school (for an undergraduate class) where I lecture on strategy trends in supply chain and where the industry is going

Post MBA goals: corporate strategy associate or finance LDP for big tech / Fortune 50 company in the US

Anything else: my intention is to highlight the things which make my profile unique (modest upbringing, focus on supply chain strategy during COVID).

Also I'm seriously considering another take at the GMAT to get to 730+, I feel I ran out of gas on the quant section and could score much better if I were better prepped and more caffeinated during the exam. Not sure if that revolutionizes my chances, though.

Would love to hear some perspective from others on the forum. Thanks!

Hi Celam,

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations.

My name is Priyanka, I am Client Manager at ARINGO.

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – great undergraduate with a scholarship- WOW! Very good.

GMAT – 700 is a bit below the school average. Are you planning on retaking the test? Even if not, we have had candidates get in with a 700, so, with your profile and some stellar applications, you have a good chance overall of getting into Columbia or other schools!

School wish list – We would love to discuss what other schools you are considering applying to beyond Columbia and can advise you on the same.

Extracurricular activities – All good. Please share more about your hobbies.

Work Experience –4 years of experience with several promotions sounds good. We would like to see your CV to understand more about your company, roles, and responsibilities, impact, etc. Any international exposure/clients?

Your career goals – The corporate strategy goals look in sync with your profile but once I see your CV, I will be in a better position to discuss more on your story.

All in all, sounds like you have a good profile! If you send me your CV and other info on PRIYANKAK@ARINGO.com, I would love to connect you with our CEO who will be happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps.

All the best.
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Hello celam,

Thanks for sharing! Ideally, you will want to aim for a 750 GMAT for CBS. While your strong performance in undergrad also exhibits your academic abilities, a higher GMAT will help show the admissions committee at CBS that you are prepared for the rigor of their program.

I would say it is worth taking the GMAT once again, and we can definitely help you maximize your score. Personal MBA Coach’s tutors raise clients an average of 90 points and have scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT / GRE and are graduates of MIT, Harvard, and UPenn. If you’re interested, please take a look at our customized tutoring services.

Great to see that you have gotten several promotions. Leadership experience is something schools look at very closely and can be a major differentiator between two otherwise similar candidates. This is also evident through your community / extracurricular activities.

I am curious about what other schools you are applying to. Some of your school selection will ride on whether or not you choose to retake the GMAT, but I recommend that you apply to at least 5 schools to maximize your chances of acceptance.

While you have a strong profile, you cannot always predict which school might need someone who fits your profile since all business schools look to fill their classes with diverse candidates. Adding a broad range of schools will help balance this.

If you are looking for guidance as you begin to prep your essays, or want a deeper evaluation of your profile, don’t hesitate to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com. We can also guide you through MBA planning, tutoring, interview prep, and other aspects of the application process!

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach
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Hey celam!

To commence your profile evaluation, I would like to start off by saying that you have a pretty competitive profile.

Starting with the highlights, your academic performance of being in the top 15% of your class not only displays your academic prowess but also opens a lot of opportunities and doors to top business schools for you. The brand name of one of the top 5 engineering colleges in the US further aids in strengthening your profile as MIT tends to favour candidates from top schools of each country.

Furthermore, even though a score of 700 is quite competitive in itself, considering the status quo of MIT, it does fall on the shorter end. Therefore, I would definitely recommend you to go for a retake and stick to your target of 730+ if you are keen on applying to MIT.

Moving on to your work experience, you have 4 years of relevant work experience in the domain of supply chain management which must have provided you with a varied and diverse skill set and embellished your profile with a plethora of exposure and high-stakes projects. However, you should be mindful of the fact that since you wish to be applying to MIT you’d be facing tough competition from a concentrated applicant pool with similar or stronger profiles, hence it is imperative that you differentiate yourself from the other by talking about the kind of projects you have undertaken, the impact you created and your career progression along with the major learning takeaways from your stint.

Further on the note of extracurriculars, top schools such as MIT tend to seek applicants having a holistic profile. Hence, accounting for the same, it is great to see that you have a plentiful of extracurricular activities to vouch for your well-rounded personality and development. Your involvement in career fairs showcase your leadership and proactive skills, while your experience as a guest lecturer highlights the depth of knowledge you possess in the domain. Furthermore, your work as the volunteer in your alma mater displays your active community involvement and your determination to utilize your skill set to create a positive impact on society. All in all, you seem to have a holistically developed extracurricular front.

Given your school choice, MIT is definitely a school that falls into the dream category which means that it has a very stringent acceptance rate of 8-12% and hence your chances of acceptance into the program would be anywhere around 40%.

