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ARINGO
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Sarvesh22
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Work experience - Will be completing 4 years work experience with McKinsey and Company as a data scientist.
Undergraduation - Completed my undergraduation from one of the top engineering colleges (Delhi Technological University) in India in Mathematics and Computing Engineering.
School - Got 10 CGPA in 10th and 97% in 12th boards CBSE
GMAT - Got 700 in GMAT (Q49, V36, IR4, AWA4).
Others - Have been involved in various social and co-curricular activities such as National level Horse riding, State level Air Rifle Shooting, Command level football, etc

Is aiming for INSEAD ambitious, realistic or sureshot?
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Hi Sarvesh22,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile appears to be good on the surface, and the mention of DTU/DCE always brings back great memories. In terms of your GMAT score, I believe you should strive to increase it by 20-30 points to maximize your chances. You have big names in your cv. You didn't share much about your work experience. I'd like to know more about it. Your extracurricular activities appear to be impressive. They will add diversity to your apps if effectively demonstrated. If you want, you may check over this post to see what information you need to provide in order to get a comprehensive evaluation and post it in the thread.

I will be glad to guide you on other b-schools and INSEAD, as I am an INSEAD alum who understands the school's culture. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to 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
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Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525



Sarvesh22
Work experience - Will be completing 4 years work experience with McKinsey and Company as a data scientist.
Undergraduation - Completed my undergraduation from one of the top engineering colleges (Delhi Technological University) in India in Mathematics and Computing Engineering.
School - Got 10 CGPA in 10th and 97% in 12th boards CBSE
GMAT - Got 700 in GMAT (Q49, V36, IR4, AWA4).
Others - Have been involved in various social and co-curricular activities such as National level Horse riding, State level Air Rifle Shooting, Command level football, etc

Is aiming for INSEAD ambitious, realistic or sureshot?
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Demographic: 28, Scandinavian, Male
GMAT Score: est. 700

Education:
BSc in Maritime Administration (2018) 3.47/4.0
MSc in Finance and Accounting: (2020) 2.85/4.0

Work-Ex:
Currently working as senior consultant at Big 4 (2020 - Present: 1 year, will have 3 years of experience before joining Business School). Fast tracked, promotion from consultant to senior consultant in one year.

Worked part time at worlds largest transportation company, for two years (2017-2019)
Interned at worlds largest transportation company, PMO/M&A (For 8 months in 2017/18)
Worked part time at major Scandinavian bank (for 4 months 2016)
Worked part time as a bookkeeper at a small firm (for 8 months 2016)
I focused more at gaining work experience, than improving my GPA, since this was crucial in landing a fulltime job after graduation.

Extracurricular:
Current board member of Mensa (Country chapter)
Semester exchange to WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany (2019)
Semester exchange to Texas A&M, USA (2017)

Languages:
English (Fluent), Danish (Native)

Role after MBA:
Consulting / Business Development / Operations

Aiming for the following universities:
INSEAD
London Business School
HEC Paris
Judge Business School
Saïd Business School
Columbia (Maybe)
HBS (Maybe)
Wharton (Maybe)
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Hi All,

Please evaluate my profile for R1 of applications in 2022. I am from India

Age: 27 year old Male (at the time of application)

GMAT Score: Yet to give (Targetting 740)

Educational Qualifications:
Graduation: B.Tech in Computer Science from Symbiosis Institue of Technology (3.55 CGPA).
H.S.C: 86.41%- State Board
S.S.C: 80%- CBSE

Work Experience (4 years)+:
PayPal (Aug 21-Present): Working as a Data Engineer, responsible for delivering Business Intelligence reports to the firm's leadership. Working as an individual contributor in Risk Analytics Domain. The reason for the job change was salary and work-life balance.
ZS Associates (April 19 to July 21): Worked as a Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant, got promoted once during my tenure, responsible for end to end leading, planning, designing, and developing of Business Intelligence solutions on the pharmaceutical domain, also act as a tool consultant to provide general opinion on newly onboarded BI projects in my client space. I had 1-3 associates working with me and I was responsible and accountable for their work. I am also responsible for training clients on the new tech if the need arises.
Amdocs (July 17-April 19): Working as a Software Engineering Associate, responsible for designing and developing Business Intelligence solutions, also got an opportunity for presenting team portfolio's during client visits multiple times, giving a demo on various new POC projects to the on-site management, training, and delegation of newly onboarded members.

