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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 12 Aug 2023, 06:03
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Hello NIKHIL00712

Work ex shines and shows potential for good story telling in the essays from a career progression and achievements point of view.
Diversity also gets brownie points due to the nature of your work ex and the extracurricular activities.
The GMAT, while lower than the average, might not be a deal breaker in your specific case. (However, if you are confident of improving this score by another 20 points or more, I'd say go for it).
The only missing piece (and a really important one at that) is your career goals. What is that you want to do post MBA and what long term goal will it lead to? With your diverse profile, this question becomes even more critical. Unless you have a clear and organic answer here, your profile will remain incomplete.

Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
+918452954888 (WApp for a quick response)


NIKHIL00712
HI, please evaluate my profile for ISB. Should I apply for ISB or not?
Background: GMAT-680(Q48,V35)
10th-82.6%
12th-82.2%
B.tech-75.6%,Mechanical and automation, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, GGSIPU Delhi.
Work ex: I work as a Senior Section Engineer ( Workshop) at Indian railways. My workshop undertakes the activity of Periodic Overhauling of Coaches. My job profile comprises of following activities:
• Supervising and managing the work of junior staff (around a team of 100 staffs is working under me which comprises of Technicians and Junior engineers)
• Planning man-power
• Planning and organizing production schedules
• Assessing resource requirements
• Selecting, ordering and purchasing material
• Ensuring health and safety regulation are met
• Determining quality control standards.
• Working on ERP of railways to control inventory.
My total work ex is of 5 years.
Extra curricular:
I have been awarded three times for extra ordinary work.
Hobbies:Guitar, read.
Kindly tell me whether there is a chance to make into ISB with that score or not? Or advice me with some other plan. I will be very grateful to you

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MBAkarma
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Aug 2023, 06:08
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Hello Pragati13

Past scores are average, work ex shows some potential of good story telling and the PSU work ex also adds some diversity.
What is missing here is what are your post MBA goals and what long term goals do you wish to fulfill. This will be highly important in your case coming from a PSU background, how does ISB/MBA fit in.
A 680+ is recommended based on the information shared, but will depend on a lot of other missing factors such as career progression, achievements, extracurricular activities, career goals, any other areas that can add diversity and finally how you choose to tie all of this in your narrative.

Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
+918452954888 (WApp for a quick response)

Pragati13
Hello,
Please evaluate my profile for ISB.Female, 33 years, work exp- 8+ years
10th- 83%
12th- 68%
Grad- BTech IT- 76%
I am working as a Senior Manager in a PSU bank. 2 promotions done and next year due for thir Peld promotion.
Leading a team of employees and heading as Branch Manager.
I am yet to take GMAT. Want to have an idea of target score.

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MBAkarma
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Aug 2023, 06:11
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Hello dutsyas

A lot of missing information here- Career Goals, Progression and Achievements at work, Extracurricular or any other aspects that will add diversity to an otherwise low diversity profile (due to the software background).
In absence of such information, I would say improve your GRE score as currently you are slightly below the average score of the school and will find it tough to stand out (with this score and the profile information shared) in the biggest and most competitive pool of IT applicants.

Best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
+918452954888 (WApp for a quick response)

dutsyas
Hi,

I know I'm mentioning GRE score but will highly appreciate your help. Here's my profile:
Age: 25 yr

GRE Score: 324 [Quant:168, Verbal:156 , AWA:4]

Educational Qualifications:

Graduation: M.Sc. Phy + B.E. Electronics from BITS Pilani, 7.7 CGPA
H.S.C: 93.2, CBSE
S.S.C: 10CGPA, CBSE

Work Experience:
Working as a Software Engineer in PayPal (~32 months by March 2024).

Extra Curricular:
Have published 1 research paper during graduation.
Have knowledge of music production, can play multiple instruments (Guitar, Piano, Drums) but I don't have any valuable certification/participation to show for apart from college/office shows.

My primary doubt is whether I should attempt GRE again for a better score, given my profile?

