LBS Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Profiles of LBS Admitted applicants

Hi Everyone,

We are collecting the profiles of those who got admission into LBS. It would be a great insight for future applicants. If you got admitted into LBS, I request you to share your profile with us by replying to this topic. You can use the following format to share your profile. Feel free to add any other details you would like to share.

Name/username:
Age :
Country/Location :
Under-Graduate School :
Under-Graduate GPA:
GMAT/GRE Test scores:
Total Work Experience :
Pre-MBA Industry :
Target industry post-MBA:
Brief about Work Experience :
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc):
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars:
International Experience :
Scholarship Given? :
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? :
Why LBS? :
Which Round did you apply in? :
Status of your application? (A or WL) :
Short-Term Goal :
Long-Term Goal :
Link to your interview debrief:
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? :
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:

Hi everyone,

Was hoping to get some insight on my overall profile.

Indian / F / 27.

I have strong academic credentials:
1. CGPA 10 / Rank #1 in secondary school examination (CBSE - grade X)
2. 96.25% / Rank #2 in higher secondary school examination (CBSE - grade XII)
3. CGPA 7.8 / 10 / Rank #3 in BCom with a major in Accounting and Finance
4. CFA Charterholder

Professionally, I have ~5.5 years of investment banking experience in India, of which I spent ~4 months working at the company's office in New York.

In addition, I am extremely passionate about Yoga. I am a certified instructor and teach on a regular basis.

I also took the GMAT last week after around 2 weeks of prep but scored a 640 (Q42 V35 AWA5 IR6). I lost points in Quants, but I am hoping my academic and professional qualifications would make up for it. I was wondering whether this score, considered in tandem with my overall profile, would be deemed competitive.

Thanks!

Hi NP2909

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations
My name is Shimri Winters, I head the strategy here at ARINGO and am an LBS alumnus

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – great undergraduate and GPA. Nice dual degree and CFA is always good!

Work Experience –so, this is your biggest strength – investment banking is always good and any international experience is a huge disadvantage. 4 months in NY is great! And I hope you had some promotions in the last 5.5 years!

Extracurricular activities – Yoga is great! And easy to relate to. I hope you have 2-3 other activities (volunteering for example) that we can discuss!

GMAT - Well, if you don’t mind me being blunt – your 640 will not be enough for LBS this year. Although I have worked with a 630 who got in last year, this year is a. tougher than previous years with an uplift in the numbers of applicants, b. you come from a competitive background and c. you are 70 points below the LBS average. As you only invested 2 weeks in prep (most people invest many many months), I really suggest you invest more time in the prep and apply to LBS next round (R3). R3 +50 points in the GMAT beats R2 big time! SORRY to be honest and straight forward about this. GMAT is only one factor, but yours is below the minimum threshold -> but R3 is only on March 4th...

All in all, sounds like you have an amazing profile with low GMAT. You will need a few more points or to change your school wish list…

Happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps if you send me your CV and any other info to Shimriw@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!

Hi,

the investment banking experience would be a plus, esp if you have a client-facing role. Your education and the CFA charter is great of course, but unfortunately, it will not add any specific advantage to your profile. Topping that with a 640 GMAT score, will be a stretch at LBS.
My suggestion is to retake the GMAT, even if that means pushing your application to R1 next year. It seems you can do well on GMAT with some more prep, so why waste that chance. The extra year can also be an opportunity to brush up your profile and make it more competitive.
If you plan to take GMAT and submit this application cycle itself, start working on your essays. LBS has a whole lot of essays tucked away in the online application pages, which applicants tend to miss out until the end. And, some of these require research about the LBS MBA program, so better to start working on them from now.
Hope that helps.

– Male, 26 years old, Vietnamese. Apply for round 3

- GMAT: yet to take (I am expecting 670 - 700)

– Education: Bachelor of Arts in Banking and Finance from a mediocre UK programme(2:2 with 58.7% in major)

– Extracurriculars: nothing special, just a Member of Kayak Club, Member of Trekking Club, Member of Hanoi Street Photography Club as these activities are my hobbies outside of the office. During college, I organized an International commercial fair in campus with a team of 5 presenting about a chosen country;

– Work Experience: 4 years since graduate from college.
1. Top 3 Telecommunication & Technology firm in Vietnam (Listed in Brand Finance Telecom 150) (4 years)
Got promoted twice, climb the ladder from the bottom as an apparentice to senior associate.
Participate in many major digitalization projects of public sector.
Something I have done: proposed business plan and improve 40% of profitability for a particular project
2. Portfolio manager (5 years)
I have been working for my family office since i was a senior in college and I am currently managing an in-house investment portfolio of 400.000 US$ AuM under my family office which is having 3 million US$ AuM. Developed investment strategy focus in mineral, steels and tourism sector of Vietnamese public equity. Resulted in 24% IRR and approximately 80% ROI over the past 5 years.