Leadership Skills:
1. In ZS Associates, I was the acting lead and tech architect for ensuring end-to-end delivery of BI project where I am responsible for planning, estimating timelines, etc. of the tasks along with delegating them to fellow associates. I am also responsible for training clients on the new tech if the need arises
2. In Amdocs, I was responsible for training some of the newly onboarded team members and deligating a couple of tasks to them.

Professional Certificates:
1. Qlik Sense Data Architect
2. Scrum Master

Extra-Curricular:
1. Acted in a dramatic skit in office annual event.
2. Participated in a robotics workshop during my Graduation and secured 1st position got an opportunity to take part in the finals conducted by IIT Delhi, but couldn't attend as some of the team members were not willing to travel.
3. Conducted a Cloud Computing workshop as a member of Google Club. (Do not have a certificate for that)
4. Conducted the induction session for the first year during my final year in graduation
5. Attend a telecom conference in 2013 where different telco leaders presented their insights on net neutrality and the rise of the 4G.

International Exposure:
No international exposure, but in my current firm I have traveled to domestic offices as I was working on a few projects with the other office team
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Hi ytrfedw4,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile looks good on the surface. Starting with the stats, your undergrad GPA is quite low, but you have a master's degree, which may benefit you. Also, the average GMAT score for the b-schools you're interested in is 710+, and yours is 700, so retaking the GMAT and scoring 710+ will surely improve your chances.

On the work front, a good career progression. You will need to bring the instances where you were in a leadership role to bring the leadership attributes in your profile and what led to your promotion. Your internship experiences appear to be excellent as well. Your path from working in a small firm to working for the world's largest transportation company is intriguing, and I feel it will add a lot of diversity to your work profile if demonstrated effectively. Talking about your ECs, they are exhibiting your leadership qualities and being a board member; if you could provide some examples of how you have made an impact through this role, that would be fantastic. In addition, you may want to read an article on how to differentiate yourself in your MBA application essays; you will get the knowledge that will help you increase your chances of being admitted into the desired Business school.

Your post-mba goals make sense, try to elaborate more on them on your apps. Overall, I believe you have a good chance of getting into the business schools you've selected. All that is required is a good GMAT score and creating a good narrative. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to the b-schools. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

How to enhance your application and maximize your chances for fall intake

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


ytrfedw4
Demographic: 28, Scandinavian, Male
GMAT Score: est. 700

Education:
BSc in Maritime Administration (2018) 3.47/4.0
MSc in Finance and Accounting: (2020) 2.85/4.0

Work-Ex:
Currently working as senior consultant at Big 4 (2020 - Present: 1 year, will have 3 years of experience before joining Business School). Fast tracked, promotion from consultant to senior consultant in one year.

Worked part time at worlds largest transportation company, for two years (2017-2019)
Interned at worlds largest transportation company, PMO/M&A (For 8 months in 2017/18)
Worked part time at major Scandinavian bank (for 4 months 2016)
Worked part time as a bookkeeper at a small firm (for 8 months 2016)
I focused more at gaining work experience, than improving my GPA, since this was crucial in landing a fulltime job after graduation.

Extracurricular:
Current board member of Mensa (Country chapter)
Semester exchange to WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany (2019)
Semester exchange to Texas A&M, USA (2017)

Languages:
English (Fluent), Danish (Native)

Role after MBA:
Consulting / Business Development / Operations

Aiming for the following universities:
INSEAD
London Business School
HEC Paris
Judge Business School
Saïd Business School
Columbia (Maybe)
HBS (Maybe)
Wharton (Maybe)
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Hi muggergammy,

Thank you for sharing your profile. I can see many good elements in your profile that will help you create amazing stories. INSEAD evaluates your potential based on the following criteria:

1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics

I can see a mix of 1,2 & 4 in your profile. Regarding your work experience, your roles and responsibilities revolve around BI, from planning to development. It should show that you've worked on huge projects with a significant impact. You've been promoted in your career, but I believe you'll need to clarify the job changes. You have also demonstrated leadership characteristics in your profile, which, if narrated correctly and convincingly, may help you stand out. You should capitalize on your overall work experience. If you are able to score 740+ in your GMAT your chances will get maximize. Your ECs sound good, they will bring diversity to your apps. Overall you have a good profile. I would like to know your post-MBA goals to connect the dots between your goals and previous work experience. Make sure you include how an MBA from INSEAD can help you fill gaps in your profile and achieve your goals. What's going to matter most about your application is how you link experiential dots and make a great narrative. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to the b-school. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

How to enhance your application and maximize your chances for fall intake

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



muggergammy
Hi All,

Please evaluate my profile for R1 of applications in 2022. I am from India

Age: 27 year old Male (at the time of application)

GMAT Score: Yet to give (Targetting 740)

Educational Qualifications:
Graduation: B.Tech in Computer Science from Symbiosis Institue of Technology (3.55 CGPA).
H.S.C: 86.41%- State Board
S.S.C: 80%- CBSE

Work Experience (4 years)+:
PayPal (Aug 21-Present): Working as a Data Engineer, responsible for delivering Business Intelligence reports to the firm's leadership. Working as an individual contributor in Risk Analytics Domain. The reason for the job change was salary and work-life balance.
ZS Associates (April 19 to July 21): Worked as a Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant, got promoted once during my tenure, responsible for end to end leading, planning, designing, and developing of Business Intelligence solutions on the pharmaceutical domain, also act as a tool consultant to provide general opinion on newly onboarded BI projects in my client space. I had 1-3 associates working with me and I was responsible and accountable for their work. I am also responsible for training clients on the new tech if the need arises.
Amdocs (July 17-April 19): Working as a Software Engineering Associate, responsible for designing and developing Business Intelligence solutions, also got an opportunity for presenting team portfolio's during client visits multiple times, giving a demo on various new POC projects to the on-site management, training, and delegation of newly onboarded members.

Leadership Skills:
1. In ZS Associates, I was the acting lead and tech architect for ensuring end-to-end delivery of BI project where I am responsible for planning, estimating timelines, etc. of the tasks along with delegating them to fellow associates. I am also responsible for training clients on the new tech if the need arises
2. In Amdocs, I was responsible for training some of the newly onboarded team members and deligating a couple of tasks to them.

Professional Certificates:
1. Qlik Sense Data Architect
2. Scrum Master

Extra-Curricular:
1. Acted in a dramatic skit in office annual event.
2. Participated in a robotics workshop during my Graduation and secured 1st position got an opportunity to take part in the finals conducted by IIT Delhi, but couldn't attend as some of the team members were not willing to travel.
3. Conducted a Cloud Computing workshop as a member of Google Club. (Do not have a certificate for that)
4. Conducted the induction session for the first year during my final year in graduation
5. Attend a telecom conference in 2013 where different telco leaders presented their insights on net neutrality and the rise of the 4G.

International Exposure:
No international exposure, but in my current firm I have traveled to domestic offices as I was working on a few projects with the other office team
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Nemo999
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Hi could someone evaluate my profile for INSEAD. You guys are doing a fab job... Appreciate the time invested.

Nationality- Indian
Residence - Ivory Coast.
Gender- Male
Age - 33
Grad Biotechnology ( Mumbai University)
Post-graduation – PGDM - Marketing
GMAT- Yet to take ( Hopefully should manage 700-710)

Target Schools - INSEAD, IMD, Kellog - Only 1 year programs.

Post MBA Goals: I wish to continue in CPG/Mfg/Corporate Sector preferably with an MNC in a global role.
a. Better MBA experience - Diversity, pedagogy focussed for an international role. Especially started feeling the gap once I moved internationally.
b. Change of work location to Europe or North America.

Work Exp :
Currently working as Regional Sales Manager handling multiple francophone countries in West Africa based out of Ivory coast and a business of $ 20 Mn. Working for a large CPG giant. I handle a team of 4-5 different nationalities and backgrounds. I have handled multiple food categories in the past. Learning french and now can manage with some customers basic conversations. Hopefully should be fluent by next year.

Earlier worked as a Regional Brand Manager for Middle East based out of UAE - handling entire GCC. Travel usually once a quarter across countries in GCC. Managing 2 flagship brands for the company since a year.