On this note, while you have a competitive profile, to increase your chances of getting admitted to these schools you would need to ensure that you have a very strong application (consisting of - Essays, LORs, and Resume)that highlights your strengths and overshadows your weaknesses in order to differentiate your profile. You need to showcase your journey, what makes you different from your peers, and how you are a great value addition to the school.

Additionally, when applying to the top B-schools, it is never a good idea to simply put all of your eggs in one basket and you should hedge your bets wisely by applying to a good mix of 6-8 schools that will allow you to bag the maximum number of admits from some of the top B-schools across the globe.

Therefore, to get a clear understanding of other top schools you can target based on your profile, I’d recommend you to check out our FREE Profile Evaluation Tool, which would provide you with a clear assessment of your chances at your schools of choice while also providing you with a personalized list of schools you can target based on your profile and preference.

Link for the FREE Profile Evaluation tool:

https://www.mim-essay.com/profile-evaluation

Hope this helped!
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Background and nationality: Hong Kong Chinese male
Undergrad Information: Top 3 university in Hong Kong / Top 50 globally (GPA 3.3)
GMAT: 710 (v38q49)
Work experience and leadership: 36 months by Sep 2021 as a private banker (promoted from a rotational analyst). Cover ultra high net worth clients with AuM of USD 100m on investment and general wealth planning.
Community and others: LGBT committee member (marketing division of corporate LGBT committee)
Post MBA goals: hedge fund/mutual fund investment management
Anything else?
First of all, thank you for taking time to analyze my profile.

I have a few concerns and it would be great if you could give me some insights:
1. Do I have too little work experience (48 compared to 60 months in class profile)
2. I’ve tried GMAT a few times and 710 pretty much reflects my true capability in this exam. Will my score be an obstacle to my admission considering it’s below avg?
3. Anything you think I should consider to enhance my chance of getting admitted?

Thanks again!

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Blessedme,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile looks good on the surface. I can see a good glimpse of leadership in your profile. Talking about your acads, it's good, and along with the 710 GMAT score it is defining your good academic potential. The average GMAT score for Columbia is 727 and the middle 80% of the class has their GMAT scores between 680-760. So, if you think that you can do more, you can take another chance, otherwise, just strive to bring out good stories and craft stories while bearing in mind the values of Columbia.

On the work front, I can see a career progression and experience of working with high profiles. You must show your part of the work which leads to the advancement and growth of the organisation. In order to find these experiences, you need to dig deeper into your work profile. You need to highlight the impactful stories, as adcoms are very interested in learning what the candidate is going to bring to the table.

Your ECs are good, as well! As a member of the LGBT committee, you can tell about your contribution to the committee, your experience when serving with the committee, and how it has shaped your vision and life. Besides, you can also speak about any hobbies you have, this will show your dynamic personality.

Your post-MBA goals are in alignment with your prior work experience that is nice, but you need to clarify how Columbia's MBA can help you accomplish your goals and fill the gaps in your profile.

Overall, you have a pretty decent profile, but I'd like to know more about the core facets of your work experience, and I'm sure we'll get good points and make some good stories that will help you stand out from the pool of applicants.

If you’d like we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and to answer any of your concern as well as give you a more realistic assesment. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Get an invitation for 'Coffee with MBA and Beyond'

Happening this Saturday, from 11 - 11:45 am

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi Blessedme,

Thank you for sharing and breaking down some of your main concerns. Columbia is a great choice and is the only major school offering early decision and rolling admissions. If it is your first choice, be sure to apply early! This is one component that can enhance your chances of getting in.

As for your work experience, I would not get too caught up in the numbers here. While class profile information can provide great benchmarking data, you don’t have to fit perfectly into these molds. It can depend on the situation but having 5 to 6 months at a role is a good minimum before applying to business school – which you will have well surpassed.

A 710 GMAT is a bit on the low side for Columbia. This is one area that you can work on improving. The average GMAT score for Columbia has gone up, and for Chinese applicants, we are predicting it to be more competitive than last year given the political changes. I recommend that you target a 750. We can definitely help you boost your score here via our customized tutoring services to get you where you need to be.

Another large component of your candidacy will be articulating your personal story, one of the areas that our clients often need the most help with. If you get your GMAT up and combine all elements of your profile into a consistent and compelling story, you should have a solid shot at Columbia. That said, Personal MBA Coach advises candidates to apply to 5 to 7 schools to maximize their chances of acceptance.

Happy to discuss your profile in more detail: scott@personalmbacoach.com.

