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MBAnBConsulting
Joined: 23 Apr 2016
Last visit: 19 Nov 2022
Posts: 178
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 80
Status:MBA Admissions Consultant
Affiliations: MBA and Beyond
Location: Singapore
Shantanu: Sharma
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Technology
Schools: INSEAD Jan '17 (A)
WE:Other (Internet and New Media)
10 Feb 2021, 08:11
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Nanim,
Thanks for sharing your profile.
I can see that you have a good profile (for whatever you have shared) on the surface, but INSEAD's applications are uber-competitive this year and why won't they be, it's been ranked No.1 school by financial times. Having your entire work ex abroad is good, but it won't be something that will get you through INSEAD.
In order for me to do justice to your profile evaluation, I'd like to understand a little more from you:
1. Why do you think you are ready to go fro an MBA right now? (talk about the gaps in your profile)
2. What's your vision with an MBA at INSEAD (think long-term)
3. Biggest achievement and challenge?
4. What's your short-term goal (immediately after your MBA)?
As for your GMAT score, a lot will depend on the stories you can frame for the application and connect them well with the values that INSEAD seeks to find in an applicant. We have even converted a 670 to INSEAD in round 3. So, yes- To genuinely tell your profile has a chance or not, I would be really keen on understanding the aforementioned from you and understand it in the light of INSEAD's values. To help you more in digging out your answers, here's how
INSEAD evaluates your potential as an applicant :
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics
If you'd like, feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.
Hope you find this answer useful!
Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
INSEAD Alumnus (INSEAD ranks #1 for MBA globally)
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Thanks for sharing your profile.
I can see that you have a good profile (for whatever you have shared) on the surface, but INSEAD's applications are uber-competitive this year and why won't they be, it's been ranked No.1 school by financial times. Having your entire work ex abroad is good, but it won't be something that will get you through INSEAD.
In order for me to do justice to your profile evaluation, I'd like to understand a little more from you:
1. Why do you think you are ready to go fro an MBA right now? (talk about the gaps in your profile)
2. What's your vision with an MBA at INSEAD (think long-term)
3. Biggest achievement and challenge?
4. What's your short-term goal (immediately after your MBA)?
As for your GMAT score, a lot will depend on the stories you can frame for the application and connect them well with the values that INSEAD seeks to find in an applicant. We have even converted a 670 to INSEAD in round 3. So, yes- To genuinely tell your profile has a chance or not, I would be really keen on understanding the aforementioned from you and understand it in the light of INSEAD's values. To help you more in digging out your answers, here's how
INSEAD evaluates your potential as an applicant :
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics
If you'd like, feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.
Hope you find this answer useful!
Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
INSEAD Alumnus (INSEAD ranks #1 for MBA globally)
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Nanim
HqLife
BSchool Moderator
Joined: 04 Sep 2019
Last visit: 09 Aug 2025
Posts: 340
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 24
Location: United States (MD)
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: HBS '27 (D) MIT '27 (WA) Stanford '27 (D) Columbia '27 (D) Tuck '27 (A$$) Yale '27 (M$$) Darden '27 (A) Fuqua '27 (WL) Johnson '27 (A$$) Ross '27 (A$$) Booth '27 (WA) Wharton '27 (D) Kellog '27 (S)
GMAT Focus 1: 615 Q80 V80 DI81 
GMAT Focus 2: 675 Q90 V83 DI77
GPA: 3.16
Products:
Schools: HBS '27 (D) MIT '27 (WA) Stanford '27 (D) Columbia '27 (D) Tuck '27 (A$$) Yale '27 (M$$) Darden '27 (A) Fuqua '27 (WL) Johnson '27 (A$$) Ross '27 (A$$) Booth '27 (WA) Wharton '27 (D) Kellog '27 (S)
GMAT Focus 2: 675 Q90 V83 DI77
Posts: 340
Kudos:
146
10 Feb 2021, 19:09
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello. I'd like to kindly request you for your two cents on my candidacy for INSEAD. I will be applying for 23J, so want to get a profile review to get a head start on anything currently lacking within my profile.
Background:
U.S. Citizen
Age: Currently 23. 25 when I apply and 26 when I Matriculate.
GMAT: Have not given - Aiming for 720-740 (Started my prep)
Education: Bachelors of Science in Finance from a Public University (Big School ~20k students, but not prestigious). GPA: 3.16.
Work Experience: Currently 3 year, 6 at Matriculation.
Job 1 - Operations in BB (Think GS/JPM/MS) for 1.5 years. 1 Promotion.
