KELLOGG Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

From my research and experience, that may be limited, I think B-schools are risk-adverse. They would rather take a boring person with a solid application than a potentially amazing candidate with a weaker application.

In your situation, if I were in the admissions committee, my concern would be whether you can demonstrate your leadership qualities.
You mentioned communication and people skills. Can you prove it? Did you negotiate a cease-fire, or a billion dollar deal, or a hostage situation?
You mentioned international exposure. This would mean more than flying though. What I would look for is proof of how travel has changed you. Myself, I have travelled to over 30 countries, so I can recognise a fellow traveller by their "world view".
No start up experience wouldnt bother me, as there are plenty of people who don't want to start a business. But if you are going to say you want to, I would rather you actually have started one. Failing or succeeding doesnt matter, as long as you try.

In summary, your challenge will be to convince the committee that you are a leader, you have made an impact on people, on companies, on lives. I wish you the best of luck, but be aware of your weaknesses:
- sounds like you do call centre at microsoft. Negative.
- short experience: how could you possibly have made an impact within 2 yrs (which is when you submit your application).
- Female is good, gmat is "goodish", indian isnt (because indian applicants are very good!)
- Dont really know your educational background, but if your from IT it could be a negative.

Good luck!

I don't agree with Jasonc1111. Yes, your work experience is on the lower side but overall your profile is competitive. An MBA application is never a no brainer but I believe you have good chances if you are able to construct a believable story which demonstrates the impact that you had at or outside of work.

You also have enough time to write compelling essays and make sure to have outstanding recommendation. Best luck!

Thank you for your detailed post. I have a couple follow up questions:

1) What type of work do you do specifically at Microsoft?
2) What school did you go to for undergraduate?

Your stats and experiences are pretty good. Depending on your role (including promotion, leadership experience, rating at work), you may have a good profile to apply this year. An additional year of experience would help you but if you are a leader at work you could definitely apply now. I agree that you don't need startup experience.

Reach out if you want to chat or if you want further assistance with your applications.

Scott@personalmbacoach.com

Best,
Scott
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Hi Nandita,

Having good stats is a fine start, but B-school admission rely on several factors out of which the main ones are quality of your work experience, your personality, perspectives and what you can contribute to the business schools.

Since you have lesser than average work experience, you will have to show them, through your resume, essays and recos that you are a young rockstar. That's all I can tell you on a high level.

If you want more specific feedback, please feel free to sign up for a free consultation (link below). As an Indian MBA student and coach, I have personally gone through the process and can guide you on the same

Good luck!

Free Consultation
www.vibranture.com/free-consultation.htm

Hi all,

I am applying to the part time Weekend program at Kellogg, and would love to get feedback on what my chances are. While I would love to go full-time, the opportunity cost is too high considering I am married and am the sole income provider. I have 6 years of experience in ecommerce, retail, CPG.

Age: 29, Asian American
Undergrad: Chemical engineering at small private STEM school in Northeast
GPA: 3.1 (bad GPA freshman year, upward progression after 1st year)
Work: 6.5 years work experience, with clear progression in scope. Experience primarily in retail, ecommerce, consumer goods, including 2 years working at Amazon, and most recently a new position as a senior manager (ecommerce/strategy) at a large CPG. Am currently hiring for direct reports, so will have direct management experience soon.
Goal: Stay within CPG, but move into Brand Management or Product Management. Longer term to move into a GM role over a business, or consulting in CPG/Retail industry
GMAT: Just started studying so no official score yet. I took a prelim practice exam with zero prep and scored 620, so with studying and prep it should be realistic for me score around 670-680.

Do I have a shot at getting in?

Thanks in advance!

You should be in good shape if you can creep that GMAT up higher, you have nice work experience with your GPA being your main red flag so double down on the GMAT and you should have a shot
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Hi All,

Please evaluate my profile as an international applicant for the MBA program at Kellogg

Nationality: Indian
Age: 27
Undergraduate Qualification: Bachelor in Commerce(3 year course with a GPA of 3.4)
Masters Qualification: Masters in Global Business (16 month program in Singapore and Dubai. Unfortunately, my GPA here is extremely low: 2.5 though I took a number of challenging courses)
GMAT: 730
Work experience: 3.5 years, all of it in market research. Of the 3.5 years, 2.5 years were in the Middle East and a year in India
Extracurriculars: Moderate: represented my state in tennis, wrote for a sports website for a year etc. Have also done community service for 3 months where I taught English and Maths to 10 year old children
References: Will be able to get some strong references from people in senior management at both my work places so far

Do you think I stand a realistic chance and it's worth applying?