Appreciate your time, thanks.
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RiyaJain69
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Aug 2023, 19:51
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Hello, Varun. Thank you very much for your valuable insights. As advised, I'm gunning for a 700+ GMAT score now. And you've given me much to think about career goals. I had no clue that my age/work experience could repel consulting forms. I will do more research about this aspect. Many thanks. :please:

MBAkarma
Hello RiyaJain69

ISB will evaluate your candidature on 4 factors-

1) Academic potential- this seems to be your biggest weakness with the current GMAT score. While you have some positives that can potentially help compensate for the lower score, I would still recommend a 680+ in your specific case to be confident of getting an interview invite.
2) Work Ex- this is your stand out strength. There is enough potential for story telling in your long and illustrious career. Moreover, you are a writer yourself, so your presentation should be great in the essays anyway.
3) Diversity- due to the nature of your work and other experiences, you are pretty high on diversity. There would be very few applicants with a profile similar to yours and that will help you stand out. Your narrative in the essays must prove that you will be a great addition to the class and you will add value to the experience of your batch mates inside and outside the classroom.
4) Career goals- While you have clear career goals with a rationale behind having these goals too, I would say go further in your research as consulting is not for everyone and also see what recruiters look for when hiring consultants (for example, the top consulting firms usually do not hire people with higher work ex and some even look for a high GMAT score while shortlisting). You may need to rework the career goals narrative and more than the low GMAT that can become a roadblock if you are not clear what you want to do post MBA as with a very diverse profile that becomes a challenge (where will ISB fit in).

All the best
Varun
MBAkarma.com
+918452954888 (WApp for a quick response)

RiyaJain69
Hello! I'd be very grateful if someone could share their thoughts on my profile for ISB executive MBA.

> GMAT 650 (Q47, V34, IR3 🙁)
> Male, 35 years. Journalist. Have worked at The New Indian Express and Daily News & Analysis newspapers and a media-tech start-up. Served as the co-founder of this start-up and headed a department in a newspaper. Of late, been working as an independent, investigative journalist, exposing corruption in government banks.
> Needle mover: One of my stories compelled the government to stop imposing a technology illegally on people. A recent story about a bank fraud has triggered an RBI investigation into the bank's affairs.
> Recognition: Award for business journalism in my journalism college's alumni award function. Got selected for one fellowship and got shortlisted for another prestigious fellowship.
> Uncredited work: Have ghost-written a course on media literacy for college students. Ghost-edited a book on financial frauds. Designed and helped teach investigative journalism at my journalism college.
> Career as a musician: Quit my full-time job in mid-2014 to start a band. Served as the band's manager, lyricist and guitarist. One song shortlisted for inaugural Radio City Freedom Awards. Another track voted as track of the week in a poll of a top, foreign record label. Songs released worldwide with digital music-making software FL Studio as demo project files, making us the Hindi artist to have our tracks released as demo projects. Some tracks included by the world's top DJs in their setlist. Quit the band in 2017.
> Graduation: BBA (59.9%)
Class 12: 59.8% (Science - CBSE). Class 10: 77.6%
> Extra-curricular: Extensively participated in and won debate, elocution, poetry recitation, storytelling competitions throughout school years. Represented school thrice in regional meets.
Leadership: In every organisation I have worked at, have quickly risen to prominence, getting the most important projects. I work well with people and hence was given the charge of a department within three years of starting my career. At the start-up I worked at, I handled a host of managerial and editorial duties. From hiring to policymaking to establishing partnership and even crisis management, I have donned a lot of hats. At the startup, I used to liason and work with freelance reporters from across India and media houses in and outside India.
> Key skills: Deep-dive, investigative stories. Research. Fact-finding. Team work. Problem-solving. I am excellent at establishing rapport with people, which is how I succeed in securing highly sensitive information for my investigative stories.
> Social duties: In my locality, I am the one who engages with the city corporation, councillor and the administration for maintenance and repairs (such as fixing street lights, ensuring cleaning, fogging). Been engaged in small-time volunteering activities on and off.
> Asset for college: When I worked as the head of a department in a newspaper, I'd get my journalism college's students' stories (good ones only) published in my newspaper. I'd get these students invited for tests and job interviews. I'd visit college every year (until I moved out of that city) and speak with students to guide them.
> Reason for MBA: Given my inclinication for problem-solving, people skills, resourcefulness and go-getter attitude, I believe I will excel in the field of consultancy, especially since consultancy is largely about problem-solving and getting to the bottom of an issue. It's exactly the same for investigative stories. Hence, I bring with me precious, proven transferable skills. I have extensively worked on data stories and complicated, government documents, which shows I have the tenacity, patience and the smarts to make sense of statistics, identify patterns and make useful inferences.

I'll turn 36 this year-end and have to get into a B-school this time. Some unfortunate family situation kept me from applying till now. Should I apply at ISB with GMAT 650 or do I need a better score? (Thanks in advance!)
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Aug 2023, 21:08
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RiyaJain69
Hello! I'd be very grateful if someone could share their thoughts on my profile for ISB executive MBA.

