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MBAkarma
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Schools: ISB IIM HEC EDHEC INSEAD IIMA HBS Rotman
GMAT 1: 750 Q50 V42
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Schools: ISB IIM HEC EDHEC INSEAD IIMA HBS Rotman
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 18:45
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Hello S995

Glad to be of help. Please see my replies in Blue
S995
Hi Varun!

Thank you so much for responding so promptly, I really appreciate it. I have some last follow up questions, could you take a moment to answer them please?

1) How much does your undergrad school matter? As far as I know, no Srishti alum has ever applied to/graduated from ISB. That being said, we do rank in the top design schools in the country.
The brand matters, but only to an extent and for very few schools. No Srishti alum may have graduated from ISB (however recheck) but several design candidates from NIFT & NID have who come from a similar background as yours. In your case your need for an MBA will matter more that the name of your school. Anyway ISB AdCom's knowledge of schools is good to say the least.

2) Srishti is very 'unconventional' when compared to the standard Indian system of education. My transcripts, for example, have courses like 'ply split braiding', 'charrettes', 'form function and expression in print design'- that kind of stuff. Pure design school, basically. Is that too unconventional for ISB? Yes, but that will not matter. What will matter is how you tie in these or your work ex with the need of a business education. Many students come with unconventional backgrounds and subjects- Dentists, Army Personnel, Designers like you- so again this should not be a worry for you. Focus on writing a strong application.

3) The company 'prestige' factor- My current firm is small/mid sized and not a 'big brand' name that people will recognize. We do have strong industry connections with large MNCs like SAP, IBM, Bosch, Nasscom etc and I have done work related to these accounts. Will the lack of brand name hurt my evaluation?
ISB is interested more in what have done than your organization. More than the brand of your company your role, career progress, maturity and achievements matter. Showcase how your work has positively impacted the business of your company. How have your designs helped the company do better business for instance.

I understand your concerns and was once myself an NIFT graduate applying to B-Schools. It does become a little difficult to research with limited info on such candidates. Feel free to get in touch should you have more questions.

Best
Varun Sharma
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Thank you so much in advance! :-)

oneMBAcoach
Hello S995

You certainly have a lot going for you. Your graphic designer background will give you brownie points for diversity and your future goal looks sorted and organic.
However, 312 is a weak score and I would recommend you should re-take it if possible and improve the score to 325+ that will put you in a good position looking at all other aspects.
In addition, be prepared to answer Why MBA now and not a few more years down the line. I say this because there are several applicants each year from NIFT (closer to your background) who apply after gaining 5-6 years of industry experience.
Overall experience+extracurricular look strong and have potential, I will advice you to connect the technical side of your role to business impact in your stories.
To conclude re-take the GRE/GMAT if possible and showcase the need for an MBA now. Needless to say how you tie it in your written application will be the deciding factor.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
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S995
Hello!

I am considering applying to ISB via the Early Entry Option this year and would be grateful if you could spare some time to evaluate my profile and offer some feedback.

The basics:
Indian female, non-IT (I am a graphic designer), 23 years old

Education:
10th ICSE- 91.25% from one of Bangalore's reputed schools
12th (ISC Arts)- 96.25% from the same school, school topper
Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication and Strategic Branding from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology CGPA- 8.42/10

GRE: 312 in first attempt (Q 150- 38% and V 162- 87%)
I haven't studied Math in 7 years now, hence the poor Quant score.
Currently enrolled in GRE Coaching and working towards a better score.

Work Experience and Industry Exposure:
2 college internships at communications/creative agencies. Both in Mumbai. Worked on Dabur, Viber Film Festival, Mahindra Auto, Loreal at the first.
Second internship I was hired to work exclusively on the HUL account for their fashion and lifestyle products. If I remember correctly, this account was the largest retainer in the industry at the time.

Have freelanced consistently right from the first year of college, working for small/medium sized companies designing for social media, branding and marketing communications. Clients have been from a range of industries- a legal firm, content writers, home automation services, Japanese product design magazine, etc.

Presently have 11 months of work ex under my belt working in design and brand management at a small/medium sized executive education services company. Secured a promotion within 9 months of being here. Was promoted to leading Communications for the Data Science domain. Have led small teams, and worked across functions right from the start. Have successfully organized 2 events for 200+ people each. Tried my hand at Sales and realized I was decent at it. Have regularly interviewed senior managers, technical managers at Fortune 500s and interacted with leading CxOs while on the job. Worked with the press and media and basic PR exercises.

