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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 27 Sep 2019, 16:57
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trillclinton414
Hey everyone, just took my GMAT recently so I’m currently looking at my odds for admission in R1 2020.

White male American, 25 years old

Undergrad GPA: 3.85, graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees: BBA Finance and BA Chinese
Attended a Big 12 state school on the cusp of the top 100 in the rankings, was a National Merit Scholarship recipient

GMAT: 730 (48Q 42V)

Work experience: Just over 3 years in sell-side equity research covering tech (will be over 5 years at matriculation). I was promoted from analyst to associate this year, and now as the second-in-command on a three person team, my boss treats my position as the day to day “project manager” with one analyst working under me

Extracurriculars: Actively involved in our department recruiting team, served as team captain for a number of fundraising drives (United Way, United Performing Arts Fund). Part of my state’s top ranked club rugby team, with the team I’ve participated in quite a few community outreach activities, also helped plan and set up the nation’s largest summer rugby tournament.

Goals: Still working on crafting the best impact statement here, since I realize as a white guy in finance I’ll need something that makes me stand out from the pack. My goal is to remain focused on tech investing. Venture capital would be my dream, also open to public equity investing at a hedge fund/mutual fund, potential backup plan is corp dev at a tech company.

Other: Passed CFA Level 2, hoping to pass Level 3 next June and be a CFA charterholder at the time of application
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You have a competitive profile for HBS. If you are concerned about being "a white guy in finance," please see:

* Different Dimensions of Diversity
* Dimensions of Diversity Checklist

Best,
Linda Abraham
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 06 Nov 2019, 05:39
Originally posted by Lekoben on 28 Sep 2019, 05:29.
Last edited by Lekoben on 06 Nov 2019, 05:39, edited 1 time in total.
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Don't really think I have much of a chance with my GPA, but curious about how I could possibly fare in R2.

Black Male Canadian, 25

Undergrad GPA: 2.4

GMAT: 750 (49Q, 44V)

Work experience: 3 years (4 at matriculation) in ERP Consulting. Worked at a smaller firm for a couple years before taking what was effectively a promotion in title at B4.

Extracurriculars: Actively involved with onboarding and recruitment at B4, president of a major cultural group in university that held events for 100s of attendees regularly, Big Brother, volunteered regularly at asylum seekers home.

Goals: Transition from ERP to strategy consulting with the long term goal of working on projects that align closely with my degree (i.e. international development projects in Africa). Long-term would want to either work at a firm like Dalberg specifically focused on development consulting or be a strategic lead at an organization focused on African development.
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 28 Sep 2019, 23:38
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Lekoben
Don't really think I have much of a chance with my GPA, but curious about how I could possibly fare in R2.

Black Male Canadian, 25

Undergrad GPA: 2.36 at top Canadian school in Economic Development (although all of the low grades were while I was a CS major for most of the time I was in uni)

GMAT: 750 (49Q, 44V)

Work experience: 3 years (4 at matriculation) in ERP Consulting. Worked at a smaller firm for a couple years before taking what was effectively a promotion in title at B4.

Extracurriculars: Actively involved with onboarding and recruitment at B4, president of a major cultural group in university that held events for 100s of attendees regularly, Big Brother, volunteered regularly at asylum seekers home.

Goals: Transition from ERP to strategy consulting with the long term goal of working on projects that align closely with my degree (i.e. international development projects in Africa). Long-term would want to either work at a firm like Dalberg specifically focused on development consulting or be a strategic lead at an organization focused on African development.
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While that GPA is a serious obstacle, given that you are URM, have a high GMAT, strong work experience, and an interesting goal, and a "reason" for the low GPA, I'd apply widely at top programs, but not just H/S/W. You're looking for the top program that will overlook the GPA and prepare you for the career you intend to have. Don't just apply to 1-2. So yes give H/S a try, but also apply to Darden, Ross, NYU, Georgetown, Haas, and Duke .

For suggestions on mitigating and addressing your GPA, please see 5 A's for Your Low GPA

Best,
Linda
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 29 Sep 2019, 05:54
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Lekoben
Don't really think I have much of a chance with my GPA, but curious about how I could possibly fare in R2.

Black Male Canadian, 25

Undergrad GPA: 2.36 at top Canadian school in Economic Development (although all of the low grades were while I was a CS major for most of the time I was in uni)

GMAT: 750 (49Q, 44V)

Work experience: 3 years (4 at matriculation) in ERP Consulting. Worked at a smaller firm for a couple years before taking what was effectively a promotion in title at B4.