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach
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Hi All,

It would be great if you could help me with my profile evaluation for Columbia for their 2022 intake.

Indian, Engineer, Male- 24 years old (26 at matriculation)

Academics:

730 GMAT (Q48, V41), 119 TOEFL, 7.2 Undergrad CGPA B.Tech in Computer Science (Top 10 pvt Engineering schools in India)

Work Ex:

3 Years currently with Deloitte Risk Advisory (4 on Matriculation). Summary:
1. Direct client-facing role (Fortune 5 client), high impact work- lead the delivery transformation of Tech Risk offering (1 Billion Dollar transformation- brainstormed the pilot and coached other teams/ clients afterwards)
2. 2 consecutive promotions in 2 years, Top 1% performance rating and multiple awards.
3. Strong cross geography and cross-functional experience with clients and Deloitte teams in US, LATAM, Russia, India and APAC.
4. Strong workplace contributions- Diversity and Inclusion council member at Deloitte.

Strong Extracurricular and community service experience:
1. Own GOI registered trust- worked in collab with other NGOs to bring a co curricular revolution in tier 2,3 cities of India.
2. Trained and mentored over 2000 students across India in computer literacy, debating, interpersonal skills.
3. Adjudicator/ Trainer for international organizations such as Rotary International, AFS Global etc.
4. International debating and Model UN Experience with multiple accolades.
5. Entrepreneurship experience during college

Hobbies and interests- Automotive Photography (Assignments for India's F1 circuit, Mercedes, Volkswagen), Video Gaming (Participated in regional Esports leagues), Tennis, Basketball and International Geopolitics (very strong international acumen).

Post MBA Career Goals- Product/ Program Management at a Big Tech Firm or Consulting with MBB.
Also planning to retake the GMAT to push my score beyond 750.

Am I a good fit for Columbia? What other top schools do I have a realistic shot at?

Thanks so much!

mittalbwoy

I am sure other admissions consultants will do a detailed profile evaluation but in the meantime, you can also check our automated profile evaluation tool at the following link

https://gmatclub.com/forum/what-are-my- ... 09854.html
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Hi mittalbwoy,

I've already evaluated your profile and I'd love to do it again for Columbia. I assume I've already summed up good points of your profile, so here I will be pinpointing the aspects on which Columbia evaluates the profile of the candidate.

Team Leadership: Columbia values the ability not only to be a strong team player but also to lead teams. Think also of examples where you have been able to influence others without having direct authority over them, and when you share leadership examples, be sure to include how you have sought and balanced the needs and competing ideologies of others.

Intellect: You need to exhibit your capacity to think and to grasp thoughts and facts. Every business school wants to see the intellect of its potential students, but "intellect" in itself can mean different things. At the core, you need to understand what Columbia wants.

Diversity: Columbia wants the candidate to have a diverse profile. Your ECs and hobbies will certainly help you add diversity to your profile, and adcoms will get to know you beyond your profession.

Contribution to the community: Business schools want to see your desire to contribute to society and highlighting them will help you showcase a leader in you.

Overall, your profile is perfect, and Columbia could be a good fit for you. Your only focus should be on connecting the experiential dots in your profile from your work experience to your ECs and your post-MBA goal, weaving and communicating your story with impact.

If you’d like we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and gauge your fit for b-schools. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi mittalbwoy and thank you for sharing.

You have strong work experience and extracurriculars. Personal MBA Coach’s founder was a former S&O at Deloitte and we work with a lot of Deloitte consultants every year!

Columbia is a great, but challenging, program to get into. Bumping your 730 GMAT to a 750 is wise, particularly because you are coming from an over-represented demographic background.

If you want to maximize your score, Personal MBA Coach’s tutors scored in the 99th percentile and are available to provide you with customized tutoring on your schedule and based on your specific needs.

CBS is the only major school offering early decision and rolling admissions. If it is your first choice, I would strongly recommend applying ED!

As for other schools you have a shot at, it can be hard to fully predict which schools you will get into. This is why we recommend applying to 5 to 7 schools to maximize your chances of acceptance.

Do not hesitate to reach out to discuss your profile in more detail: scott@personalmbacoach.com.

Best,
Personal MBA Coach
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Hi,

I'm looking to understand where my application lacks depth.
GMAT: 710 (Q50-V34) (I'll be giving it again, aiming for 750)
BACKGROUND: 25 years, Female

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
CGPA: 7.81 (BITS Pilani: Top Tier engineering university in India) Major: Electrical with Minor: Finance
XII - 93.8%
X - 10 CGPA

WORK EXPERIENCE: 2 YEARS
UBS: Business Analyst
Have been working as a lead BA on multiple projects, started an educational series for the India UBS office a year ago, Learning Ambassador for my department.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Volunteered for 2 yrs during college under a non-profit organization aimed at improving the education of nearby village children.
Volunteered under UBS community initiatives.