Leadership:
- Was Research, Marketing and Communications Student Head for a leading college project that received prominent media and press coverage
- History of leadership in School: School Cultural Secretary (12th grade), House Vice Captain, Sr. Prefect, Jr. Prefect
- Girl Guides (in School): Company Leader, and Asst. Company Leader and Patrol Leader before that

Extra Curriculars:
- Presently digital volunteer for CRY (Communications Design)
- Passionate about working with children: Recently co-conducted a civic awareness walk for 15 international school students, volunteered as teaching assistant at Spastic Society of Karnataka for one month last year
- Consistently been a part of the college's PR, Marketing and Logistics teams for a range of key annual events
- Pro Bono Design Projects in the past for NGOs and non profits (right through college): AIESEC, Nehru Bal Sangh, Storybook Me (encouraging reading among children in rural India), Project Pragati (transgender community emancipation)
- Well travelled, having visited a number of countries and leading cities
- Fitness and Yoga enthusiast
- Caricatures and Cartooning
- Fine Arts (charcoal portraits and watercolour nature studies) and Tanjore Painting
- Girl Guides (active member and leader for 6 years, from grade 7 to 12 in school)
- Member of the School Editorial Committee, House Council, House Props Committee (Head)

Achievements:
- School topper (ISC Arts)- secured 10 academic awards including special annual awards sponsored by alumni.
- Rashtrapati Girl Guide- National Award, the highest level of girl guiding attainable in the country and awarded by the President of India
- Participated in State Level Girl Guiding events, led the troupe in their march past at the Annual Republic Day Celebrations and received the salute from the then Chief Minister of Karnataka
- Recipient the School's first ever Best Girl Guide Award
- Co-organized the School's first MUN
- Organized several large scale School events

Strengths- Excellent command over English and very strong oral and written communication skills.

Post MBA- Brand Management, ideally FMCG. Ultimately want to hold a senior Marketing position
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 18:51
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Hello honneeey

It will help understand the nature of your work, progression in career and achievements (awards are not achievements, they are results) to assess your profile more deeply. On the quantitative info provided, your past degree and work ex might help since it is a bit different.
But your accomplishments, post MBA goals and compelling reasons to do an MBA are also needed to give a fruitful answer.
Since the details provided are limited I can give you some generic advice- retake the GMAT and score 710+.
You will also need to write a strong application to showcase high quality of work ex, diversity and a need for an MBA.
Feel free to get in touch should you need to discuss this further.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
Quora
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info@mbakarma.com


honneeey
Hi Expert,

10th-94%

12th-84.6%

B.Tech(Mechanical Engineering)- 77%

Best student Award for the Academic session 2009-2013 among 2000 students.
Gold medalist awarded by TCS.
Won several State and national level quizzes on Automotive Quotient.
Active Member of College committee.

Experience- 5.3 yrs (by the time I will apply)
Field-Oil & Gas at one of the biggest Oil refinery.
Domain-Procurement & Contracts Manager.
Involved in a project capped at 17Billion USD and played an active part in buying services for the project.
Award- Best Performance in Contracts Function in the year 2015-16
Young Achiever Award for the year 2017-18

Hobbies- Active Swimmer, Bicycler.

Extra-Curriculars- Master of Ceremony in many functions, Toastmasters member, Active debater.

GMAT- First Attempt- 620( Q49, V27)
Second Attempt- 660( Q49, V31)

Planning to appear for GMAT again in this month targeting 700.

Is my profile Ok for ISB?

what all GMAT score and Experience I shall develop to have an outstanding chance at ISB in the class entering 2019.

Really appreciate any thoughts on this.

Much Thanks in advance.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 19:32
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oneMBAcoach
Hello honneeey

It will help understand the nature of your work, progression in career and achievements (awards are not achievements, they are results) to assess your profile more deeply. On the quantitative info provided, your past degree and work ex might help since it is a bit different.
But your accomplishments, post MBA goals and compelling reasons to do an MBA are also needed to give a fruitful answer.
Since the details provided are limited I can give you some generic advice- retake the GMAT and score 710+.
You will also need to write a strong application to showcase high quality of work ex, diversity and a need for an MBA.
Feel free to get in touch should you need to discuss this further.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
Quora
LinkedIn
info@mbakarma.com


honneeey
Hi Expert,

10th-94%

12th-84.6%

B.Tech(Mechanical Engineering)- 77%

Best student Award for the Academic session 2009-2013 among 2000 students.
Gold medalist awarded by TCS.
Won several State and national level quizzes on Automotive Quotient.
Active Member of College committee.

Experience- 5.3 yrs (by the time I will apply)
Field-Oil & Gas at one of the biggest Oil refinery.
Domain-Procurement & Contracts Manager.
Involved in a project capped at 17Billion USD and played an active part in buying services for the project.
Award- Best Performance in Contracts Function in the year 2015-16
Young Achiever Award for the year 2017-18

Hobbies- Active Swimmer, Bicycler.

Extra-Curriculars- Master of Ceremony in many functions, Toastmasters member, Active debater.

GMAT- First Attempt- 620( Q49, V27)
Second Attempt- 660( Q49, V31)

Planning to appear for GMAT again in this month targeting 700.

