Last visit was: 02 Sep 2026, 10:25

It is currently 02 Sep 2026, 10:25

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Business School and MBA

The B-School Applications

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Sep 02
ISB Interview Call Guarantee Module
01:00 PM PDT
-
02:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
Sep 03
MIT Sloan: Global Community, Mission-Driven Learning & What We Value
11:00 AM PDT
-
12:00 PM PDT
We go inside the MIT Sloan School of Management with Donna Levinson, Assistant Dean of Admissions at MIT Sloan, for a detailed conversation on Sloan’s MBA experience, curriculum, global community, application process, and admissions philosophy.
Sep 03
Missed Round 1? Your Real Round 2 Game Plan
09:00 PM IST
-
10:00 AM IST
Join our free webinar on building a stronger Round 2 MBA application for INSEAD, LBS, Kellogg, HEC & other T20 B-schools after missing Round 1. Learn what actually changes in Round 2 and rebuild your candidacy.
Sep 04
Pre-MBA Career Accelerator
12:00 PM EDT
-
01:00 PM EDT
The old MBA recruiting playbook is dead. Here’s how top admits are getting ahead this summer.
Sep 07
All GMAT Club Tests are free and open for Labor Day on Monday, September 7th!
12:01 AM PDT
-
11:59 PM PDT
On the 7th, GMAT Club Tests will be Free! Including all the Quizzes, Questions, and Tests. 12 AM - 11:59 PM PDT
Sep 09
Masters' Spotlight Fair
07:00 AM PDT
-
10:00 AM PDT
Meet AdComs and explore top Master’s programs - MiM, MiF, MSc, MSBA and more. - Application Fee Waivers - Free 1-Week of GMAT Club Tests: - Master's Application Toolkit - Grand Prize Giveaway

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Help me shortlist colleges - please!

manasigupta

Joined: 20 Mar 2021

Last visit: 31 Oct 2025

Posts: 5

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 153

GMAT 1: 660 Q50 V30 Verified score

Posts: 5

Kudos: 2

Updated on: 26 Oct 2024, 08:46

Originally posted by manasigupta on 02 Jun 2024, 20:55.
Last edited by manasigupta on 26 Oct 2024, 08:46, edited 5 times in total.

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi,
I am a social entrepreneur, management consultant and an engineer, psychologist by education.

My ask: Please help me shortlist colleges.

My why:
[*]Hone my skills, specially in impact-venture labs
[*]Build a meaningful network
[*]Scale my entrepreneurial venture/organisation
[*]Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V30)

Work experience:
• Full time: Change Management, Shell, 2-3 years
• Social Entrepreneur, 6 years (Mental Healthcare): 1.5 mn impacted in 20 countries.
• Interned at multiple impact-oriented tech startups in business roles

Achievements:
• Diana Legacy Award- Highest accolade for social impact that a young person can win
• 2x TEDx speaker; 100+ global talks
• Awarded by the Health Secretary of India

Education:
• Engineering: Top 1% - awarded the Young Alumni award and the Special Achiever award. (8.71/10)
• Master’s in psychology

Fellowships/Advisory: (SDG 3, 4, 13)
• World Bank
• USAID
• One Young World
• Oxford’s Global Leadership Challenge, HPAIR, Forbes Conference
• Being Initiative, GMHAN
• Impactful projects at AIESEC
• Global Governance Initiative fellowship
• UN MCN Fellowship
• MUNs, IEEE College Board member (multiple- organised, as well as participated)

Publications:
• Co-authored a book to raise funds
• 3 academic papers on different SDGs and technological innovation

Vague target:
Countries: USA, UK, Singapore. Open to other countries too. Ranked in the top 30.

Thanks a lot for your time; really value your perspectives.

dee1pug1

Joined: 30 Dec 2022

Last visit: 02 Sep 2026

Posts: 437

Own Kudos:

360

Given Kudos: 65

Posts: 437

Kudos: 360

02 Jun 2024, 21:31

Kudos

Bookmarks

Please add more details of your education, academic grades and work experience. Also note that despite you not wanting to take the GMAT again, your V29 will hurt your candidature.

manasigupta

Joined: 20 Mar 2021

Last visit: 31 Oct 2025

Posts: 5

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 153

GMAT 1: 660 Q50 V30 Verified score

Posts: 5

Kudos: 2

02 Jun 2024, 22:28

Kudos

Bookmarks

dee1pug1

Please add more details of your education, academic grades and work experience. Also note that despite you not wanting to take the GMAT again, your V29 will hurt your candidature.

