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idquidem
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 29 Oct 2025, 11:44
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Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your honest opinions and guidance on whether ISB is a realistic goal for me, and if yes, what areas I can work on to strengthen my profile.

Here’s a quick snapshot of my background:
• Academic scores: 8/8/9
• M.Tech in Cyber Security with a CGPA of 8
• By next year, I’ll complete around 3 years of work experience
• One research paper published
• A couple of awards at work for automation projects
• Certifications in Incident Response and Digital Forensics

I’d be truly grateful if you could share your honest views on how competitive this profile might be for ISB — especially for someone from the GEM pool — and how it may score in terms of diversity, given my cybersecurity background.

It would also help if you could share what the average profile (work experience, GMAT, etc.) looks like for GEMs who make it to ISB.
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FLY.reachout
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 29 Oct 2025, 20:30
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idquidem
Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your honest opinions and guidance on whether ISB is a realistic goal for me, and if yes, what areas I can work on to strengthen my profile.

Here’s a quick snapshot of my background:
• Academic scores: 8/8/9
• M.Tech in Cyber Security with a CGPA of 8
• By next year, I’ll complete around 3 years of work experience
• One research paper published
• A couple of awards at work for automation projects
• Certifications in Incident Response and Digital Forensics

I’d be truly grateful if you could share your honest views on how competitive this profile might be for ISB — especially for someone from the GEM pool — and how it may score in terms of diversity, given my cybersecurity background.

It would also help if you could share what the average profile (work experience, GMAT, etc.) looks like for GEMs who make it to ISB.
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Dear idquidem,

One glance through your profile tells us that you have done quite well academically, with added validation of your strong academic inclination through your research paper. You have also consistently upskilled yourself through certifications and a master’s degree, and seem to have performed well at work, as reflected in the awards and recognition you have received.

We would like to remind you that ISB evaluates applicants holistically, which means the interview shortlist depends on multiple aspects — academics (what unique educational background you bring and how well you have performed), GMAT score, work experience (the kind of roles you have taken and the impact you have created), and extracurricular involvement.

For a General Engineering Male (GEM) profile, the applicant pool is indeed quite competitive, as a large number of candidates come from IT or related fields. From what you have shared, your profile seems to align with that pool. The key to standing out will be to highlight clear impact in your work experience and bring out extracurriculars or personal initiatives that add a unique dimension to your story.

In terms of GMAT Focus Edition, a score of around 655 or above generally puts your application in a comfortable range for ISB. However, as you rightly pointed out, your cybersecurity background adds a layer of differentiation, which can make your application stand out if positioned well.

To offer more personalized guidance, we would need to understand your work experience, goals, and interests outside of work in greater detail to comment more precisely on where you stand in the applicant pool.

Please feel free to book a 15 minute free session for a detailed discussion with us: https://calendly.com/reachusfly/15min

With warm regards,
Team FLY
www.teamfly.org
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ISBeacon
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 29 Oct 2025, 21:45
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Hi! In your post, I find:

  • No mention of the college that you did your BTech from
  • No mention of the college that you did your MTech from
  • No mention of the company you work at
  • No mention of the GMAT score that you are likely to score if you work towards it

These things matter, you know!

In absence of any of this information, your question is just as good as "Do GEMs have any chance at ISB". The answer is a resounding yes.
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idquidem
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 29 Oct 2025, 21:56
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Hi,

Here are the additional details that were missing: I have completed my bachelor’s degree from a Tier 2 college that is not very renowned, followed by an M.Tech from the National Forensic Sciences University. I am currently working at The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 29 Oct 2025, 22:17
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You definitely do score points on the diversity front. Considering your overall profile, would suggest a 675+ on GMAT for a competitive candidature.

Good luck!
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Ashish
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TutelageXMentor
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 30 Oct 2025, 00:11
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It would be unfair to comment on your profile without knowing your undergrad school. your scope of work is interesting and could gain some traction if showcased well in essays and interviews - but this alone would not suffice. You should be looking at crossing 675 kind of score.

Frankly, ISB is a top school and I can say it with certainty as a former director of admissions at ISB; the pool of applicants is extremely high. In the same breadth, let me also add merely having a steleer profile alone is not enough. How you build the entire application from A to Z is very critical and often this makes the difference.

So start working on essays and interviews from now onward.

Best wishes !

Manish Mishra
www.tutelagex.com


idquidem
Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate your honest opinions and guidance on whether ISB is a realistic goal for me, and if yes, what areas I can work on to strengthen my profile.

Here’s a quick snapshot of my background:
• Academic scores: 8/8/9
• M.Tech in Cyber Security with a CGPA of 8
• By next year, I’ll complete around 3 years of work experience
• One research paper published
• A couple of awards at work for automation projects
• Certifications in Incident Response and Digital Forensics

I’d be truly grateful if you could share your honest views on how competitive this profile might be for ISB — especially for someone from the GEM pool — and how it may score in terms of diversity, given my cybersecurity background.

It would also help if you could share what the average profile (work experience, GMAT, etc.) looks like for GEMs who make it to ISB.
Show more
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ExpertsGlobal
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Is ISB a Realistic Goal for Me? 05 Nov 2025, 05:49
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Hi idquidem,

Your profile is diverse. Your chances depend on how well you score on the GMAT and how logically you approach you essays (i.e. what you project as your career goals and how you link it up to your need for PGP).

All the best!

Experts' Global
idquidem
Hi,

Here are the additional details that were missing: I have completed my bachelor’s degree from a Tier 2 college that is not very renowned, followed by an M.Tech from the National Forensic Sciences University. I am currently working at The Clearing Corporation of India Ltd
Show more