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MiMEssay
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 08 Feb 2023, 00:06
Originally posted by MiMEssay on 30 Dec 2022, 01:12.
Last edited by MiMEssay on 08 Feb 2023, 00:06, edited 1 time in total.
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An78w
Hi All,

I have been aiming at joining Insead for quite some time. Took GMAT & scored 710 (Q49V38) in the first attempt and 700 in the second.

Now though I have always aimed at 740+ score, I want to connect with someone who can quickly evaluate my profile (on DM or Call) so that I can understand whether I have to necessarily reattempt GMAT for a higher score or I can apply to Insead with the same score (710).

Don't want to land in a situation where I spend a lot of time preparing for the reattempt only to find out later that I should have spent the time on application with the 710 score.

Looking for some help here.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hey An78w

I can see that you have a solid profile and 710 is a decent score. Anything beyond 700 is stagnating, so to give you an example, individuals who were working on their own for round 1, had a score like 750, and were working with a huge company like Deloitte, yet were rejected by Duke, Cornell, and so forth. The GMAT isn't everything, and it’s just 25% of the whole application.

Everyone will have a GMAT score like you, but your profile will set you apart. It's how you'll pitch yourself to the school you're seeking.

So, in that matter, I have curated some important points for you to consider:

1. Quantification and quality of the work experience, and extracurriculars are really important.
2. The score you have is definitely good, so you can try applying to round 2s as well with this score if you start right now with your application.
3. Rest, I would suggest that you don’t need to retake the exam because 740 plus is not going to put a huge impact.
4. Coming to the school part, with a 710 you can actually target INSEAD as 700 is the bare minimum, but it has a low acceptance rate and is on the same level as Stanford for the MBA program.

I will recommend you look at other schools as well. Here’s a list:

1. HEC (France)
2. ESSEC (France)
3. ESCP (France)
4. LBS (UK)

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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MiMEssay
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 08 Feb 2023, 00:06
Originally posted by MiMEssay on 31 Dec 2022, 01:51.
Last edited by MiMEssay on 08 Feb 2023, 00:06, edited 1 time in total.
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mm137
Hello,

I will be very grateful if someone can evaluate my profile for INSEAD/Wharton/HBS

Background:
North African
Age 29
GMAT 700 (I wont be able to retake before R2/R3)

Education:
Master’s degree in general engineering from a top 10 university in Europe (degree complete abroad)
Good GPA, ranked top 5%

Work Experience:

5+ years of which 2 as a team lead, managing engineers of different specializations, all of the work experience outside my country of origin

Extra curriculum :

10+ years of volunteering at international organizations, managed people from different backgrounds, different nationalities

Post MBA Goal - strategy consulting

Thank you very much

Posted from my mobile device
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Hey mm137

We'll start with your strengths as you have an excellent profile. Your institution is in the top 10 in Europe, which is a plus point since the schools you're targeting are inclined towards brand names. Your academic consistency earns points. As the degree you're pursuing is extremely practical, academics are only given 15% weightage and work experience 30%. For MBA, job experience is key, and you have a strong one. That's another point.

From your 5 years of experience, I can see you've worked in operations. Again, you must quantify this since the schools you're targeting demand business impact. You may emphasise leadership responsibilities like leading teams or mentoring others. Numbers matter.

You can emphasize more on operational efficiency, progress, and performance.

You have a decent GMAT score so no need to retake that. Plus the extracurriculars and 10 years of social experience can definitely be a highlight of your profile.

If you don't speak French, you can consider an English-speaking nation, since local clients in France want to be consulted in French.

Wharton and HBS would be a stretch, since both are on a different levels and need outstanding profiles, such as individuals with million-dollar businesses or NGOs aiding thousands. You may still seek that school as a dream, but admittance odds are minimal.

By looking at your profile, I would recommend you to look at schools like:

1. UCLA
2. LBS
3. LSE
4. Imperial
5. Duke
6. Cornell
7. NYU Stern
8. Kellogg

You can take up some courses related to the strategy and problem-solving domain.

Instead of Round 2, I would suggest you strive for Round 3 applications the application process for the schools you'll be targeting is going to take a long time.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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MiMEssay
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 08 Feb 2023, 22:20
Originally posted by MiMEssay on 09 Jan 2023, 08:44.
Last edited by MiMEssay on 08 Feb 2023, 22:20, edited 1 time in total.
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avinashnair94
Hello! Would appreciate some feedback on my profile. I am interested in ISB, INSEAD, NUS and NTU for the full time MBA (or PGP) programs and am targeting the 2023 Intakes. (R2)
I would also be grateful for any suggestions on other B-schools that would suit my profile and aspirations. Thanks in advance!

Background:
Nationality: Indian
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Language: English, Hindi

GMAT Score: 710 (V38, Q49, IR5, AWA6)
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Hey avinashnair94s,

Your score of 710 on the GMAT is excellent, but taking into account the educational institutions that you are interested in, I'm going to assume that you have at least five years of professional experience under your belt. You must quantify your profile. If you could include further information about your schooling, employment experience, extracurricular activities, and other aspects of your life, I would be able to cast more light on your profile. You may also discuss any leadership responsibilities, given the fact that you are 29, this is something that the educational institutions will most certainly be anticipating from you. If you have participated in any volunteer work, then that we add value to your profile. In fact, you may also mention any courses that you have taken.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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MBAGuide
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 13 Jan 2023, 04:09
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BK94
Hello guys & gals, relatively new member of the GMAT Club here. Was hoping for a quick and honest review of my profile please;

Male 28 - Resident of Ireland w/ dual citizenship (Irish & Libyan)

Undergrad: Actuarial Science from a top Irish University. Elected as PR officer for 2 clubs & many other involvements (I did everything but study!)
GPA: 2.6/4.2 (Second Class Honours) a combination of family illness and lack of maturity on my end led to this abysmal grade.
Other certs: CFA Charterholder (passed all 3 exams in a row)
GMAT: Scored 710 with about 4/5 weeks of prep. Retaking next month after another 3 mths of prep - hoping to hit 740/750

W/E: Not going to dive into too much detail
Job 1 (Canada) Supply Chain Business Ops Analyst (1.5 yrs) at a mid-sized Canadian retailer - basically built new models and dashboards integrated with a new ERP system the company adopted - involved in many projects across all of the company's departments.
Job 2 (Canada) Senior Financial Analysts (1.5yrs) with the same company (internal promotion) worked closely with banks, auditors, & the company owners (PE firm) less involvement in broad projects vs the previous position but definitely more technical
Job 3 (Ireland) (Current) Equity Performance & Risk Specialist at a global well know Asset manager - super quantitative job - built models and dashboards for all kinds of analytics for the company's equity funds, market updates, regulatory calls, etc - promoted to senior specialist after 1.5years. Currently 6montns with my new title.

EC:
Volunteer English teacher in Libya - in person whenever I visit but mostly over zoom
I play the Saxophone
Formerly competitive Muay Thai but pivoted to powerlifting
Volunteer assistant to Libyan patients sent to Ireland for treatment - paperwork, translation, etc

Motivations for MBA:
Short-term pivot into front office AM roles (ideally Equity Research) or IB/PE in the middle east given their similarities to Libya (see next goal)
Long-term: As Libya continues to recover my dream is to launch a retail investment firm that would allow Libyans to participate in the global markets - I lack the management experience and the network to do this and hoping an MBA would contribute to fixing that.

Would INSEAD/LBS be a realistic shot? Not particularly interested in US programs.
I'm quite happy with my international experiences but leadership-wise I can only point to a handful of examples here or there (I've never managed a team or had direct reports but did lead parts of projects etc).

Any thoughts would be helpful!
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Hello BK94 hope this finds you well!

Stellar profile, congratulations :)

What strikes me most is your growth mindset and how you have steadily transformed your career from supply chain to financial planning to asset management. I applaud you for being so agile in looking for appropriate opportunities. You are the profile that schools like LBS and INSEAD hope will continue to receive applications from even in the late rounds. So I highly encourage you to apply when you feel you are most prepared.

I would like to comment on your concern regarding leadership.
Not having direct control over some stakeholders/employees in the company, and yet pushing the agenda forward by indirectly influencing those people through your stakeholder management skills is the kind of leadership that business schools look for in strong applicants. You may not have been managing a team directly, but what's more impressive would be to know how you influence teams, senior management, and diverse group of stakeholders through your management skills. Talk candidly about how you helped resolve conflicts, motivated teams to expedite projects, convinced people in power to consider your inputs in taking decisions, and generated profits or value for your company through your stellar performance.

You may demonstrate compassionate leadership through stories and iron will to mobilize needy sectors post-MBA at a later point in life leveraging your prior experience and your increased business acumen. Be conscientious about your goals.

Your MBA resume, if done right can exhibit your leadership capabilities as well. Your résumé will serve as an aide-memoire when you write your essay. In your resume bullets, recall accomplishments in each role, breakthroughs, and changes and infliction points at each stage of your career to demonstrate your leadership potential.

Best wishes :)
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jkbloo
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 18 Jan 2023, 23:24
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Background

27 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 2+ years.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (From 0 knowledge 2 years ago. Still studying to be better)
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Have lived in 4 countries and visited over 60 in my lifetime. Very much consider myself a global citizen.
Two letters of recommendation from Two Harvard MBA grads. One served as a Korean Ambassador to foreign country. The other the leader of trade delegations to US. Both service in Deputy Minister roles in Korean govt.

Education & GMAT

Bachelors of Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University (technically tier 1 but very much non target) in USA.
3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative.
Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity. Organized multiple events that raised multiple thousands for charity.
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 710

Experience

2 college Internships (1 in USA, 1 in Korea. Both in roles involving current industry of procurement)

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company (USA)

Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Was aged 22-23 at the time and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Job 2: Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 3: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup (USA)

Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 4: Owner Small Business (Seoul / Global)
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements with c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. Job has required significant travel and interactions with people from many different countries. Have generated about $300,000 in revenue. Recently wrote and won a proposal to supply a US State govt. for a contract with an estimated value of $75 million. Am pivoting in the commercial market private labeling products from China and selling on Amazon in USA.
Been doing this for almost 3 years now.