Hi, I have updated it with some of my details; thanks

Posted from my mobile device

TheRedPen

The Red Pen Representative

Joined: 18 Jan 2021

Last visit: 07 Aug 2026

Posts: 660

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 7

Location: India

GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V42 Verified score

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V42 Verified score

Posts: 660

Kudos: 86

03 Jun 2024, 00:14

Kudos

Bookmarks

manasigupta

Hi,
I am an ambitious and award-winning social entrepreneur and an engineer, psychologist by education.

My ask: Please help me shortlist colleges. I want to apply for MBA programs this year in round 1.

Why:

Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow.
Work for impact - oriented roles more.

How:

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V29). I will not be able to take another attempt, I don't have the bandwidth so please don't suggest that. I might appear for GRE if this score seems too less.

More about me:
Work experience:
• Transformational Change, Shell, 2 years
• Interned at Multiple startups (globally) for education and sustainability

Fellowships/Advisory:
• World Bank advisory council
• USAID Advisory council
• One Young World Ambassador
• Attended Oxford’s Global Leadership Challenge, HPAIR, Forbes Conference
• Impactful projects at AIESEC
• Global Governance Initiative fellowship
• UN MCN Fellowship
• MUNs (multiple- organised, as well as participated)

Publications:
• Published a book to raise funds
• 3 academic papers on different SDGs and technological innovation

Achievements:
• Diana Legacy Award- Highest accolade for social impact that a young person can win
• 2x TEDx speaker; 100+ global talks
• Awarded by the Health Secretary of India

Education:
• Engineering: Recognition: Top 1% - awarded the Young Alumni award and the Special Achiever award. (8.71/10)
• Master’s in psychology, part - time

Vague target: Countries: UK, Singapore, Australia. Open to USA/other countries too. Ranked in the top 30.

Thanks a lot for your time; really value your perspectives.

Hi manasigupta,

Your profile seems all over the place. We need to understand your profile map so far which will help you chalk out a plan of action for you.

Your supplemental essays in your MBA applications need to highlight a well-crafted journey implying your short and long-term goals with a strong intent to pursue an MBA.

The top business schools look for applicants with 3-5 years of average work experience. We recommend you connect with our MBA consultants for a free profile evaluation discussion. It will help our experts understand your profile better.

You can also connect with the team via call at +91 7780769732

manasigupta

Joined: 20 Mar 2021

Last visit: 31 Oct 2025

Posts: 5

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 153

GMAT 1: 660 Q50 V30 Verified score

Posts: 5

Kudos: 2

03 Jun 2024, 00:38

Kudos

Bookmarks

TheRedPen

manasigupta

Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow.
Work for impact - oriented roles more.

How:

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V29). I will not be able to take another attempt, I don't have the bandwidth so please don't suggest that. I might appear for GRE if this score seems too less.

Hi manasigupta,

Your profile seems all over the place. We need to understand your profile map so far which will help you chalk out a plan of action for you.

Your supplemental essays in your MBA applications need to highlight a well-crafted journey implying your short and long-term goals with a strong intent to pursue an MBA.

The top business schools look for applicants with 3-5 years of average work experience. We recommend you connect with our MBA consultants. It will help our experts understand your profile better.

You can also connect with the team via call at +91 7780769732

Posted from my mobile device

AugustAcademy

Joined: 26 Jan 2013

Last visit: 17 Aug 2026

Posts: 472

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 7

Schools: Stanford '19

GMAT 1: 770 Q51 V44 Verified score

GPA: 3.99

Schools: Stanford '19

GMAT 1: 770 Q51 V44 Verified score

Posts: 472

Kudos: 68

03 Jun 2024, 02:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

I would need to see a full resume to understand the kind of impact you've created.

Sometimes, only one or two affiliations are enough if the impact created is significant. The opposite is also true.

A 660 (assuming old GMAT) is weak.

If we assess the rest of your profile and your ambition levels to be strong, then I would recommend a retake - the GRE is fine.

Not very familiar with the MBA scene in Australia. NUS/NTU and the UK top 3 may be difficult with the 660, unless the social contributions are through the roof. I see the possibility for that being the case, but would need to see the more detailed version of your resume to validate.

