Engineers - Is the free Vocaz Chances Indication accurate? : The B-School Applications

ahish · 2010-11-29T07:08:47-08:00

Hi, I'm an engineer looking to apply to some of the US MBA programs, but i want to make sure i have a fair chance before starting this long process. i was trying to get some chances indication and stumbled upon this tool: https://www.vocaz.com/ClientInfo/Chances ... n27985.htm It supposed to predict my chances of admission. i did the calculations and my results were too pesimistic in my opinion i have undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering and almost 2 years of work experience. not much, i know... anyone else tried it? found it accurate in retrospective? cheers, ahish

bremerman29

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07 Apr 2013, 06:21

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can I ask what you mean by "my actual results'? Did you send in applications, and if so did you get accepted to all, any?

bl13

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Location: United States (WA)

Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship

Schools: Sloan '15 (D) Stanford '15 (D) Duke '15 (A) Booth '15 (WL) Haas '15 (D)

GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V48 Verified score

GPA: 3.23

WE:Engineering (Computer Software)

Schools: Sloan '15 (D) Stanford '15 (D) Duke '15 (A) Booth '15 (WL) Haas '15 (D)

GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V48 Verified score

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07 Apr 2013, 12:27

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Yes - the schools I applied to and the results are listed in my profile on the left.

bremerman29

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14 Apr 2013, 05:58

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Yes, don't know where my head is these days. Congrats on your acceptance to Duke - its first class, I've heard good things. And a wait-list from Booth Chicago is a compliment, too. Would you take Booth if you got accepted in the end?

bl13

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Location: United States (WA)

Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship

Schools: Sloan '15 (D) Stanford '15 (D) Duke '15 (A) Booth '15 (WL) Haas '15 (D)

GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V48 Verified score

GPA: 3.23

WE:Engineering (Computer Software)

Schools: Sloan '15 (D) Stanford '15 (D) Duke '15 (A) Booth '15 (WL) Haas '15 (D)

GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V48 Verified score

Posts: 11

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16 Apr 2013, 13:51

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Thank you! At this point I'm pretty set on Duke - I've confirmed my spot and look forward to BDW this weekend. Waiting for a final decision from Booth doesn't work for me for a variety of reasons, so I plan to withdraw from the WL.

bremerman29

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19 Apr 2013, 23:48

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Duke is one of the hardest to get in to, well all the good ones are. And you're staying on the East Coast with its wonderful weather which is only getting better ( it was only a matter of time before someone brought the weather in to this discussion). Again, congrats!

ronibeale

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28 Apr 2013, 05:29

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I have two friends who scored high on this test (their GMAT's were great). They both applied to HBS and Wharton.but neither got accepted at these two schools. They were accepted everywhere else they applied. Just curious.... - what is HBS looking for that makes it SO very hard to get in? Or is it that there are such a huge number of applicants that the odds are against you? It's like they're looking for freaks.

sanjonsin2

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05 May 2013, 03:59

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This test was a challenge for me and I gave myself a score of 68, but I'm not looking to get in to HBS or Wharton. I'll be applying to Booth (first choice), Johnson/Cornell, Tuck and Kellog. And working some more on my essays so I can be more within 'reach' of them all. But I did OK. Thanks for the chance to rate myself, Aringo!

softeepop

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12 May 2013, 02:23

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I appreciate the chance to rate myself as an engineering student which puts us in a slightly different category. My experience since undergrad is in Bio-Medical Engineering and I'll return to this field because I love it, but I still don't know what my chances are for the top schools. I can't find any BME-specific acceptance stats and would really like to see some. I there another another BME applicant out there who's willing to share their application experience with me?

garbutus

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18 May 2013, 09:46

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Is this Chances Indication accurate? I hope so. I'm competitive for most of the schools I want to apply to. I know it's far from a guarantee of any kind but at this early stage the statistics are it's encouraging for me. I do have a very good GMAT.....

theskens11

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27 May 2013, 03:58

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The emphasis on work experience here is significant, and more important for an Engineer since this is a field of technical expertise. Be sure you want to work in Management, and preferably for a big company rather than a small one where your MBA will not be as important as your work experience. If you're applying to the top B-schools, you've probably already decided whether it's worth it to you. But its going to be a lot different from an undergraduate Engineering degree.

mortonk34

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02 Jun 2013, 03:32

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I was glad to see this test for Engineers and I scored well - well enough to feel I can apply to the schools I want with a fair chance of acceptance. I'm still not sure, though, what difference it makes if I'm a graduate engineer. Do the schools set aside places for engineers, or is there some sort of quota involving engineering students? And does it make a difference what kind of engineering?

theskens11

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06 Jun 2013, 00:52

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mortonk34

I was glad to see this test for Engineers and I scored well - well enough to feel I can apply to the schools I want with a fair chance of acceptance. I'm still not sure, though, what difference it makes if I'm a graduate engineer. Do the schools set aside places for engineers, or is there some sort of quota involving engineering students? And does it make a difference what kind of engineering?

This is where your work experience come in. I don't think it matters what kind of engineering field you have chosen, you want to have some real successes in WE, post-grad. Promotions, contributions to a big-budget project, management experience. The bigger the company name, the better, but not critical. Schools want to see you are on the track of upper management levels and capable of getting there. That would be where your recommendations factor in.

quickbisk

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13 Jun 2013, 00:47

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I just did this test and scored less than 60! I can see where I have to make improvements but it's depressing and a bit surprising to me and I don't know whether I was too hard on myself. I may have to rethink some of my choices, maybe go further away than I had hoped. Its a setback for me.

sanjonsin2

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19 Jun 2013, 07:37

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Don't give up quickbisk. For one, you probably rated yourself too low in some areas, and also don't take this test as proof of anything. I found it helpful in showing me where my weak spots are so use it as a guide to where you can improve. Most important, give yourself a spread with your choice of schools and choose them well. Good luck! It's a difficult time but it will pass.......

quickbisk

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25 Jun 2013, 07:02

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I appreciate your words of encouragement, Sanjohns. I have re-rated myself up to 65 and changed one of my recommendation sources to someone who I worked with in the past and who knows I can be very determined. I will keep trying to improve on my essays and get knowledgeable (I had to look that up) feedback on them.

sanjonsin2

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03 Jul 2013, 01:24

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A 65 on this test is not bad - competitive, or close to it, in most of the top schools but a stretch with the top three or four. The trick is to give yourself a realistic rating - you wouldn't jump 5 points on this test without some big changes. What did you change? And don't go too far back for a recommendation - the adcoms want to hear about you from someone you've worked for, or with, in the recent past.

dougieden22

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10 Jul 2013, 11:00

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This test takes a long time to do but gives a fairly accurate result. My co-op roommate, an engineer, heard about it and thought he'd try it. He'd a determined guy so once he'd started he just ploughed his way through to the end. He came away with competitive for Tuck and Northwestern and competitive-stretch for Booth and to his amazement he ended up getting accepted to Booth. I think he changed his career goals somewhere in the process but he is going to Booth.

Engineers - Is the free Vocaz Chances Indication accurate?

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