Thanks in advance!

Varun

I would take a stab at applying, your obvious challenge is your GPA but your GMAT score will be well above the avg at the PT program so this will help. Also, the PT admissions team tends to be flexible and work a bit more with imperfect candidates. I would def find some time to chat with them and express your interest
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Thank you for your response.

I was just wondering about my GPA. While my Masters GPA is low, I do have a decent GPA (3.5) in my undergraduate program which was a 3 year program. Won't that also be considered, and if so, could it off-set my poor GPA in my Masters?

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Hello everyone. First time poster and MBA hopeful here wondering if I am on the right track. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I'm a 27 year old male US national. I went to a top 40 LAC where I studied international relations/minor in Japanese language. UGPA: 3.4 GMAT: 720 (first try). Extracurricular activities during college included: publicist for university television network, radio DJ host, staff writer for school newspaper, tutor/mentor to elementary kids in the neighborhood, recreational rugby, marketing intern at an online feminist magazine, and communications/public relations intern at UNICEF.

Post college, I spent a year working odd jobs which included bartending, painting homes, working as an SAT tutor, working at a preschool, waiting tables and volunteering at a local juvenile court working as a child rights advocate. This was a very eye opening and important year as I feel like I grew a lot figuring things out and getting my life in order. Then I spent a year abroad in Turkey via a Fulbright Scholarship. After that, I got my Master's degree at Johns Hopkins SAIS where I studied IR and international econ. During this time, I worked as a communications manager at a research institution and a consultant at the World Bank (2+ current job) doing external/internal communications work. I also self illustrated, wrote, marketed, and published a children's picture book that has been doing pretty well.

Career goals: marketing/product management in tech, brand strategy/management, or stay in my field of development and do non-profit management

Thank you!

Hi

You have a great profile there. Our thoughts:

- Your overall story, experience, and scholarships should make you a good candidate. Your GMAT and GPA are well within range for Kellogg too, and your work experience is quite differentiated.
- The year you spent in myriad roles post college will help, not by way of work experience, but simply by way of life experience. This is interesting learning and you can include this in your essays to show how you did not settle till you found your path.
- A move to brand management or product management at this stage though may be a little iffy because these are areas in which you have little expertise or experience (judging only from what you posted). Would recommend you stay the consulting path instead and make a case for a more globally oriented/larger role in international development.
- Overall, we feel that if you can put in a decent application you should have an excellent chance at Kellogg!

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Fully agree with above response on all points. Great profile, but choose stated goals congruent with past experience.

Posted from my mobile device
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Hey guys - please let me know if I have a strong profile and any areas to focus on improving. Also curious if my GMAT will be an inhibitor given my background.

Demographics: Age 25, Male, American

GMAT: 720 (Q48 / V40)

Education: BS in Finance and Economics from a top 50 public university; 3.6 GPA; 3.9 Major GPA

Work Exp: 2 years in Investment Banking; 2 years in Private Equity (upon matriculation).

Extracurriculars: Volunteer as a mentor/coach for disadvantaged local community college students; In undergrad, started a for-profit student consulting organization.

Firstly thanks for your help in advance! I am in need of some help in selecting an MBA program(s) to apply for and my chances at them.

My background:
-Age 27
-Worked in a fortune 500 pharmaceutical company in marketing
-GMAT: 710

My long-term career goal is to be a C-level executive at a fortune 500 company ideally in pharma/biotech or work in the healthcare group in Private Equity or Investment Banking but what is less clear is what I'd be doing right out of MBA - hoping to work in the USA

Thanks for sharing your profile. I would say your stats are a little low for Kellogg as you are below the avg for both schools. I would recommend improving your GMAT score if possible if you want to improve your chances
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I am an Architect, originally from India, but live and work in the US now.

here is some information about me -

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SMITHGROUPJJR (7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the USA)
Architect II (Project Architect/Project Designer, Sept. 2015-Present) Washington, D.C.
• Spearheaded architectural design development for Auburn University Engineering Student Achievement Center, a $30M, 100,000 SF project, including structural, mechanical, electrical, landscape and civil engineering efforts. Led weekly progress meetings with 15+ members from 6 engineering disciplines and client teams.
• Established concept for Changbai Mountain Museum Complex in China, a $200M, 1M SF project on a 40-acre site. Led team of 5 architects to deliver a timely project, leading to new $50M project from the same client.
• Designed interior for Beacom Institute at Dakota State University, a $20M, 50,000 SF learning center. Enhanced study environment by utilizing large open spaces, earning SmithgroupJJR 2016 the Southwest IIDA Design Excellence Award.
• Promoted to Architect II as a result of work on Changbai Mountain Museum and completing architectural licensure.

