ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

We think that you have a good and unique profile!

Academically, you've done well so far. While a score of 700 should be good, given the uniqueness of your profile, a GMAT score of 680 and above should also be okay. With 7 years of work experience, the burden of your candidature will fall on your essays and showcasing the 7 years of learnings and impact that you've managed to create. Pay attention to essays: What are your strengths? Give examples that are linked to your professional achievements. Why MBA? Make sure to build realistic and achievable goals. We don't see a mention of extra-curriculars, but they would also be crucial in showcasing a well-rounded profile.

Feel free to reach out for a detailed evaluation.

Hi Ayush,

Marketing as a function is valued well by ISB as a B-school as well as recruiters who come for placements. However, we need more information on your role, industry and quality of experience for better evaluation. With 7+ years, ISB would expect substantial leadership/managerial work experience. We hope you will be able to showcase this. If you're aiming for PGP, GMAT would be the first step and we think a 700 would be a good score to aim for. And of course, you are right, from a long term career perspective, PGP would be preferable over the CBA course.

For further evaluation, you can email us your resume or reach out for a detailed discussion.

Hi,

Could you please help in evaluating my profile and suggest the possibilities of strengthening the same.

My second attempt in GMAT will be in August. The first attempt I've failed miserably and find no point in considering the score.
Currently Aiming at 700+ score.

Academic Background:
Primary and High school was in Muscat, Oman. 10th Grade score- 80% (CBSE)
Secondary Schooling was done in Andhra Pradesh, India. 12th Grade score- 81% (State Board)
Graduated in Chemical Engineering from Caledonian College of Engineering, (Program Affiliated to VIT U, Chennai, India). GPA- 8.54

Internship:
A 2 month long internship in Oman's Biggest Oil & Petroleum manufacturing company, ORPIC. I was placed in the Process & Operation Department.

Work Experience:
I have graduated in July 2014. Currently working in the FMCG Retail sector in the Purchase department for Imports in one of the biggest conglomerates in Muscat, with the name Khimji Ramdas. We have around 90+ stores for which I manage the ordering of all Imported products as well as the replenishment planning. Key account manager for all my Import Suppliers around the world. I will be completing 2 years on this job in November 2017.

Passion:
While doing my engineering and till I joined my job in November 2015, I ran my own home business very successfully of Bespoke Cakes. Participated in almost around 10-12 exhibition events with my cake stalls.
Baking is my passion and I look forward to opening my bakery chain in the future.

Accomplishments:
Student Volunteer for 2 prestigious Conferences on Harnessing Natural Resources in Muscat.
Merit Award in Engineering for Year 1,2&3.
Proud Member of Toastmasters International in Muscat for the Past one year. Reached up to the Division contest within a year in Internation Speech. Visited the biggest District contest in the WORLD (District 20) and had an excellent exposure.

Post ISB (fingers crossed)-
Would love to explore the banking sector which I feel would widen my current exposure. Also, I intend to start up my own business as mentioned above.

Please suggest on my chances of getting through R1 2018 Intake and will it be advisable to apply for R2 considering my WE (Just 2years till R2), if I don't achieve a good GMAT score by August?
Also, I look forward to obtaining a scholarship, How attainable could it be with my profile? (Bridge to India scholarship offered by ISB)

Looking forward to expert advice/suggestions.

Thank you in Advance,
Kavya.

Hi there,

You have good academic record so far. And a 5th rank is admirable. You have good no.of years of work ex too. I hope you have good leadership and team work exposure. Because ISB will look at your over all profile and not just academics. As far as GMAT target score goes, aim for a little above average which is 710 right now. Hope this helps. Shoot any more questions if you have any.

Best,

Kavya,

You have a good profile and I see a lot of leadership potential. If presented well, this will go a long way in demonstrating that you are ready for the ISB program, with only two years of work experience. ISB has a chunk of people coming in through the early entry option and the YLP program who have ~2 years experience, so you will not be the only one.