Prior to this - Senior Manager-Sales in India. Close to 6 years of sales experience across multiple states/regions in India managing completely diverse teams. Last was managing a team of 4 Managers and total team size of 60 people. Driving an annual sales turnover of $ 38 Mn.

I would say I have strong international experience. I have lived/worked in 3 countries, travelled to 11-12 countries for work. Otherwise have travelled across 25+ countries. I have managed multilingual teams.

Awards and Recognition:
Decent no of them, Probably 5-6 Awards/another 7-8 certificates, one of the youngest promoted to the role. Was part of the Future Leaders program in the company which presents to the Chairman/Board.

Extra-Curricular Activities: Mentioning a few of them
• National level Tennis Player - State Captain( This was during school days)
• Certified Advanced Open water SCUBA Diver by PADI -
• Scholarship by Sports Authority of India for excellence
• Multiple awards by School for excellence in Sports.

Volunteer Exp - Not much barring working as a writer for blind students during graduation/ Few blood donation drives.

I have been continuously upskilling doing courses of finance and marketing for exec online - MIT, LBS etc to keep myself up to date.
_________________

Some questions which I have -


1) Overall evaluation of my profile? Do I have serious chances
2) Would that GMAT score be enough?
3) Things which I could work upon in the next 1 year to make it stronger?
4) Since I have not taken GMAT yet I am very late for Jan 2022 hence targetting Jan 2023 intake.
5) Will age be a detriment?

Thanks again
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Hi everyone!

Wanted to get a profile evaluation for INSEAD.

I am Indian, female (33 yrs) with 9+ years of experience looking to apply this season. By background I started my career in investment banking, and corporate finance between Centrum Capital and Deloitte. At Deloitte, I have extensively worked with my Australian counterpart supporting M&A transactions within the region. And then moved to an early stage startup within the fintech industry to get a hands on experience of how a business is run.

My outside of work interests have been hiking and mountaineering (scaled the Everest Base Camp in 2019) and a lot of local ranges. Am PADI certified too. Done some volunteer work, but generally more on the fund raising side for social causes.

My aim with the MBA is 3-fold : to build my knowledge, expand network and get international work experience to meet my long term goals of working in the impact investing industry.

I am currently in the midst of studying for the gmat and hence don’t have a score handy, but also wanted some advice on chances of applying in R3.

Thank you in advance. Any feedback would be highly appreciated.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi Nemo999,

Thank you for providing such a detailed profile. I see a lot of elements in your profile that will assist you with writing essays. Your work experience is great. To begin, in terms of your international experience, having lived in three different countries may undoubtedly yield interesting stories. From a global perspective, you can share experiences of living/working/travelling in other places that will illustrate some interesting and distinctive elements of your personality. You have some really strategic roles in your profile and the impact of yours on the organization and your achievements are evidence of it. You possess strong leadership qualities as well. Overall, your work experience is excellent. You need to present it effectively. Your ECs and achievements are also remarkable. Especially SCUBA driving. Speaking about them with the right passion would greatly improve your application, as b-school schools are very interested in your extracurriculars.

Your post-MBA goals are aligned with your prior work experience, which is a plus. You might want to read an article on the top MBA programs in Europe to round out your list with some additional b-schools.

Answering your questions:

Yes, you have a shot at top business schools. INSEAD, in particular, encourages older candidates. Your profile is great; the only thing lacking is your GMAT score. To increase your prospects, I recommend raising your GMAT score to 730. Overall, your profile is strong. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances at the b-schools. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Community Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com


Nemo999
Hi could someone evaluate my profile for INSEAD. You guys are doing a fab job... Appreciate the time invested.

Nationality- Indian
Residence - Ivory Coast.
Gender- Male
Age - 33
Grad Biotechnology ( Mumbai University)
Post-graduation – PGDM - Marketing
GMAT- Yet to take ( Hopefully should manage 700-710)

Target Schools - INSEAD, IMD, Kellog - Only 1 year programs.

Post MBA Goals: I wish to continue in CPG/Mfg/Corporate Sector preferably with an MNC in a global role.
a. Better MBA experience - Diversity, pedagogy focussed for an international role. Especially started feeling the gap once I moved internationally.
b. Change of work location to Europe or North America.