Is my profile Ok for ISB?

what all GMAT score and Experience I shall develop to have an outstanding chance at ISB in the class entering 2019.

Really appreciate any thoughts on this.

Much Thanks in advance.
Show more
Hello Varun,

Thanks for your quick response.

I shall try to answer your questions point wise.

1. Nature of Work- I have been involved in techno commercial aspect of a project management and execution. Buying services for the company for different mechanical activities such as welding, erection, fabrication, scaffolding etc. On top of it, the work done is to be certified and for that rate analysis and unit rate derivation of the work is done. Manpower mobilized reached a peak of 1.5 lakh in the project. Managing the man power and managing the productivity from such manpower was also a challenge which we did quite well in.
I have an experience of Carbon steel piping fabrication, Contract finalization, contract award, Bidding, post Contract management, rate derivation, managing manpower, deployment of manpower as per required skillset such as welder, fitter, gas cutter,etc.
I have recently been shifted to Purchase of rotary pumps where my job role is to buy rotary pumps, based on technical bid evaluation, commercial bid evaluation, expediting, Purchase order finalization, etc.

2. Progression in Career- Having joined as Engineer trainee in One of the largest oil refineries, I have had an exposure of a lot of fields in Project management. Ranging from design, fabrication, insulation, site erection, pre commissioning, contract award, contract administration, contract closure, etc.
Current designation is Manager where I single handedly look after a profile.

3.Achievements- during critical face of the project , my (then) team worked for days to provide the deliverables and for supporting the project where ,if we would have slacked, would have costed our firm Million of dollars a day.
We did achieved the set Target and before deadline of liquidating contracts and was awarded Best performance in Contracts function.

Younger achiever award was bestowed upon me after I single handedly handled the entire profile despite having no past experience and no team to support the cause and more than 250 Crore of Contract were awarded by me in time during GST.

Best student award and Gold medal was to put the name of my college on national map by winning several quizzes and representing my college on NDTV along with a strong cultural background and overall good academic background.

4. Post MBA goals- want to work for either finance/consulting/SCM and want to have a good exposure on the domain and want to work for Big 4 companies where I can learn the intricacies of business and grow as an individual.

5. Compelling reason is to avoid sticking at a level and to be taken more seriously across the company so that have more weightage.(haven't given much thought on it frankly)

Hope this is sufficient to guide my way.


Sent from my Mi A1 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
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MBAkarma
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GMAT 1: 750 Q50 V42
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 20:10
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honneeey
oneMBAcoach
Hello honneeey

It will help understand the nature of your work, progression in career and achievements (awards are not achievements, they are results) to assess your profile more deeply. On the quantitative info provided, your past degree and work ex might help since it is a bit different.
But your accomplishments, post MBA goals and compelling reasons to do an MBA are also needed to give a fruitful answer.
Since the details provided are limited I can give you some generic advice- retake the GMAT and score 710+.
You will also need to write a strong application to showcase high quality of work ex, diversity and a need for an MBA.
Feel free to get in touch should you need to discuss this further.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
Quora
LinkedIn
info@mbakarma.com


honneeey
Hi Expert,

10th-94%

12th-84.6%

B.Tech(Mechanical Engineering)- 77%

Best student Award for the Academic session 2009-2013 among 2000 students.
Gold medalist awarded by TCS.
Won several State and national level quizzes on Automotive Quotient.
Active Member of College committee.

Experience- 5.3 yrs (by the time I will apply)
Field-Oil & Gas at one of the biggest Oil refinery.
Domain-Procurement & Contracts Manager.
Involved in a project capped at 17Billion USD and played an active part in buying services for the project.
Award- Best Performance in Contracts Function in the year 2015-16
Young Achiever Award for the year 2017-18

Hobbies- Active Swimmer, Bicycler.

Extra-Curriculars- Master of Ceremony in many functions, Toastmasters member, Active debater.

GMAT- First Attempt- 620( Q49, V27)
Second Attempt- 660( Q49, V31)

Planning to appear for GMAT again in this month targeting 700.

Is my profile Ok for ISB?

what all GMAT score and Experience I shall develop to have an outstanding chance at ISB in the class entering 2019.

Really appreciate any thoughts on this.

Much Thanks in advance.
Hello Varun,

Thanks for your quick response.

I shall try to answer your questions point wise.

1. Nature of Work- I have been involved in techno commercial aspect of a project management and execution. Buying services for the company for different mechanical activities such as welding, erection, fabrication, scaffolding etc. On top of it, the work done is to be certified and for that rate analysis and unit rate derivation of the work is done. Manpower mobilized reached a peak of 1.5 lakh in the project. Managing the man power and managing the productivity from such manpower was also a challenge which we did quite well in.
I have an experience of Carbon steel piping fabrication, Contract finalization, contract award, Bidding, post Contract management, rate derivation, managing manpower, deployment of manpower as per required skillset such as welder, fitter, gas cutter,etc.
I have recently been shifted to Purchase of rotary pumps where my job role is to buy rotary pumps, based on technical bid evaluation, commercial bid evaluation, expediting, Purchase order finalization, etc.