Key Concerns

Work Experience: Never really have worked at a larger company and have a very non traditoinally working history. Don't really plan to go down the traditional route after graduaition and prefer to focus on my own business / build my family business

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook:

I think I have a few things going for me that me an attractive candidate for an institution like INSEAD. My international background, achievements as an entrepreneur, being two major ones.

Not sure if this changes anything but once I receive my MBA, I am slated as the successor for my family business, which is a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Curious to know any thoughts.
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MBAGuide
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Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 19 Jan 2023, 01:56
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jkbloo
Background

27 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 2+ years.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (From 0 knowledge 2 years ago. Still studying to be better)
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Have lived in 4 countries and visited over 60 in my lifetime. Very much consider myself a global citizen.
Two letters of recommendation from Two Harvard MBA grads. One served as a Korean Ambassador to foreign country. The other the leader of trade delegations to US. Both service in Deputy Minister roles in Korean govt.

Education & GMAT

Bachelors of Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University (technically tier 1 but very much non target) in USA.
3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative.
Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity. Organized multiple events that raised multiple thousands for charity.
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 710

Experience

2 college Internships (1 in USA, 1 in Korea. Both in roles involving current industry of procurement)

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company (USA)

Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Was aged 22-23 at the time and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Job 2: Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 3: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup (USA)

Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 4: Owner Small Business (Seoul / Global)
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements with c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. Job has required significant travel and interactions with people from many different countries. Have generated about $300,000 in revenue. Recently wrote and won a proposal to supply a US State govt. for a contract with an estimated value of $75 million. Am pivoting in the commercial market private labeling products from China and selling on Amazon in USA.
Been doing this for almost 3 years now.


Key Concerns

Work Experience: Never really have worked at a larger company and have a very non traditoinally working history. Don't really plan to go down the traditional route after graduaition and prefer to focus on my own business / build my family business

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook:

I think I have a few things going for me that me an attractive candidate for an institution like INSEAD. My international background, achievements as an entrepreneur, being two major ones.

Not sure if this changes anything but once I receive my MBA, I am slated as the successor for my family business, which is a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Curious to know any thoughts.
Show more

Hi jkbloo hope this finds you well

There are many aspects of your profile that the INSEAD adcom would look upon very favorably, including your large family business. Business schools love applicants who are destined for great opportunities and success :)
Your growing up at the intersection of two cultures certainly adds another layer of interest to your profile.
Not all students at INSEAD come from target feeder universities, so do not worry about that aspect.

Remember that your professional background and growth trajectory is the most critical part on which B-schools will evaluate you, so make sure you present this well in your INSEAD essays. It is also essential to describe your motivations for taking on a variety of career opportunities and demonstrate your growth mindset in light of the leadership position you hope to acquire after the MBA.

As an entrepreneur in your most recent stint, you should focus on demonstrating A) the Scale (think growth rate) of your business and the impact, B) a solid plan for the future, whether in your family business or your own business, and how INSEAD would help you build the network and your brand. As a new generation in the family business, you can also present your ideas by citing your fresh and unconventional approach to business (as opposed to the traditional ones followed currently) as your motivation for pursuing the MBA before taking a leadership position in your family business. The INSEAD application has plenty of room to talk about all things interesting. So, make the best use of it.

Your recommendations are sorted. But I must emphasize more how networking with the school and speaking with the alums can help you ace the admissions process.

As for your concerns about language, do not worry because proficiency in a second language is not a criterion on the INSEAD evaluation form that your interviewer will fill out after the interview. Moving out of your comfort zone to learn a 2nd language shows a growth mindset and looks good on your application. Your move to Korea already speaks volumes about your willingness to pursue global business ambitions.

Best regards
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ARLeeConsulting
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 19 Jan 2023, 10:22
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Hi jkbloo,

your profile looks very familiar. I believe I evaluated it a few months ago.

Since Aanchal has done a great job at evaluating your profile, I'll be brief.

I am an INSEAD alum and former Director and Head of HR of Samsung Electronics Mexico. I can kind of relate to you. I'm Spanish-Korean (Spanish dad - Korean mom) and, prior to INSEAD, I was far from being fluent in Korean. I also moved quite a bit and came from no-name companies.

Before INSEAD, I was working in NYC for a small telecommunications company and did my MBA precisely with the intention to transition to Korea and reconnect with my roots while working for one of the biggest Korean firms. Fortunately, I got the Samsung offer to join the Global Strategy Group (GSG) in Seoul after graduation and, after a few years in Korea, I was transferred to Mexico (not something I pursued, but that's a long story).

After this intro, I am going to address directly your concerns.

a. Work Experience: I do not see this as a concern as long as you are able to articulate your story properly. The most important thing is to show that you have been advancing in your career with each move so, if you're able to show this, you should be fine. Plus, experience as an entrepreneur is highly valued and is an excellent source of stories for your essays.

b. Language: I wouldn't be that concerned either. I personally know plenty of admits who didn't meet the entry language requirement. Their native language was English and they had beginner level in one or two other languages (but very beginner). Considering that Korean is a very tough language to learn and that you have made a big effort to learn it, I don't think INSEAD will penalize you if your Korean is not truly business level. Furthermore, the requirement is to have at least a B1 ("practical") level, and you can certify it months after admission. You can take a look at INSEAD's language policy here:

https://www.insead.edu/sites/default/fi ... f_2020.pdf

As for the interviews, in my experience working with INSEAD applicants living in Korea and as an admissions interviewer myself while in Korea, chances are that your interviewers (at least one) will be non-Korean (and probably also from the Samsung GSG). And even if one of them is Korean, as long as you're very open about Korean not being your native language, you'll be fine. They'll for sure conduct the interview in English.

c. Education: This is the least of my concerns. INSEAD (and EU programs in general) is not obsessed over big university/school names and GPA. Moreover, you have a 710 GMAT score, which clearly shows your academic capacity.

Overall, I am feeling positive about your chances to get accepted to INSEAD. But it would be great if you could share your resume with me. Feel free to email it to me directly at alex@arleeconsulting.com.

I am quite experienced working with Korean applicants and applicants living in Korea, so if you require any assistance, I'll be more than happy to assist you.

Warm regards
Alex


jkbloo
Background

27 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 2+ years.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (From 0 knowledge 2 years ago. Still studying to be better)
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Have lived in 4 countries and visited over 60 in my lifetime. Very much consider myself a global citizen.
Two letters of recommendation from Two Harvard MBA grads. One served as a Korean Ambassador to foreign country. The other the leader of trade delegations to US. Both service in Deputy Minister roles in Korean govt.

Education & GMAT

Bachelors of Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University (technically tier 1 but very much non target) in USA.
3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative.
Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity. Organized multiple events that raised multiple thousands for charity.
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 710

Experience

2 college Internships (1 in USA, 1 in Korea. Both in roles involving current industry of procurement)

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company (USA)

Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Was aged 22-23 at the time and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Job 2: Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 3: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup (USA)

Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 4: Owner Small Business (Seoul / Global)
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements with c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. Job has required significant travel and interactions with people from many different countries. Have generated about $300,000 in revenue. Recently wrote and won a proposal to supply a US State govt. for a contract with an estimated value of $75 million. Am pivoting in the commercial market private labeling products from China and selling on Amazon in USA.
Been doing this for almost 3 years now.


Key Concerns

Work Experience: Never really have worked at a larger company and have a very non traditoinally working history. Don't really plan to go down the traditional route after graduaition and prefer to focus on my own business / build my family business

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook:

I think I have a few things going for me that me an attractive candidate for an institution like INSEAD. My international background, achievements as an entrepreneur, being two major ones.

Not sure if this changes anything but once I receive my MBA, I am slated as the successor for my family business, which is a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Curious to know any thoughts.
Show more
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 20 Jan 2023, 06:58
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Hey jkbloo,

Thanks for sharing a detailed profile.

Your profile looks good on the surface. To begin with, 710 is a decent score when coupled with an overall well defined profile. Your GPA also aligns with your scores and settles well.

Your extensive work experience will be the major highlight of your profile. You have clearly defined your roles and responsibilities in various job profiles, ensure to adequately highlight it to the AdComs. The prime focus should be
1. Your startup experience
2. Your own small business which you escalated. (75 million$)

Speaking about these will help you start an interesting conversation with the AdComs. I can clearly see a good career trajectory. You have been at various leading positions and thus I assume it must speak about some great leadership and mentorship experiences. Also, you must highlight your contributions in the work, the initiatives you took, and the impact they had on the organization. . Big names in your resume won’t matter, if you are able to communicate your experience correctly and strongly, it is pretty much sorted. All in all you have a great work experience.

You haven’t mentioned your EC’s, they play an important role in an application and also help add diversity to a profile. Try highlighting some non traditional activities and social responsibilities on your part. You can even speak about any hobby you're doing and passionate about. ECs expose your dynamic personality, and AdComs get to know the different aspects of your personality.

Now about your post-MBA goals, there are very few people who really have the clear, unique motivations behind pursuing an MBA and you seem one among them. I can clearly resonate your goals to your prior journey and can locate the experiences to inspire these goals. But, make sure you specify how INSEAD can help fill gaps in your profile and lead you to your life goals. Also, it is worth mentioning the importance of Letters of Recommendations, I am happy seeing it sorted. Meanwhile, you may also want to read our article on How to get into INSEAD, to get a better understanding, . We have helped many applicants to get into INSEAD, and one of them was an applicant from Hong Kong. She got into INSEAD with 650 GMAT .

All in all you have an amazing profile and stand a great chance at Insead. If you’d like, we are happy to get on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances at INSEAD. Feel free to schedule a free profile evaluation call with us at your convenience.

