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Prasad1797
Profile -

Indian Finance Major - 18 Months Experience in Corporate Finance.
GPA - 3.7.(BBA in Finance).
GMAT - 770.
Applying for FALL 2022 in Early Action Round.

What are my chances of getting a DUKE MBA Admission?

Hello Prasad1797 and thank you for your post.

From what you have shared, you have strong academics. Your GMAT is great and your GPA is quite good as well.

Where do you currently work in finance? We would love to learn more about your profile to give you a more thorough evaluation.

Other key bits of information that will contribute to your candidacy include your post-MBA goals and extracurriculars. Duke Fuqua cares a lot about community and social impact, so your contributions in terms of extracurriculars/volunteer experience will be key.

Feel free to send a note to [email protected] so we can discuss how to help set you up for success. Personal MBA Coach frequently helps candidates gain admission to Fuqua, and we work with a lot of Indian applicants, as well as folks in finance!

Best,
Personal MBA Coach.
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"Hey, There!
Background and nationality
My name is Vinay and I'm from Bangalore, India. I would be applying for my MBA in a month or so and request some input on my selection of universities. I've added the details of my profile as briefly as I could. My shortlist of colleges is given at the bottom of the comment. I'm also wondering if I should apply to universities outside of the US and love some advice from you.

GRE
- 330 (V-157; Q-170; AWA- 3)

Undergraduate

Completed my Bachelors of Business Administration from Alliance University, Bangalore in Finance with an aggregate of 81.5% ( First Class with Distinction )


Work Experience
4of Years work-ex, with the deep domain of equity research and valuation
Equity Research Analyst at Sarthak Returns ( June 5th, 2017 – Date ) – Sarthak Returns is a Stock Market Advisory Company based in Bangalore. Responsibilities here include.
- Technical Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, Equity Research, Proprietary trading, Handling clients accounts, Blog writing.Was Handling a team of 3 people directly reporting. I have received 7 awards in total during the work journey.


Certifications

NSE Academy's Certified Investment Analyst Champion (NCIAC) & NCMP Level 3
NISM-Series-VIII: Equity Derivatives Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-A: Investment Adviser (Level 1) Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-B: Investment Adviser (Level 2) Certification Examination
NISM Series-XV: Research Analyst Certification Examination


Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Volunteer with Youth for Seva ( July 1st, 2016 – September 30th, 2016 ), a Non-Non-Governmental Organisation. The work involved teaching Spoken English and Basic Computer Skills to Primary and Middle School children. This continues till date in a Part-time effect, with overall service time over **Five Hundred Hours**.
• Organised “Mock Stock”, a stock market simulator, in an inter-college event.
•Co-Founded a start-up in the college days - Started with the platform-based company for travel (Air and Bus) with Hotel booking. It was improved based on blind spots, Started renting out textbooks. That rented out students' old books and paid them a share of the earnings, thereby enabling students to make money off books they do not need.
•Co-Founded a niche-based stock research firm meanwhile I was working as an equity research analyst.
• Have pursued Young Leadership program from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the program was for the one-year duration with blend learning from both online and offline.


Post MBA goals
Short Term
Work for Investment Banking field

Long Term
Start an Asset Management Company

Please evaluate my profile so I know if I should try for Fuqua or there is no chance of getting an admit at all?
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vinaydwarakanath
"Hey, There!
Background and nationality
My name is Vinay and I'm from Bangalore, India. I would be applying for my MBA in a month or so and request some input on my selection of universities. I've added the details of my profile as briefly as I could. My shortlist of colleges is given at the bottom of the comment. I'm also wondering if I should apply to universities outside of the US and love some advice from you.

GRE
- 330 (V-157; Q-170; AWA- 3)

Undergraduate

Completed my Bachelors of Business Administration from Alliance University, Bangalore in Finance with an aggregate of 81.5% ( First Class with Distinction )


Work Experience
4of Years work-ex, with the deep domain of equity research and valuation
Equity Research Analyst at Sarthak Returns ( June 5th, 2017 – Date ) – Sarthak Returns is a Stock Market Advisory Company based in Bangalore. Responsibilities here include.
- Technical Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, Equity Research, Proprietary trading, Handling clients accounts, Blog writing.Was Handling a team of 3 people directly reporting. I have received 7 awards in total during the work journey.