Extracurriculars: Actively involved with onboarding and recruitment at B4, president of a major cultural group in university that held events for 100s of attendees regularly, Big Brother, volunteered regularly at asylum seekers home.

Goals: Transition from ERP to strategy consulting with the long term goal of working on projects that align closely with my degree (i.e. international development projects in Africa). Long-term would want to either work at a firm like Dalberg specifically focused on development consulting or be a strategic lead at an organization focused on African development.


While that GPA is a serious obstacle, given that you are URM, have a high GMAT, strong work experience, and an interesting goal, and a "reason" for the low GPA, I'd apply widely at top programs, but not just H/S/W. You're looking for the top program that will overlook the GPA and prepare you for the career you intend to have. Don't just apply to 1-2. So yes give H/S a try, but also apply to Darden, Ross, NYU, Georgetown, Haas, and Duke .

For suggestions on mitigating and addressing your GPA, please see 5 A's for Your Low GPA

Best,
Linda
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Thanks for the reply, and yes I agree, I'm submitting apps to 5 schools in the 10-16 range and a safety school in R1. I guess in R2 is where I will try to reach for a couple M7s since from what you're saying I have a chance.

Am I a URM though? I don't have US citizenship and I'm not eligible for MLT or Consortium.
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 29 Sep 2019, 09:39
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Lekoben
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Lekoben
Don't really think I have much of a chance with my GPA, but curious about how I could possibly fare in R2.

Black Male Canadian, 25

Undergrad GPA: 2.36 at top Canadian school in Economic Development (although all of the low grades were while I was a CS major for most of the time I was in uni)

GMAT: 750 (49Q, 44V)

Work experience: 3 years (4 at matriculation) in ERP Consulting. Worked at a smaller firm for a couple years before taking what was effectively a promotion in title at B4.

Extracurriculars: Actively involved with onboarding and recruitment at B4, president of a major cultural group in university that held events for 100s of attendees regularly, Big Brother, volunteered regularly at asylum seekers home.

Goals: Transition from ERP to strategy consulting with the long term goal of working on projects that align closely with my degree (i.e. international development projects in Africa). Long-term would want to either work at a firm like Dalberg specifically focused on development consulting or be a strategic lead at an organization focused on African development.

Good question. Because you're Canadian you are not eligible for MLT and the Consortium, and you don't technically fit the definition of U.S. URM. But the you are distinctive enough in your goals and background where you're going to have diversity points.


While that GPA is a serious obstacle, given that you are URM, have a high GMAT, strong work experience, and an interesting goal, and a "reason" for the low GPA, I'd apply widely at top programs, but not just H/S/W. You're looking for the top program that will overlook the GPA and prepare you for the career you intend to have. Don't just apply to 1-2. So yes give H/S a try, but also apply to Darden, Ross, NYU, Georgetown, Haas, and Duke .

For suggestions on mitigating and addressing your GPA, please see 5 A's for Your Low GPA

Best,
Linda

Thanks for the reply, and yes I agree, I'm submitting apps to 5 schools in the 10-16 range and a safety school in R1. I guess in R2 is where I will try to reach for a couple M7s since from what you're saying I have a chance.

Am I a URM though? I don't have US citizenship and I'm not eligible for MLT or Consortium.
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Good point. Because you're not a U.S. permanent resident, you are not eligible for the Consortium and for MLT, and you probably don't fit the narrow definition of URM in the U.S.. However as a Canadian you are "international," and your background and goals are distinctive enough where you will be seen as adding to diversity.

Give the higher ranked programs a try. They are a stretch, but worth a shot. I'd love to know how you do when it all shakes out. Thanks.
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 30 Sep 2019, 08:36
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Hi, thanks for help. Here is my profile:
Background: 29 years old | Chinese Native

Education: Undergrad: Chinese Local Uni. GPA: 80 out of 100. | gradual: top 5 French business school GPA: 12.5 out of 20 (B+) exchange to university of Munich, Germany

GRE: Verbal 153 Quant 169

W.E: internship in New York for a equity research firm. 3 years full-time at a Chinese top 3 investment banking for M&A located at Shanghai | part-time consultant for family business- the largest fruit-chain retails with 5000+stores in Asia

Career goal: ST for a consumer focused PE long term back to family business as Chief Investment Officier

Posted from my mobile device
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 30 Sep 2019, 08:37
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Hi, thanks for help. Here is my profile:
Background: 29 years old | Chinese Native

Education: Undergrad: Chinese Local Uni. GPA: 80 out of 100. | gradual: top 5 French business school GPA: 12.5 out of 20 (B+) exchange to university of Munich, Germany

GRE: Verbal 153 Quant 169

W.E: internship in New York for a equity research firm. 3 years full-time at a Chinese top 3 investment banking for M&A located at Shanghai | part-time consultant for family business- the largest fruit-chain retails with 5000+stores in Asia

Career goal: ST for a consumer focused PE long term back to family business as Chief Investment Officier

Posted from my mobile device
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 30 Sep 2019, 08:56
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Hi vince7261,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I think you have a really interesting professional background and professional goals. If you can, I recommend you retake the GRE to increase your verbal, and as a result the overall score.