Work Exp :
Currently working as Regional Sales Manager handling multiple francophone countries in West Africa based out of Ivory coast and a business of $ 20 Mn. Working for a large CPG giant. I handle a team of 4-5 different nationalities and backgrounds. I have handled multiple food categories in the past. Learning french and now can manage with some customers basic conversations. Hopefully should be fluent by next year.

Earlier worked as a Regional Brand Manager for Middle East based out of UAE - handling entire GCC. Travel usually once a quarter across countries in GCC. Managing 2 flagship brands for the company since a year.

Prior to this - Senior Manager-Sales in India. Close to 6 years of sales experience across multiple states/regions in India managing completely diverse teams. Last was managing a team of 4 Managers and total team size of 60 people. Driving an annual sales turnover of $ 38 Mn.

I would say I have strong international experience. I have lived/worked in 3 countries, travelled to 11-12 countries for work. Otherwise have travelled across 25+ countries. I have managed multilingual teams.

Awards and Recognition:
Decent no of them, Probably 5-6 Awards/another 7-8 certificates, one of the youngest promoted to the role. Was part of the Future Leaders program in the company which presents to the Chairman/Board.

Extra-Curricular Activities: Mentioning a few of them
• National level Tennis Player - State Captain( This was during school days)
• Certified Advanced Open water SCUBA Diver by PADI -
• Scholarship by Sports Authority of India for excellence
• Multiple awards by School for excellence in Sports.

Volunteer Exp - Not much barring working as a writer for blind students during graduation/ Few blood donation drives.

I have been continuously upskilling doing courses of finance and marketing for exec online - MIT, LBS etc to keep myself up to date.
_________________

Some questions which I have -


1) Overall evaluation of my profile? Do I have serious chances
2) Would that GMAT score be enough?
3) Things which I could work upon in the next 1 year to make it stronger?
4) Since I have not taken GMAT yet I am very late for Jan 2022 hence targetting Jan 2023 intake.
5) Will age be a detriment?

Thanks again
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Hi krutiparekh,

Thank you for sharing your profile. I believe that as an older candidate, you have both pros and cons, and it is up to you to maximize them. I'm sure that your 9+ years of work experience will provide you with lots of amazing stories of leadership, maturity, influence, innovation, and international exposure. Your hiking and mountaineering experience will assist you in adding diversity to your apps. Great! Your motivation for pursuing an MBA is impressive. Now, let's get to your major concern about applying in R3. INSEAD limits the number of admits from any nationality or background. You may be at a disadvantage if you are from an over-represented pool (from which many students often come). If your profile is ordinary, you must be strong in all aspects of your application, including your academic background, professional track record, international experience, and hobbies and accomplishments outside of work. To stand out, you will need to include an amazing narrative in your application. You might want to read an article on whether international applicants should apply for INSEAD round 3; you'll get great insights.

Overall, your profile seems good on the surface. However, in order to better analyze your chances, I would need to know more about your profile, such as career progression, impact, post-mba goals, and so on. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and answer any of your concerns. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Community Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com



krutiparekh
Hi everyone!

Wanted to get a profile evaluation for INSEAD.

I am Indian, female (33 yrs) with 9+ years of experience looking to apply this season. By background I started my career in investment banking, and corporate finance between Centrum Capital and Deloitte. At Deloitte, I have extensively worked with my Australian counterpart supporting M&A transactions within the region. And then moved to an early stage startup within the fintech industry to get a hands on experience of how a business is run.

My outside of work interests have been hiking and mountaineering (scaled the Everest Base Camp in 2019) and a lot of local ranges. Am PADI certified too. Done some volunteer work, but generally more on the fund raising side for social causes.

My aim with the MBA is 3-fold : to build my knowledge, expand network and get international work experience to meet my long term goals of working in the impact investing industry.

I am currently in the midst of studying for the gmat and hence don’t have a score handy, but also wanted some advice on chances of applying in R3.

Thank you in advance. Any feedback would be highly appreciated.

Posted from my mobile device
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macvaluemeal
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Hi team,
I am looking to apply for the INSEAD Sept 2022 intake. Can you please evaluate my profile?