2. Progression in Career- Having joined as Engineer trainee in One of the largest oil refineries, I have had an exposure of a lot of fields in Project management. Ranging from design, fabrication, insulation, site erection, pre commissioning, contract award, contract administration, contract closure, etc.
Current designation is Manager where I single handedly look after a profile.

3.Achievements- during critical face of the project , my (then) team worked for days to provide the deliverables and for supporting the project where ,if we would have slacked, would have costed our firm Million of dollars a day.
We did achieved the set Target and before deadline of liquidating contracts and was awarded Best performance in Contracts function.

Younger achiever award was bestowed upon me after I single handedly handled the entire profile despite having no past experience and no team to support the cause and more than 250 Crore of Contract were awarded by me in time during GST.

Best student award and Gold medal was to put the name of my college on national map by winning several quizzes and representing my college on NDTV along with a strong cultural background and overall good academic background.

4. Post MBA goals- want to work for either finance/consulting/SCM and want to have a good exposure on the domain and want to work for Big 4 companies where I can learn the intricacies of business and grow as an individual.

5. Compelling reason is to avoid sticking at a level and to be taken more seriously across the company so that have more weightage.(haven't given much thought on it frankly)

Hope this is sufficient to guide my way.


Sent from my Mi A1 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
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Hello honneeey

Thanks for the detailed post.
Overall work ex looks decent, and with your procurement background you should have many stories with real business impact.
Relate your achievements to why and how you got there. How did your business benefit positively from your contribution. Award or promotion is a result of your contribution.
However that's the good part. On the post MBA goals front I don't see much clarity. One the goals are too far apart and generic. Finance, Consulting, SCM you've covered almost all broad spectrum possible after and MBA (except maybe marketing and sales). This probably is lack of research or clarity. Also with 5-6 years of experience it will be nigh impossible to move into management consulting. Again you should research more. SCM is an organic path for you, but how and why finance. What do you want to do specifically. What transferable skills do you have that will allow you to make such a transition. I will recommend finalize realistic and more specific goals. Otherwise your application may seem lacking.
Lastly, GMAT is an important piece of the puzzle.
To conclude the nature of your work is interesting, but need clearer goals + strong GMAT+ a written application the ties all of the above well.
Feel free to reach out if you need to discuss this further.
Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 22:13
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Dear All,

Please evaluate my profile regarding chance of shortlisting to ISB for class of 2019 batch.
Also suggest what should I do to improve chances of selection into ISB.
Work experience of 10 years in EPC major including Reliance Power & Lanco Infratech.
Worked for different profile such as Project execution, Project Quality Assurance, Project management.
Expected Gmat score- 680-690
Academic background:
B-tech(Hons.) from NIT Jsr with 7.55 CGPA,
10th-76 & 10+2-68%
Extra-curricular activity:
Participated and won some prizes at college level.
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MBAkarma
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Schools: ISB IIM HEC EDHEC INSEAD IIMA HBS Rotman
GMAT 1: 750 Q50 V42
GPA: 3.75
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 06 Jun 2018, 22:43
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kundan112
Dear All,

Please evaluate my profile regarding chance of shortlisting to ISB for class of 2019 batch.
Also suggest what should I do to improve chances of selection into ISB.
Work experience of 10 years in EPC major including Reliance Power & Lanco Infratech.
Worked for different profile such as Project execution, Project Quality Assurance, Project management.
Expected Gmat score- 680-690
Academic background:
B-tech(Hons.) from NIT Jsr with 7.55 CGPA,
10th-76 & 10+2-68%
Extra-curricular activity:
Participated and won some prizes at college level.
Show more
Hello Kundan

It will help to understand the nature of your work and achievements, especially with your high experience and a below average GMAT score. Your maturity and achievements could potentially compensate for the lower score.
Also you should mention your need for an MBA that too after 10 years. What is your goals and why do you need an MBA.
The info provided is very generic and 'quantitative'. A detailed feedback is not possible without the 'qualitative' side too.
Not much that anyone can advice you here other than if possible increase your GMAT and highlight the quality and accomplishments rather than just role and years.
Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 07 Jun 2018, 05:26
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kundan112
Dear All,

Please evaluate my profile regarding chance of shortlisting to ISB for class of 2019 batch.
Also suggest what should I do to improve chances of selection into ISB.
Work experience of 10 years in EPC major including Reliance Power & Lanco Infratech.
Worked for different profile such as Project execution, Project Quality Assurance, Project management.
Expected Gmat score- 680-690
Academic background:
B-tech(Hons.) from NIT Jsr with 7.55 CGPA,
10th-76 & 10+2-68%
Extra-curricular activity:
Participated and won some prizes at college level.
Show more

Hi kundan112,

Thanks for writing in.