– Languages: Fluent in English

– International Experience:
1. Studied in an international program which fully covered in English and professors come from Ireland, Malaysia, Philipine, Indonesia, Singapore and United State for my Bachelor Degree.
2. Have 1 month cooperate closely with joint venture partner comes from India to build proposal for a major project of Ministry of Planning and Investment

Career Goals:
Looking to pivot my career into Investment Bank focus in telecommunication for the first few year after graduate and transit to Private Equity (specializing in Technology) or Venture Capital in Vietnam. Hope to build a strong network with peers and alumni around South East Asia because this is my target region.

Programmes:
1. Dream: LBS MiF, LBS MBA (Im not sure which one to target, as both are equally interesting to attend), Wharton, CBS (anyone can dream, right?)
2. A bit safer: NUS...
Honestly, I am looking for a strong finance programme but my GPA is a huge barrier to a solid programme and I cannot do anything about it.

Hi epuxeka

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations
My name is Shimri Winters, I head the strategy here at ARINGO
(I am a London Business School MBA graduate and was on their interviewing committee for 8 years)

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – not that great 😊 but still, in the UK, in a language that is not your mother lounge, far from home… so great experience

GMAT - Well, 730 is a good score – still on average for the top US schools, but above average from LBS and HEC

Extracurricular activities – well your “nothing special” activities sound great to me (it is all how you present things …) Kayaking, Trekking and Photography are ALL amazing!!! And organized an International commercial fair? WOW! More than most candidates have 😊

Work Experience –so, this is your biggest advantage! both a big telco and the family fund. WOW!!! These are great experiences (not to mention the amazing returns your portfolio is showing)

School wish list – well, I think you are a perfect fit for the LBS MBA class. It gives a wider managerial foundation than the Mif. On the other hand, if you want to deepen your financial knowledge, and perhaps move into Investments Banking, well then, I understand the rationale with the MiF. The other US schools are great too, but to be honest, a. harder to get into, b. will require a higher GMAT and c. if you don’t apply in R2, you have better chances if you wait a year

Your career goals – well, we can discuss this in more detail if we work together, but I think you need to rethink your goals, and play a bit more on the family business

All in all, sounds like you have a solid profile! Especially for LBS! Regarding the US schools, a lot depends on the GMAT and timing. For example, for LBS it is “ok” to apply in R3 (as it is 3/4 ) but Wharton’s R3 chances are much lower for an international candidate. Hence, I think you should focus now on the GMAT, and speak to me straight after, and then, based on the GMAT and timing, you can reconsider your school list and application timing (either go for EU/UK/Asian schools this year or wait till next year with American schools, your call!)

Happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps. Please complete the GMAT and then, if you want some more advice, send me your CV and any other info to Shimriw@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!

Hi Guys,

Quick question - if anyone has views on this. I applied for the MiF programme (Aug 21 intake) in R1 and was dinged without an interview. Is it possible / feasible for me to apply to R2 of the MBA programme? I have an offer from HEC Paris (which is amazing as well) but given my post MBA interest in Finance, LBS is my dream school and I'd like to give it another shot if there is a chance. On the FAQs, it just mentions that I can't apply to the MiF again until next year, nothing on the MBA.

Has anyone heard / met someone who has had a similar experience?

Profile wise - I have 7 years buy-side investing experience (Goldman) with good career progression, 730 GMAT, good acads , 1+ year international work experience at London (travelled to 22 countries on personal trips). I thought I had put up a strong application for MiF but I guess three factors went against me :
1.) I already have a PGDM degree from India (although I explained how MiF would add value. Also, there are lot of MiF alums with PGDM from India)
2.) I'm on the higher end of the experience / age bracket (7+ yrs / 33 yrs)
3.) The sudden spurt of applications for European B Schools vs. US Schools.