Common Post MBA Goals: How to package your story around it?- Let’s hear from the Alumns of Top business schools! Join us for a free session.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager
MBA and Beyond
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Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com


jkbloo
Background

27 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 2+ years.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (From 0 knowledge 2 years ago. Still studying to be better)
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Have lived in 4 countries and visited over 60 in my lifetime. Very much consider myself a global citizen.
Two letters of recommendation from Two Harvard MBA grads. One served as a Korean Ambassador to foreign country. The other the leader of trade delegations to US. Both service in Deputy Minister roles in Korean govt.

Education & GMAT

Bachelors of Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University (technically tier 1 but very much non target) in USA.
3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative.
Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity. Organized multiple events that raised multiple thousands for charity.
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 710

Experience

2 college Internships (1 in USA, 1 in Korea. Both in roles involving current industry of procurement)

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company (USA)

Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Was aged 22-23 at the time and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Job 2: Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 3: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup (USA)

Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 4: Owner Small Business (Seoul / Global)
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements with c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. Job has required significant travel and interactions with people from many different countries. Have generated about $300,000 in revenue. Recently wrote and won a proposal to supply a US State govt. for a contract with an estimated value of $75 million. Am pivoting in the commercial market private labeling products from China and selling on Amazon in USA.
Been doing this for almost 3 years now.


Key Concerns

Work Experience: Never really have worked at a larger company and have a very non traditoinally working history. Don't really plan to go down the traditional route after graduaition and prefer to focus on my own business / build my family business

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook:

I think I have a few things going for me that me an attractive candidate for an institution like INSEAD. My international background, achievements as an entrepreneur, being two major ones.

Not sure if this changes anything but once I receive my MBA, I am slated as the successor for my family business, which is a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Curious to know any thoughts.
Show more
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 21 Jan 2023, 01:01
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jkbloo
Background

27 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 2+ years.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (From 0 knowledge 2 years ago. Still studying to be better)
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Have lived in 4 countries and visited over 60 in my lifetime. Very much consider myself a global citizen.
Two letters of recommendation from Two Harvard MBA grads. One served as a Korean Ambassador to foreign country. The other the leader of trade delegations to US. Both service in Deputy Minister roles in Korean govt.

Education & GMAT

Bachelors of Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University (technically tier 1 but very much non target) in USA.
3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative.
Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity. Organized multiple events that raised multiple thousands for charity.
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 710

Experience

2 college Internships (1 in USA, 1 in Korea. Both in roles involving current industry of procurement)

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company (USA)

Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Was aged 22-23 at the time and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Job 2: Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 3: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup (USA)

Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 4: Owner Small Business (Seoul / Global)
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements with c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. Job has required significant travel and interactions with people from many different countries. Have generated about $300,000 in revenue. Recently wrote and won a proposal to supply a US State govt. for a contract with an estimated value of $75 million. Am pivoting in the commercial market private labeling products from China and selling on Amazon in USA.
Been doing this for almost 3 years now.


Key Concerns

Work Experience: Never really have worked at a larger company and have a very non traditoinally working history. Don't really plan to go down the traditional route after graduaition and prefer to focus on my own business / build my family business

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook:

I think I have a few things going for me that me an attractive candidate for an institution like INSEAD. My international background, achievements as an entrepreneur, being two major ones.

Not sure if this changes anything but once I receive my MBA, I am slated as the successor for my family business, which is a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Curious to know any thoughts.
Show more


Hey jkbloo,

When applying to universities abroad, there are several key factors to keep in mind, including your academic background, work experience, extracurricular activities, and specific accomplishments. These factors should be quantified and presented in a clear and concise manner to increase your chances of acceptance.

Specifically, for MBA programs, work experience is highly valued and a minimum of 3–4 years is typically required. Additionally, a GMAT score of at least 680 or 690 is often required for top business schools.

However, it is important to remember that the GMAT or GRE score is only one aspect of the application, and other factors such as essays, the SOP, and the LOR also play a significant role. To maximize your chances of acceptance, all aspects of your application should be tailored to showcase your strengths and achievements.

If you would like, we can help you with essays and SOPs and other application processes.

We have helped over 5000 students get admitted into their dream schools.
If you would like we can set up a free consulting session with you at your convenience

You can set up a Free consulting session with our experts through the link provided:
BOOK YOUR FREE SESSION

In this FREE call, you will be getting:

a). Deep Profile Evaluation: Strengths and Weaknesses

b). Ideal Target Schools for your Profile

c). Timeline for your Applications

d). 3X Admit Chances
_______
Abhyank Srinet
Founder and Head Consultant at MiM Essay

97% Success Rate | 5000+ Admits in Top Schools | 5 Million Euros in Scholarships
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Suns1994
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 26 Jan 2023, 01:16
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Hello all,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile. Appreciate your time and effort!

1. Demographic: 28/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor in Business Administration from Symbiosis international university, Pune
-GPA- 3.0/4.0 (Cleared insurance regulatory exams and became a personal financial advisor. Did a business of INR 2 million and focused more on outside activities)
- Completed all levels of CFA and a CFA charterholder
- Graduate level 3-month course from Cornell university in leadership essential completed (Paid course during Covid)

3. GRE
- 320

4. Work Experience
- Overall (by the time of matriculation): 83 months
- Organization: PwC and EY
- Industry: Consulting
- Current Role: Consultant (By the time of enrollment - Assistant manager)

Goal summary during Undergrad - Move into M&A Consulting. However, it was practically difficult to enter into consulting in 2015 (UG - Graduation year) without an MBA. Hence, pursued CFA and eventually transitioned to the PwC Deals strategy.

Job 1 - Risk advisory
• Defined and benchmarked policies, standard operating procedures, and risk control matrices for the largest private
bank in India; client satisfaction with work led to an additional business that doubled total project revenue. (Received a team award)
• Concurrent audit: Spearheaded two concurrent audit projects of two banks parallelly, identified gaps in process of import
– export and returns filed by banks to governmental authorities resulting in annualized savings in penalties of US $100K

Job 2: Deal strategy and operations (M&A Consulting)
• Due diligence: Worked on over 8 DDs across various industries with a total value of $800M. Collaborated with teams across client and PwC (Tax, IT) and delivered key analytical output to global PE funds. (DD - Operational, HR and Financial DD)

• Merger integration: Co-led merger integration for multiple listed and private companies end to end. Developed presentations and conducted workshops with CXO groups, defined integration strategy, and monitored the performance of those activities along with defined synergies
(Selected engagements:
- Largest FS NBFC merger domestic (Deal value - $20B, worked with the CXO group directly for 12 months.
- Carve out the management of the largest pharmaceutical companies and worked with the UK counterparts as part of the global strategy (Deal value - $13B).
- Carve out the management of a service industry and worked with the US, UK, and German counterparts and led the entire carve-out management.

5. Extracurricular during work:
- Assisted in developing a global learning website from scratch for 3000+ professionals across the globe. Worked with Japan, US, and UK teams in developing the content and subsequently designed wireframes for the website. Received official recognition and feedback from a senior partner (Deals leader).
- Led digital initiatives: Ledonboarding of 3rd party tools, end-to-end negotiation to compliance with the tool; Conducted training for overall 150-member group
- Led onboarding activities for new joiners

• Extracurricular and community support outside of work:
- Founded an ed-tech start-up: Developed a website to provide a hands-on tutorial to build mobile and web apps without coding; Devised and launched a go-to-market strategy across social media channels; Got selected for Shark tank India interview. [Had certain ideas in my undergrad but could not in the earlier years due to not having any coding skills. Fast forward 5 years, found multiple tools and decided to help out other folks who should have the opportunity to launch it in the market even if they don't know how to code]
- Citi APAC IB virtual internship
- CFA Practice Analysis Committee Volunteer: Reviewing current CFA program curriculum readings.
- Teach for India: Summer associate and campaign leader during undergrad
- United Nations: worked with NGO from the UK to help law enforcement find and help protect girls in Tanzania who are at risk of genital mutilation. [ During Covid was fortunate to have a job and wanted to help people as much as I could]
- Developed a website to provide resume reviews during covid for candidates who lost their job for free.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Having learned what leads to M&A for companies and implemented it in various aspects. I want to switch to more of a holistic role. Hence, would like to transition to strategy consulting

7. Target Colleges
- Insead J24
- LBS MBA
- NYU Tech
- IESE
- HEC
- Any other suggestions would be helpful

8. Red flags
- One year gap after job 1: Was not able to clear CFA level 3 while working in my first attempt. Hence, decided to take a break and complete it before transitioning to M&A consulting. [P.S. - Completed level 1 and level 2 in my first attempt while working full time in my job 1]
- Low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0)

9. Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?
- How can I improve my profile?

Regards,
Sunny
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 26 Jan 2023, 02:24
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Suns1994
Hello all,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile. Appreciate your time and effort!

1. Demographic: 28/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor in Business Administration from Symbiosis international university, Pune
-GPA- 3.0/4.0 (Cleared insurance regulatory exams and became a personal financial advisor. Did a business of INR 2 million and focused more on outside activities)
- Completed all levels of CFA and a CFA charterholder
- Graduate level 3-month course from Cornell university in leadership essential completed (Paid course during Covid)

3. GRE
- 320

4. Work Experience
- Overall (by the time of matriculation): 83 months
- Organization: PwC and EY
- Industry: Consulting
- Current Role: Consultant (By the time of enrollment - Assistant manager)

Goal summary during Undergrad - Move into M&A Consulting. However, it was practically difficult to enter into consulting in 2015 (UG - Graduation year) without an MBA. Hence, pursued CFA and eventually transitioned to the PwC Deals strategy.