Also, have you been involved in any community work? It's an important component of the profile evaluation, so it will need to be addressed.

The narrative will be really important in your application, and I'd love to help. If you are interested, we can find a time to get on a call and explore the qualitative component of your profile. If, interested, please reach out.

Good luck,

Susan



vince7261
Hi, thanks for help. Here is my profile:
Background: 29 years old | Chinese Native

Education: Undergrad: Chinese Local Uni. GPA: 80 out of 100. | gradual: top 5 French business school GPA: 12.5 out of 20 (B+) exchange to university of Munich, Germany

GRE: Verbal 153 Quant 169

W.E: internship in New York for a equity research firm. 3 years full-time at a Chinese top 3 investment banking for M&A located at Shanghai | part-time consultant for family business- the largest fruit-chain retails with 5000+stores in Asia

Career goal: ST for a consumer focused PE long term back to family business as Chief Investment Officier

Posted from my mobile device
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Schools: Darden '26 (S) Booth '26 (S) Columbia CBS'26 (S) Kellogg '26 (II)
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V45
GPA: 3.6
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Schools: Darden '26 (S) Booth '26 (S) Columbia CBS'26 (S) Kellogg '26 (II)
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V45
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 03 Oct 2019, 23:51
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I am an Indian male.

Background: Civil Engineering
Undergrad Information: 8.9/10 CGPA, Department Topper for Civil Engineering, Continuous 100% scholarship for all 4 years based on previous years performance.
The college is ranked 37 according to the government of India but it is one of the Top 5 private colleges in India. I chose it because of the scholarship and distance from my home.
GMAT: 710 (Q49 V38 AWA5 IR8) first attempt(was sick that day) and 770 (Q50 V45 AWA5 IR8) on the second attempt
WE: no full-time work experience as I am applying for the deferred programme
Leadership: Have been actively involved in numeorus activities on campus. Most notably I have worked for three years organising the annual Model United Nations Conference where I worked my way up to the position of Director-General with over 100 people working under me. I am also the president of the Entrepreneurship Club of the University and have organised multiple one of a kind events and interactions on campus. Also involved in the Student Chapters of multiple organizations in various capacities. I am one of two the elected class representatives for my batch.

Outside of campus, I have also been involved in social work. I have worked for two years with an NGO working for the rights of women and children in mainly an editorial role but contributing on the ground as and when required.
I have completed my certifications in Lean Management and Lean Six Sigma from the British Standards Institute as well as many certifications in Data Presentation and Project Management from Coursera.

Post MBA Goals: Finance has always been of great interest to me. I want to get into Venture Capital (maybe Impact Investing in particular) as I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and I like meeting new people and listening to new ideas. India is a great growth market for VC and I want to come back to India and contribute to the growth story here.

I plan to work in an early stage startup or a VC fund in the two year after graduating and start my CFA.
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GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V41
GPA: 3.57
WE:Asset Management (Non-Profit and Government)
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Schools: Cnsrtm-Yale '22 (II) CBS '22 (D) HBS '22 (D) Wharton '22 (II) Cnsrtm-Johnson '22 (II) Cnsrtm-Tuck '22 (I) Stern '22 (A)
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Oct 2019, 17:53
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Hello all! Thanks in advance

Background: U.S. citizen, multiracial (White, Black, Hispanic)
Undergrad: non-prestigious college with a 3.6, but graduated with two majors and a year early (does that save me?)
GMAT: 740
Work Experience: 2.5 years at a rating angency as an analyst in structured finance, promoted after 1.5 years; currently 2.25 years into a role as an investment associate on the team that manages the endowment of a prestigious think tank in DC, promoted after 2 years.
Community and others: Long history of volunteer work since undergrad, including 2.5 years volunteering as a math tutor to low-income GED students in DC. I really wasn't involved in anything formal in college.
Post-MBA goals: To work as an investment consultant and then eventually to work for a large endowment in a management role.
Anything else? I passed CFA Level I and am sitting for L2 in June. Also, I was unemployed for 4 months between my two jobs, I accepted an offer with Peace Corps that was canceled due to a natural disaster in the country three days after I left the rating agency. I think this will be the focus of my HBS essay because it was a transformative time, but not sure if I'm better off just mentioning it int the WE section & not bringing too much attention to it. I would really appreciate any advice there!
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Oct 2019, 22:33
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yashbhati
I am an Indian male.