If I'm able to show that my profile would be better suited for the MBA, would that be something that is considered? Since my R1 application for MiF, I have received a promotion (yesterday) at work which will enhance my current roles and responsibilities

Hi abso04
My name is Shimri Winters and I head the strategy here at ARINGO (and am a London Business School alumnus)
the short answer is YES! I have worked in the past with MiF dinnged candidates on their MBA applications in the following round (last year I had 2 applicants like this, one got in )
Regarding your chances - hard to know... and like you said HEC is a great school, but in my view, this is worth a try!
Hope this helps (always happy to help. if you need help with your application, feel free to PM me on shimriw@ARINGO.com)
GOOD LUCK!

Hey epuxeka,

You seem to have an impressive professional experience with a blend of operational and analyst. Though the GPA is low, I would like to state your track record as a portfolio manager and a good GMAT score can possibly help you sail easily through the selection process.

As your focus is Finance, it has been the highlight in your application. From your past picks, you can showcase any investment as your contrarian approach or any other case-study which has been of significant impact. Alongside, you’ll have to display the values in your application which have helped you develop a right attitude for a money manager.

I have some reservation over your IRR and ROI as the figures don’t match. Therefore, I insist you provide me with clear figures in this regard.

Apart from this, you should not be understating your ECs. They are sure noteworthy as they provide a traveller and an adventurous touch to your profile.

Feel free to hop on a call for a free consultation. We will be more than happy to assist you in your MBA journey.


Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi epuxeka,

Beginning your evaluation with your academic background, given your inclination towards the field of finance, your majors in a relevant field works out in your favour as schools tend to prefer applicants who have chalked out a path towards their goals. However, your CGPA of 58.7% in your undergraduate is unfortunately, a bit on the lower end. To compensate for the same, you need to pose the right alibi by focusing more on shedding light on your professional experience which is the most important aspect when it comes to an MBA program and your extracurricular participation.

Coming to your work experience, you have mentioned how you are involved in some major projects and how you have been following an upward career graph which is quite impressive as it showcases your consistency and constant thirst for growth. Additionally, you can highlight why you chose this company, what kind of projects you undertook, what were your inputs and what skills you developed from the same. Moreover, you have also mentioned that you have 5 years of work experience as a portfolio manager in your family business which again shows your inclination towards the field of finance. However, to solidify your strength in the field of finance, you need to make sure that you score at least 49+ in your GMAT quant section. (overall score of 690+)

Furthermore, your participation in extracurricular activities is equally important as it will showcase a holistically developed profile which is what the schools are looking for. Needless to say, you definitely possess a decent hold on your extracurricular activities through your active involvement in diverse activities from photography, trekking to holding leadership positions when organizing an international fair on campus. However, to further boost your profile you can also talk about any major certifications that you undertook to highlight your constant thirst for knowledge and upscaling your skills, any volunteering activity and any CSR activity that you were part of.

Speaking about the schools that you are targeting, LBS, WHARTON and CBS come under the dream category (where your chances of acceptance is 40-50%), while NUS comes under the competitive category (where your chances of acceptance is 60%). Having said that, you can boost your chances of acceptance, by drawing attention to the stronger aspects of your profile which can be achieved through your application. Your application is basically what differentiates you by highlighting your strengths and overshadowing your weaknesses. Additionally, it also carries a 30% impact on your admission prospects which is why I would stress you to pay more attention to the same.

That said, if you are contemplating on how to draft an impactful application, you can check out our All-in-one service which is a complete end to end consulting process aimed at providing personalized application suggestions, unlimited edits and expert consultants who would constantly be there to help you throughout your application journey! We have a 92% success rate whereby we have helped 3500+ other applicants get into their dream school.

Below is the link to our All in One service:

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!

Hi All,

Can anyone evaluate my profile too for LBS

- My GMAT score is 730 - V38 Q50
- I have 3 years of Experience in a startup in the Digital Marketing Space where I have grown to become a Manager. (Led a team of 8)
- I am a Mechanical Engineer from VIT University (India) with an 8.46 CGPA
- I have worked in an NGO before entering Digital Marketing for 6 Months and I have my own startup too.
- I'm a Male, 25 Indian

Can anyone please evaluate my profile?