Job 1 - Risk advisory
• Defined and benchmarked policies, standard operating procedures, and risk control matrices for the largest private
bank in India; client satisfaction with work led to an additional business that doubled total project revenue. (Received a team award)
• Concurrent audit: Spearheaded two concurrent audit projects of two banks parallelly, identified gaps in process of import
– export and returns filed by banks to governmental authorities resulting in annualized savings in penalties of US $100K

Job 2: Deal strategy and operations (M&A Consulting)
• Due diligence: Worked on over 8 DDs across various industries with a total value of $800M. Collaborated with teams across client and PwC (Tax, IT) and delivered key analytical output to global PE funds. (DD - Operational, HR and Financial DD)

• Merger integration: Co-led merger integration for multiple listed and private companies end to end. Developed presentations and conducted workshops with CXO groups, defined integration strategy, and monitored the performance of those activities along with defined synergies
(Selected engagements:
- Largest FS NBFC merger domestic (Deal value - $20B, worked with the CXO group directly for 12 months.
- Carve out the management of the largest pharmaceutical companies and worked with the UK counterparts as part of the global strategy (Deal value - $13B).
- Carve out the management of a service industry and worked with the US, UK, and German counterparts and led the entire carve-out management.

5. Extracurricular during work:
- Assisted in developing a global learning website from scratch for 3000+ professionals across the globe. Worked with Japan, US, and UK teams in developing the content and subsequently designed wireframes for the website. Received official recognition and feedback from a senior partner (Deals leader).
- Led digital initiatives: Ledonboarding of 3rd party tools, end-to-end negotiation to compliance with the tool; Conducted training for overall 150-member group
- Led onboarding activities for new joiners

• Extracurricular and community support outside of work:
- Founded an ed-tech start-up: Developed a website to provide a hands-on tutorial to build mobile and web apps without coding; Devised and launched a go-to-market strategy across social media channels; Got selected for Shark tank India interview. [Had certain ideas in my undergrad but could not in the earlier years due to not having any coding skills. Fast forward 5 years, found multiple tools and decided to help out other folks who should have the opportunity to launch it in the market even if they don't know how to code]
- Citi APAC IB virtual internship
- CFA Practice Analysis Committee Volunteer: Reviewing current CFA program curriculum readings.
- Teach for India: Summer associate and campaign leader during undergrad
- United Nations: worked with NGO from the UK to help law enforcement find and help protect girls in Tanzania who are at risk of genital mutilation. [ During Covid was fortunate to have a job and wanted to help people as much as I could]
- Developed a website to provide resume reviews during covid for candidates who lost their job for free.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Having learned what leads to M&A for companies and implemented it in various aspects. I want to switch to more of a holistic role. Hence, would like to transition to strategy consulting

7. Target Colleges
- Insead J24
- LBS MBA
- NYU Tech
- IESE
- HEC
- Any other suggestions would be helpful

8. Red flags
- One year gap after job 1: Was not able to clear CFA level 3 while working in my first attempt. Hence, decided to take a break and complete it before transitioning to M&A consulting. [P.S. - Completed level 1 and level 2 in my first attempt while working full time in my job 1]
- Low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0)

9. Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?
- How can I improve my profile?

Regards,
Sunny
Show more


Hi Sunny,

Great profile overall. Here are my recommendations:
1. Low GRE- try to retake. I don't know if you are planning to apply in the Spring intake? Given consulting goal, that will be a benefit, but as R1 deadline is just around the corner, you are going to be short on time. If you do retake, then apply latest by R2, without stretching it any further.
Actually, as you have a low GPA, you must retake the GRE/GMAT. Having low scores in both these areas is not going to help.
2. Work experience- good. INSEAD would seek your international experience/ exposure, which you haven't really mentioned here. So, you must show that you have worked with clients/teams in different countries and expanded your world view through this association.
3. ECAs - sound plenty. I like the fact that you have taken up initiatives at work and outside.
4. Edtech startup- a startup whether it failed or became successful, provides invaluable experience and b-schools are aware of that. So do not downplay it in your applications. If you are able to identify and capture a market need through your startup, then you sure have a story in hand.
5. 1 year gap- I would not be too concerned about this- however, you can explain it through an optional essay.
6. b-school selection- are you looking at only European programs? Also, why NYU Tech? If you with to get into consulting post MBA, then an endless list of US based MBA programs can help you get there. Applying to these necessitates a better GRE score.

Would be happy to chat over a call.
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 08 Feb 2023, 02:09
Originally posted by MiMEssay on 27 Jan 2023, 05:53.
Last edited by MiMEssay on 08 Feb 2023, 02:09, edited 1 time in total.
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Suns1994
Hello all,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile. Appreciate your time and effort!

1. Demographic: 28/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor in Business Administration from Symbiosis international university, Pune
-GPA- 3.0/4.0 (Cleared insurance regulatory exams and became a personal financial advisor. Did a business of INR 2 million and focused more on outside activities)
- Completed all levels of CFA and a CFA charterholder
- Graduate level 3-month course from Cornell university in leadership essential completed (Paid course during Covid)

3. GRE
- 320

4. Work Experience
- Overall (by the time of matriculation): 83 months
- Organization: PwC and EY
- Industry: Consulting
- Current Role: Consultant (By the time of enrollment - Assistant manager)

Goal summary during Undergrad - Move into M&A Consulting. However, it was practically difficult to enter into consulting in 2015 (UG - Graduation year) without an MBA. Hence, pursued CFA and eventually transitioned to the PwC Deals strategy.

Job 1 - Risk advisory
• Defined and benchmarked policies, standard operating procedures, and risk control matrices for the largest private
bank in India; client satisfaction with work led to an additional business that doubled total project revenue. (Received a team award)
• Concurrent audit: Spearheaded two concurrent audit projects of two banks parallelly, identified gaps in process of import
– export and returns filed by banks to governmental authorities resulting in annualized savings in penalties of US $100K

Job 2: Deal strategy and operations (M&A Consulting)
• Due diligence: Worked on over 8 DDs across various industries with a total value of $800M. Collaborated with teams across client and PwC (Tax, IT) and delivered key analytical output to global PE funds. (DD - Operational, HR and Financial DD)

• Merger integration: Co-led merger integration for multiple listed and private companies end to end. Developed presentations and conducted workshops with CXO groups, defined integration strategy, and monitored the performance of those activities along with defined synergies
(Selected engagements:
- Largest FS NBFC merger domestic (Deal value - $20B, worked with the CXO group directly for 12 months.
- Carve out the management of the largest pharmaceutical companies and worked with the UK counterparts as part of the global strategy (Deal value - $13B).
- Carve out the management of a service industry and worked with the US, UK, and German counterparts and led the entire carve-out management.

5. Extracurricular during work:
- Assisted in developing a global learning website from scratch for 3000+ professionals across the globe. Worked with Japan, US, and UK teams in developing the content and subsequently designed wireframes for the website. Received official recognition and feedback from a senior partner (Deals leader).
- Led digital initiatives: Ledonboarding of 3rd party tools, end-to-end negotiation to compliance with the tool; Conducted training for overall 150-member group
- Led onboarding activities for new joiners

• Extracurricular and community support outside of work:
- Founded an ed-tech start-up: Developed a website to provide a hands-on tutorial to build mobile and web apps without coding; Devised and launched a go-to-market strategy across social media channels; Got selected for Shark tank India interview. [Had certain ideas in my undergrad but could not in the earlier years due to not having any coding skills. Fast forward 5 years, found multiple tools and decided to help out other folks who should have the opportunity to launch it in the market even if they don't know how to code]
- Citi APAC IB virtual internship
- CFA Practice Analysis Committee Volunteer: Reviewing current CFA program curriculum readings.
- Teach for India: Summer associate and campaign leader during undergrad
- United Nations: worked with NGO from the UK to help law enforcement find and help protect girls in Tanzania who are at risk of genital mutilation. [ During Covid was fortunate to have a job and wanted to help people as much as I could]
- Developed a website to provide resume reviews during covid for candidates who lost their job for free.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Having learned what leads to M&A for companies and implemented it in various aspects. I want to switch to more of a holistic role. Hence, would like to transition to strategy consulting

7. Target Colleges
- Insead J24
- LBS MBA
- NYU Tech
- IESE
- HEC
- Any other suggestions would be helpful

8. Red flags
- One year gap after job 1: Was not able to clear CFA level 3 while working in my first attempt. Hence, decided to take a break and complete it before transitioning to M&A consulting. [P.S. - Completed level 1 and level 2 in my first attempt while working full time in my job 1]
- Low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0)

9. Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?
- How can I improve my profile?

Regards,
Sunny
Show more


Hey Suns1994

Let me begin by mentioning that your profile is strong in terms of work experience and extracurricular activities. In fact, 83 months of work experience, with most of it in consulting at top firms (PwC and EY), and having held a variety of roles and responsibilities, including M&A consulting, gives a boost to your profile. You, being a CFA charter holder and having a 3 month certification from Cornell University, add brownie points to your profile. Additionally, you have a good track record of extracurricular activities, including founding an ed-tech startup, being part of a United Nations NGO, and conducting volunteer work with Teach for India and CFA.

Your goal of transitioning to strategy consulting is clear and well-articulated, and it aligns well with your background and experience. The target schools are also well-chosen and are among the top business schools in the world.

One potential red flag is the one-year gap after job 1, but it can be explained by your need to complete CFA level 3 before transitioning to M&A consulting. The low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0) may also be a concern, but other qualifications, such as the CFA charterholder and work experience, will compensate for it.

In terms of how to factor in the ed-tech start-up background in the overall application, you should highlight how it showcases your entrepreneurial skills and ability to think outside the box by adding quantifications.

Other business schools that I would suggest you consider applying to are:

1. Stanford Graduate School of Business
2. Harvard Business School
3. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
4. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
5. MIT Sloan School of Management
6. Columbia Business School
7. Chicago Booth School of Business
8. University of Oxford Said Business School
9. Cambridge Judge Business School

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 30 Jan 2023, 02:33
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Suns1994
Hello all,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile. Appreciate your time and effort!

1. Demographic: 28/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor in Business Administration from Symbiosis international university, Pune
-GPA- 3.0/4.0 (Cleared insurance regulatory exams and became a personal financial advisor. Did a business of INR 2 million and focused more on outside activities)
- Completed all levels of CFA and a CFA charterholder
- Graduate level 3-month course from Cornell university in leadership essential completed (Paid course during Covid)

3. GRE
- 320

4. Work Experience
- Overall (by the time of matriculation): 83 months
- Organization: PwC and EY
- Industry: Consulting
- Current Role: Consultant (By the time of enrollment - Assistant manager)

Goal summary during Undergrad - Move into M&A Consulting. However, it was practically difficult to enter into consulting in 2015 (UG - Graduation year) without an MBA. Hence, pursued CFA and eventually transitioned to the PwC Deals strategy.