A thorough evaluation would require greater detail of your professional career, progress, and the kind of achievements you have had. However, in terms of work experience, you appear to be on the higher side of the ISB average and to differentiate your application, we recommend a GMAT score upwards of 730 :-)

Looking forward to receiving a detailed profile update from you.

All the best!
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Jun 2018, 04:19
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Hi S995, you are all set for a fighting chance in your admissions. However, GRE is your nemesis. Work hard towards it, to push it up by at least 10 to 12 points. Your academic performance in school is consistent, but would not be able to compensate for a low GRE.

The good news is that the work that you are doing and your education, align neatly with your future aspirations, and what ISB can offer you. Hence, articulation of your goals should not be a major problem later.

The need of the hour is to ace the GRE!
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Jun 2018, 04:28
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Hi honneeey, indeed, you must target GMAT score of 700+.

Other than this, the nature of your work and the quantum of your work experience would both work in your favor during the application stage. The fact that you are working in procurement clearly tells me that operations management would quite closely align with your work-experience.

Though you have not mentioned your future aspirations in as many words, I am sure you are aware that there are phenomenal opportunities in operations management available in multiple sunrise sectors such as e-tailing. This also gives you an added advantage of projecting yourself as distinct profile.

Having said that, you need to right now work on your GMAT. You have already improved your GMAT by 40 points; this needs to go up further by at least 30-40 points (more specifically, you have your task cut out in Verbal).
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Hi, I am swapnil. I'll share my profile details.

GMAT SCORE- 700 (Q50, V35)
Undergrad GPA- 8.17 out of 10.0
IELTS- Yet to give (Confident to Score 7.5 atleast)

Work Experience: 3 years as an Executive Engineer Electrical at a renowned Pharmaceutical Company. My training program which was supposed to be of one year was curtailed for 6 months because of performance. Apart from that I have been involved in variety of projects afterwards. I have handled multiple situations, in which my opinion was of Paramount importance.

I have always been in possession of administrative acumen. Starting from my school life to undergrad life, I have organized various events, such as orientations, Technical festivals,Alumni events, festival celebrations. I have also volunteered many events. After entering professional life, I have volunteered in Vadodara International Marathon and represented my company.

I have also interned for two companies during my undergrad.

I teach English to students who can't really afford to pay high fees. I am a certified bilingual translator at ONE HOUR TRANSLATION. I have a record of completing every project assigned to me within stipulated time limit.

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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Jun 2018, 07:42
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ISBeacon
Hi honneeey, indeed, you must target GMAT score of 700+.

Other than this, the nature of your work and the quantum of your work experience would both work in your favor during the application stage. The fact that you are working in procurement clearly tells me that operations management would quite closely align with your work-experience.

Though you have not mentioned your future aspirations in as many words, I am sure you are aware that there are phenomenal opportunities in operations management available in multiple sunrise sectors such as e-tailing. This also gives you an added advantage of projecting yourself as distinct profile.

Having said that, you need to right now work on your GMAT. You have already improved your GMAT by 40 points; this needs to go up further by at least 30-40 points (more specifically, you have your task cut out in Verbal).
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Hi ISBeacon,

Thanks for your detailed solution.

I will definitely try to cross the 700 mark and then get back to you again for further assistance.

Thanks :)
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Jun 2018, 12:20
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Hello SwapnilShah9033

Thanks for the note. However, this covers 'quantitative' side of your profile but ignores the 'qualitative' side.
Acads- average, so you should ideally compensate it with a higher GMAT, I would recommend if you can aim for a 730+ ideally. Else, you will have to put a stronger effort to show a 'spike' in other areas.
Work Ex- You have mentioned just years and role. The 'nature of work', 'career progression' and 'achievements' matter more than your role, industry or company (which is not mentioned). How you show business impact of your role and maturity will be a major factor.
Clarity of Goals- This is the most important element of your application. Why MBA & Why ISB? What are your short-term goals and why do you need an MBA to reach there? Sadly this info is missing to give you a detailed input.
Diversity- How will you bring a fresh perspective to your class. Your work ex will give you some brownie points here. Also, a couple of your extracurricular look interesting (Translator, English Teacher)- but would like to understand more about your 'seriousness', 'long term involvement' and 'transferable skills' that will make you a better manager/candidate.
ISB will look at the above 4 factors holistically (not in isolation) to judge the strength of your candidature. More information will help evaluate your profile better.
Feel free to connect if you need to discuss this further.

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SwapnilShah9033
Hi, I am swapnil. I'll share my profile details.