I am impressed with the fact that you are managing the purchase of 90+ stores and work with suppliers across the world- this gives you the chance to show a lot of leadership capabilities, maturity and impact on your organization. All of these traits are loved by business schools around the world.

Other than these, your application will need to be competitive on other fronts as well:
a. academics (undergrad, which you have aced already, and GMAT, which you know is to be worked upon)
b. Career goals- you will need clarity over why you need an MBA, why now and what will you do after an MBA. You should research on whether a career in fin svcs will a viable option taking into account your past work experience and existing skills.

R1 or R2 is not a criterion- apply when you are ready and have a good GMAT score. Your age is counted at the time of joining not at the time of applying

Hi Kavya,
You have a good profile in making. Your academics are strong and if you get a 700+ gmat then your chances increase greatly. I don't think waiting for R2 helps with your work ex unless of course your GMAT score isn't satisfactory. Work ex is calculated till the date of your matriculation. Hence, yours will be above 2 years which is still less but you meet the minimum requirement. You also have gender diversity and international applicant factors playing in for you.
Toastmasters is a good extra curricular activity but I think you need to improve your community involvement too. Your baking too can find a nice spot on your resume. I think you are a good candidate for getting the Bridge to India or International Diversity scholarship.
Just a word of caution, you are a chemical engineer who interned at Oil & Gas, presently working in Supply Chain/FMCG, wants to get a job in banking and has dreams for bakery chain. Do you see the disconnect?
Hope this helps. Good Luck !

Best,

Hi jakexix, your overall experience will be closer to around 4 years by March next year and so experience-wise, you are in the right bracket. NIT in under-grad is another strength.

However, one thing that does come out in your profile is your slightly lower under-grad CGPA. In view of this, it becomes imperative that you score well on GMAT (definitely to the North of 700). This would basically be your redemption for the low undergrad CGPA.

Also, since you've been associated with your dad's business for the last 2 years, I am assuming that entrepreneurship is your long-term goal. That would work to your advantage as well. Make sure that you highlight this and articulate this extremely well in the second essay.

Hi Ayush,

Not sure what you're asking for here buddy. Are you saying you applied for PGP and got rejected ? If yes then whats your GMAT score ? Perhaps a ding analysis is required before you apply again this year. You have good work ex but information seems less to do even a basic profile review. Can you post a detailed profile ?

Best,

Hello,

Class Xth : 86.5% (ICSE)
Class XIIth : 75% (State board)
B.Tech- Chemical Engg : 7.6/10 (State govt institute)
GMAT : 670
Job : Working in a public sector steel plant for last 5 years.
: Worked as team leader as well as member of different cross function teams
Extracurricular: Active cricket player, organised fests during graduation, Active participation in CSR activities sponsored by my organisation.
Additional : Certified Lean Six Sigma Green belt

I have few questions :-
1) Is my GMAT score sufficient to be considered at ISB, SPJIMR, IIM's ?
2) Are my extracurricular activities enough to leave a mark ?
3) How is the placement scenario in operational roles in the ISB, IIM's, SPJIMR?

Hi TheDarkKnight2017, experience-wise, you would have approximately 9 years of work experience by March next year. The good part is that ISB values diversity, which obviously includes diversity of both the quality and the quantity of experience.

Your quality of experience is also unique since you come from O&G background. Having said that, the one thing you need to be extremely careful about is while you are articulating your goals. Most people who come from Oil and Gas background, almost impulsively aspire to be energy consultants post-MBA.

While you are working in the energy sector, my prima facie impression is that your experience is more towards operations and maintenance (rather than core energy sector itself). Operations sector itself is extremely versatile and offers great opportunities post-MBA.

So, think thru this, while articulating the goals essay.

Hi sveniga4, one thing that struck out in your profile was your post-MBA goal of transitioning into Consulting!

