ISB Media Profile Evaluation.

Question

Hi, 
I'm from Journalism and Advertising background. I've worked with creative marketing agencies for 3 years. Last served position was Creative Manager. 
10th - 10 CGPA 
12th- 84.5% (Non Med) 
Grad- 9.21 CGPA
GMAT: Yet to give. 
Currently working as a freelance brand consultant.
Integrated creator management start up that ran for 8months and failed lol.

Target is ISB (Round 1) Sept 15.

Please share how can I make it to ISB, no other targeted school. I really need to score well in GMAT. Verbal is the painpoint.

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hello,  diyaaaroraaa

Cracking ISB's Round 1 is achievable with a strategic approach. While your Journalism and Advertising background with 3 years of agency experience (including Creative Manager role) and strong academics are impressive, the GMAT is key. Focus on improving your verbal score through official resources, prep courses. Take a practice test to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

ISB seeks well-rounded individuals, and your profile certainly fits the bill! Even your entrepreneurial spirit with the startup, though it didn't achieve long-term success, demonstrates your potential. Your strong academic record, relevant work experience, and entrepreneurial spirit are assets.

To strengthen your application, highlight your achievements in marketing using quantifiable results. Showcase successful freelance projects and learnings from your startup (even if it didn't succeed long-term). Craft compelling essays showcasing your passion, leadership potential, and career goals, linking the ISB program to your aspirations.

Focus on GMAT prep, gather transcripts, ask for recommendations, and start essays simultaneously. Get feedback on your essays. Check the ISB website and connect with alumni for tips. Remember, a well-rounded application that showcases your unique skills and clear vision will significantly improve your chances of getting into ISB.

Let's have a detailed discussion regarding your profile .

Click here to schedule a complimentary profile evaluation session with our experts  . We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools.

admitStreet · Answer

@diyaaaroraaa - some thoughts/ clarifications: 1. GPA is good - which undergrad university did you attend? A strong (ideally 665+GFE) score can help increase chances. If Verbal is the painpoint, try to drill-down on which sub-sections/ question-types you're weak on, practice them (independently) well, and do timed mocks. The goal should be to build your Verbal muscle through careful error-analysis and incremental improvements. 2. Would like to understand the strength of your work-ex better i.e. which companies did you work in, key achievements, were there promotions(?), etc. The freelancing angle also would have to be brought out clearly, along with your post-MBA goals, and how an MBA/ ISB fits in. 3. Essays (and interviews) can make or break your narrative. For some guidelines and best-practices on how to approach the ISB essays, check out this article . Hope this helps. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Request a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

IVYCRACKERS.COM · Answer

Hey! Your acads are pretty good and your work experience is decent. It's slightly lower than the average number of years of work experience but since you have a pretty unique background, you have a strong chance to convert. The failed experience must have got you a lot of learnings, on a personal front, which you can definitely use for essay 1. What are your post MBA goals? ISB adcom dives deep into it and wants to understand how ISB/MBA will help you achieve your goals - this becomes a deal-breaker for most aspirants.

GMAT Verbal is tricky. I am sharing a couple of blogs that will help you in building concepts as well as timing techniques.

=11pt " From Average to Outstanding: Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning Strategies " 
=11pt  =10.5pt"GMAT Reading Comprehension Made Easy: Effective Strategies for High Scores" 
 =10.5pt"Beat the GMAT Clock: In-Depth GMAT Timing Strategies for High Achievers"  
=11pt  =10.5pt"Boost Your GMAT/GRE Scores: The Art of Analyzing Mock Tests"

We have 40+ mentors from ISB on our platform  IvyCrackers  and few of them are on ISB admissions interview panel. You can book a  complimentary 30-mins call  with us and one of the interview panelists will evaluate your profile in detail. In this call, we will delve deep into your profile, help you build an overall strategy for your ISB application, and answer any questions you have about ISB.

ISBeacon · Answer

No other targeted school  is normally a  bad  strategy Diya. Irrespective of how good a profile is, one can never be 100% sure. So, spread the risk, hedge your bets, by applying to at least few other schools.

See if you can manage a 655+ on GMAT. Slightly surprising that you did not consider it prudent to either mention your college or your specialisation, for your undergrad. These things do matter.

All the best!
--
Ashish.

MBAGuide · Answer

diyaaaroraaa Happy to report you have a fairly unique background. Usually, people say that freelance work is not seen very positively by B-school admissions officers, but in your case, I see the potential to build an entire narrative around your passion for brand management and the creator economy, and to speak about the deep lessons learned from your failures as the motivation for getting into ISB. When you can illustrate how you're on the cusp of achieving your dream, yet recognize the need for targeted knowledge to get there, the adcoms will start championing your cause. You are correct about your GMAT score. I would also add that you should not be too emotionally invested in the GMAT. If you don't have a high percentile by R1 you can consider switching to the GRE and getting to the target percentile faster. Confused about your chances? Set up a deep discussion about your profile. Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

CrackAdmission · Answer

Hi @ diyaaaroraaa ,

Your profile shows strong academic performance and a diverse professional background. However, to strengthen your application, aim for a GMAT score in excess of 665+, focus on articulating the learnings and skills gained from your startup experience, emphasize your leadership and impact in both your previous roles and current freelance work, and above all demonstrate in the essays how you aim to add value to the peer to peer learning of the cohort at the back of your unique academic and professional bacxkground. Ex. A classmate of yours might want to start a D2C brand in future but has no clue around PR and Branding - potentially you can help him / her by virtue of your experiences and network (read contacts).

I am an ISB alum,CO15, and have been guiding applicants in their admission journeys for 7+ years now. Feel free to reach out if you seek professional guidance !!

Cheers and all the best !!

ARINGO · Answer

Hi diyaaaroraaa
I hope you are doing well. Speaking about your profile, your background in journalism and advertising is fascinating. About three years under your belt, and even more impressive, a Creative Manager title, showcases a strong understanding of the industry and leadership potential. Don't downplay your creator management startup, even if it didn't work out exactly as planned. Running your own venture for 8 months takes serious guts and initiative, exactly the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that ISB loves to see. Highlight your learnings from your startup.

Now, to crack ISB's admissions for their upcoming R1, let's focus on some key areas. First up, the GMAT. The average score for ISB hovers around 720, and with a focus on strengthening your verbal skills, you can absolutely reach that target.
ISB loves well-rounded people, so tell them your journalism and advertising story in your essays and application. Your creative marketing experience and starting your own company are big pluses! They show you're creative and a go-getter.

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Good Luck!

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