> GMAT 650 (Q47, V34, IR3 🙁)
> Male, 35 years. Journalist. Have worked at The New Indian Express and Daily News & Analysis newspapers and a media-tech start-up. Served as the co-founder of this start-up and headed a department in a newspaper. Of late, been working as an independent, investigative journalist, exposing corruption in government banks.
> Needle mover: One of my stories compelled the government to stop imposing a technology illegally on people. A recent story about a bank fraud has triggered an RBI investigation into the bank's affairs.
> Recognition: Award for business journalism in my journalism college's alumni award function. Got selected for one fellowship and got shortlisted for another prestigious fellowship.
> Uncredited work: Have ghost-written a course on media literacy for college students. Ghost-edited a book on financial frauds. Designed and helped teach investigative journalism at my journalism college.
> Career as a musician: Quit my full-time job in mid-2014 to start a band. Served as the band's manager, lyricist and guitarist. One song shortlisted for inaugural Radio City Freedom Awards. Another track voted as track of the week in a poll of a top, foreign record label. Songs released worldwide with digital music-making software FL Studio as demo project files, making us the Hindi artist to have our tracks released as demo projects. Some tracks included by the world's top DJs in their setlist. Quit the band in 2017.
> Graduation: BBA (59.9%)
Class 12: 59.8% (Science - CBSE). Class 10: 77.6%
> Extra-curricular: Extensively participated in and won debate, elocution, poetry recitation, storytelling competitions throughout school years. Represented school thrice in regional meets.
Leadership: In every organisation I have worked at, have quickly risen to prominence, getting the most important projects. I work well with people and hence was given the charge of a department within three years of starting my career. At the start-up I worked at, I handled a host of managerial and editorial duties. From hiring to policymaking to establishing partnership and even crisis management, I have donned a lot of hats. At the startup, I used to liason and work with freelance reporters from across India and media houses in and outside India.
> Key skills: Deep-dive, investigative stories. Research. Fact-finding. Team work. Problem-solving. I am excellent at establishing rapport with people, which is how I succeed in securing highly sensitive information for my investigative stories.
> Social duties: In my locality, I am the one who engages with the city corporation, councillor and the administration for maintenance and repairs (such as fixing street lights, ensuring cleaning, fogging). Been engaged in small-time volunteering activities on and off.
> Asset for college: When I worked as the head of a department in a newspaper, I'd get my journalism college's students' stories (good ones only) published in my newspaper. I'd get these students invited for tests and job interviews. I'd visit college every year (until I moved out of that city) and speak with students to guide them.
> Reason for MBA: Given my inclinication for problem-solving, people skills, resourcefulness and go-getter attitude, I believe I will excel in the field of consultancy, especially since consultancy is largely about problem-solving and getting to the bottom of an issue. It's exactly the same for investigative stories. Hence, I bring with me precious, proven transferable skills. I have extensively worked on data stories and complicated, government documents, which shows I have the tenacity, patience and the smarts to make sense of statistics, identify patterns and make useful inferences.

I'll turn 36 this year-end and have to get into a B-school this time. Some unfortunate family situation kept me from applying till now. Should I apply at ISB with GMAT 650 or do I need a better score? (Thanks in advance!)
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RiyaJain69 - some points from an initial assessment:

1. Acads are on the lower side, and the current GMAT score unfortunately doesn't compensate for it. I suggest a retake if possible. A higher score can help improve your chances.

2. Professional arc is interesting particularly the breadth of your experiences and the tangible impact you have had in these roles. Rationale for why consulting seems ok, however, aim to do more research and identify your target companies/ team(s).

3. Consulting firms typically hire MBA grads for two categories of roles: generalist and specialist. For generalist roles, (relatively) younger candidates with some prior work-ex are preferred as they can be rotated across sectors and cases. For specialist roles however, in addition to the first-principles problem solving and stakeholder management skills, expertise in a specific sector is highly valued. Such roles are for practice areas that serve clients in specific domain(s). This applies to MBB's, big-4s, tier-2, boutique firms. In your case, looking at a specialist role, one most aligned to your past experience (perhaps financial services given some points you mentioned, though this is my initial view) can be interesting. Internal consulting roles can be interesting too.

4. Also sketch out a plan B (this is recommended for anyone with plan A as consulting) due to the competitive nature of the industry.

5. ECs offer good talking points for essays. Make sure to highlight your learnings from your involvement in recent (within 2-3 years) EC activities, and how these can translate to your journey in/ post MBA.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out for a detailed chat.

Regards,
Arvind
HEC Paris MBA alum, Admissions interviewer
W:https://admitstreet.com| E: [email protected]
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RiyaJain69
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GMAT 1: 700 Q48 V39
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 12 Aug 2023, 21:36
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Thank you very much for the insights into the consulting sector, and for the suggestion to think about a plan B. You have given me much food for thought. As advised, I will retake GMAT and aim to score 700+. Thanks again for taking time to explain. 🙏

admitStreet
RiyaJain69
Hello! I'd be very grateful if someone could share their thoughts on my profile for ISB executive MBA.