Job 1 - Risk advisory
• Defined and benchmarked policies, standard operating procedures, and risk control matrices for the largest private
bank in India; client satisfaction with work led to an additional business that doubled total project revenue. (Received a team award)
• Concurrent audit: Spearheaded two concurrent audit projects of two banks parallelly, identified gaps in process of import
– export and returns filed by banks to governmental authorities resulting in annualized savings in penalties of US $100K

Job 2: Deal strategy and operations (M&A Consulting)
• Due diligence: Worked on over 8 DDs across various industries with a total value of $800M. Collaborated with teams across client and PwC (Tax, IT) and delivered key analytical output to global PE funds. (DD - Operational, HR and Financial DD)

• Merger integration: Co-led merger integration for multiple listed and private companies end to end. Developed presentations and conducted workshops with CXO groups, defined integration strategy, and monitored the performance of those activities along with defined synergies
(Selected engagements:
- Largest FS NBFC merger domestic (Deal value - $20B, worked with the CXO group directly for 12 months.
- Carve out the management of the largest pharmaceutical companies and worked with the UK counterparts as part of the global strategy (Deal value - $13B).
- Carve out the management of a service industry and worked with the US, UK, and German counterparts and led the entire carve-out management.

5. Extracurricular during work:
- Assisted in developing a global learning website from scratch for 3000+ professionals across the globe. Worked with Japan, US, and UK teams in developing the content and subsequently designed wireframes for the website. Received official recognition and feedback from a senior partner (Deals leader).
- Led digital initiatives: Ledonboarding of 3rd party tools, end-to-end negotiation to compliance with the tool; Conducted training for overall 150-member group
- Led onboarding activities for new joiners

• Extracurricular and community support outside of work:
- Founded an ed-tech start-up: Developed a website to provide a hands-on tutorial to build mobile and web apps without coding; Devised and launched a go-to-market strategy across social media channels; Got selected for Shark tank India interview. [Had certain ideas in my undergrad but could not in the earlier years due to not having any coding skills. Fast forward 5 years, found multiple tools and decided to help out other folks who should have the opportunity to launch it in the market even if they don't know how to code]
- Citi APAC IB virtual internship
- CFA Practice Analysis Committee Volunteer: Reviewing current CFA program curriculum readings.
- Teach for India: Summer associate and campaign leader during undergrad
- United Nations: worked with NGO from the UK to help law enforcement find and help protect girls in Tanzania who are at risk of genital mutilation. [ During Covid was fortunate to have a job and wanted to help people as much as I could]
- Developed a website to provide resume reviews during covid for candidates who lost their job for free.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Having learned what leads to M&A for companies and implemented it in various aspects. I want to switch to more of a holistic role. Hence, would like to transition to strategy consulting

7. Target Colleges
- Insead J24
- LBS MBA
- NYU Tech
- IESE
- HEC
- Any other suggestions would be helpful

8. Red flags
- One year gap after job 1: Was not able to clear CFA level 3 while working in my first attempt. Hence, decided to take a break and complete it before transitioning to M&A consulting. [P.S. - Completed level 1 and level 2 in my first attempt while working full time in my job 1]
- Low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0)

9. Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?
- How can I improve my profile?

Regards,
Sunny
Show more


Suns1994 hope this finds you well

Having M&A strategy experience is surely a top-tier kind of PRE MBA experience. CFA adds a lot of weight to your candidacy.
Schools such as INSEAD and LBS see a lot of pre-MBA consultants applying to the program and Big4 is a big feeder of this trend along with MBB and tier 2/boutique consulting firms. So, your competition will be fierce from within this cohort. You will have to execute your application well to stand out. Your professional recommendations will also need to be exemplary. You need to unpack your experiences and reconstruct your stories in a way that shows that working on high-impact projects has given you much more hands-on experience and opportunity to engage with leaders from the industry, more experiential maturity, and more capability to contextualize complex business problems than most MNC employees or consultants.

Demonstrating growth progression in your essays and resume will be exceptionally important so make sure the adcom can clearly see how you were awarded bigger and better responsibilities professionally as a result of impressive results and your leadership capabilities.

Especially highlight any international exposure which is an important criteria INSEAD evaluates applicants on.

Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts.

Be honest about the motivation behind starting up in the ed tech space. What problem were you trying to solve? What impact did you create as a side- entrepreneur? Want to write an impressive strengths and weakness essay or a failure essay? Focus on the learnings from your startup. What could you have done differently? Recognizing your shortcomings as an entrepreneur shows that you are self-aware. This is a key characteristic of effective leaders.

- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?

Although a 320 on GRE is decent, you may consider a retake and aim for 330+ to target top-tier US programs. The European schools will be relatively accommodating given your strong finance subject base.
If applying to the US with this score, broaden the range of schools. Consider applying to Top 20 US programs.

- How can I improve my profile?

If targeting INSEAD Jan intake or HEC, there may not be enough time for you to further enhance your profile. It's best you focus on polishing your essays and applications while doing thorough due diligence on your goals strategy for each school on your list. This will be a relatively time-consuming task that would require you to network with the schools and alumni. Your goals are relatively vague at the moment. Consulting goals are generic, you would need to dive deeper into what really interests you. What kind of problems would you like to work on.

Best wishes
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 31 Jan 2023, 03:53
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Hey @Suns1994",

Thanks for sharing your profile.

To begin with, on the academic front,

Pros:
CFA charter holder
Certification course from Cornell.

Cons:
GRE score falls on the lower end
GPA also falls on the lower end when targeting schools like INSEAD.

Suggestion: retake GRE or appear for GMAT. Aim for a 330+ GRE score or a 720+ GMAT score to enhance your chances at the top Schools. The CFA and Certification course from Cornell will provide an additional boost to your profile.

Top B schools look for the following qualities in an applicant:

1. International exposure: international motivation, which schools describe as adaptability and flexibility in multicultural environments.

2. Leadership potential: This criterion is leadership potential, which is related to your work experience and the quality of your achievements. It is recommended presenting your experiences, discussing elements of leadership and mentioning a leader who you look up.

3. Ability to contribute: The admission standard that admissions officers look for in applicants is an ability to contribute to the school’s experience during and after the program.

4. Academic capacity: Academic capacity relates your GMAT/GRE score and university degree.

On the work front, I can see the above mentioned 1,2 and 3 points in your profile. You have an impressive 6 (approx) years of work experience. Working in startups would have undoubtedly helped you gain experience in a variety of company functions. In your application, you must include remarkable instances of impact, leadership, career advancement, maturity, and innovation. You must justify the one-year gap in your profile so that AdComs are not confused about your candidacy. What you can do is, describe what you did when you weren't working. As you were preparing for CFA, you can explain your rationality behind it. When not working, the admissions committee will look favorably on applicants who display courage, dedication, and personal development, so utilize the optional essay to tell your experience. I haven't touched on many aspects of your work experience because it would be a lengthy post, but all-in-all it seems excellent!!

You may also want to read our article on How to demonstrate your fit to your target business school? It will give you some insights!

Considering your Ed-Tech startup, it is very important to demonstrate your major learnings and shortcomings from the experience. Adcoms are interested in knowing your shortcomings and how you aim to avoid them in the future. You can add some US schools like Duke, Columbia, Kellogg, Yale in the list.

Overall your profile seems good and do have a chance at Top business schools. We would like to know more to gauge your chances better and shortlist target schools for you. It all depends on how you connect the dots and create a compelling story around it. Hence, if you’d like, we are happy to get on a call with you to discuss your profile in length and further chances to the schools. Feel free to schedule a call with us at your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager
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Meet our Panel of Consultants.
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com


Suns1994
Hello all,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile. Appreciate your time and effort!

1. Demographic: 28/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor in Business Administration from Symbiosis international university, Pune
-GPA- 3.0/4.0 (Cleared insurance regulatory exams and became a personal financial advisor. Did a business of INR 2 million and focused more on outside activities)
- Completed all levels of CFA and a CFA charterholder
- Graduate level 3-month course from Cornell university in leadership essential completed (Paid course during Covid)

3. GRE
- 320

4. Work Experience
- Overall (by the time of matriculation): 83 months
- Organization: PwC and EY
- Industry: Consulting
- Current Role: Consultant (By the time of enrollment - Assistant manager)

Goal summary during Undergrad - Move into M&A Consulting. However, it was practically difficult to enter into consulting in 2015 (UG - Graduation year) without an MBA. Hence, pursued CFA and eventually transitioned to the PwC Deals strategy.

Job 1 - Risk advisory
• Defined and benchmarked policies, standard operating procedures, and risk control matrices for the largest private
bank in India; client satisfaction with work led to an additional business that doubled total project revenue. (Received a team award)
• Concurrent audit: Spearheaded two concurrent audit projects of two banks parallelly, identified gaps in process of import
– export and returns filed by banks to governmental authorities resulting in annualized savings in penalties of US $100K

Job 2: Deal strategy and operations (M&A Consulting)
• Due diligence: Worked on over 8 DDs across various industries with a total value of $800M. Collaborated with teams across client and PwC (Tax, IT) and delivered key analytical output to global PE funds. (DD - Operational, HR and Financial DD)

• Merger integration: Co-led merger integration for multiple listed and private companies end to end. Developed presentations and conducted workshops with CXO groups, defined integration strategy, and monitored the performance of those activities along with defined synergies
(Selected engagements:
- Largest FS NBFC merger domestic (Deal value - $20B, worked with the CXO group directly for 12 months.
- Carve out the management of the largest pharmaceutical companies and worked with the UK counterparts as part of the global strategy (Deal value - $13B).
- Carve out the management of a service industry and worked with the US, UK, and German counterparts and led the entire carve-out management.