Lead an initiative within the team to automate the process from manual faxes to automated faxes. This saved around ~6 hours a day each for 2 individuals in the team and ~1 hour a day on Manual Fax review team. This was a big initiative due to the nature of the information being sent to the customer and custodial banks. Required approval from the MD and around ~100-150k of technological investment.
Lead Team trainings on all processes within the team. A new team was created in India to closely work with the Hong Kong office. I was selected along with my manager to travel to India to train the team there for 3 weeks.
Job 2 - Business Management Analyst in Aerospace & Defense industry (Think Lockheed/NG/Raytheon/GD). 2 years. 1 Promotion.
Usually a promotion takes around 3 years on average. I was recommended by the Director of U.S. Business Management operations to be promoted within 1 year. I have achieved top performer within the department both years.
I worked on ~120 proposals valued around $750M. Creating pricing models and working closely with the Program Managers to submit the models to the U.S. government agencies.
Chosen by senior management within the department to lead a competitive proposal submittal to the customer valued at around $1.2B. Recognized by multiple VPs and CFO of the firm on leading the proposal submittal effort and creating a pricing model as per customer requirements.
(Apologies for the vagueness as some information is classified).
Additionally - I have served 5.5 years (coming up on 6) in the U.S. Army National Guard (Part-Time) in the Infantry. (Not an Officer).
International Exposure -
3 weeks to India in Job 1
Germany, Albania, and Estonia for NATO training for the U.S. Army.
UAE, Qatar, Costa Rica, Germany, UK, India, Turkey for Leisure.
Extra curriculars - Mentor a student for a program. The program aims at students in a high school that have well below 50% graduating ration. We aim to mentor students by guiding them through high-school, college and career decisions. The program brings the graduating ration of the schools to over 70%.
Couple other small volunteer work - nothing special.
Post MBA Goal - I want to become a management consultant and move to the Middle East (Qatar/Kuwait/UAE/KSA) due to family. Pursuing MBA at INSEAD will enable me to meet peers from various different backgrounds as I am currently limited in my current role. In short: Change Industry, function, and location. I understand this is a common goal for MBA but as time goes on during my prep - I will be be more specific.
Notes - My GPA is on the lower end on and will definitely bring my profile down. I definitely will utilize the optional essay to let the adcoms know about why my GPA is low. In short - GF's health, Army, 2 Jobs to graduate debt free, and taking over more than needed school workload to graduate before the age of 21 (A bit immature).
I have not currently given the GMAT - but have started prepping and aim for 720-40.
What can I do to overcome my GPA? If given the GMAT I want to achieve and apply for the 23J (so I have 6 years exp) - how strong is my profile?
Aside from INSEAD - which other schools have a strong consultant placements in the Middle East (Only other one I saw is IESE)?
Background:
U.S. Citizen
Age: Currently 23. 25 when I apply and 26 when I Matriculate.
GMAT: Have not given - Aiming for 720-740 (Started my prep)
Education: Bachelors of Science in Finance from a Public University (Big School ~20k students, but not prestigious). GPA: 3.16.
Work Experience: Currently 3 year, 6 at Matriculation.
Job 1 - Operations in BB (Think GS/JPM/MS) for 1.5 years. 1 Promotion.
Lead an initiative within the team to automate the process from manual faxes to automated faxes. This saved around ~6 hours a day each for 2 individuals in the team and ~1 hour a day on Manual Fax review team. This was a big initiative due to the nature of the information being sent to the customer and custodial banks. Required approval from the MD and around ~100-150k of technological investment.
Lead Team trainings on all processes within the team. A new team was created in India to closely work with the Hong Kong office. I was selected along with my manager to travel to India to train the team there for 3 weeks.
Job 2 - Business Management Analyst in Aerospace & Defense industry (Think Lockheed/NG/Raytheon/GD). 2 years. 1 Promotion.
Usually a promotion takes around 3 years on average. I was recommended by the Director of U.S. Business Management operations to be promoted within 1 year. I have achieved top performer within the department both years.
I worked on ~120 proposals valued around $750M. Creating pricing models and working closely with the Program Managers to submit the models to the U.S. government agencies.
Chosen by senior management within the department to lead a competitive proposal submittal to the customer valued at around $1.2B. Recognized by multiple VPs and CFO of the firm on leading the proposal submittal effort and creating a pricing model as per customer requirements.
(Apologies for the vagueness as some information is classified).
Additionally - I have served 5.5 years (coming up on 6) in the U.S. Army National Guard (Part-Time) in the Infantry. (Not an Officer).
International Exposure -
3 weeks to India in Job 1
Germany, Albania, and Estonia for NATO training for the U.S. Army.
UAE, Qatar, Costa Rica, Germany, UK, India, Turkey for Leisure.