> GMAT 650 (Q47, V34, IR3 🙁)
> Male, 35 years. Journalist. Have worked at The New Indian Express and Daily News & Analysis newspapers and a media-tech start-up. Served as the co-founder of this start-up and headed a department in a newspaper. Of late, been working as an independent, investigative journalist, exposing corruption in government banks.
> Needle mover: One of my stories compelled the government to stop imposing a technology illegally on people. A recent story about a bank fraud has triggered an RBI investigation into the bank's affairs.
> Recognition: Award for business journalism in my journalism college's alumni award function. Got selected for one fellowship and got shortlisted for another prestigious fellowship.
> Uncredited work: Have ghost-written a course on media literacy for college students. Ghost-edited a book on financial frauds. Designed and helped teach investigative journalism at my journalism college.
> Career as a musician: Quit my full-time job in mid-2014 to start a band. Served as the band's manager, lyricist and guitarist. One song shortlisted for inaugural Radio City Freedom Awards. Another track voted as track of the week in a poll of a top, foreign record label. Songs released worldwide with digital music-making software FL Studio as demo project files, making us the Hindi artist to have our tracks released as demo projects. Some tracks included by the world's top DJs in their setlist. Quit the band in 2017.
> Graduation: BBA (59.9%)
Class 12: 59.8% (Science - CBSE). Class 10: 77.6%
> Extra-curricular: Extensively participated in and won debate, elocution, poetry recitation, storytelling competitions throughout school years. Represented school thrice in regional meets.
Leadership: In every organisation I have worked at, have quickly risen to prominence, getting the most important projects. I work well with people and hence was given the charge of a department within three years of starting my career. At the start-up I worked at, I handled a host of managerial and editorial duties. From hiring to policymaking to establishing partnership and even crisis management, I have donned a lot of hats. At the startup, I used to liason and work with freelance reporters from across India and media houses in and outside India.
> Key skills: Deep-dive, investigative stories. Research. Fact-finding. Team work. Problem-solving. I am excellent at establishing rapport with people, which is how I succeed in securing highly sensitive information for my investigative stories.
> Social duties: In my locality, I am the one who engages with the city corporation, councillor and the administration for maintenance and repairs (such as fixing street lights, ensuring cleaning, fogging). Been engaged in small-time volunteering activities on and off.
> Asset for college: When I worked as the head of a department in a newspaper, I'd get my journalism college's students' stories (good ones only) published in my newspaper. I'd get these students invited for tests and job interviews. I'd visit college every year (until I moved out of that city) and speak with students to guide them.
> Reason for MBA: Given my inclinication for problem-solving, people skills, resourcefulness and go-getter attitude, I believe I will excel in the field of consultancy, especially since consultancy is largely about problem-solving and getting to the bottom of an issue. It's exactly the same for investigative stories. Hence, I bring with me precious, proven transferable skills. I have extensively worked on data stories and complicated, government documents, which shows I have the tenacity, patience and the smarts to make sense of statistics, identify patterns and make useful inferences.

I'll turn 36 this year-end and have to get into a B-school this time. Some unfortunate family situation kept me from applying till now. Should I apply at ISB with GMAT 650 or do I need a better score? (Thanks in advance!)

RiyaJain69 - some points from an initial assessment:

1. Acads are on the lower side, and the current GMAT score unfortunately doesn't compensate for it. I suggest a retake if possible. A higher score can help improve your chances.

2. Professional arc is interesting particularly the breadth of your experiences and the tangible impact you have had in these roles. Rationale for why consulting seems ok, however, aim to do more research and identify your target companies/ team(s).

3. Consulting firms typically hire MBA grads for two categories of roles: generalist and specialist. For generalist roles, (relatively) younger candidates with some prior work-ex are preferred as they can be rotated across sectors and cases. For specialist roles however, in addition to the first-principles problem solving and stakeholder management skills, expertise in a specific sector is highly valued. Such roles are for practice areas that serve clients in specific domain(s). This applies to MBB's, big-4s, tier-2, boutique firms. In your case, looking at a specialist role, one most aligned to your past experience (perhaps financial services given some points you mentioned, though this is my initial view) can be interesting. Internal consulting roles can be interesting too.

4. Also sketch out a plan B (this is recommended for anyone with plan A as consulting) due to the competitive nature of the industry.