5. Extracurricular during work:
- Assisted in developing a global learning website from scratch for 3000+ professionals across the globe. Worked with Japan, US, and UK teams in developing the content and subsequently designed wireframes for the website. Received official recognition and feedback from a senior partner (Deals leader).
- Led digital initiatives: Ledonboarding of 3rd party tools, end-to-end negotiation to compliance with the tool; Conducted training for overall 150-member group
- Led onboarding activities for new joiners

• Extracurricular and community support outside of work:
- Founded an ed-tech start-up: Developed a website to provide a hands-on tutorial to build mobile and web apps without coding; Devised and launched a go-to-market strategy across social media channels; Got selected for Shark tank India interview. [Had certain ideas in my undergrad but could not in the earlier years due to not having any coding skills. Fast forward 5 years, found multiple tools and decided to help out other folks who should have the opportunity to launch it in the market even if they don't know how to code]
- Citi APAC IB virtual internship
- CFA Practice Analysis Committee Volunteer: Reviewing current CFA program curriculum readings.
- Teach for India: Summer associate and campaign leader during undergrad
- United Nations: worked with NGO from the UK to help law enforcement find and help protect girls in Tanzania who are at risk of genital mutilation. [ During Covid was fortunate to have a job and wanted to help people as much as I could]
- Developed a website to provide resume reviews during covid for candidates who lost their job for free.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Having learned what leads to M&A for companies and implemented it in various aspects. I want to switch to more of a holistic role. Hence, would like to transition to strategy consulting

7. Target Colleges
- Insead J24
- LBS MBA
- NYU Tech
- IESE
- HEC
- Any other suggestions would be helpful

8. Red flags
- One year gap after job 1: Was not able to clear CFA level 3 while working in my first attempt. Hence, decided to take a break and complete it before transitioning to M&A consulting. [P.S. - Completed level 1 and level 2 in my first attempt while working full time in my job 1]
- Low GPA from an over-represented pool (3.0 out of 4.0)

9. Questions
- Not sure how to factor in my ed-tech start-up background in the overall application and used that as my strength. Happy to hear your thoughts
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list?
- How can I improve my profile?

Regards,
Sunny
Show more
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 04 Feb 2023, 23:04
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Greetings everyone! Great to see these incredible profiles and reviews on them. I appreciate all those putting in time and effort in reviewing candidate profiles for INSEAD.

I have briefly covered my profile below. I’d be more than happy to discuss the same in detail with you over video call or email.

My target school is INSEAD (Jan 2024 intake)

1. Demographic: 31/M/Indian

2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor’s in technology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee
-GPA - 7.32/100 (9.07/10, on six management and finance electives, if that counts)

3. GMAT
- Yet to appear (baseline score of 720, Q50, V37 on GMAT practice exam #1 taken a couple of weeks ago with zero preparation)

4. Work Experience
- Securities Market Regulator (4.5 years by the time of enrolment) + previously, freelance content developer working with clients in India and the US (around 6 years)
- Current Industry: Securities regulator/ government
- Current Role: Assistant Manager (manager by the time of enrolment)

Job 2 (current job) – Regulations and Supervision regarding credit rating agencies, ESG ratings, real estate infrastructure trusts (REITs)
• represented India at the global regulators meet in Paris in 2022; led multiple deliberations at the international organization of securities market commissions; frequent interaction with securities regulators in other jurisdictions including US SEC and ESMA, and international bodies such as the Financial Stability Board of the G20.
•Took the lead in drafting over 12 regulatory circulars pertaining to the aforesaid entities; represented the regulator in over 7 cases before the Supreme Court of India and State High Courts
•Taking lead role in developing regulatory framework for providers of ESG ratings, a first-in-the-world initiative.
•Undertook over 14 examinations of credit rating agencies in India, leading to unprecedented enforcement actions against non-compliant entities, in reference to credit ratings of debt securities amounting to over 11 billion USD.
•Actively monitoring regulatory developments in the US SEC, ESMA, the UK on the above subjects; extensive discussion with these regulators

Job 1 (previous job): Freelance Content Developer
• As a freelancer, worked online with multiple clients to develop educational content for students in India and the US on subject matters including English, Math, General Aptitude, and the Sciences.
• In parallel, undertook following initiatives:
o Worked with city municipality and local volunteers to co-lead a group to carry out clean-up drives of public places and gain insights on urban waste management.
o Led online interviews of personal finance experts and mutual fund distributor platforms.
o Took the Common Aptitude Test (99.7%ile) and Civil Services Examination (with specialisation in Political Science and International Relations)

5. Extracurriculars:
• Certifications:
o Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Risk – Global Association of Risk Professionals
o Certificate in ESG Investing – CFA Institute
o The Materiality of ESG Factors - Wharton Online
o Unlocking Investment and Finance in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) - World Bank Group

• Volunteering:
(1) Community Engagement Lead
o Connecting, engaging, and maintaining mentor relationships with students with disabilities to enable sustainable employment opportunities for the students, and thereby contributing to UN SDG-4, specifically targets 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5.
o Recruited as a volunteer via the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) platform.

(2) Co-founding Volunteer – Child Rights and You - Local Chapter
o Co-founded a local chapter of CRY and led a team of volunteers to mobilise funds, partner with local schools and promote awareness of child rights in and around the town.

• Bronze Medal - Acara Sustainable Social Business Plan - Partnered with students from my college and University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US, to develop a sustainable social business plan on waste management.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Impact consulting (ESG/sustainability consulting) or regulatory affairs in the European Union

7. Languages
Hindi (Native), English (bilingual proficiency), French (elementary proficiency)

8. Potential Red flags
- Unusual work experience (regulator/government + freelance) compared to general INSEAD intake (consulting, PE/VC)
- Age is on the higher side of an average INSEAD class profile

9. Questions
- How can I improve my profile?
- Which round should I target? Is there an advantage of applying in R1/R2? I plan to take GMAT as soon as I’m ready. Am I already too late for R2?
- Looking for suggestions on admissions consultants (only those specialising in INSEAD)

10. Positives
(i) Ability to contribute to the INSEAD experience during and after the programme
o A regulatory perspective will be helpful in INSEAD classes and study groups, especially on niche and evolving areas such as ESG.
o I had contributed to my undergrad college by establishing CRY local chapter. I aim to leave a similar positive impact at INSEAD.

(ii) Academic Capacity (GMAT and University Degree)
o Aiming for a high GMAT score (ideally, 800)
o While GPA may be low, the GPA considering management/humanities/ finance electives shoots way up to 9.1/10

(iii) International Motivation
o Represented India at global regulatory meet at Paris
o Extensive virtual and physical deliberations with regulators in the EU, UK, US
o Bronze-winning sustainable business plan in college, in which I partnered with students from University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US
o Learning French
o Monitoring regulatory developments in the EU/UK/US etc and documenting the same on Linkedin
o Specialised in international relations, while preparing for civil services examinations (exam for the Indian Foreign Service)
o Sister lives in Germany; I aim to work and live in the EU

(iv) Leadership Potential
o Co-founded CRY local chapter in college
o Currently, a community engagement lead for a non-profit I joined via the UN volunteers platform, wherein we are attempting to undertake capacity building for visually-impaired candidates and help them get jobs.
o Taking lead role at work in drafting regulations in niche and nascent areas, such as ESG ratings.
o Playing lead role in the Division's interactions with foreign regulators and international standard setting bodies.


Thank you in advance. Happy to discuss in detail over call.

Regards,
iLoveINSEAD
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 07 Feb 2023, 23:39
Originally posted by MiMEssay on 06 Feb 2023, 02:00.
Last edited by MiMEssay on 07 Feb 2023, 23:39, edited 1 time in total.
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iLoveINSEAD
Greetings everyone! Great to see these incredible profiles and reviews on them. I appreciate all those putting in time and effort in reviewing candidate profiles for INSEAD.

I have briefly covered my profile below. I’d be more than happy to discuss the same in detail with you over video call or email.

My target school is INSEAD (Jan 2024 intake)

1. Demographic: 31/M/Indian

2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor’s in technology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee
-GPA - 7.32/100 (9.07/10, on six management and finance electives, if that counts)

3. GMAT
- Yet to appear (baseline score of 720, Q50, V37 on GMAT practice exam #1 taken a couple of weeks ago with zero preparation)

4. Work Experience
- Securities Market Regulator (4.5 years by the time of enrolment) + previously, freelance content developer working with clients in India and the US (around 6 years)
- Current Industry: Securities regulator/ government
- Current Role: Assistant Manager (manager by the time of enrolment)

Job 2 (current job) – Regulations and Supervision regarding credit rating agencies, ESG ratings, real estate infrastructure trusts (REITs)
• represented India at the global regulators meet in Paris in 2022; led multiple deliberations at the international organization of securities market commissions; frequent interaction with securities regulators in other jurisdictions including US SEC and ESMA, and international bodies such as the Financial Stability Board of the G20.
•Took the lead in drafting over 12 regulatory circulars pertaining to the aforesaid entities; represented the regulator in over 7 cases before the Supreme Court of India and State High Courts
•Taking lead role in developing regulatory framework for providers of ESG ratings, a first-in-the-world initiative.
•Undertook over 14 examinations of credit rating agencies in India, leading to unprecedented enforcement actions against non-compliant entities, in reference to credit ratings of debt securities amounting to over 11 billion USD.
•Actively monitoring regulatory developments in the US SEC, ESMA, the UK on the above subjects; extensive discussion with these regulators

Job 1 (previous job): Freelance Content Developer
• As a freelancer, worked online with multiple clients to develop educational content for students in India and the US on subject matters including English, Math, General Aptitude, and the Sciences.
• In parallel, undertook following initiatives:
o Worked with city municipality and local volunteers to co-lead a group to carry out clean-up drives of public places and gain insights on urban waste management.
o Led online interviews of personal finance experts and mutual fund distributor platforms.
o Took the Common Aptitude Test (99.7%ile) and Civil Services Examination (with specialisation in Political Science and International Relations)

5. Extracurriculars:
• Certifications:
o Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Risk – Global Association of Risk Professionals
o Certificate in ESG Investing – CFA Institute
o The Materiality of ESG Factors - Wharton Online
o Unlocking Investment and Finance in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) - World Bank Group

• Volunteering:
(1) Community Engagement Lead
o Connecting, engaging, and maintaining mentor relationships with students with disabilities to enable sustainable employment opportunities for the students, and thereby contributing to UN SDG-4, specifically targets 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5.
o Recruited as a volunteer via the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) platform.