GMAT SCORE- 700 (Q50, V35)
Undergrad GPA- 8.17 out of 10.0
IELTS- Yet to give (Confident to Score 7.5 atleast)

Work Experience: 3 years as an Executive Engineer Electrical at a renowned Pharmaceutical Company. My training program which was supposed to be of one year was curtailed for 6 months because of performance. Apart from that I have been involved in variety of projects afterwards. I have handled multiple situations, in which my opinion was of Paramount importance.

I have always been in possession of administrative acumen. Starting from my school life to undergrad life, I have organized various events, such as orientations, Technical festivals,Alumni events, festival celebrations. I have also volunteered many events. After entering professional life, I have volunteered in Vadodara International Marathon and represented my company.

I have also interned for two companies during my undergrad.

I teach English to students who can't really afford to pay high fees. I am a certified bilingual translator at ONE HOUR TRANSLATION. I have a record of completing every project assigned to me within stipulated time limit.

Posted from my mobile device
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Jun 2018, 09:40
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Hi SwapnilShah9033, Pharmaceutical Company does not emerge as a natural fit, for an Electrical Engineer.

So, make sure you do justice to your work, by articulating it well in your application. Your contribution toward the projects of the Pharmaceutical Company, should come out very clearly.

Also, you've not mentioned anything about your future aspirations. This is another aspect that would need a thorough consideration.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Jun 2018, 05:30
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SwapnilShah9033
Hi, I am swapnil. I'll share my profile details.

GMAT SCORE- 700 (Q50, V35)
Undergrad GPA- 8.17 out of 10.0
IELTS- Yet to give (Confident to Score 7.5 atleast)

Work Experience: 3 years as an Executive Engineer Electrical at a renowned Pharmaceutical Company. My training program which was supposed to be of one year was curtailed for 6 months because of performance. Apart from that I have been involved in variety of projects afterwards. I have handled multiple situations, in which my opinion was of Paramount importance.

I have always been in possession of administrative acumen. Starting from my school life to undergrad life, I have organized various events, such as orientations, Technical festivals,Alumni events, festival celebrations. I have also volunteered many events. After entering professional life, I have volunteered in Vadodara International Marathon and represented my company.

I have also interned for two companies during my undergrad.

I teach English to students who can't really afford to pay high fees. I am a certified bilingual translator at ONE HOUR TRANSLATION. I have a record of completing every project assigned to me within stipulated time limit.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi SwapnilShah9033,

Thanks for your query.

While you have not shared much information pertaining to your career progression and achievements, to have a good chance of cracking ISB, you will need to take care of the following:

GMAT Score: To differentiate yourself from the applicant pool, look upwards of 720; 700 is anyway under the average GMAT score at ISB! It is not that people don't make it with a 700, but they then have to put together a very strong application with some differentiating elements.

Career Goals: You have not provided us with your career goals. Besides being an appropriate representation of your strengths and your ability to add value to the ISB class, the essays also need to focus on your need for an MBA and what your plans are post the same. Please ensure that there is a logical sync among your existing experience, short-term goals, and long-term aspirations :-)

If you are able to take care of the above, you will have a competitive chance at ISB!

We would like to take this opportunity to offer you a detailed evaluation. Feel free to reach out in case you feel the need for the same.

Good luck! :-)
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Jun 2018, 23:27
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Hi Varun

Thanks a lot for the honest feedback. I have started looking at things a bit differently now. i really appreciate your help. (sorry for the late reply, took a while to put myself together and introspect) :)





oneMBAcoach
Hello MikeHelios

The given info is limited and a bit generic, please see my replies in-line.

If you have any follow up questions, feel free to connect back.


MikeHelios
Hi oneMBAcoach

Kindly evaluate my profile too.

My profile:

Age/ Gender/ Nationality: 26/ Male/ Indian

Education: BE Mech with a cgpa of 7.7/10 (non-IIT NIT)/ 12th - 90%/ 10th - 90%
Good past Acad scores. Target 700+ in GMAT. After this everything will depend on your written application.

Work Experience: Almost 4.5 years as a mechanical engineer in a private engineering services company without any promotion, as that system is skewed here. No accomplishments at all as I just work for the money, hating the job day in and day out.
Without details of your achievements, leadership abilities, and exact nature of the job, it is impossible to make a detailed evaluation.
And now my friend time for some brutal feedback- this attitude will not get you into ISB or any other good B-School for that matter. We all have achievements at work, even if we are not very fond of our jobs. Achievements are not just a promotion, maybe you handled a project single-handed, or solved some unique problems. You need to sit down and spend time fleshing these out. Otherwise your written applications/essays will lack depth. FYI- essays are the most important aspect of an application- more important than GMAT. If you need help, we can begin a discussion.