5. ECs offer good talking points for essays. Make sure to highlight your learnings from your involvement in recent (within 2-3 years) EC activities, and how these can translate to your journey in/ post MBA.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out for a detailed chat.

Regards,
Arvind
HEC Paris MBA alum, Admissions interviewer
W:https://admitstreet.com| E: [email protected]
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 15 Aug 2023, 22:59
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Hi RiyaJain69

Your diverse interests and the profile will certainly attract Adcom's attention, if presented well through the application+essays. Although there is no GMAT cutoff for PGP, improving the score will add value when weightages are being calculated.

We will also encourage you to register for our free profile evaluation done by an Ex Admission Officer of ISB. It will help you discuss your profile in detail and understand if the consulting is the right fit for you.

Wishing you all the best.

Regards
Team ISBMantra
https://www.isbmantra.com | [email protected]

RiyaJain69
Hello! I'd be very grateful if someone could share their thoughts on my profile for ISB executive MBA.

> GMAT 650 (Q47, V34, IR3 🙁)
> Male, 35 years. Journalist. Have worked at The New Indian Express and Daily News & Analysis newspapers and a media-tech start-up. Served as the co-founder of this start-up and headed a department in a newspaper. Of late, been working as an independent, investigative journalist, exposing corruption in government banks.
> Needle mover: One of my stories compelled the government to stop imposing a technology illegally on people. A recent story about a bank fraud has triggered an RBI investigation into the bank's affairs.
> Recognition: Award for business journalism in my journalism college's alumni award function. Got selected for one fellowship and got shortlisted for another prestigious fellowship.
> Uncredited work: Have ghost-written a course on media literacy for college students. Ghost-edited a book on financial frauds. Designed and helped teach investigative journalism at my journalism college.
> Career as a musician: Quit my full-time job in mid-2014 to start a band. Served as the band's manager, lyricist and guitarist. One song shortlisted for inaugural Radio City Freedom Awards. Another track voted as track of the week in a poll of a top, foreign record label. Songs released worldwide with digital music-making software FL Studio as demo project files, making us the Hindi artist to have our tracks released as demo projects. Some tracks included by the world's top DJs in their setlist. Quit the band in 2017.
> Graduation: BBA (59.9%)
Class 12: 59.8% (Science - CBSE). Class 10: 77.6%
> Extra-curricular: Extensively participated in and won debate, elocution, poetry recitation, storytelling competitions throughout school years. Represented school thrice in regional meets.
Leadership: In every organisation I have worked at, have quickly risen to prominence, getting the most important projects. I work well with people and hence was given the charge of a department within three years of starting my career. At the start-up I worked at, I handled a host of managerial and editorial duties. From hiring to policymaking to establishing partnership and even crisis management, I have donned a lot of hats. At the startup, I used to liason and work with freelance reporters from across India and media houses in and outside India.
> Key skills: Deep-dive, investigative stories. Research. Fact-finding. Team work. Problem-solving. I am excellent at establishing rapport with people, which is how I succeed in securing highly sensitive information for my investigative stories.
> Social duties: In my locality, I am the one who engages with the city corporation, councillor and the administration for maintenance and repairs (such as fixing street lights, ensuring cleaning, fogging). Been engaged in small-time volunteering activities on and off.
> Asset for college: When I worked as the head of a department in a newspaper, I'd get my journalism college's students' stories (good ones only) published in my newspaper. I'd get these students invited for tests and job interviews. I'd visit college every year (until I moved out of that city) and speak with students to guide them.
> Reason for MBA: Given my inclinication for problem-solving, people skills, resourcefulness and go-getter attitude, I believe I will excel in the field of consultancy, especially since consultancy is largely about problem-solving and getting to the bottom of an issue. It's exactly the same for investigative stories. Hence, I bring with me precious, proven transferable skills. I have extensively worked on data stories and complicated, government documents, which shows I have the tenacity, patience and the smarts to make sense of statistics, identify patterns and make useful inferences.

I'll turn 36 this year-end and have to get into a B-school this time. Some unfortunate family situation kept me from applying till now. Should I apply at ISB with GMAT 650 or do I need a better score? (Thanks in advance!)
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 15 Aug 2023, 23:12
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Hello everyone!

The following video will help all those of you who are applying to ISB for the 2024 intake.

The video gives you a comprehensive overview of eligibility, deadlines, class profile, placements, and more!


Should you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to write to us.

All the best!
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 15 Aug 2023, 23:13
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Hello Everyone,

If you are applying to ISB for the 2024 intake, the following short video will help you gain a comprehensive approach to writing your ISB application essays.

Yes, there is never one correct way of writing an essay; however, having a structure in place always helps!


