ISB R2: Is 675 GFE enough for my profile?

Question

I got a score of 675 GFE in GMAT.
10th: 8.8 CGPA
12th: 89.4%
BTech (Chemical Engineering): 6.56
Extracurriculars: Cultural Secretary, Co-founder of Literary Club
Achievements: Selected as the youngest candidate for my organization's Career Acceleration Programme, completing an executive training at ISB.

I have a work experience of 5 years in Petrochemicals (Oil & Gas downstream) field. I started as a Sales Officer & currently am a Product Manager.

Is my GMAT score enough for a good chance at getting shortlisted for R2 interview or should I go for GMAT again and aim for higher score.

Kindly account for the fact that I have poor academic scores and give me realistic insights, no matter how harsh!

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  Sourav1Basu ,

Hope this finds you well.

While the GMAT score is not extraordinarily high, it looks fine for ISB; in our opinion, you must focus on preparing a strong application and applying in Round 2.

The following video will help with your application essays:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zNQzX40UfU

All the best!

MBAGuide · Answer

Sourav1Basu If I am honest, it's going to be a rough ride. But that should not stop you from making an honest effort, because there are strong points in your candidacy such as your diverse experience as a sales manager, while coming from an engineering background and gradually moving into product. It looks like you can put together a compelling personal and professional narrative and then see if that sways the ISB in your favor. Putting together a solid narrative is key. But honestly, you need to apply and see, but not without thorough preparation. Your GMAT looks good to me, but if you feel you can get an even better score without delaying your application, take that chance.

You did not state your goals, but do not present generic consulting/PM type goals without thorough deliberation. Focus on the overarching vision instead of focusing on the function. Consider what shortcomings you have seen in the areas you have worked in and how you believe you would be better equipped to solve similar problems with an MBA degree. Also endeavor to list all academic training/exams/courses etc. that you have completed to demonstrate a sustained academic focus.

These may guide you

Winning Strategies To Overcome Low GPA in B School Applications : MBA Archive

How Winners Use Optional Essays for Damage Control and Beyond : INSEAD

Best wishes

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Sourav1Basu

I got a score of 675 GFE in GMAT.
10th: 8.8 CGPA
12th: 89.4%
BTech (Chemical Engineering): 6.56
Extracurriculars: Cultural Secretary, Co-founder of Literary Club
Achievements: Selected as the youngest candidate for my organization's Career Acceleration Programme, completing an executive training at ISB.

I have a work experience of 5 years in Petrochemicals (Oil & Gas downstream) field. I started as a Sales Officer & currently am a Product Manager.

Is my GMAT score enough for a good chance at getting shortlisted for R2 interview or should I go for GMAT again and aim for higher score.

Kindly account for the fact that I have poor academic scores and give me realistic insights, no matter how harsh!

ISBeacon · Answer

Which college? Also, you might find the following article useful:

Applying to ISB with poor or average academics 
 
It's a very decent score. But, if you were consistently scoring higher than this on your official mocks, it might not hurt to re-attempt; on the other hand, if your mock scores were in this very range or lower, just focus on your application.
--
Ashish.

admitStreet · Answer

Sourav1Basu - Some thoughts/ clarifications: 1. What was your undergrad pedigree? Given your GPA is a bit on the lower side, a strong GMAT would help compensate for it. 2. Were you scoring higher in mocks? If so, a retake would be worth it. 3. Either way, I would suggest preparing for the applications in parallel, so you'd be able to target R2. Check out here for some insights and best practices on how to approach ISB's latest essays Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Request a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi  Sourav1Basu  ,

Thank you for sharing your profile, and I appreciate your openness to honest feedback. Let’s start! Your professional experience in petrochemicals, along with progression from a Sales Officer to a Product Manager, is a valuable asset and showcases your career growth. The achievements you’ve highlighted, such as being selected for your organization’s career acceleration programme and attending executive training at ISB, add credibility to your professional accomplishments and commitment to career development. Additionally, your extracurricular involvement as Cultural Secretary and Co-founder of a Literary Club demonstrates leadership and engagement beyond work, which is a plus in the eyes of Adcoms. Talking about your GMAT Focus score of 675, it’s fine. As ISB places weight on both academic and GMAT scores to assess applicants’ academic potential, retaking the GMAT and aiming for a higher score could help offset your undergraduate GPA. Even a 20–30-point increase would be nice and will show your commitment towards the application process.

In terms of Essays, try to focus on building a good narrative around your impact in the petrochemical industry, such as specific achievements and how your experience as a Product Manager has shaped your understanding of the industry. Clearly articulating your post-MBA goals is very important, whether you plan to continue in the petrochemical sector, transition to consulting, or explore another industry will allow the admissions committee to see the alignment between your experience, future aspirations, and ISB’s curriculum.

Overall, if retaking the GMAT isn’t feasible, consider strengthening your profile through a powerful application essay that highlights your unique contributions to the industry and clearly connects your career trajectory to an MBA from ISB.

If you’d like,  we are happy to discuss your profile in depth  and assess your chances and strengthen your application with impactful stories.

CrackAdmission · Answer

Hi  Sourav1Basu ,

Acads are definitely a red flag. However, you can counter that by demonstrating the following:

a. ECs / Internships etc. during college period, which you were engaged with more compared to academics

b. In case you did well in certain courses, but your GPA was pulled down by other courses, try to focus on the ones where you did well and try to build a narrative drawing a correlation between those courses you did well and your professional experience.

c. Show fast tracked promotions at work

730 as per GMAT Classic Edition is a competitive score to apply with in R2. I would suggest focus on showcasing the unique ways you envision contributing to the cohort and maturity that you acknowledge the poor GPA and logically clear as to why this happened.

I am an ISB alum,CO15, and have been guiding applicants get into MBA programs for last 8 years. Feel free to reach out in case you seek more assistance.

Regards
Arijit

ISB R2: Is 675 GFE enough for my profile?

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