Certifications

NSE Academy's Certified Investment Analyst Champion (NCIAC) & NCMP Level 3
NISM-Series-VIII: Equity Derivatives Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-A: Investment Adviser (Level 1) Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-B: Investment Adviser (Level 2) Certification Examination
NISM Series-XV: Research Analyst Certification Examination


Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Volunteer with Youth for Seva ( July 1st, 2016 – September 30th, 2016 ), a Non-Non-Governmental Organisation. The work involved teaching Spoken English and Basic Computer Skills to Primary and Middle School children. This continues till date in a Part-time effect, with overall service time over **Five Hundred Hours**.
• Organised “Mock Stock”, a stock market simulator, in an inter-college event.
•Co-Founded a start-up in the college days - Started with the platform-based company for travel (Air and Bus) with Hotel booking. It was improved based on blind spots, Started renting out textbooks. That rented out students' old books and paid them a share of the earnings, thereby enabling students to make money off books they do not need.
•Co-Founded a niche-based stock research firm meanwhile I was working as an equity research analyst.
• Have pursued Young Leadership program from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the program was for the one-year duration with blend learning from both online and offline.


Post MBA goals
Short Term
Work for Investment Banking field

Long Term
Start an Asset Management Company

Please evaluate my profile so I know if I should try for Fuqua or there is no chance of getting an admit at all?

Hi vinaydwarakanath

- With a GRE of 330, and good academics + relevant experience, you would have a shot at Fuqua
- You need to review/refine your goals a bit though, and express them more clearly. Starting an AM company is not going to be an easy bet, and if that is your ultimate aim, why not look at AM post-MBA itself?
- What is the status of the startups that you founded in college? Are they still running?
- Besides Fuqua, you should also be looking at other options. Cornell, Darden, Ross are some possible names you might want to consider.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to come back with more questions as needed or to contact us directly at our email in our signature below for a 1-1 discussion.
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Hello vinaydwarakanath,

A 330 GRE score should make you a competitive applicant for Fuqua. Your work experience and extracurriculars look strong as well, which is great since Fuqua cares a lot about social impact and community (and a little bit less about the numbers than some other top programs).

Business schools look for well-rounded classes so it is crucial that your application tells a solid story about who you are and how you will add unique value on campus. Your extracurriculars will certainly help demonstrate this, as should your personal story.

Personal story development is one of the key components of Personal MBA Coach's services and continues to be the area where we find our clients need the most guidance.

Where else do you anticipate applying to? As competition increases and acceptance rates fall, candidates are applying to 5-8 schools on average, with many are in the 6+ range.

Feel free to reach out to [email protected] to discuss your application strategy and how we can help you maximize your chances of success!

Best,
Personal MBA Coach

vinaydwarakanath
"Hey, There!
Background and nationality
My name is Vinay and I'm from Bangalore, India. I would be applying for my MBA in a month or so and request some input on my selection of universities. I've added the details of my profile as briefly as I could. My shortlist of colleges is given at the bottom of the comment. I'm also wondering if I should apply to universities outside of the US and love some advice from you.

GRE
- 330 (V-157; Q-170; AWA- 3)

Undergraduate

Completed my Bachelors of Business Administration from Alliance University, Bangalore in Finance with an aggregate of 81.5% ( First Class with Distinction )


Work Experience
4of Years work-ex, with the deep domain of equity research and valuation
Equity Research Analyst at Sarthak Returns ( June 5th, 2017 – Date ) – Sarthak Returns is a Stock Market Advisory Company based in Bangalore. Responsibilities here include.
- Technical Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, Equity Research, Proprietary trading, Handling clients accounts, Blog writing.Was Handling a team of 3 people directly reporting. I have received 7 awards in total during the work journey.


Certifications

NSE Academy's Certified Investment Analyst Champion (NCIAC) & NCMP Level 3
NISM-Series-VIII: Equity Derivatives Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-A: Investment Adviser (Level 1) Certification Examination
NISM-Series-X-B: Investment Adviser (Level 2) Certification Examination
NISM Series-XV: Research Analyst Certification Examination


Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Volunteer with Youth for Seva ( July 1st, 2016 – September 30th, 2016 ), a Non-Non-Governmental Organisation. The work involved teaching Spoken English and Basic Computer Skills to Primary and Middle School children. This continues till date in a Part-time effect, with overall service time over **Five Hundred Hours**.
• Organised “Mock Stock”, a stock market simulator, in an inter-college event.
•Co-Founded a start-up in the college days - Started with the platform-based company for travel (Air and Bus) with Hotel booking. It was improved based on blind spots, Started renting out textbooks. That rented out students' old books and paid them a share of the earnings, thereby enabling students to make money off books they do not need.
•Co-Founded a niche-based stock research firm meanwhile I was working as an equity research analyst.
• Have pursued Young Leadership program from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the program was for the one-year duration with blend learning from both online and offline.