Should you have any questions pertaining to this, please feel free to get in touch with us.

All the best!
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 01:13
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Hi, I just gave my GMAT today. I scored 710 ( V38, Q48 ). I wanted to apply to ISB in R1. Am i go to apply in R1 with this score, or should I re take GMAT and apply in R2 given the poor percentile score in quant? I am very confused, looking for some suggestions
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 01:41
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helloworld24
Hi, I just gave my GMAT today. I scored 710 ( V38, Q48 ). I wanted to apply to ISB in R1. Am i go to apply in R1 with this score, or should I re take GMAT and apply in R2 given the poor percentile score in quant? I am very confused, looking for some suggestions
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helloworld24

Not a bad score at all.
But please share more details about your profile (academic background, GPA, work experience, function and industry) so we can better advise you.

Best wishes

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 03:17
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Hello helloworld24

Although GMAT score is important, it is not the only thing ISB looks for. Past academic track, work experience and your clarity about why MBA, why ISB, short term and long term career goals are very important.

We encourage you to sign up for a free profile evaluation which is done by Ex Admission Officers who will help you holistically evaluate your profile and advise whether to apply with this score or not.

Regards
Team ISBMantra
https://www.isbmantra.com | [email protected]

helloworld24
Hi, I just gave my GMAT today. I scored 710 ( V38, Q48 ). I wanted to apply to ISB in R1. Am i go to apply in R1 with this score, or should I re take GMAT and apply in R2 given the poor percentile score in quant? I am very confused, looking for some suggestions
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 04:48
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Hi guys, I just wanted to know everybody says you need to have a good profile. I don't understand what do they mean, could someone explain. Is it only limited to acads and work ex or something else?

my acads:
10th 88.4%
12th 83.54%
Bachelor's in Pharmacy 8.11/10 CGPA; Was the Class Rep of my batch for 3+ years and also part of the core team of intercollegiate festivakl.

Work ex: Completed 2 years, Work as a Lead Consultant in an pharma market access consultancy.

Could someone please help me understand what should I target before actually applying for admissions.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 05:07
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jmitesh69
Hi guys, I just wanted to know everybody says you need to have a good profile. I don't understand what do they mean, could someone explain. Is it only limited to acads and work ex or something else?

my acads:
10th 88.4%
12th 83.54%
Bachelor's in Pharmacy 8.11/10 CGPA; Was the Class Rep of my batch for 3+ years and also part of the core team of intercollegiate festivakl.

Work ex: Completed 2 years, Work as a Lead Consultant in an pharma market access consultancy.

Could someone please help me understand what should I target before actually applying for admissions.
Show more

jmitesh69

Generally speaking, a good profile includes (but is not limited to) the following
1. Good academic performance and GMAT (shows that you will pass the academically rigorous and finance-heavy MBA program)

2. Evidence of leadership and solid career progression - How have you progressed year on year in your career? What additional responsibilities have you taken on? Have you been promoted? How has your contribution at work benefited the company or your team? Are you a people manager? Do you understand how your work impacts the company?

3. Versatile personality
Networking and making contacts is an important part of an MBA program. It is also important to demonstrate balanced right-brain thinking and a sense of purpose in life beyond work and numbers. What activities have you engaged in outside your primary work area that shows you have an interesting and well-developed personality? Think carefully about your extracurricular activities and consider whether you may have overlooked important initiatives that you have taken over the years. These may include activities such as traveling, learning a new language, participating in workplace diversity initiatives (e.g., promoting gender equality or diversity in the workforce), helping those in financial or emotional need, teaching disadvantaged children, organizing diversity conversations or activities to promote better teamwork, and more. Sometimes it helps to take a moment and do some soul-searching to recognize the contributions you have made to your community.

I understand your work experience. Your work as a market research consultant in the pharma sector is top-tier kind of pre-MBA work experience. You should top it with a promising GMAT score to make a strong case for yourself.

If you can wait a year or 2 for your MBA, your experience in pharma will set you up for success at top consulting schools which have a strong focus on healthcare and pharma. If you are interested in applying to top B Schools, for healthcare-related goals, you can have schools like Tuck and Duke MBAs on your list (because of the medical schools' affiliations). Both schools have a solid pharma/healthcare focus and are consulting powerhouses. For Management consulting, you could pitch generalist consulting roles within the pharma sector in the short term and eventually pivot to a specialist track (such as marketing, consulting companies allow that) a few years down the line. Long term you could also pivot to big pharma in leadership positions. Obviously how you express your interest in a particular field within healthcare/pharma will make your candidacy unique.
As far as Indian B Schools go, you are in decent shape to apply to ISB as long as you have a solid GMAT score.