You can look at Singapore 3- 5+ and UK 5+ ranked programs.

Reach out if you want to chat more: https://bit.ly/GM_AugAcd_Profile_Evaluation

Best,
Karthik

manasigupta

Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow.
Work for impact - oriented roles more.

How:

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V29). I will not be able to take another attempt, I don't have the bandwidth so please don't suggest that. I might appear for GRE if this score seems too less.

MBAGuide

Joined: 24 Jul 2019

Last visit: 02 Sep 2026

Posts: 2,541

Own Kudos:

1,036

[1]

Given Kudos: 29

Location: India

Concentration: Operations, Marketing

Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)

Posts: 2,541

Kudos: 1,036

[1]

03 Jun 2024, 03:37

Kudos

Bookmarks

manasigupta

Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow.
Work for impact - oriented roles more.

How:

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V29). I will not be able to take another attempt, I don't have the bandwidth so please don't suggest that. I might appear for GRE if this score seems too less.

Hi @manasigupta Hope you are doing great. Feel free to speak directly with me if you're unsure how to structure your profile details for evaluation. I can walk you through what is considered important.

Here are a few comments on various aspects:

GRE vs GMAT- I am disappointed because you got a fantastic score in Quant! What happened in the verbal section? Please consider the GRE if you feel it could help you show your commitment to improving your verbal performance. I would tell you that it is perfectly fine to share both GMAT and GRE scores with the admissions committees as it would help them see the effort you have put in and how dedicated you are to the idea of an MBA.

Work experience - I am honestly very impressed with your fellowship experiences. But it's not enough to just judge by the name of the fellowship what you might have worked on. You need to discuss your projects in detail with a mentor so they can advise you on how to best position yourself. In addition to the fellowships, I value change management experience in a top tier organisation.

Goals - This is where you need to put in more work. "Impact oriented roles" is a broad term, but your targeting strategy needs to be focused so that you can seek out the right schools (where you can get these types of opportunities) and so that you can beat the competition. An MBA is a big investment, and the good b-schools will want you to have a solid rationale for why you are willing to spend so much money if you are coming from an impact-oriented sector. You need to think hard about what exactly you want to do, and develop a strategy with a plan A and a plan B (or even a plan C). I would also like to tell you that the impact sector is not a great industry to pitch if you are targeting colleges in Austria or Singapore. The prominent organisations in the impact sector have established feeder pipelines, and if you are not at the right colleges, you will have problems with visa sponsorship.

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]

admitStreet

Joined: 14 Mar 2023

Last visit: 01 Sep 2026

Posts: 1,791

Own Kudos:

590

Given Kudos: 17

Location: India

Concentration: Strategy, Finance

Schools: HEC Jan 2018 Intake (A$) ISB '19 (A)

WE:Management Consulting (Consulting)

Schools: HEC Jan 2018 Intake (A$) ISB '19 (A)

Posts: 1,791

Kudos: 590

03 Jun 2024, 21:21

Kudos

Bookmarks

manasigupta

Diverse cohorts, want to experience different perspectives, learn and grow.
Work for impact - oriented roles more.

How:

GMAT score 660 (Q50, V29). I will not be able to take another attempt, I don't have the bandwidth so please don't suggest that. I might appear for GRE if this score seems too less.

@manasigupta - some thoughts on your profile:

1. The GMAT score is on the lower side for most top programs, particularly given your full-time work-ex (2 years) isn't high. A retake, or switching to GRE would help increase odds. Latest GMAT Classic averages of Top-30 MBA programs are here FYI.

2. Would like to understand your work-ex and entrepreneurial stint better to assess e.g. key achievements/ projects, skillsets picked up, did you work with teams abroad, etc. Your achievements and fellowships present interesting angles, which can potentially be linked to your goals (next point).

3. Your post-MBA goals need strengthening i.e. which sectors/ functions/ geographies are you looking at. To that end, it'd be crucial to have a strong narrative covering your skillsets/ experiences, goals and how/ why an MBA would help. Prioritizing programs would then require a deeper discussion, considering these parameters.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet | HEC Paris MBA alum and Former Admissions Interviewer
W: https://admitstreet.com | E: [email protected] | LinkedIn | Schedule a free chat