Extra curriculars - Mentor a student for a program. The program aims at students in a high school that have well below 50% graduating ration. We aim to mentor students by guiding them through high-school, college and career decisions. The program brings the graduating ration of the schools to over 70%.
Couple other small volunteer work - nothing special.
Post MBA Goal - I want to become a management consultant and move to the Middle East (Qatar/Kuwait/UAE/KSA) due to family. Pursuing MBA at INSEAD will enable me to meet peers from various different backgrounds as I am currently limited in my current role. In short: Change Industry, function, and location. I understand this is a common goal for MBA but as time goes on during my prep - I will be be more specific.
Notes - My GPA is on the lower end on and will definitely bring my profile down. I definitely will utilize the optional essay to let the adcoms know about why my GPA is low. In short - GF's health, Army, 2 Jobs to graduate debt free, and taking over more than needed school workload to graduate before the age of 21 (A bit immature).
I have not currently given the GMAT - but have started prepping and aim for 720-40.
What can I do to overcome my GPA? If given the GMAT I want to achieve and apply for the 23J (so I have 6 years exp) - how strong is my profile?
Aside from INSEAD - which other schools have a strong consultant placements in the Middle East (Only other one I saw is IESE)?
11 Feb 2021, 03:19
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi HqLife,
Your profile looks good and I like your transparency about your post-MBA goals and the justification for targeting INSEAD as it will give you plenty of opportunities to grow in your profession, get the best international exposure you can and change your career path (as a good chunk of INSEADers do change their careers post-MBA).
Your GPA is somewhat low, but I'm sure if you score your targeted GMAT, it will fairly compensate for your low GPA as the average GMAT class score is 730. You may want to read this article on the importance of GPAs in MBA applications. It will give you a very good idea of the significance of GPA and how to compensate for lower ones.
On the work front, I can see a lot of good elements that can help you build great stories. Represent your experience in BB as I can see that your groundbreaking ideas have put a huge impact on the organization. It's a big success that has helped the company develop and work smartly. Your leadership skills are evident because of your ability to train your people.
Also, as BMA, I can see a fast career trajectory and incredible recommendations from top-level management. It will help provide good credibility to adcoms about your potential. Put a spotlight on your work that brings importance to the company and has impressed the senior authority to recommend you. Your work experience reflects your commitment to your work and shows your development personally and professionally. In addition, speak of your contribution to the U.S. Army as this can be a unique selling point for you and make you stand out from the applicant's pool.
Also, your international experience is incredibly good. Bring this awareness in your apps and vision. You also tick the box for good ECs and community involvement.
So, as your post-MBA goal is management consulting in Dubai, INSEAD is the best choice out there. Otherwise, other European programs like LBS and IESE can be good choices because of proximity and more frequent cultural/ business exchange (Europeans work in plenty in Dubai and other ME cities) between Europe and ME.
I want to understand why are you waiting for another two years? You've got a good profile and at 23, have a pretty good shot at INSEAD. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you and discuss your profile in detail. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.
Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Your profile looks good and I like your transparency about your post-MBA goals and the justification for targeting INSEAD as it will give you plenty of opportunities to grow in your profession, get the best international exposure you can and change your career path (as a good chunk of INSEADers do change their careers post-MBA).
Your GPA is somewhat low, but I'm sure if you score your targeted GMAT, it will fairly compensate for your low GPA as the average GMAT class score is 730. You may want to read this article on the importance of GPAs in MBA applications. It will give you a very good idea of the significance of GPA and how to compensate for lower ones.
On the work front, I can see a lot of good elements that can help you build great stories. Represent your experience in BB as I can see that your groundbreaking ideas have put a huge impact on the organization. It's a big success that has helped the company develop and work smartly. Your leadership skills are evident because of your ability to train your people.
Also, as BMA, I can see a fast career trajectory and incredible recommendations from top-level management. It will help provide good credibility to adcoms about your potential. Put a spotlight on your work that brings importance to the company and has impressed the senior authority to recommend you. Your work experience reflects your commitment to your work and shows your development personally and professionally. In addition, speak of your contribution to the U.S. Army as this can be a unique selling point for you and make you stand out from the applicant's pool.
Also, your international experience is incredibly good. Bring this awareness in your apps and vision. You also tick the box for good ECs and community involvement.
So, as your post-MBA goal is management consulting in Dubai, INSEAD is the best choice out there. Otherwise, other European programs like LBS and IESE can be good choices because of proximity and more frequent cultural/ business exchange (Europeans work in plenty in Dubai and other ME cities) between Europe and ME.
I want to understand why are you waiting for another two years? You've got a good profile and at 23, have a pretty good shot at INSEAD. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you and discuss your profile in detail. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.
Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
HqLife