Get personalized advice tailored to your specific situation.. Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need help navigating your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Aug 2023, 10:33
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Well gmat score , LOR , SOP , Essays are also important factors which determine interview invite for MBA program

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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 19 Aug 2023, 22:10
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Hi dutsyas,

Hope you are well.

We suggest you go for a GRE retake.

The average GRE score for ISB Class of 2023 is 328. While the current GRE score is not really low, given your score falls within the mid 80% Range of ISB's class (322-334) and also taking into consideration the other aspects of your profile, we believe securing a score significantly increases the chances of securing a shortlist as-
1. You are at the lower end of the work experience years spectrum
2. You have an UG degree from Tier-1 college

Please go through this article on what could be a good GMAT score for securing interview invite at ISB. The logic applies to candidates with GRE scores as well.
https://reachusfly.substack.com/p/what-is-a-good-safe-gmat-score-to

All the best and hope this helps.

We are a bunch of ISB alums who help potential ISB candidates with profile positioning, essay reviews and interview mocks. Feel free to book a 15 min free session for more discussion- https://calendly.com/reachusfly/15min

With warm regards,
Team Fly
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reachusfly/


dutsyas


I know I'm mentioning GRE score but will highly appreciate your help. Here's my profile:
Age: 25 yr

GRE Score: 324 [Quant:168, Verbal:156 , AWA:4]

Educational Qualifications:

Graduation: M.Sc. Phy + B.E. Electronics from BITS Pilani, 7.7 CGPA
H.S.C: 93.2, CBSE
S.S.C: 10CGPA, CBSE

Work Experience:
Working as a Software Engineer in PayPal (~32 months by March 2024).

Extra Curricular:
Have published 1 research paper during graduation.
Have knowledge of music production, can play multiple instruments (Guitar, Piano, Drums) but I don't have any valuable certification/participation to show for apart from college/office shows.

My primary doubt is whether I should attempt GRE again for a better score, given my profile?

Appreciate your time, thanks.
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 21 Aug 2023, 19:26
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Hi, kindly advice on my profile and chances at ISB Hyderbad R1

GMAT : 710 (Q49 V38) Raw
Grad : 8.87 BE IT Sardar Patel Institute of Technology
12th : 88%
10th : 91%

Work ex : Working as consultant for a banking and finance product at Oracle (3.5 years by March 2024). Have been promoted once and awarded 4 times for my performance in the last 3 years. Currently my profile is that of a team lead. I lead a team of 3 and am mentoring 2 other employees from a different project.

Extra curricular :
1. During graduation I had a student startup which was a product based - an assistive technology to help children with learning disability. We raised around 10L rupees via competitions and crowd funding. Have won B-Plan competitions using this idea and have certificates from IIM Bangalore, KPMG, IIM Ranchi, NIT Raipur, SDA Bocconi.This startup didnt succeed though because of COVID and team dynamics.
2. Have published a patent
3. Have published 2 research papers during graduation
4. Involved in various social activities during graduation (40 plus hours) and at Oracle (post covid re-open ie 2022)

Career goal - to get into Product Management as my past experience, qualifications and interest align with this

Kindly advice if there are any points I should elaborate on in my essays or those which I should omit.

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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 21 Aug 2023, 23:33
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atulchitanvis
Hi, kindly advice on my profile and chances at ISB Hyderbad R1

GMAT : 710 (Q49 V38) Raw
Grad : 8.87 BE IT Sardar Patel Institute of Technology
12th : 88%
10th : 91%

Work ex : Working as consultant for a banking and finance product at Oracle (3.5 years by March 2024). Have been promoted once and awarded 4 times for my performance in the last 3 years. Currently my profile is that of a team lead. I lead a team of 3 and am mentoring 2 other employees from a different project.

Extra curricular :
1. During graduation I had a student startup which was a product based - an assistive technology to help children with learning disability. We raised around 10L rupees via competitions and crowd funding. Have won B-Plan competitions using this idea and have certificates from IIM Bangalore, KPMG, IIM Ranchi, NIT Raipur, SDA Bocconi.This startup didnt succeed though because of COVID and team dynamics.
2. Have published a patent
3. Have published 2 research papers during graduation
4. Involved in various social activities during graduation (40 plus hours) and at Oracle (post covid re-open ie 2022)

Career goal - to get into Product Management as my past experience, qualifications and interest align with this

Kindly advice if there are any points I should elaborate on in my essays or those which I should omit.

Posted from my mobile device
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atulchitanvis

Decent acads but if it all comes down to stats in a pool of similar profiles, your GMAT can have some impact.