Background: 28 year old Civil Engineer
Location: Sydney, Australia
Education: BEng(Hons) in Civil Engineering from University of Auckland, NZ (GPA: A-), MEng(Hons) in Civil Engineering from University of Auckland, NZ (GPA: A)
GMAT Score: 710 (Q 49, V38, AR 5, AWA 6) - should I retake?
Industry: Transportation, Buildings, Construction
Experience: 6 years
Nationality: New Zealand

Target Schools: INSEAD, Cambridge Judge, LBS, MIT Sloan, Harvard

Current role:
Currently working as a Senior Civil Engineer in a large multinational engineering design company. Roles include day to day project management, lots of design and technical work, bid preparation, design of structures, etc.

Previous roles:
Previous roles revolved around similar positions, but gradually increased my technical knowledge and am professionally recognised in the field (Chartered professional engineer)

Professional Achievements:
1) Standout performer in the previous company for 3 consecutive years and promoted twice in the same period.
2) I have implemented and directed a license management strategy for a global client which resulted in a cost saving of around US$6 million per year to the client company.
3) Integrated the native simulator of the company with a Technology majors automation platform which directly helped in dishing out proposals worth $5.5 million USD.
4) Developed a procurement strategy to reduced the OPEX by $200k USD per year using the analytics. Was selected for career acceleration program for the same.
5) Developed an in house capability development program for expediting the GET training. Mentored 6 individuals from 3 different countries and helped then in achieving quick promotion.

Post MBA goals :
1) Short term - Want to pivot into a strategy and consulting role with a Big 3 company - having previously made the final round interviews at McK.
2) Long term - Operate in a C-suite position at a large multinational.

Extracurriculars:
1) Represented a national team in ultimate frisbee in international tournaments across the region
2) Previously undertook a fellowship programme (2 weeks) in Bangalore related to social enterprise and sustainable products
3) Operated on the Engineering Industry committee; presented and hosted events related to mental health and professional development
4) Huge advocate for sustainability - just completed a diploma of sustainability with University of Tasmania while working full time - targeting High Distinction
5) Published an academic journal article into the Society of Earthquake Engineering, and also presented at a conference

Questions:
1) Should I retake my GMAT score?
2) Is my profile realistically competitive for the above mentioned target schools?
3) What parts of my profile should I emphasise?


Languages known:
English , Chinese, Malay

Thank you,
MVM
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macvaluemeal:

Questions:

1) Should I retake my GMAT score?

A: If you have the time with applications and work, go for it. Focus on bumping up your Verbal score a few more points. That will do your overall score wonder. This is not a guaranteed ticket to get into any of your schools but it could help.

2) Is my profile realistically competitive for the above mentioned target schools?

A: You should be competitive! MIT and Harvard feel like stretches, but definitely apply. You Cambridge and Judge are safer bets but not certainties.

3) What parts of my profile should I emphasise?

At a high level, focus on leadership/management, technical aptitude and overall ability to execute project work.

If you'd like to discuss more, our team at Admissionado is standing by to help! Use the link below to sign up for a free consultation:

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Hi,

I am looking to apply for the INSEAD Aug 2022 intake. Can you please evaluate my profile and let me know if it is worth applying?

Background: 28 year old Chartered Accountant
Location: India
Education: Bachelor of Commerce (University of Delhi) [Rank 1 in UG]; Institute of Chartered Accountants of India [All India Rank in intermediate levels]
GMAT Score: 690 (Q49, V34, IR 5)
Industry: Tax consulting
Experience: 8 years
Nationality: India

Current role:
Currently working as a Senior Consultant with a Big4 Accounting Firm. Role includes tax advisory to international clients directly etc.

Previous roles:
India tax advisory, compliances and litigation (with 1 promotion) - 4.5 years [big4 accounting firm]
Statutory audit - 3 years [big4 accounting firm]

Professional Achievements:
1) Formal recognition during stat audit stint; informal recognition during tax stint
2) Testing & implementing tax technology
3) Worked on white papers for tax technology; engaged on contribution to newspaper articles/ journals for tax developments

Post MBA goals :
1) Short term - Impact investment/ private equity
2) Long term - Head an impact investment firm

Extracurriculars:
1) Toastmasters International 2) State level table tennis player 3) CSR volunteer at the big4 firms

Questions:
1) Is my profile realistically competitive for INSEAD?

Languages known:
English, Hindi, Punjabi, French (B)

Thanks!
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dw10:

You have many good qualities to your application. I am concerned that the GMAT score is going to hold you back. Not only does it fall below the "magical" 700 threshold, but it also is well below the implied hurdle for Indian male candidates.