Background: Civil Engineering
Undergrad Information: 8.9/10 CGPA, Department Topper for Civil Engineering, Continuous 100% scholarship for all 4 years based on previous years performance.
The college is ranked 37 according to the government of India but it is one of the Top 5 private colleges in India. I chose it because of the scholarship and distance from my home.
GMAT: 710 (Q49 V38 AWA5 IR8) first attempt(was sick that day) and 770 (Q50 V45 AWA5 IR8) on the second attempt
WE: no full-time work experience as I am applying for the deferred programme
Leadership: Have been actively involved in numeorus activities on campus. Most notably I have worked for three years organising the annual Model United Nations Conference where I worked my way up to the position of Director-General with over 100 people working under me. I am also the president of the Entrepreneurship Club of the University and have organised multiple one of a kind events and interactions on campus. Also involved in the Student Chapters of multiple organizations in various capacities. I am one of two the elected class representatives for my batch.

Outside of campus, I have also been involved in social work. I have worked for two years with an NGO working for the rights of women and children in mainly an editorial role but contributing on the ground as and when required.
I have completed my certifications in Lean Management and Lean Six Sigma from the British Standards Institute as well as many certifications in Data Presentation and Project Management from Coursera.

Post MBA Goals: Finance has always been of great interest to me. I want to get into Venture Capital (maybe Impact Investing in particular) as I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and I like meeting new people and listening to new ideas. India is a great growth market for VC and I want to come back to India and contribute to the growth story here.

I plan to work in an early stage startup or a VC fund in the two year after graduating and start my CFA.
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You have an impressive profile, with excellent academic stats and leadership. I'm concerned that the lack of internships could be a problem at HBS' deferred program. Focus on your personal story, achievements as a leader. If invited to interview, be prepared to discuss how you are going to use the opportunity that the deferred acceptance will give.

We'd love to be a resource to you as you apply.
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Oct 2019, 22:40
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financechick
Hello all! Thanks in advance

Background: U.S. citizen, multiracial (White, Black, Hispanic)
Undergrad: non-prestigious college with a 3.6, but graduated with two majors and a year early (does that save me?)
GMAT: 740
Work Experience: 2.5 years at a rating angency as an analyst in structured finance, promoted after 1.5 years; currently 2.25 years into a role as an investment associate on the team that manages the endowment of a prestigious think tank in DC, promoted after 2 years.
Community and others: Long history of volunteer work since undergrad, including 2.5 years volunteering as a math tutor to low-income GED students in DC. I really wasn't involved in anything formal in college.
Post-MBA goals: To work as an investment consultant and then eventually to work for a large endowment in a management role.
Anything else? I passed CFA Level I and am sitting for L2 in June. Also, I was unemployed for 4 months between my two jobs, I accepted an offer with Peace Corps that was canceled due to a natural disaster in the country three days after I left the rating agency. I think this will be the focus of my HBS essay because it was a transformative time, but not sure if I'm better off just mentioning it int the WE section & not bringing too much attention to it. I would really appreciate any advice there!
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You have a lot of qualities that HBS will like: You have good academic stats and the 740 in conjunction with the other you provided will help. As a multi-racial female, you will add to the diversity of the class. Solid work experience. I'd like to see more leadership. You may have it, but it isn't visible in your short post. That could be a problem.

Regarding your question about the essay, we'd love to help you with it, but in order to advise I'd have to also know what else you could write about as well as what you intend to say about this transformative period. If we can be a resource to you, please check out our MBA resources. . For advice on the HBS application, please click here.

Best,
Linda
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 07 Oct 2019, 08:46
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Background: Indian Male, 32
Undergrad: Electronics and Communication Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli(Indian Top 15 engineering college). (8/10). Worked with Texas Instruments as design engineer for a year
Post Grad: MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (GPA: 3/4)
GMAT: Yet to give

Work Experience: 8 years in middle management handling 150 Mn $ revenue.
Leadership: Finalist - Economic Times Young leaders, currently leading a team of 500+ employees, held multiple leadership roles in both undergrad and post grad colleges

Others: Inspired by roommate took a break of one year from work and prepared for Indian civil service exam. This challenged my view of the world. Unfortunately i could not clear the selection process. Even after coming back to industry, I feel there is a big missing piece.