Hi Yash2710

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations
My name is Shimri Winters, I head the strategy here at ARINGO (and LBS alumnus)

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – great undergraduate and GPA. 8.46 CGPA sounds high (although, I am wondering what % you came in class)

GMAT - 730 is a good score – and ~20 points above LBS’s average.

Extracurricular activities – I like your NGO experience. I hope you have some hobbies too?

Work Experience – all sounds good! I like your promotion, team management and startup experience!

All in all, sounds like you have a solid profile! I am not sure which other schools you are applying to and when? this is obviously key for my assessment…

Happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps if you send me your CV and any other info to Shimriw@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!

Hey abso04,

Before I start with the question and therefore your profile evaluation, I’d like to clarify that there are lots of factors like your academics and GPA, extracurriculars, and achievements, that play an important role in your chance acceptance and thus getting an admit from the top schools.

That said, you have provided limited information for me to give you an accurate estimation of your chances in schools like LBS. Having said that, let’s begin with your profile evaluation.

Coming to your question, you can't apply in consecutive rounds of the same program, and therefore you will have to wait for the next year in order to target the program. However, you can apply to another program at the same school and thus you definitely should go ahead with applying for an MBA at LBS as your profile even fits the requirement for the program.

As far as the GMAT goes, a score of 730 is pretty competitive and would allow you to comfortably target an MBA program in a school like LBS.

Moving to your work experience, since an MBA is a manager's degree and requires significant work experience, your 7+ years of work experience would put you at par with other applicants, and hence you should not worry about your age as your extensive work experience will speak for itself. Moreover, the presence of a big brand on your CV coupled with an international exposure will differentiate you from the crowd and will definitely act in your favour as most schools are looking to add diversity to their cohort.


As far as your extracurriculars are concerned, you will need to highlight any endeavors that you took part in which showcase your ability to spearhead initiatives, impact others, and empathize with other people. B-schools are looking for applicants that are future leaders and highlighting such experiences and qualities will most certainly vouch for your abilities and thus strengthen your application.

Since you graduated a while ago, you can also take up some certifications like Sigma 6 to upskill yourself and showcase your interest in the field of management. This could further improve your profile and give you the required competitive edge as Adcoms are looking for applicants who are on the path of constantly upskilling themselves. Also showcasing any volunteering or CSR activities that you participated in during your work experience would strengthen your application. If you do not have any yet, you should definitely work for a social cause or an NGO as it would help in showcasing your drive to give back to society.

Lastly, schools like LBS require a plethora of essays and therefore you need to have a strong application (consisting of essays, LORs,and SOPs) that highlights your strengths and overshadows your weaknesses, in order to differentiate yourself from the crowd. On this note, while you have a competitive profile, to increase your chances of getting admitted to this school, you need to showcase your journey, what makes you different from your peers, and how you are a great value addition to the school.

That said, if you are looking to craft a winning application that would increase your chances by at least 3 times, you can check our comprehensive all-in-one solution that has helped thousands of applicants get into their dream schools worldwide.

Link to our All-In-One Solution-

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!

Hey Yash2710,

Before beginning with your profile evaluation, one thing that I would like to mention is that MIM is designed for people with zero to two years of work experience. Especially schools like LBS are very stringent about it and don’t accept candidates with 2+ years of work experience. Having said that, you can always go for an MBA since you have got enough work experience that will make you eligible for the programme. Also, UK schools are comparatively flexible as they even accept guys with two years of work experience.

Now commencing your profile, I would say that your academic background is quite strong. Your GPA of 8.46/10 and GMAT score of 730 not only displays your academic prowess but also opens a lot of opportunities and doors to top business schools for you. Moreover, VIT is a very prestigious school and its brand name aids in strengthening your profile as LBS tends to favour candidates from top schools of each country.

Moving on, extracurricular activities are a great way to showcase your proactive attitude and how you have emulated the theoretical knowledge you gained in classes and created a positive impact by utilizing them in real-life situations. Hence, the initiatives you have taken up should highlight your holistic development on all fronts. Your involvement in NGO activities highlights your capability to utilize your skills for the betterment of society and make a positive impact, traits that every b-school is on the lookout for. However, a major factor missing in your profile here is the lack of extracurricular activities that align with your interest in getting into a Management program. To remedy this, you ought to draw attention towards any relevant undergraduate initiative taken up in clubs or associations and additionally you can take up a few courses or certifications in the field of management.