Post MBA goals
Short Term
Work for Investment Banking field

Long Term
Start an Asset Management Company

Please evaluate my profile so I know if I should try for Fuqua or there is no chance of getting an admit at all?
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Hey,
Demographic: International, Indian, 26M.

GMAT -
Took a while back - 630 (V-38; Q-38)
Will be Retaking - currently expecting ~700. based on 7-8 mocks.

Undergraduate - BBA - Finance & Accounting. 7GPA 10 point scale.

Certifications

Investment Operations Certificate from CISI, UK.
CFA Level 1, Level 2 Passed CFA Institute. Level 3 candidate (Nov 2021).

Work Ex:
Big 4 - Financial Advisory (Internal advisory role) - 2.5 years
Big 4 - Management Consulting (US - Canada Client facing) - 3.5 years
3 promotions.

Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Lead volunteer and organizer of quarterly events - including education and rehab support at Nightingales Trust for Alzheimer's.

Post MBA goals
Short Term
Corporate Finance / Corporate Strategy internal advisory.

Long Term
C-suite Corporate Strategy.
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jimjam1022
Hey,
Demographic: International, Indian, 26M.

GMAT -
Took a while back - 630 (V-38; Q-38)
Will be Retaking - currently expecting ~700. based on 7-8 mocks.

Undergraduate - BBA - Finance & Accounting. 7GPA 10 point scale.

Certifications

Investment Operations Certificate from CISI, UK.
CFA Level 1, Level 2 Passed CFA Institute. Level 3 candidate (Nov 2021).

Work Ex:
Big 4 - Financial Advisory (Internal advisory role) - 2.5 years
Big 4 - Management Consulting (US - Canada Client facing) - 3.5 years
3 promotions.

Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Lead volunteer and organizer of quarterly events - including education and rehab support at Nightingales Trust for Alzheimer's.

Post MBA goals
Short Term
Corporate Finance / Corporate Strategy internal advisory.

Long Term
C-suite Corporate Strategy.


Things are looking good for you other than the GMAT score. Put in the effort there for a 720+ GMAT score, you would need a good score for all your applications (assuming you are not just applying to Fuqua)

Your goals sound aligned with your past experience. In your applications, you will need to be clear about what career path you will eventually select- and some b-school research and looking into employment stats will help here. Read our article on how to do this here: Employment reports
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Hi all,

Here is my profile

Nationality: Indian
Age: 28
Undergrads: B.E Civil Engineering from university in India, 2.4 GPA
Masters: Computers and Information system from American University 3.1 GPA
Work Ex: 4 years experience as ITSM consultant including 3 years of international experience. Expert in automating workflows using different technologies.
Currently working as Team Lead at Guardian Life Insurence
GRE: 326
Goal: To get into the startups and Private equity
Reco Letters: Can arrange letters from my Director and managers in the US.

Let me know if I can provide any other information
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Hi everyone,

I have a question, Will a three-year undergrad degree cause any problems in the process of admission. I got the WES report which shows it is equivalent to a US Undergrad degree. Also, I graduated from India.

Hope for the response.
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Prasad2799
Hi everyone,

I have a question, Will a three-year undergrad degree cause any problems in the process of admission. I got the WES report which shows it is equivalent to a US Undergrad degree. Also, I graduated from India.

Hope for the response.


At most programs, including at Fuqua, it will be ok.
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MBADecoder
Prasad2799
Hi everyone,

I have a question, Will a three-year undergrad degree cause any problems in the process of admission. I got the WES report which shows it is equivalent to a US Undergrad degree. Also, I graduated from India.

Hope for the response.


At most programs, including at Fuqua, it will be ok.

Thanks for the response, MBADecoder
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Bhu750
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Hello,

I kindly request you to evaluate my profile and let me know my chances of getting into the MBA program at Duke Fuqua.

28 year old Chartered accountant
CIMA - level II
Indian female
Class X - 94%
Class XII - 98%

Work experience
3 years (as part of the CA course) at a leading CA firm, one among the top 10 in India and globally
Post qualification I moved to Malaysia because of personal reasons and my work exp here is as follows:
1 year as a senior finance executive where I lead the accounts payable and treasury team reporting directly to the CFO.
1 year as Senior internal auditor at an Oil and gas company performing process audits
I have a 2-year career break post maternity
Currently a partner working remotely at a Venture capital/incubator based in Chennai and also the Finance head of a startup, an online portal for second hand homes resale.