Extra curriculars: Was active in street plays during college for which I have won prizes. Planning to get into theater part time now. Also some sporadic volunteer activities that involved creating environmental awareness to kids in schools through plays, organising cultural events for kids from orphanages throughout the city etc.
These look interesting and can make for brilliant stores in the essays. ISB would like to know your impact in these activities.

GMAT: Yet to take, but scored 630 in both MGMAT and Experts Global free tests without much practice, so with some solid prep I think I might score close to 700. Target at least 700. Higher the better. Will not guarantee your success, as need more info on work front.

Post MBA: Finance/ General management These are 2 very different fields. Be clear which is your no. 1 priority. More importantly WHY Finance/GM. How will MBA help? S=Specifically how will ISB help? How does your current experience tie in with your future goals? How will MBA help you achieve this goal? These are essential questions, which ISB will grill you in your essays/interviews. You have a good chance if you have compelling answers to these.

As I said info is limited, this is the best possible feedback I can give.

Thank you
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Jun 2018, 23:57
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SwapnilShah9033
Hi, I am swapnil. I'll share my profile details.

GMAT SCORE- 700 (Q50, V35)
Undergrad GPA- 8.17 out of 10.0
IELTS- Yet to give (Confident to Score 7.5 atleast)

Work Experience: 3 years as an Executive Engineer Electrical at a renowned Pharmaceutical Company. My training program which was supposed to be of one year was curtailed for 6 months because of performance. Apart from that I have been involved in variety of projects afterwards. I have handled multiple situations, in which my opinion was of Paramount importance.

I have always been in possession of administrative acumen. Starting from my school life to undergrad life, I have organized various events, such as orientations, Technical festivals,Alumni events, festival celebrations. I have also volunteered many events. After entering professional life, I have volunteered in Vadodara International Marathon and represented my company.

I have also interned for two companies during my undergrad.

I teach English to students who can't really afford to pay high fees. I am a certified bilingual translator at ONE HOUR TRANSLATION. I have a record of completing every project assigned to me within stipulated time limit.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi Swapnil,

If you are applying just to ISB, you will not need an IELTS/TOEFL

I am a little concerned about your training period being shortened. if it was due to a lack of performance, you'd want to be careful about how much info you share with the adcom, unless this turned to be a period of self-reflection and metamorphosis for you - one that made you a valuable member of your company. Hard to say any further because I know very little about this episode, but I have shared my initial thoughts.

In light of the above mentioned, you'd want to show the adcom that you are otherwise a rockstar and have made significant impact at work- you have mentioned this in your post, but it will be good for us to understand the details, should you wish to share them over email (address in signature).

Another thing the adcoms look for is initiative and actions- I hope you have gone beyond only suggesting game-changing ideas to ensuring they are implemented and have yielded business results.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 13 Jun 2018, 20:46
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Hi All,

Request to please review my Profile, and suggest how much score should I be aiming at:
1. Class X : 88.2 (CBSE)
2. Class XII: 83.4 (CBSE)
3. B. Tech: 8.55 (Branch IT) from VIT, Pune.

Other Recognitions:
1. Lead the College team of 20+ members in ABU ROBOCON India.
2. Had taken session & trained more than 200+ students on building robots in College.
3. Our Major project bagged best project award at 2 competitions.
4. Awarded twice with Most Valuable Person award for 2 quarters.

Industry Experience:
1. 2 months of Internship at a Startup in Pune.
2. 3 months of Internship at Barclays.
3. Working full-time experience at Veritas of 36+ months as of July,18.

I have taken GMAT date on 10th Sept, 2018 and aspire to part of ISB, that being a year long course and for many other reasons.
1. How much marks are expected to get a interview call from ISB. (My target is around 700)
2. In general, how many people apply for ISB. This is just to understand the application-to-selection ratio.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 13 Jun 2018, 21:18
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ashutoshbhole
Hi All,

Request to please review my Profile, and suggest how much score should I be aiming at:
1. Class X : 88.2 (CBSE)
2. Class XII: 83.4 (CBSE)
3. B. Tech: 8.55 (Branch IT) from VIT, Pune.

Other Recognitions:
1. Lead the College team of 20+ members in ABU ROBOCON India.
2. Had taken session & trained more than 200+ students on building robots in College.
3. Our Major project bagged best project award at 2 competitions.
4. Awarded twice with Most Valuable Person award for 2 quarters.

Industry Experience:
1. 2 months of Internship at a Startup in Pune.
2. 3 months of Internship at Barclays.
3. Working full-time experience at Veritas of 36+ months as of July,18.