Plan: MBA/MPA – ID course
Post MBA/MPP: Want to work with government/international agencies/political parties.

Thanks a lot!
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 07 Oct 2019, 14:23
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Hi financechick,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. The quantitative data points of your background are competitive for HBS, which is great. That said, to stand out, the qualitative component of your profile must be equally strong, if not more. There are nuances in the description of your personal background that stand out, like multiracial. I had a client with a distinct background akin to yours that I helped get into HBS, and I encourage you to use what sets you apart to build a powerful narrative.

As far as your professional experience is concerned, I like that you have received promotions and that your experience is diverse within finance. I also like that you are seriously pursuing your CFA. As you prepare your application to HBS, I encourage you to think about how your background (as is) with an education from HBS could help you transition into consulting?

If you would like to speak further about your background and how I can help you stand out in your application, please reach out.

Good luck with this important chapter in your professional development.

Susan


financechick
Hello all! Thanks in advance

Background: U.S. citizen, multiracial (White, Black, Hispanic)
Undergrad: non-prestigious college with a 3.6, but graduated with two majors and a year early (does that save me?)
GMAT: 740
Work Experience: 2.5 years at a rating angency as an analyst in structured finance, promoted after 1.5 years; currently 2.25 years into a role as an investment associate on the team that manages the endowment of a prestigious think tank in DC, promoted after 2 years.
Community and others: Long history of volunteer work since undergrad, including 2.5 years volunteering as a math tutor to low-income GED students in DC. I really wasn't involved in anything formal in college.
Post-MBA goals: To work as an investment consultant and then eventually to work for a large endowment in a management role.
Anything else? I passed CFA Level I and am sitting for L2 in June. Also, I was unemployed for 4 months between my two jobs, I accepted an offer with Peace Corps that was canceled due to a natural disaster in the country three days after I left the rating agency. I think this will be the focus of my HBS essay because it was a transformative time, but not sure if I'm better off just mentioning it int the WE section & not bringing too much attention to it. I would really appreciate any advice there!
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Oct 2019, 10:46
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Chandru1987
Background: Indian Male, 32
Undergrad: Electronics and Communication Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli(Indian Top 15 engineering college). (8/10). Worked with Texas Instruments as design engineer for a year
Post Grad: MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (GPA: 3/4)
GMAT: Yet to give

Work Experience: 8 years in middle management handling 150 Mn $ revenue.
Leadership: Finalist - Economic Times Young leaders, currently leading a team of 500+ employees, held multiple leadership roles in both undergrad and post grad colleges

Others: Inspired by roommate took a break of one year from work and prepared for Indian civil service exam. This challenged my view of the world. Unfortunately i could not clear the selection process. Even after coming back to industry, I feel there is a big missing piece.

Plan: MBA/MPA – ID course
Post MBA/MPP: Want to work with government/international agencies/political parties.

Thanks a lot!
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Chandru,

Without a GMAT score it's almost impossible to say if you'd be competitive. You are above average in terms of work experience and that may not be a plus, although HBS will like your leadership experience. If you have a competitive GMAT, I'd say apply to HBS, but also consider other programs like Georgetown's MBA. You may also want to consider the Sloan Fellows programs at MIT, LBS and Stanford, and see if they allow you to take classes that are relevant to your MPA/MPP interests.

Finally, you might be interested in:

* HKS: An Interview with Admissions Director Matt Clemons
* How to Get a Georgetown MBA
* MIT Sloan EMBA and Fellows Programs: Move from Success to Significance

Best,
Linda
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Oct 2019, 16:17
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Hi everyone. Just putting some feelers out for what I need to improve to increase my chances of getting into a top 10 MBA after I graduate in DEC 2020. Would love feedback on what I should improve about myself to strengthen a 2+2 application, or a regular application in 4~5 years.

(Thanks MBAPrepCoach for the template)

============

School, major, GPA
Melbourne, Engineering and Business (dual degree), GPA: 4.0/4.0


Internship and/or work experience
(1) Two years at BMW (engineering) in Munich. Also wrote my bachelor thesis whilst working there.
(2) Combination of short term internships/experiences adding up to four months.


Test scores, GMAT or GRE
Not Attempted

My goal would be 750, however no less than 730.


Age
22


Gender
Male


Country of citizenship
Australia


Language test scores
N/A


International exposure and languages
(1) Two months in Tanzania
(2) Two years in Germany. Can speak German at an elementary workplace level which I learnt beforehand in my own time.