Extracurricular/Achievements:

Best outgoing student award at Class XII and golden student award during standard VII and VIII for overall performance

First student in my school to achieve 100% in 3 subjects in Class XII board exams

Best audit team of the year award - for audit of a leading hotel

Vice president, organizing committed of the interschool competition, in which more than 25 schools participate

Poem writing (won prizes at state level competitions), tanjore painting, stock market investments

Part of the school eco club - planting saplings, waste segregation drive.
I teach English to students at an NGO called Naane Khawab.

Post MBA goals
Management consulting - startups, fintech, edtech

GMAT - yet to give (hopefully by July end)

Any advice on increasing my chances is also welcome.

Thank you.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hello Bhu750

Academic background is strong and consistent. I recommend you go for a high score (730+) to match your academic credentials and make this your key selling point.
From a career journey point of view, the stints look small and you should work towards showing deliberate decision making behind each move and highlight the measurable impact of your contributions.
Most extracurricular look slightly old, but the teaching experience can be useful if portrayed well.
Lastly, on career goals I'll recommend you do some more research on the viability of moving into management consulting with your background.

Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com

Bhu750
Hello,

I kindly request you to evaluate my profile and let me know my chances of getting into the MBA program at Duke Fuqua.

28 year old Chartered accountant
CIMA - level II
Indian female
Class X - 94%
Class XII - 98%

Work experience
3 years (as part of the CA course) at a leading CA firm, one among the top 10 in India and globally
Post qualification I moved to Malaysia because of personal reasons and my work exp here is as follows:
1 year as a senior finance executive where I lead the accounts payable and treasury team reporting directly to the CFO.
1 year as Senior internal auditor at an Oil and gas company performing process audits
I have a 2-year career break post maternity
Currently a partner working remotely at a Venture capital/incubator based in Chennai and also the Finance head of a startup, an online portal for second hand homes resale.

Extracurricular/Achievements:

Best outgoing student award at Class XII and golden student award during standard VII and VIII for overall performance

First student in my school to achieve 100% in 3 subjects in Class XII board exams

Best audit team of the year award - for audit of a leading hotel

Vice president, organizing committed of the interschool competition, in which more than 25 schools participate

Poem writing (won prizes at state level competitions), tanjore painting, stock market investments

Part of the school eco club - planting saplings, waste segregation drive.
I teach English to students at an NGO called Naane Khawab.

Post MBA goals
Management consulting - startups, fintech, edtech

GMAT - yet to give (hopefully by July end)

Any advice on increasing my chances is also welcome.

Thank you.

Posted from my mobile device
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Thank you so much Varun MBAkarma.

You have given me some great inputs to work on.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi Bhu750,

Thank you for sharing. It sounds like you have some good work experience and extracurriculars. Duke Fuqua cares a lot about social impact and community, so you will definitely want to highlight your role teaching English at an NGO!

While Fuqua values this social impact a little bit more than the numbers, securing a strong GMAT score will still be important. Have you taken any mocks yet to gauge how much work you have to put in?

Personal MBA Coach works with a lot of clients in VC as well as those with a background in oil and gas. We can certainly talk with you about how to best position this experience in the context of your MBA applications.

Take a look at our comprehensive services and feel free to send a note to [email protected] if you are looking for help putting together strong applications for Fuqua and your other target programs.

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach

Bhu750
Hello,

I kindly request you to evaluate my profile and let me know my chances of getting into the MBA program at Duke Fuqua.

28 year old Chartered accountant
CIMA - level II
Indian female
Class X - 94%
Class XII - 98%

Work experience
3 years (as part of the CA course) at a leading CA firm, one among the top 10 in India and globally
Post qualification I moved to Malaysia because of personal reasons and my work exp here is as follows:
1 year as a senior finance executive where I lead the accounts payable and treasury team reporting directly to the CFO.
1 year as Senior internal auditor at an Oil and gas company performing process audits
I have a 2-year career break post maternity
Currently a partner working remotely at a Venture capital/incubator based in Chennai and also the Finance head of a startup, an online portal for second hand homes resale.

Extracurricular/Achievements:

Best outgoing student award at Class XII and golden student award during standard VII and VIII for overall performance

First student in my school to achieve 100% in 3 subjects in Class XII board exams

Best audit team of the year award - for audit of a leading hotel

Vice president, organizing committed of the interschool competition, in which more than 25 schools participate

Poem writing (won prizes at state level competitions), tanjore painting, stock market investments

Part of the school eco club - planting saplings, waste segregation drive.
I teach English to students at an NGO called Naane Khawab.