I have taken GMAT date on 10th Sept, 2018 and aspire to part of ISB, that being a year long course and for many other reasons.
1. How much marks are expected to get a interview call from ISB. (My target is around 700)
2. In general, how many people apply for ISB. This is just to understand the application-to-selection ratio.
Show more

Dear Ashutosh

Thanks for posting. Here is our assessment:
- Your academics are quite decent, and VIT is a known school, so you are good on that front.
- The internships dont count for too much for the PGP, unless there is something exceptional you can demonstrate there. They will also not count as work experience. Your ECA are ok, and a bit technically oriented. Try and show involvement and achievement in areas that go beyond your core work or education as well - you need not necessarily have won awards there; even participation counts.
- Please mention more details around your experience at Veritas - what is your role, and what have you achieved? By way of quantum, 36 months of experience is fine.
- If you are targeting R1 applications, please work on the app simultaneously before you take the GMAT, as you will have little time post the GMAT (5 days) to meet the ISB deadline.
- Aim as high as you can on the GMAT. While 700 is a good minimum, 720 or above would be preferable.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 13 Jun 2018, 21:32
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Hello ashutoshbhole

It is difficult to suggest one number due to the lack of 'qualitative' info such as career progression, achievements etc.
However I would recommend a minimum 720+ (720 is the new 700 to say so) to stay above ISB's average.
Remember GMAT is just piece of the admissions puzzle. To better suggest a score, more than years industry or role, one would need to understand the nature of your work, accomplishments and real business impact. So while college achievements and extracurricular activities can work (if they are stellar) focus more on work related achievements. This will also help bring out your diversity which is another major factor in admissions.
Lastly the most important point is Career Goals. What are your future plans and why is an MBA an absolute necessity to achieving those plans? Why from ISB? Without a compelling reason you application is not just weak, but also incomplete. Plus the goals have to fit what ISB can offer. A GMAT score of 760 will also not be able to compensate for that.
To conclude ISB will look at your profile holistically on Acads+Quality of Work Ex+Diversity+Career Goals. You will need a spike in at least 2-3 of these 4 factors. If you have a spike in Work Ex+Diversity+CareerGoals, you could get an admission with a 650 GMAT. But the info you provided does not convey so.
To know in depth what ISB is looking for you could read more here

Best
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MBAkarma.com
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ashutoshbhole
Hi All,

Request to please review my Profile, and suggest how much score should I be aiming at:
1. Class X : 88.2 (CBSE)
2. Class XII: 83.4 (CBSE)
3. B. Tech: 8.55 (Branch IT) from VIT, Pune.

Other Recognitions:
1. Lead the College team of 20+ members in ABU ROBOCON India.
2. Had taken session & trained more than 200+ students on building robots in College.
3. Our Major project bagged best project award at 2 competitions.
4. Awarded twice with Most Valuable Person award for 2 quarters.

Industry Experience:
1. 2 months of Internship at a Startup in Pune.
2. 3 months of Internship at Barclays.
3. Working full-time experience at Veritas of 36+ months as of July,18.

I have taken GMAT date on 10th Sept, 2018 and aspire to part of ISB, that being a year long course and for many other reasons.
1. How much marks are expected to get a interview call from ISB. (My target is around 700)
2. In general, how many people apply for ISB. This is just to understand the application-to-selection ratio.
Show more
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 14 Jun 2018, 05:22
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ashutoshbhole
Hi All,

Request to please review my Profile, and suggest how much score should I be aiming at:
1. Class X : 88.2 (CBSE)
2. Class XII: 83.4 (CBSE)
3. B. Tech: 8.55 (Branch IT) from VIT, Pune.

Other Recognitions:
1. Lead the College team of 20+ members in ABU ROBOCON India.
2. Had taken session & trained more than 200+ students on building robots in College.
3. Our Major project bagged best project award at 2 competitions.
4. Awarded twice with Most Valuable Person award for 2 quarters.

Industry Experience:
1. 2 months of Internship at a Startup in Pune.
2. 3 months of Internship at Barclays.
3. Working full-time experience at Veritas of 36+ months as of July,18.

I have taken GMAT date on 10th Sept, 2018 and aspire to part of ISB, that being a year long course and for many other reasons.
1. How much marks are expected to get a interview call from ISB. (My target is around 700)
2. In general, how many people apply for ISB. This is just to understand the application-to-selection ratio.
Show more

Hello ashutoshbhole,

You certainly have a fine academic background and good leadership experience at the college level. However, there are three things that ISB would really value:

- More details of your progress at Veritas: While you haven't quite shared these details with us, ISB will be interested to learn how you have progressed at Veritas, the leadership potential you have displayed and the achievements you have had. Such information will give the Admissions Committee an idea of who you really are, much beyond what you will be able to present in your essays.
- Career Goals: One of the most important bits of your application is your plan post MBA. Remember, that you need to put forth clearly defined short-term and long-term goals and both should logically sync with each other. The Admissions Committee wants to know why you need an MBA and how it fits in with your plans.
- GMAT: While 700 is a decent target, it is still under the average for ISB. Hence, it is strongly recommended that you target a score upwards of 720.

Hope this helped.

All the best!
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