Architect I (Project Designer, May 2012-Sept.2015, Intern, Summer 2011) Phoenix, AZ
• Led design progress, collaborating with landscape architects, civil engineers, statue makers and contractors to create Arizona Firefighter’s Memorial, a nationally televised $1.5M pro-bono project, the first state memorial for firefighters in Phoenix.
• Developed architectural vision with the national team of 20+ architects and engineers for exterior and floor plans of a residential tower and hotel/casino at Makronisos Marina development, a $250M project, and the tallest building in Aiya Napa, Cyprus.
• Initiated implementation of Lumion (architectural visualization software), leading training of 90+ staff members across ten offices and increasing the efficiency of firm-wide visualization process.

FREELANCE WORK (Designer, 2012-Present)
• Led teams of 3-4 young professionals in Phoenix in remote collaboration with construction teams in Dubai and Egypt, translating and ensuring design intent for companies including Ericsson, Novartis and Roche, and LinkedIn.
• Led teams of 2-5 colleagues in International Architectural Design & Ideas Competitions since 2009, notably winning $14,000 grand prize in Generation Kingspan Competition (2012) out of 150+ international entries.
• Published works, including the winning entry for Generation Kingspan and ‘Why Tall’ 2012 hosted by Council of Tall Buildings in Urban Habitat (CTBUH), were featured in popular blogs and magazines such as Evolo, Architect, and Arch2o.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

ARCHITECTURE IN SCHOOLS (2015-Present)
• Teach 3rd-grade class of 25 students weekly at Maury Elementary School. Mentored students to design their set of creative classrooms, which were presented in an exhibition at District Architecture Center in Washington DC.
AIA EMERGING ARCHITECTS COMMITTEE (2015-Present)
• Lead effort to set up annual AIA Young Architects Design Competition for expected 100+ national participants.
HOMEBASE YOUTH SERVICE (2011-2015)
• Prepared monthly meals for a group of 25 at-risk teenagers in Phoenix, AZ.

EDUCATION

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Master of Architecture (2010-2012) GPA: 3.57/4.00, Top 5% of class
• 1 of 3 recipients of Design Excellence Award in 2010 and AIAS Graduate design award in 2012.
• Studied abroad in Berlin in Fall 2011, helping to design an innovative urban residential development proposal.
• Organized as Cultural Secretary 4 Indian cultural events during 2010-2012 attended by 50+ students and faculty members.

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI, India, Bachelor of Architecture (2005-2010) GPA: 67/100, Top 5% of class
• Two-time recipient of yearly JRD TATA Merit based 100% tuition scholarship for students with GPA of 65% and above.
• Awarded Late Bhausaheb Hiray 2009 Gold Medal for a solo design project (out of 200+ students of 15 Architecture colleges).
• Led teams of 15-20 students in HUDCO Design Competition from 2006-2009 during Asia’s largest annual architecture convention, with students from 151+ colleges, winning in 2006 & 2008.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Interests: Professionally trained artist in metal embossing, proficient in many other mediums. Works of art have been sent internationally to countries such as Spain, Japan, and India, to be displayed in exhibitions & conventions.
• Scored A+ grade in the Maharashtra State Board Elementary/Intermediate Art Grade Exams, the benchmark for young artist talents in my home state in India.
• Amateur photographer for many friends’ wedding & engagement shoots.
• Languages: Fluent in English, Hindi, and Marathi (an important dialect local to Mumbai.)

GMAT is 710 Q49, V37

I have one really great and another alright recommendation letter.

Please evaluate and suggest. for R2

I am an Architect, originally from India, but live and work in the US now.

here is some information about me -

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SMITHGROUPJJR (7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the USA)
Architect II (Project Architect/Project Designer, Sept. 2015-Present) Washington, D.C.
• Spearheaded architectural design development for Auburn University Engineering Student Achievement Center, a $30M, 100,000 SF project, including structural, mechanical, electrical, landscape and civil engineering efforts. Led weekly progress meetings with 15+ members from 6 engineering disciplines and client teams.
• Established concept for Changbai Mountain Museum Complex in China, a $200M, 1M SF project on a 40-acre site. Led team of 5 architects to deliver a timely project, leading to new $50M project from the same client.
• Designed interior for Beacom Institute at Dakota State University, a $20M, 50,000 SF learning center. Enhanced study environment by utilizing large open spaces, earning SmithgroupJJR 2016 the Southwest IIDA Design Excellence Award.
• Promoted to Architect II as a result of work on Changbai Mountain Museum and completing architectural licensure.