Post MBA goals
Management consulting - startups, fintech, edtech

GMAT - yet to give (hopefully by July end)

Any advice on increasing my chances is also welcome.

Thank you.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi PersonalMBACoach,

Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know your thoughts.. I did take an initial diagnostic test and I scored around 600.. I am working on GMAT now and I hope to complete it by July..

I will check out your page. I'm planning to work on he rest of my application after GMAT. Will 1 month be enough for it if I want to apply in the early admit round?

Thank you!

Posted from my mobile device
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Hello,

I kindly request you to evaluate my profile and let me know my chances of getting into the MBA program at Duke Fuqua.

29 year old Innovation Evangelist

Indian Male

Class X - 89%
Class XII - 93%
BTech in Electronics and Comm (GPA:2.94)

Work experience
~6 years at a large IT firm.
Assisting the CTO's office with inputs on the technology horizon, and strategic areas of importance from an org point of view
Evaluating orgs strengths and weaknesses and how we measure upto the competition.
Catalysing foothold for new platforms in the market against incumbents



Extracurricular/Achievements:

Certificate of Merit for English in Class XII
Invited to meet with 3 CXOs after winning a 3 respective competitions
Won 2 awards inside the org for a technology solution conceived by me
Won 2 awards for a writing two blogs on separate occasions
An idea submitted by me was categorised as Promising for the larger ecosytem in reducing Carbon footprint(did not win)

Upskilling sessions for the support staff, to help them become conversant in English, overcome their inhibitions.
Currently engaged with a Covid Support Group to get atleast one member an employment opportunity
for families that have lost livelihoods
Helped an NGO run their campaign on Google, they gained recognition, and footfalls and appreciation for the work they undertake.
This one was way more meaningful than words can express and eventually they wrote a moving letter to me.
Undertake regular animal welfare work, spay and neuter at a personal level.




Post MBA goals
Management consulting - Technology, SaaS.
GMAT - yet to give (hopefully by Aug end)

Any advice on (increasing) my chances is welcome.

Thank you.
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gaurav5691
Hello,

I kindly request you to evaluate my profile and let me know my chances of getting into the MBA program at Duke Fuqua.

29 year old Innovation Evangelist

Indian Male

Class X - 89%
Class XII - 93%
BTech in Electronics and Comm (GPA:2.94)

Work experience
~6 years at a large IT firm.
Assisting the CTO's office with inputs on the technology horizon, and strategic areas of importance from an org point of view
Evaluating orgs strengths and weaknesses and how we measure upto the competition.
Catalysing foothold for new platforms in the market against incumbents



Extracurricular/Achievements:

Certificate of Merit for English in Class XII
Invited to meet with 3 CXOs after winning a 3 respective competitions
Won 2 awards inside the org for a technology solution conceived by me
Won 2 awards for a writing two blogs on separate occasions
An idea submitted by me was categorised as Promising for the larger ecosytem in reducing Carbon footprint(did not win)

Upskilling sessions for the support staff, to help them become conversant in English, overcome their inhibitions.
Currently engaged with a Covid Support Group to get atleast one member an employment opportunity
for families that have lost livelihoods
Helped an NGO run their campaign on Google, they gained recognition, and footfalls and appreciation for the work they undertake.
This one was way more meaningful than words can express and eventually they wrote a moving letter to me.
Undertake regular animal welfare work, spay and neuter at a personal level.




Post MBA goals
Management consulting - Technology, SaaS.
GMAT - yet to give (hopefully by Aug end)

Any advice on (increasing) my chances is welcome.

Thank you.


Hi Gaurav,

Things are looking good for you here and the only thing lacking which doesn't let one complete the picture is your GMAT score. Here is my analysis in bullets:
1. Your 10th/ 12th grades activities don't matter in the MBA applications- well atleast dont put them in the resume. However, there would be opportunity for you to highlight experiences from this part of your life in the 25 random things essay.

2. Your work experience sounds relevant. You should be able to highlight your career progression, achievements and overall impact on your organizations. It will also be important that you are able to quantify your achievements, esp in the resume. Sometimes applicants who are working on strategic initiatives tend to forget quantifying outcomes.

3. Goals sound ok. Also explore the other roles that come on campus - that may also be exciting for you.

4. Your ECAs are good. Now the good thing is, Fuqua allows for a lot of personal stories to be told through the 23 random things essay. These will allow you to show your softer side (don't forget they should still be relevant for a business school's understanding).

Here's an article that analyses the Fuqua essay:https://gmatclub.com/forum/our-analysis-of-the-25-random-things-question-304714.html
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