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03 Sep 2026, 01:02
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Hi everyone,
I have an academic profile of 8/9/8 across 10th, 12th and UG, and did my undergrad from SRCC. I’ve been working in strategy consulting for around 3 years now.
I’m primarily targeting ISB, but I’m also open to other B-schools, so would love to hear suggestions on what schools might make sense for my profile.
I won’t be ready for R1 this year given the limited time, so I’m confused about whether I should apply in a subsequent round this year or wait another year and apply in R1 next year with one more year of experience.
Would one option be significantly better than the other from an admissions perspective?
I’m also currently on a sabbatical. I initially took some time off due to a minor back issue, which was resolved fairly quickly. Since I had some time available after my project ended, I decided to extend the break by a few more months to prepare for CAT as well. So the sabbatical will end up being around 6 - 7 months in total.
Would this kind of gap be a concern during MBA applications or interviews? I’m not too worried about explaining it if asked, but would like to understand if it could negatively impact my profile.
Lastly, I find the whole MBA application process a little difficult to structure on my own. Would it make sense to take help from a coaching/admissions team? Ideally, I’d like something that covers the entire journey (GMAT preparation, applications and admissions)
Would really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have gone through the ISB/MBA application process or have a similar profile. Thanks!
I have an academic profile of 8/9/8 across 10th, 12th and UG, and did my undergrad from SRCC. I’ve been working in strategy consulting for around 3 years now.
I’m primarily targeting ISB, but I’m also open to other B-schools, so would love to hear suggestions on what schools might make sense for my profile.
I won’t be ready for R1 this year given the limited time, so I’m confused about whether I should apply in a subsequent round this year or wait another year and apply in R1 next year with one more year of experience.
Would one option be significantly better than the other from an admissions perspective?
I’m also currently on a sabbatical. I initially took some time off due to a minor back issue, which was resolved fairly quickly. Since I had some time available after my project ended, I decided to extend the break by a few more months to prepare for CAT as well. So the sabbatical will end up being around 6 - 7 months in total.
Would this kind of gap be a concern during MBA applications or interviews? I’m not too worried about explaining it if asked, but would like to understand if it could negatively impact my profile.
Lastly, I find the whole MBA application process a little difficult to structure on my own. Would it make sense to take help from a coaching/admissions team? Ideally, I’d like something that covers the entire journey (GMAT preparation, applications and admissions)
Would really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have gone through the ISB/MBA application process or have a similar profile. Thanks!
03 Sep 2026, 03:01
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Bookmarks
A few thoughts based on your profile and the questions you’ve raised:
For ISB R1, you would ideally need a valid GMAT score in hand by now. If you don’t have one yet, R2 is still very much an option, so I wouldn’t rule out applying this year.
On the sabbatical, the short answer is yes, it could raise some questions during the application/interview process, particularly because a 6–7 month gap is longer than a typical career break. That said, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative if you can explain it clearly and demonstrate that you used the time productively. The fact that the initial break was due to a minor health issue that was resolved, followed by time spent preparing for CAT, gives you a reasonable narrative. I would just make sure the story is consistent across your application and interviews.
One thing I’d suggest before deciding between GMAT and CAT: take a mock of both exams first. For GMAT, you could try a GMAT Club mock, and for CAT, take an IMS mock. See where your current baseline is stronger.
If you’re already scoring close to the range you need, I’d seriously consider taking the relevant exam within the next 1–1.5 months and getting the score locked in before you return to work. That would also give you more clarity on whether to target ISB this year or wait.
For the R1 vs R2 vs next-year question, I wouldn’t automatically assume that waiting a year is better just because you’ll have one additional year of experience. Your current 3 years in strategy consulting, along with SRCC and your academics, already gives you a credible profile. The more important question is whether you can put together a strong application now versus a substantially stronger one next year.
Also, assuming by sabbatical you mean you have the option to resume your job, I’d ideally get the exam sorted and then return to work rather than allowing the career gap to become unnecessarily long.
Finally, given that you’re finding the process difficult to structure, getting some guidance/coaching can definitely make sense. I’d just be careful about choosing someone who can help across the entire process—test strategy + school selection + essays/application positioning + interview preparation—rather than someone who is primarily focused on one component.
For ISB R1, you would ideally need a valid GMAT score in hand by now. If you don’t have one yet, R2 is still very much an option, so I wouldn’t rule out applying this year.
On the sabbatical, the short answer is yes, it could raise some questions during the application/interview process, particularly because a 6–7 month gap is longer than a typical career break. That said, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative if you can explain it clearly and demonstrate that you used the time productively. The fact that the initial break was due to a minor health issue that was resolved, followed by time spent preparing for CAT, gives you a reasonable narrative. I would just make sure the story is consistent across your application and interviews.
One thing I’d suggest before deciding between GMAT and CAT: take a mock of both exams first. For GMAT, you could try a GMAT Club mock, and for CAT, take an IMS mock. See where your current baseline is stronger.
If you’re already scoring close to the range you need, I’d seriously consider taking the relevant exam within the next 1–1.5 months and getting the score locked in before you return to work. That would also give you more clarity on whether to target ISB this year or wait.
For the R1 vs R2 vs next-year question, I wouldn’t automatically assume that waiting a year is better just because you’ll have one additional year of experience. Your current 3 years in strategy consulting, along with SRCC and your academics, already gives you a credible profile. The more important question is whether you can put together a strong application now versus a substantially stronger one next year.
Also, assuming by sabbatical you mean you have the option to resume your job, I’d ideally get the exam sorted and then return to work rather than allowing the career gap to become unnecessarily long.
Finally, given that you’re finding the process difficult to structure, getting some guidance/coaching can definitely make sense. I’d just be careful about choosing someone who can help across the entire process—test strategy + school selection + essays/application positioning + interview preparation—rather than someone who is primarily focused on one component.