All leadership experience, duration and role
(1) Founding president of the mechanical engineering association at my university. Approximately 200 members and growing.
(2) Established a small start-up which is a platform for auto-part sales. Currently operating.


All community involvement
Probably need to work on this the most. Anyone have good hints at types of community involvement which is best?


Goals (Personal, professional??)
(1) Become a well respected professional
(2) Double the growth of a business I am the leader of.
(3) Take responsibility of a firm worth over $1bn

(These sound terrible, I will need to take more time to think of more fitting goals)


Unique background factors
What do others write about unique background factors?


Other diversity factors
N/A I have not faced diversity issues. What do applicants usually write regarding this?


Any other special or relevant info (special sauce)
Special sauce? What could be written here that has not been included in the other sections?


Your best guess at what you will discuss in your main essay
I think I would present a discussion most focussed on the ambition I have to always challenge myself to do the best I possibly can. Particularly, moving overseas as a 20 year old to undertake an internship and thesis at BMW. Furthermore, I would discuss my leadership qualities and the support I give to students around the the engineering association I formed from scratch at university.

============
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 09 Oct 2019, 23:25
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HWaus
Hi everyone. Just putting some feelers out for what I need to improve to increase my chances of getting into a top 10 MBA after I graduate in DEC 2020. Would love feedback on what I should improve about myself to strengthen a 2+2 application, or a regular application in 4~5 years.

(Thanks MBAPrepCoach for the template)

============

School, major, GPA
Melbourne, Engineering and Business (dual degree), GPA: 4.0/4.0


Internship and/or work experience
(1) Two years at BMW (engineering) in Munich. Also wrote my bachelor thesis whilst working there.
(2) Combination of short term internships/experiences adding up to four months.


Test scores, GMAT or GRE
Not Attempted

My goal would be 750, however no less than 730.


Age
22


Gender
Male


Country of citizenship
Australia


Language test scores
N/A


International exposure and languages
(1) Two months in Tanzania
(2) Two years in Germany. Can speak German at an elementary workplace level which I learnt beforehand in my own time.


All leadership experience, duration and role
(1) Founding president of the mechanical engineering association at my university. Approximately 200 members and growing.
(2) Established a small start-up which is a platform for auto-part sales. Currently operating.


All community involvement
Probably need to work on this the most. Anyone have good hints at types of community involvement which is best?


Goals (Personal, professional??)
(1) Become a well respected professional
(2) Double the growth of a business I am the leader of.
(3) Take responsibility of a firm worth over $1bn

(These sound terrible, I will need to take more time to think of more fitting goals)


Unique background factors
What do others write about unique background factors?


Other diversity factors
N/A I have not faced diversity issues. What do applicants usually write regarding this?


Any other special or relevant info (special sauce)
Special sauce? What could be written here that has not been included in the other sections?


Your best guess at what you will discuss in your main essay
I think I would present a discussion most focussed on the ambition I have to always challenge myself to do the best I possibly can. Particularly, moving overseas as a 20 year old to undertake an internship and thesis at BMW. Furthermore, I would discuss my leadership qualities and the support I give to students around the the engineering association I formed from scratch at university.

============
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HWaus

Thanks. You have a lot of question in here. Let's see if I can isolate them.

"Anyone have good hints at types of community involvement which is best?" Activities that reflect your interests, require you to assume responsibility for an outcome, and give you opportunities for leadership. Frankly founding the engineering society and growing it is an example of community service.

You do need to get more specific with your goals. Please see "Why MBA?"


"What do others write about unique background factors?" You're really asking about how you can contribute to diversity. (FYI, Australians with experience working in Germany aren't common in U.S. business schools. That's your background) Please see "Different Dimensions of Diversity."


"Special sauce? What could be written here that has not been included in the other sections?" That will hopefully be something that you can bring out in other sections, including your resume, essays, interviews and throughout your application. It could be what you intend to do after your MBA or how you intend to contribute while in business school. It could be your background, your experience in Germany and in founding the engineering society. Lots of options.

If you plan to apply in 4-5 years, the topic of your essays will probably evolve. And in any case, you will have to look at the question(s) posed in the context of the overall application and also at showing fit with different schools. You can't just write one essay or a set of essays and think it will work for all of them. If you plan to apply now, while you can write about the topics you mention, how to fit them into the different applications and which to emphasize will vary from schools to school. That's what we help clients with.

For general advice on deferred admission programs, please see MBA Programs that Defer. It's a little old and more programs defer today, but the advice is solid.

For advice on preparing yourself to apply in 4-5 years, please see Prep for B-School: A 4-year Guide for College Students & Recent Grads.