Architect I (Project Designer, May 2012-Sept.2015, Intern, Summer 2011) Phoenix, AZ
• Led design progress, collaborating with landscape architects, civil engineers, statue makers and contractors to create Arizona Firefighter’s Memorial, a nationally televised $1.5M pro-bono project, the first state memorial for firefighters in Phoenix.
• Developed architectural vision with the national team of 20+ architects and engineers for exterior and floor plans of a residential tower and hotel/casino at Makronisos Marina development, a $250M project, and the tallest building in Aiya Napa, Cyprus.
• Initiated implementation of Lumion (architectural visualization software), leading training of 90+ staff members across ten offices and increasing the efficiency of firm-wide visualization process.

FREELANCE WORK (Designer, 2012-Present)
• Led teams of 3-4 young professionals in Phoenix in remote collaboration with construction teams in Dubai and Egypt, translating and ensuring design intent for companies including Ericsson, Novartis and Roche, and LinkedIn.
• Led teams of 2-5 colleagues in International Architectural Design & Ideas Competitions since 2009, notably winning $14,000 grand prize in Generation Kingspan Competition (2012) out of 150+ international entries.
• Published works, including the winning entry for Generation Kingspan and ‘Why Tall’ 2012 hosted by Council of Tall Buildings in Urban Habitat (CTBUH), were featured in popular blogs and magazines such as Evolo, Architect, and Arch2o.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

ARCHITECTURE IN SCHOOLS (2015-Present)
• Teach 3rd-grade class of 25 students weekly at Maury Elementary School. Mentored students to design their set of creative classrooms, which were presented in an exhibition at District Architecture Center in Washington DC.
AIA EMERGING ARCHITECTS COMMITTEE (2015-Present)
• Lead effort to set up annual AIA Young Architects Design Competition for expected 100+ national participants.
HOMEBASE YOUTH SERVICE (2011-2015)
• Prepared monthly meals for a group of 25 at-risk teenagers in Phoenix, AZ.

EDUCATION

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Master of Architecture (2010-2012) GPA: 3.57/4.00, Top 5% of class
• 1 of 3 recipients of Design Excellence Award in 2010 and AIAS Graduate design award in 2012.
• Studied abroad in Berlin in Fall 2011, helping to design an innovative urban residential development proposal.
• Organized as Cultural Secretary 4 Indian cultural events during 2010-2012 attended by 50+ students and faculty members.

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI, India, Bachelor of Architecture (2005-2010) GPA: 67/100, Top 5% of class
• Two-time recipient of yearly JRD TATA Merit based 100% tuition scholarship for students with GPA of 65% and above.
• Awarded Late Bhausaheb Hiray 2009 Gold Medal for a solo design project (out of 200+ students of 15 Architecture colleges).
• Led teams of 15-20 students in HUDCO Design Competition from 2006-2009 during Asia’s largest annual architecture convention, with students from 151+ colleges, winning in 2006 & 2008.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Interests: Professionally trained artist in metal embossing, proficient in many other mediums. Works of art have been sent internationally to countries such as Spain, Japan, and India, to be displayed in exhibitions & conventions.
• Scored A+ grade in the Maharashtra State Board Elementary/Intermediate Art Grade Exams, the benchmark for young artist talents in my home state in India.
• Amateur photographer for many friends’ wedding & engagement shoots.
• Languages: Fluent in English, Hindi, and Marathi (an important dialect local to Mumbai.)

GMAT is 710 Q49, V37

I have one really great and another alright recommendation letter.

Please evaluate and suggest. for R2

First of all, your profile looks good, with a lot of concrete accomplishments, impressive career and all that. Volunteer experience and education also looks good.

The only issue that I can see straight away is that you are a bit off GMAT wise which is not the best thing if you are from India, as I am sure you may already know. High GMAT scores are generally expected from Indian applicants, so this is really the only red flag I can see straight away. (Along with the "alright" recommendation letter, I guess. Any chance that could be improved?)

Therefore, you really need to make sure you essays will be amazing. Feel free to be in touch if you’d like professional help with that part (ARINGO does specialize in low GMAT applicants, and while your GMAT is not low for most applicant groups it is for Indians and the school you’ve chosen).

Either way: great profile besides that and good luck!
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