(2) Co-founding Volunteer – Child Rights and You - Local Chapter
o Co-founded a local chapter of CRY and led a team of volunteers to mobilise funds, partner with local schools and promote awareness of child rights in and around the town.

• Bronze Medal - Acara Sustainable Social Business Plan - Partnered with students from my college and University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US, to develop a sustainable social business plan on waste management.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Impact consulting (ESG/sustainability consulting) or regulatory affairs in the European Union

7. Languages
Hindi (Native), English (bilingual proficiency), French (elementary proficiency)

8. Potential Red flags
- Unusual work experience (regulator/government + freelance) compared to general INSEAD intake (consulting, PE/VC)
- Age is on the higher side of an average INSEAD class profile

9. Questions
- How can I improve my profile?
- Which round should I target? Is there an advantage of applying in R1/R2? I plan to take GMAT as soon as I’m ready. Am I already too late for R2?
- Looking for suggestions on admissions consultants (only those specialising in INSEAD)

10. Positives
(i) Ability to contribute to the INSEAD experience during and after the programme
o A regulatory perspective will be helpful in INSEAD classes and study groups, especially on niche and evolving areas such as ESG.
o I had contributed to my undergrad college by establishing CRY local chapter. I aim to leave a similar positive impact at INSEAD.

(ii) Academic Capacity (GMAT and University Degree)
o Aiming for a high GMAT score (ideally, 800)
o While GPA may be low, the GPA considering management/humanities/ finance electives shoots way up to 9.1/10

(iii) International Motivation
o Represented India at global regulatory meet at Paris
o Extensive virtual and physical deliberations with regulators in the EU, UK, US
o Bronze-winning sustainable business plan in college, in which I partnered with students from University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US
o Learning French
o Monitoring regulatory developments in the EU/UK/US etc and documenting the same on Linkedin
o Specialised in international relations, while preparing for civil services examinations (exam for the Indian Foreign Service)
o Sister lives in Germany; I aim to work and live in the EU

(iv) Leadership Potential
o Co-founded CRY local chapter in college
o Currently, a community engagement lead for a non-profit I joined via the UN volunteers platform, wherein we are attempting to undertake capacity building for visually-impaired candidates and help them get jobs.
o Taking lead role at work in drafting regulations in niche and nascent areas, such as ESG ratings.
o Playing lead role in the Division's interactions with foreign regulators and international standard setting bodies.


Thank you in advance. Happy to discuss in detail over call.

Regards,
iLoveINSEAD
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Hey iLoveINSEAD,

Your profile is impressive with a Bachelor's degree from IIT Roorkee and a strong GPA, including a 9/10 in management and finance electives. Your GMAT score is yet to be taken, but you already have a practice exam score of 720.

Your work experience as a securities market regulator and freelance content developer showcases your unique background and entrepreneurial spirit. Your extracurriculars, including certifications in sustainability and ESG and volunteer work, are also noteworthy. Your post-MBA goals align well with your background and experience in impact consulting or regulatory affairs in the EU. You are fluent in Hindi, English, and French, which is a plus.

The only potential red flags are your unique work experience and higher age compared to the average INSEAD class profile, but these differences set you apart and bring value to the program. You can improve your profile by aiming for a high GMAT score and highlighting/quantifying your unique experience.

Overall, your profile is impressive, and you have a lot to offer to the INSEAD community.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Feb 2023, 13:29
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Hi iLoveINSEAD,

let me address your second question.

- Which round should I target? Is there an advantage of applying in R1/R2? I plan to take GMAT as soon as I’m ready. Am I already too late for R2?

INSEAD claims that the admission rate is the same across all four rounds, but most people apply in R1 and R2. So, typically, R1 and R2 behave very similarly in terms of admissions and both are considered non-risky rounds. R3 starts being a bit risky, especially for over-represented backgrounds, since there will be few seats left after R1 and R2. And R4 is considered risky and a no-go for over-represented backgrounds.

And no, you're not too late for R2. Or even for R1, for that matter. I understand GMAT is still pending but looks like you won't need that much preparation to score high. So R2 (deadline April 18th) is perfectly doable.

I hope this helps.

Warm regards
Alex
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 07 Feb 2023, 02:19
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Hey iLoveINSEAD,

Thanks for sharing a detailed profile.

On evaluating your profile for INSEAD, we could conclude the following

On the academic front, having an IIT Roorkee branding with an amazing score in management and finance electives, puts you in a strong position to apply. The average GMAT score for INSEAD is around 710. I suggest if you can achieve a 720 in mocks that too with zero preparation, you should definitely appear with good preparation and aim for a 730+ score. It will maximize your chances. A score of 730+ when combined with your astonishing certifications will provide a major boost to your application and will make it stand out amidst the pool of applicants.

Coming to your work experience, I see a vivid and dynamic work profile. This will be the major highlight of your profile. Your role as a regulator and freelance content creator adds diversity to your profile. You must carefully consider your work experience and emphasize the significant events that best illustrate your USPs, some outstanding leadership examples, and how you went above and beyond the call of duty to accomplish your organization's growth. I believe your professional experience and your extracurriculars already speaks more than enough about your impact on the community and in work plus such an international exposure is an icing on the cake.


INSEAD looks for the following qualities in an applicant.

1. International exposure: international motivation, which schools describe as adaptability and flexibility in multicultural environments.

2. Leadership potential: This criterion is leadership potential, which is related to your work experience and the quality of your achievements. It is recommended presenting your experiences, discussing elements of leadership and mentioning a leader who you look up.

3. Ability to contribute: The admission standard that admissions officers look for in applicants is an ability to contribute to the school’s experience during and after the program.

4. Academic capacity: Academic capacity relates your GMAT/GRE score and university degree
I can see a mix of all these in your profile.

ECs are very important when looked from the AdComs point of view. They add diversity to your profile and help you stand out from the pool of applicants. Social work is highly valued and appreciated, your involvement with the NGOs and working for students with disabilities to enable sustainable employment is highly impressive . Also being a co-founding volunteer for a child's right group will help you bring your euphonious side to the AdComs.

To answer your question:

Like every business schools INSEAD also wants diversity in the cohort. A candidate like you will definitely bring that diversity. And about the admission cycle, we would recommend targeting R1 or R2. R1 deadline is March 7, 2023 while R2 deadline is April 18, 2023. R1 and R2 are considered safe and have a huge potential for International applicants.

Overall, you have a splendid profile and stand a good chance at INSEAD. I would suggest you should start working on your application. A profile like yours would need a lot of brainstorming as you will need to make use of each and every aspect of your life very diligently. We have helped lots of candidates to get into INSEAD, you can read some success stories here.

Our founder is an INSEAD grad and we have amazing consultants from INSEAD.

We are organizing an AMA session on INSEAD today (7th Feb), I think you should attend the session to get amazing insights. You can sign up for the session here . What’s going to matter most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story. If you’d like, we are happy to get on a call with you to discuss your profile in length and further chances to the school. Feel free to schedule a free profile evaluation call with us at your convenience.


Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

iLoveINSEAD
Greetings everyone! Great to see these incredible profiles and reviews on them. I appreciate all those putting in time and effort in reviewing candidate profiles for INSEAD.

I have briefly covered my profile below. I’d be more than happy to discuss the same in detail with you over video call or email.

My target school is INSEAD (Jan 2024 intake)

1. Demographic: 31/M/Indian

2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelor’s in technology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee
-GPA - 7.32/100 (9.07/10, on six management and finance electives, if that counts)

3. GMAT
- Yet to appear (baseline score of 720, Q50, V37 on GMAT practice exam #1 taken a couple of weeks ago with zero preparation)

4. Work Experience
- Securities Market Regulator (4.5 years by the time of enrolment) + previously, freelance content developer working with clients in India and the US (around 6 years)
- Current Industry: Securities regulator/ government
- Current Role: Assistant Manager (manager by the time of enrolment)

Job 2 (current job) – Regulations and Supervision regarding credit rating agencies, ESG ratings, real estate infrastructure trusts (REITs)
• represented India at the global regulators meet in Paris in 2022; led multiple deliberations at the international organization of securities market commissions; frequent interaction with securities regulators in other jurisdictions including US SEC and ESMA, and international bodies such as the Financial Stability Board of the G20.
•Took the lead in drafting over 12 regulatory circulars pertaining to the aforesaid entities; represented the regulator in over 7 cases before the Supreme Court of India and State High Courts
•Taking lead role in developing regulatory framework for providers of ESG ratings, a first-in-the-world initiative.
•Undertook over 14 examinations of credit rating agencies in India, leading to unprecedented enforcement actions against non-compliant entities, in reference to credit ratings of debt securities amounting to over 11 billion USD.
•Actively monitoring regulatory developments in the US SEC, ESMA, the UK on the above subjects; extensive discussion with these regulators

Job 1 (previous job): Freelance Content Developer
• As a freelancer, worked online with multiple clients to develop educational content for students in India and the US on subject matters including English, Math, General Aptitude, and the Sciences.
• In parallel, undertook following initiatives:
o Worked with city municipality and local volunteers to co-lead a group to carry out clean-up drives of public places and gain insights on urban waste management.
o Led online interviews of personal finance experts and mutual fund distributor platforms.
o Took the Common Aptitude Test (99.7%ile) and Civil Services Examination (with specialisation in Political Science and International Relations)

5. Extracurriculars:
• Certifications:
o Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Risk – Global Association of Risk Professionals
o Certificate in ESG Investing – CFA Institute
o The Materiality of ESG Factors - Wharton Online
o Unlocking Investment and Finance in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) - World Bank Group

• Volunteering:
(1) Community Engagement Lead
o Connecting, engaging, and maintaining mentor relationships with students with disabilities to enable sustainable employment opportunities for the students, and thereby contributing to UN SDG-4, specifically targets 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5.
o Recruited as a volunteer via the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) platform.