Final tip, I don't think this will be a problem, but check with the deferred admission programs individually to ensure that your two-year internship doesn't make you ineligible for deferred admission programs.

Best,
Linda
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Oct 2019, 00:50
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Quote:


Final tip, I don't think this will be a problem, but check with the deferred admission programs individually to ensure that your two-year internship doesn't make you ineligible for deferred admission programs.

Best,
Linda
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I sent an email to the HBS admissions email regarding this question, all I got in reply was a generic email that didn't answer my question
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Oct 2019, 01:20
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Hi There,
I've just started to put a profile together. I will be fine-tuning it and working on it. Looking forward to some constructive feedback :)
Here's a brief

1. GMAT : 720
2. CG - 7.3 (automobile engg) (reputed UNI)
3. Entrepreneur - Co-founded 2 companies, working with the 2nd one currently.
1st was an EV startup, 2nd a social enterprise. Combined exp 4.5 years
4. Featured(along with my team) in the Entrepreneur India Mag.
The startup has been featured in countless publications.
5. Started a student Go-karting championship as a way to self fund my venture. The championship has now become one of India's Largest.
I also mentor and do consultancy for a few startups along with a couple of things here and there...

My motivation to do an MBA comes from my desire to learn the best business practices, network, get exposure to impactful businesses and solve actual problems on a bigger scale.

I've been working on and with startups to date, this means i don't really have any corporate experience. Looking at various class profiles i see most people are from corporate backgrounds. Would this be in any way be a negative?
(PS- I'm an engineer)
I'd like to get into a consulting firm post MBA or work with a VC firm (considering my startup exp and the love/urge to find solutions)
Why a Consultant?
To put it briefly I LIKE to find problems and LOVE to find solutions to them. I also get super bored if I work on something for too long. Consulting is one profession, according to me, which allows me to cycle between various industries and problems.


Please feel free to add any comments and suggestions.
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GRE 3: Q163 V159
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Harvard Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 10 Oct 2019, 23:07
Originally posted by vamkrispk on 10 Oct 2019, 20:03.
Last edited by vamkrispk on 10 Oct 2019, 23:07, edited 1 time in total.
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JUST A DETAILED REVIEW OF WHAT I DO and what i am.... I work for a public sector bank wherein the government of India owns 55%... there is tough competition to get into this job.. its not a Investment bank or a foreign bank... its a government bank with a triple bottom line... it may be treated as government career as most of our day to day functions involve implementing government policies with respect to financial inclusion, out reach of credit to rural poor, improving agriculture sector through involvement with village governments, engaging with rural women to uplift them through Self help groups, etc ( and i have done this as a job for 3.5 of 4 years on a daily basis)

Background and nationality-
26 years , Indian, male,

Undergrad Information- Aerospace Engineer - SRM UNIVERSITY
7.32/10 GPA- top 25% of the class- (university level- TOP 40 in India)

GMAT: 730 ( on 3 gmat prep mocks -- test on Nov 7th with target of 770 which i will likely achieve)

Work experience and leadership - largest bank and financial services group (public sector) of the country ( back bone of the Indian economy )... State Bank of India (TOP 50 global bank and a F 500 company) .. selected as one of the 2000 officers out of 2.5 million applicants.

1. Credit analyst- 6 months- Commercial Credit- State Bank of India
Ensuring risk quality and credit quality aspects of proposals appraised keeping in view the credit policy of the bank. Performing industry analysis, due diligence processes, etc. Obtaining and analysing relevant financial information, including operating statements and balance sheets for carrying out CRA exercise/preparation of proposals for underwriting new loans, increasing loan commitments, periodical review or substantive changes in terms.Preparation of reports of Special Mention Accounts (NPA) for submission to the appropriate authorities.
Carrying out inspection of units as and when required and mandated in the loan agreement.Ensuring compliance with the bank’s credit policy, local regulatory requirements and compliance with the central bank. Coordinate with officers handling opreations to ensure timely updating and modification of data/terms and conditions/ date of review/approval etc are in the system as and when such change takes place for ensuring correctness of data and information. Achieved more than 35% growth over existing loan book of the asset management team that I worked in a span of 4 months. Appraised credit facilities to the tune of $99 million (Rs 705 cr). Handled 17 corporates accounts with a total exposure of $244.36 million.