EXTRACURRICULARS:
District Level Badminton player, Corporate Cricket team, Crafting

POST MBA GOALS: Investment Banking

I would be highly grateful if you could help me out here.

Hello Tish2695,

Thank you for your post. Your profile has some strong components, and you can certainly leverage your interest in education in your applications. Securing a 750 GMAT will help boost your candidacy.

As for where your application lacks depth, I would like to see how all components of your profile fit together. In other words, how have your extracurricular interests, community involvement, past career choices, and future aspirations informed your future goals? This is a big question to think about when crafting your personal story (one of the hardest and most important application components). Personal story development is a key component of our comprehensive package service.

Additionally, your post-MBA goal to go into investment banking should share how you will make your unique mark within this industry.

As a side note, Columbia Business School is the only major school offering early decision and rolling admissions. If it is your first choice, I would strongly recommend applying ED!

Do not hesitate to reach out to discuss your profile in more detail: scott@personalmbacoach.com.

Best wishes,
Personal MBA Coach
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Hi Tish2695, happy to try to give some feedback below
First, I think it is important to say that you look to be off to a great start in your career and you should never hand over the keys to your self esteem to the internet-- ie -- here-- to determine your future. You absolutely could be successful at some point at CBS or other top MBA programs. In terms of CBS, a lot of how compelling you are is determined by how well you make your case that ibanking is the right career path for you and that you have a specific sense of how CBS will help you get there. CBS will also want to understand what makes you unique and how you can be impactful. The question they asked last year about a song or book that was important to you is a way to get closer to seeing what you value and admire and why. They also want to see from your resume that you are someone who has had an impact at work and their community. It is impossible to evaluate all this from what I have here-- but I will say that your work tenure is on the softer side with only 2 yrs but your grades look solid and it is good to see the evidence of finance interest even in undergrad. Your GMAT could help you if higher-- but they do look at the whole person and if you feel the GMAT is not a super strength you could consider taking the GRE or even the executive assessment. Also, WHEN you apply to CBS matters. If you are 100% on board for CBS then apply Early and you will get a decision maybe even by August. Spend your time now talking to student ambassadors and learning more about the program and the clubs and centers that can help you. Listen to the webinars that CBS does. All these things will tip the odds in your favor to have a better chance at CBS. You may find this article about CBS essay tips to be helpful -- we don't know yet if the questions will be the same for next year-- but if question 1 and 2 stay the same-- which they did last year-- this could be useful! Best wishes to you!
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Background and nationality: Taiwanese, 21yr
Undergrad Information: GPA 3.83/4.0, National Taiwan University double-major in business administration and finance ( world top 70, country top 1)
GMAT: 730 (v38 q50 ir8, no awa because of online test. However, I have another valid test with 690 (q51 v31 ir8 awa5.0)

Work experience and leadership:
Just start my journey at top 3 asset management company as a fund manager in 2021. As for internship, I have a summer internship in local buyside as an equity research analyst. Additionally, I have a 4-month PE fund internship in which I help the company build financial models and get permission from government to invest legally in Taiwan.

Community and others:
I joined the Hip Hop Club in my college life for one year. I was the vice president of our club. I composed rap songs by myself and arranged the club to perform rap on and off campus. Also, our club make a rap song cypher video, which is upload in YouTube in 2019, bringing about 50K+ views.

Post MBA goals: Joined PE Fund or Investment banking for M&As or LBOS of healthcare or green energy.
Anything else: Want to apply in 2024 (2025 class)

Hello leeemowlimeow,

Thank you for sharing and kudos for beginning the MBA planning process now. The best thing you can do to improve your candidacy for CBS and other target b-schools is to plan ahead, and doing so takes time.

From what you have shared, you have a solid GMAT and are on track to building some strong work experience as well. It will be key that you develop a realistic and actionable plan on when to make (and not to make) career moves and learn how to make your career work harder for you. Personal MBA Coach can help set you up for success here via our early planning services.

While your extracurricular experience is very interesting, you will want this experience to gel with your overall story. We can also guide you here to help develop your extracurricular profile.

Our early planning clients have stellar acceptance and scholarship success rates. Do not hesitate to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com if you are looking for customized support!

Best,
Personal MBA Coach
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