In your application, be sure to not only highlight your successive promotions but also how they came about as a consequence of the employer noticing your potential and problem-solving skills (what problems did you solve for the firm) and awarding you greater and superior responsibilities. Consider why you would need a PGP/MBA to transfer into the type of product career you are interested in. Product is a broad domain and typical error candidates make is not delving further into their passion and desire to address a problem they have witnessed through their experience or to capitalize on an opportunity. What is the bigger picture/vision underlying your product management objectives than your previous expertise and qualifications?

Your ECs are interesting. Lots of talking points there. Make sure your narrative around this is not just a laundry list of activities but rather how have these experiences enriched your personality.

Do not hesitate to reach out to us for help with interview preparation or if you need help navigating your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 23 Aug 2023, 06:18
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jmitesh69
Hi guys, I just wanted to know everybody says you need to have a good profile. I don't understand what do they mean, could someone explain. Is it only limited to acads and work ex or something else?

my acads:
10th 88.4%
12th 83.54%
Bachelor's in Pharmacy 8.11/10 CGPA; Was the Class Rep of my batch for 3+ years and also part of the core team of intercollegiate festivakl.

Work ex: Completed 2 years, Work as a Lead Consultant in an pharma market access consultancy.

Could someone please help me understand what should I target before actually applying for admissions.
Show more

Hello jmitesh69,

A good profile is a combination of a good test score, fine academics, meaningful work experience, and decently impressive extra-curricular activities. Schools evaluate a profile in a holistic fashion and each of the above-mentioned components has a weightage.

All the best!
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ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 23 Aug 2023, 10:45
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Hello jmitesh69,

I hope you are doing good. We'd be happy to help you understand what having a good profile means, especially in the context of applying for further education. A "good profile" generally refers to a well-rounded and competitive set of achievements, experiences, and skills that demonstrate your suitability for the program or institution you're applying to. It's not limited to just academics and work experience; it includes various aspects that collectively give an impression of your capabilities and potential.

1. Academic Performance: Your academic achievements, such as your percentages and CGPA, show a consistent track record of solid performance.

2. Leadership and Extracurricular Activities: Being the Class Representative for your batch for several years and being a part of the core team for an intercollegiate festival demonstrate leadership skills, teamwork, and a proactive attitude.

3. Work Experience: Your two years of work experience as a Lead Consultant in a pharmaceutical market access consultancy are valuable. This indicates your practical exposure, industry knowledge, and potential to contribute effectively in a professional setting.

To further enhance your profile for admissions, you should consider the following steps:

1. Letters of Recommendation: Strong letters of recommendation from supervisors, professors, or mentors who can speak to your skills, work ethic, and potential can add credibility to your application.

2. Statement of Purpose (SOP): Craft a compelling SOP that outlines your academic and career goals, why you're interested in the specific program, and how your experiences align with the program's objectives.

3. Standardized Tests: Depending on the program and institution, you might need to take standardized tests like the GRE, GMAT, or others.

4. Continued Professional Development: Given your work in the pharmaceutical field, staying up-to-date with industry trends, certifications, or workshops could further demonstrate your commitment to learning and growth.

5. Personal Projects: Showcasing personal projects, research, publications, or any initiatives you've taken outside of work or academics can add another layer to your profile.

6. Diversity of Experience: Highlight any experiences that showcase your adaptability, global exposure, or unique perspectives. These can differentiate you from other applicants.

7. Alignment with Program Goals: Research the programs you're applying to thoroughly. Understand their values, strengths, and focus areas. Tailor your application to show how your background aligns with their objectives.

Lastly, don't underestimate the power of a well-prepared application and a strong narrative that ties together your experiences, goals, and aspirations. Admissions committees are often looking for candidates who can not only excel academically but also contribute meaningfully to the academic community.

Good luck with your applications!

We offer a limited number of complimentary profile evaluations each week . We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools. In this call, the experts will try to dig out your USP for top B-schools and provide you with honest feedback on your profile and chances to your target schools.

Book a free profile evaluation call now!

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jmitesh69
Hi guys, I just wanted to know everybody says you need to have a good profile. I don't understand what do they mean, could someone explain. Is it only limited to acads and work ex or something else?

my acads:
10th 88.4%
12th 83.54%
Bachelor's in Pharmacy 8.11/10 CGPA; Was the Class Rep of my batch for 3+ years and also part of the core team of intercollegiate festivakl.

Work ex: Completed 2 years, Work as a Lead Consultant in an pharma market access consultancy.

Could someone please help me understand what should I target before actually applying for admissions.
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