You need to walk on a thin line there, because you already have a Masters in a very specialised domain (Power and Energy Systems). Both, your bachelors as well as your work-experience are completely in-line with this domain.

Hence, after around 7 years of work experience in your core domain, it might be slightly tricky to articulate a complete career-change into consulting.

My suggestion would be that rather than leaving the post-MBA goal to a generic consulting, we need to be slightly more specific (such as Operations Consulting or energy consulting); basically something that does not look like a complete departure from your education and experience so far.

Needless to say, all other parameters (such as GMAT score, diversity of experience, your International experience etc.) seem to be working well for you.

Hi sjacob7, yeah the competition is tough and that's exactly what makes the process worth it!

Looking at your profile, the one thing that obviously stands out in your favour is the brilliant GMAT score. In terms of work-experience, the fact that you are working in a core product company is another differentiator.

You also seem to be having an overall eclectic mix of extra-curricular participation in your college

Make sure that the essays do complete justice to your profile and there is good reason to hope for the best.

Hi amitavnanda, you must look at a 700+ score.

Hi Amita,
You have a good profile for top schools. To answer your questions :

1. Your gmat score is on the lower side of class average for ISB and IIMs. I think its enough for SPJ. You have a well rounded profile and it may just fly with a low GMAT score. Of course you'll have to write excellent applications. But if you want to be sure get a 700 as suggested above.

2. You have excellent extra curricular and I hope CSR activities too. I'm sure you have lots of team work and leadership experience here.

3. Placement is one of the reason why all your target schools are so competitive. Might I suggest you to go through the employment reports of each schools to understand exactly what % goes into Operational roles.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want to discuss in detail over a call.

Best,

Hi there,

You have an excellent profile. At your age you should be focused more on your leadership accomplishments than on your academics. You also need a strong reason to pursue a second MBA. IF you pursue a regular full time MBA your opportunity cost will be high. Moreover, when you're already earning the average post PGP salary I'm not sure how much increment will you be able to get. Most MBA grads go into middle level management and you'll be looking at senior level management roles. My suggestion here would be to look for your dream job and calculate backwards. What do you need to do to get that job ?
1 year ISB PGP will definitely reduce your opportunity cost and it help you hone your skills and all. But if you can't afford to stay out of work force for that long, go for Exec MBA.
Good Luck !

Best,

Hi Kavya,

A good profile and one that stands out well!

We think that you have a great shot at ISB and you should definitely apply when you are ready. R1 is prefered simply because, there is a higher chance (relative) of getting through. Assuming that you can ace the GMAT by August, yes R1 will be the right time to apply. If you're struggling with GMAT, you can consider the GRE too and apply by R2 (no harm done).

As far as work-experience is considered, ISB will count your work-experience not on the date of application, but by the number of years/months completed by March 31st. Both the Retail and international experience add value to your profile and international is a huge bonus. Your experience with running your home business adds the extra-curricular touch to your candidature.

We think a 680+ should keep you safe. You might need to introspect a little more on your goals, as the banking sector does not seem to be a natural fit for your profile. Overall, build a strong application and you really should be through.

Feel free to reach out for a detailed discussion.

Hi amitavnanda,

We would need a little more information to give you a detailed evaluation, esp on your work experience: professional achievements, awards, recognition, business impact and so on. But on the face of it, professionally you seem to have done well. Managing a team should provide you with enough examples to demonstrate leadership potential. Academically, the track is average and 670 is a little on the lower side, especially for ISB and IIMA. On the extracurricular side, again college was a long time ago and company CSR is good, but not a wow factor.

Operations profiles are welcomed by both B-schools and recruiters, therefore you have nothing to worry there. We think that you have a good profile, and you need to now add the necessary elements to make it spectacular. For instance, give GMAT another shot to push it to 700 and build an application that shows your strengths well, and differentiates you from your peers.

Feel free to reach out for a detailed discussion.