I would also consider a different career goal. Suggesting you can go into investing coming from tax advisory is going to be difficult in practice and thereby possible lacking in persuasion. I'm not saying it can't work but it will be challenging.

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applicant1101:

Yes, it is worth reapplying. Last year's acceptance rates were brutal due to the pandemic (interest in MBA programs and granted deferrals) so you should be buoyed by that abnormality.

I am slightly concerned about how the impact of the video interview as a data point in your application this year. Still, it's worth giving it another go. I would have other options on your list just to be safe, assuming you are keen on getting an MBA either way.

If you'd like help with your reapplication, please reach out for a free consultation. Our team works with countless reapplicants with much success.

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applicant1101

You have a very strong profile for INSEAD and hence you should definitely reapply. You would be aware that there was surge in MBA applicant pool to INSEAD last year. I foresee that trend to continue this year as well but I highly recommend all applicants to not read too much into it. A good application is a good application irrespective.

If it motivates you, I was in the same boat few years earlier. I was rejected without interview in 2017. I re-applied in 2018 and got through. Re-application is a double edged sword, it entirely depends on how you play your cards. On one hand, it shows your commitment and interest in the school and on the other hand, you need to specifically justify what has changed since the last application. If you are able to show how you have grown professionally in a year's time, you can turn that to your advantage.

Hope it helps!

applicant1101
Hi,

I am looking to reapply for the INSEAD Aug 2022 intake. Can you please evaluate my profile and let me know if it is worth reapplying?

Age: 30 years old Male reapplicant (applied and was dinged without interview for INSEAD Sep 2021 intake)
Location: Singapore
Education: Double Degree in Economics and Business Management (Finance) from Singapore Management University
GPA: 3.68/4.00
GRE Score 164V, 170Q, 5.5AW
Industry: Family Office
Experience: 4.5 years (based on entry in Aug 2022)
Nationality: Singaporean Chinese
Language: English, Mandarin

Current role:
Business development manager at a boutique family office.

New achievements:
1) Appointed as director for a new lithium-ion recycling venture; in charge of equipment sourcing with Chinese vendors and developing business plan
2) Developed business plans for new ventures into packaging and beverage industries in South Asia in close cooperation with MNCs
3) Lead sourcing of ventilators from China during COVID and facilitated the delivery of medical supply donation as project manager of the family office's foundation

Professional Past Achievements:
1) Led key workstreams for US$160m investment in a listed Indian packaging company; reduced financial DD fees by 30% and proposed innovative capital structure
2) Secured approval for a US$20m investment into a listed Indian hospitality company
3) Managed competitive bidding exercise reducing interest margin by 35%
4) Assessed viability of a new South Asia cargo/passenger airline in consultation with Bombardier, ATR, ex-Blue Dart and ex-Jet Airways executives
5) Managed a US$4m annual budget; negotiated vendor fees and implemented a new cloud-based back-end operations leading to 10% operational cost savings

Volunteer work:
1) Overseas community service projects and fundraising lead in college over 7 months period in Thailand and the Philippines
2) Project manager at the foundation of the family office

Awards/Honors:
1) School scholarship
2) Dean List for a year
3) Runner-up in an asset management competition
4) CFA Level 1
5) Full MBA sponsorship

Post-MBA goals :
1) Short term - Take on a more front-facing leading role for new business ventures and PE deals at the family office
2) Long term - Partner at PE firm/family office

Extracurriculars:
1) Research leader in investment club - host investment seminars in school and lead investment research
2) Writer for an investment blog - achieved 28k views this year and 780 followers

Potential reasons for ding:
1) Limited promotion/leadership opportunity as the team size is small with no staff under me and no change in job title (maybe the new work achievement will mitigate that?)
2) Had a salary and bonus freeze in 2020 due to COVID, managed to get a 30% increment this year (not sure if it's at a level suitable to the adcom? INSEAD has a relatively high pre-MBA salary.)
3) Wanted to explore my interest in equity research post-graduation so took on free-lance writing and an internship at a boutique asset management firm (9 months before I started my current job)
4) Flunked the video interview as the questions were, unfortunately, those that I did not prep well (more prepared this time)
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