2. Deputy Branch Manager of large branch- 1 year 2 months- State bank of India
Incharge of Branch Operations, the head of staff, and head of personal banking division at the branch level.Was directly responsible for the functioning, training, and working of 8 full time staff members. Was incharge of business development in the areas of customer acquisition, agriculture, bullion backed credit, personal segment advances, deposit mobilisation, and cross selling.
Achievements
MANAGING DIRECTOR’S CLUB- MUTUAL FUNDS- OUSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN Bank's MUTUAL FUNDS- 3RD IN THE STATE AMONG 19853 EMPLOYEES.
GOLD QUALIFIER IN YEAR END CAMPAIGN- MUTUAL FUND- FELICITATED BY CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER.. 7th among 19853 employees.
CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER’S CLUB- SBI GENERAL INSURANCE- TOP 3 IN THE STATE
Adjudged the best Deputy Branch Manager in the Network of 850 branches by the General Manager of the network
Adjudged the best Deputy Branch Manager in the Region of 48 branches by the Assistant General Manager/ Regional Manager

The following are the achievements of the team that I lead as the DBM
Gold loan campaign- Was among the 35 branches that qualified in the national level twice in 2 back to back months
QUALIFIED xyz CAMPAIGN- TOPPER AT THE NETWORK LEVEL AMONG 830 BRANCHES.
Achieved an Audit score of ‘AA’ a rare feat given the current banking scenario in india.
DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER’S CLUB – NOMINATED BY ALL THE DGMS IN THE STATE TO BE BEST BRANCH AMONG 1300 BRANCHES.


3. Branch Manager – 8 months- State Bank of India
As branch manager lead a team of 4 staff members with Rs35 millions of business. Primarily responsible for business development of the branch, functioning of the staff, marketing, appraising MSME credit proposals, ensuring due-diligence of all liability and asset products, and overall security measures of the branch premises.As Branch Manager and team lead, I had along with my team successfully tripled the number of deposit holders in a span of 6 months, increased the agri-gold loan business by 150% over the previous fiscal, sourced and apprised MSME loans to the value of 300% the asset portfolio of the branch, made the branch a 100% digitally banked rural branch from 15% previously by conducting digital awareness programs in the nearby villages, with the help of Sarpanchs ( head of the village level government) and also insured 85% of salaried factory workers from a previous level of 3% a feat appreciated by the GM of the network.

4. New recruit officer - 2 years- State Bank of India
Mandatory time of 2 years of learning of the bank policies and assisting the branch functionaries in business development.
Handled crowds of about 20,000 everyday for 3 months during the demonetization (lineups were 2-3 kms) exercise that took place in 2016 (the greatest challenge at the time).
Increased revenue of a branch by 50%.

Leadership
Leadership (extra-curricular):

1. Organiser and Head of Planning Committee – DEPARTMENT FEST – 2013
Organized and planned the UN international Space week in Aerospace Department. Planned, Created, and set-up events for participation. Coordinated and Managed 50+ volunteers for the success of the technical fest.

2. Joint Secretary and English teacher- a student based NGO- 2012-2013
Was a part of the management team of a student based NGO. As Joint Secretary, I developed syllabus and teaching functions, guidelines for environment awareness focus campaigns , put together the online campaigning strategy, formulated HR policies including setting up of different verticals , conducting interviews for on-boarding of volunteers, conducting induction programs for new volunteers of the newly formed NGO. I had also introduced Volunteer incentive program for extraordinary recognition. I was also given additional responsibility of being in charge of the book wings program where I planned, organized, scheduled classes on a weekly basis for teaching English to under-privileged children.

3. Director & President – student based ngo -2013-2015
As the director of Go Green, I was directly responsible for 200 volunteers. Organized Beach clean-up programs, environmental cleanliness awareness campaigns, water conversation campaigns, animal habitat restoration programs, sanitation awareness programs etc., . As the director, I was in charge of proper policy implementation of the NGO to ensure effective outreach of the awareness campaigns, build relationships with the external agencies for planning events of a larger scale, ensuring that every volunteer is well versed on climate change & sustainable development goals relating to environment and helping the junior volunteers in the on-boarding by conducting induction programs and team building exercises. As the first Director, I had an additional responsibility of formulating polices on succession of the directors and voting of green-captains .

4. Volunteer- Earthlings- 2015-present
active environmental activist in my city and region by participating in awareness programs and educating the general public.( couldnt take up a leadership position because of time constraints as i have 6 day week and have to cme in even on sundays ... that being said i have always pitched my view because of my experience of running an NGO)

Community and others- (dont know what to write here) - Have a deep connection with nature and environment. Always been an active activist for environmental causes. Have been volunteering for the past 7 years of my life biweekly to raise awareness and continue to do so

Post MBA goals- Want to move to consulting with a specialization in public sector and climate policy and hope to make it to MBB after mba.
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