(2) Co-founding Volunteer – Child Rights and You - Local Chapter
o Co-founded a local chapter of CRY and led a team of volunteers to mobilise funds, partner with local schools and promote awareness of child rights in and around the town.

• Bronze Medal - Acara Sustainable Social Business Plan - Partnered with students from my college and University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US, to develop a sustainable social business plan on waste management.

6. Post-MBA goals
- Impact consulting (ESG/sustainability consulting) or regulatory affairs in the European Union

7. Languages
Hindi (Native), English (bilingual proficiency), French (elementary proficiency)

8. Potential Red flags
- Unusual work experience (regulator/government + freelance) compared to general INSEAD intake (consulting, PE/VC)
- Age is on the higher side of an average INSEAD class profile

9. Questions
- How can I improve my profile?
- Which round should I target? Is there an advantage of applying in R1/R2? I plan to take GMAT as soon as I’m ready. Am I already too late for R2?
- Looking for suggestions on admissions consultants (only those specialising in INSEAD)

10. Positives
(i) Ability to contribute to the INSEAD experience during and after the programme
o A regulatory perspective will be helpful in INSEAD classes and study groups, especially on niche and evolving areas such as ESG.
o I had contributed to my undergrad college by establishing CRY local chapter. I aim to leave a similar positive impact at INSEAD.

(ii) Academic Capacity (GMAT and University Degree)
o Aiming for a high GMAT score (ideally, 800)
o While GPA may be low, the GPA considering management/humanities/ finance electives shoots way up to 9.1/10

(iii) International Motivation
o Represented India at global regulatory meet at Paris
o Extensive virtual and physical deliberations with regulators in the EU, UK, US
o Bronze-winning sustainable business plan in college, in which I partnered with students from University of Cincinnati, Ohio, US
o Learning French
o Monitoring regulatory developments in the EU/UK/US etc and documenting the same on Linkedin
o Specialised in international relations, while preparing for civil services examinations (exam for the Indian Foreign Service)
o Sister lives in Germany; I aim to work and live in the EU

(iv) Leadership Potential
o Co-founded CRY local chapter in college
o Currently, a community engagement lead for a non-profit I joined via the UN volunteers platform, wherein we are attempting to undertake capacity building for visually-impaired candidates and help them get jobs.
o Taking lead role at work in drafting regulations in niche and nascent areas, such as ESG ratings.
o Playing lead role in the Division's interactions with foreign regulators and international standard setting bodies.


Thank you in advance. Happy to discuss in detail over call.

Regards,
iLoveINSEAD
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Feb 2023, 15:51
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Hi everyone! Such an interesting and helpful thread with such stellar profiles and reviews.

Here's my profile and I would like an honest review to see what you all think and if I will be able to get an admit from the only school I am targeting. INSEAD (2024 Aug Intake).

Background

32 year old (at the time of matriculation) currently Indian but will be a British citizen and permanent resident holder of Hong Kong. Have been living and working in the UK for the last 4 years and spent over 8+ years in Hong Kong prior to that. I consider myself a very global citizen who likes to keep moving around every 5-10 years. Hoping to do the same post MBA.

Languages:

English: Native proficiency
Hindi: Native proficiency
Bengali: Mother tongue
German: Basic / entry level (learn in high school and uni)
Cantonese: Basic level spoken survival cantonese
Mandaring: Currently brushing up again, took classes during undergrad.

Born and brought in New Delhi, India and went to Hong Kong for my undergrad and post grad studies. Ended up working in a few early stage start ups during my time there.

Education:

Bachelors in Engineering (Hons), Mechantronics Engineering from the City University of Hong Kong, GPA 2.5/4 due to various circumstances. Always liked languages so took up Spanish, Mandarin and German during my undergrad.

Masters in Science, Engineering Management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Tech, GPA 3.5/4

GMAT => Currently preparing for it, aiming for a score of 720.


Work Experience

Will have 8.5-9 years of full time work experience at the time of matriculation. Have been working in the tech industry ever since I started working back in 2016. No big brand names but quite a few early stage start ups to growth stage scales ups as well as technology consulting at a prominent UK brand name.

Currently working as a product lead / senior product manager at a global scale up working with teams spread across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Specialising in growth and expansion along with overall business strategy.

Have worked as both an individual contributor and a people manager managing distributed teams across multiple geographies.

Extra curricular:

Took up road cycling recently during covid, aiming to compete in some 100km+ rides.
Have a YouTube channel that my wife and I run, recording our lives, travelling, videos about raising a kid in a multicultural family (wife is Chinese, I am Indian) etc.
Avid traveller, haven't been able to do so recently due to covid but will continue to explore Asia pacific in the coming year.
Love learning new languages, trying to learn Korean during my free time.


Post MBA goals:
Either continue in tech or pivot to strategy consulting, relocate to APAC or MENA.


Why INSEAD?

- I have always wanted to do my MBA at INSEAD. Knew this was the only school I was interested right after I graduated from university back in 2014.

- The short 10/12 month program lets me achieve what I want to from INSEAD without staying away from my family for too long.

- Given the international footprint of my career so far as well as INSEAD's presence in 4 locations globally along with my intentions of moving to MENA / APAC, INSEAD feels like a perfect fit.

- And lastly. given my slightly unusual not so corporate background, I will be able to bring a very different perspective to the class / cohort compared to folks coming from a more traditional consulting / banking / corporate background.

Thanks a ton in advance.
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INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 13 Feb 2023, 00:18
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agproductguy2023
Hi everyone! Such an interesting and helpful thread with such stellar profiles and reviews.

Here's my profile and I would like an honest review to see what you all think and if I will be able to get an admit from the only school I am targeting. INSEAD (2024 Aug Intake).

Background

32 year old (at the time of matriculation) currently Indian but will be a British citizen and permanent resident holder of Hong Kong. Have been living and working in the UK for the last 4 years and spent over 8+ years in Hong Kong prior to that. I consider myself a very global citizen who likes to keep moving around every 5-10 years. Hoping to do the same post MBA.

Languages:

English: Native proficiency
Hindi: Native proficiency
Bengali: Mother tongue
German: Basic / entry level (learn in high school and uni)
Cantonese: Basic level spoken survival cantonese
Mandaring: Currently brushing up again, took classes during undergrad.

Born and brought in New Delhi, India and went to Hong Kong for my undergrad and post grad studies. Ended up working in a few early stage start ups during my time there.

Education:

Bachelors in Engineering (Hons), Mechantronics Engineering from the City University of Hong Kong, GPA 2.5/4 due to various circumstances. Always liked languages so took up Spanish, Mandarin and German during my undergrad.

Masters in Science, Engineering Management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Tech, GPA 3.5/4

GMAT => Currently preparing for it, aiming for a score of 720.


Work Experience

Will have 8.5-9 years of full time work experience at the time of matriculation. Have been working in the tech industry ever since I started working back in 2016. No big brand names but quite a few early stage start ups to growth stage scales ups as well as technology consulting at a prominent UK brand name.

Currently working as a product lead / senior product manager at a global scale up working with teams spread across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Specialising in growth and expansion along with overall business strategy.

Have worked as both an individual contributor and a people manager managing distributed teams across multiple geographies.

Extra curricular:

Took up road cycling recently during covid, aiming to compete in some 100km+ rides.
Have a YouTube channel that my wife and I run, recording our lives, travelling, videos about raising a kid in a multicultural family (wife is Chinese, I am Indian) etc.
Avid traveller, haven't been able to do so recently due to covid but will continue to explore Asia pacific in the coming year.
Love learning new languages, trying to learn Korean during my free time.


Post MBA goals:
Either continue in tech or pivot to strategy consulting, relocate to APAC or MENA.


Why INSEAD?

- I have always wanted to do my MBA at INSEAD. Knew this was the only school I was interested right after I graduated from university back in 2014.

- The short 10/12 month program lets me achieve what I want to from INSEAD without staying away from my family for too long.

- Given the international footprint of my career so far as well as INSEAD's presence in 4 locations globally along with my intentions of moving to MENA / APAC, INSEAD feels like a perfect fit.

- And lastly. given my slightly unusual not so corporate background, I will be able to bring a very different perspective to the class / cohort compared to folks coming from a more traditional consulting / banking / corporate background.

Thanks a ton in advance.
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Hey agproductguy2023,

Based on your profile, I would like to offer some suggestions for strengthening your MBA application.

Academics: Your international exposure is a strong point, and your alma mater, the University of Hong Kong, is well-regarded. While your undergrad GPA is on the lower side, it is not a significant concern given your extensive work experience.

Work Experience: Quantification is key in showcasing the impact you have made in your roles. Highlight specific examples of how you have improved processes or expanded business, including the strategies you used to achieve these goals. Additionally, emphasize your leadership experience, particularly in managing people and reducing turnaround times for projects.

Extracurriculars: Consider joining a non-profit organization or volunteering your time to demonstrate a commitment to social impact. If you do not currently have any volunteer experience, look for opportunities to get involved in the community. Also, share any relevant extra courses or certifications that support your future goals.

Target Schools: While INSEAD is an excellent choice, it is also extremely competitive. I suggest broadening your list of target schools to include a good mix of 5-6 institutions, such as HEC Paris, LBS, and Oxford. This will increase your chances of receiving multiple offers and ensure that you have options.

Timeline: Given your experience, I recommend pursuing an MBA in the next one to two years to avoid becoming overqualified. Aim for a strong GMAT score of 700 or higher to further bolster your application.

Overall, you have a solid profile that showcases your international experience, leadership skills, and impressive work history. By emphasizing your quantifiable impact and demonstrating a commitment to social impact, you will strengthen your application and increase your chances of being accepted into a top MBA program.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to set up a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km
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