Coming on to your work experience, you have a very extensive work experience in the Digital Marketing space. You haven’t mentioned the company name, but in case it’s not a global brand, you would be required to focus on the kind of roles you have undertaken, the projects you undertook, and the positive impact you were able to create during your stint. Thus, effectively showcasing your work ex can help you establish in the minds of the admission's committee that you are no less than your competition who would most likely be Big 4 candidates. Also, having a startup is an added feather to your cap as it showcases your strong entrepreneurial skills. This is an impressive trait as b-schools are on the hunt for candidates who fit the description of being a great future leader.

Overall you have a well-groomed profile but you can add more to it by mentioning some CSR activities you have undertaken during your professional experience. Showcase how you have been contributing towards society; maybe through your startup.

Coming on to your program choice, I would like to mention that MIM is designed for people with zero to two years of work experience. Especially schools like LBS are very stringent about it and don’t accept candidates with 2+ years of work experience. Having said that, you can always go for an MBA in LBS and in countries like Canada, UK, Germany and Singapore.

As for LBS, it falls under the dream category which translates your acceptance rate to 50%. Furthermore, since you are applying for a highly competitive program, applying to simply one business school is not an optimal strategy, hence you can also check out some of the top schools:

DREAM: Oxford, HEC, INSEAD
COMPETITIVE: Imperial, Cass, ESSEC, ESCP, WHU, FSFM, UCL, Kings

Another important aspect you need to focus on is to complement your profile with an equally strong application. An application through its various components such as essays, LORs and SOPs would help you to highlight your strengths and give apt justifications for your weaknesses to smooth over any flaws in your profile. Moreover, the application acts as the window through which the admission committee can peer into your skills, calibre and your personality.

Lastly, since the major chances of your admission depend on the quality of your application, I would recommend you to check out our flagship ALL-IN-ONE service, which has helped over 3500+ applicants get into their dream schools. As you are still in the early process of your application, it would provide you with end-to-end consulting and unlimited edits on your application documents. Not only that, you’d be connected with B-school alumni who’d be helping you directly with your application process - right from the start till the end!

Link for the ALL-IN-ONE solutions-

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!

Dear Team,

Can someone do a basic Profile Review for me for MBA (FT) at LBS.

Name: Arnab
Nationality: Indian
Age: 35


Education : B.Tech (Computer Science), West Bengal University of Technology, 2009 , CGPA: 8.9/10; Converted GPA: 4.0
MBA (ICICI Business Leadership Program) in Finance and Risk Management. Please note that this is not a PGDM given by the IIM's. GPA 4.0
CFA Level I cleared, Level II due in June 2021. Also appearing for Fitch Ratings' CQF (Certification in Quant Fin) in July.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Work Ex: (Earliest to Latest)

1. 2010- 2013 : Exactly 3 years in TATA Consultancy Services: Risk Management - Implemented Basel 2 for a US Bank and worked extensively on Risk Analytics
2. 2013-2015 :MBA mentioned above. One complete year in the course was working with ICICI Bank (India's largest Pvt. Sector Bank and a SIFI) as an intern with salary.
3. 2015-2019 (Sep 2019) (Total 4 years): Senior Financial Credit Risk Manager for Corporate Funding (2 years) and Senior Information Security Risk Manager (2 years)in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity (Reporting directly to CISO of the Bank and earning a Promotion with highest rating)
4. Between 2016- 2019 : Start Up - Successfully Opened and Operated a 52 seater Urban Restaurant in a Posh up market Mall of L&T. We broke even in the 3rd month itself clocking a revenue of Rs. 20.0 million and a positive PAT.\in the first year itself. I sold my stake after 3 years in 2019 at a profit of 20.0% for the below mentioned Point.
5. Quit my Job and sold my Business in Sep 2019 to pursue a long awaited dream - Learning Documentary and Photojournalism (Diploma) under one of the most respected Photographers of India. I am being mentored by Mr. Raghu Rai, India's only Magnum Photographer and PADMASHRI winner from the President of India. I am one of his handful of students and the course is about to get over in March 2021. Have covered Humanitarian stories like the Delhi Riots and State Elections as part of major assignments.

I am planning to go back to Corporate once the course is over. Thus the second MBA comes into picture. I have the option to go back to my old job but I want to take a major career leap along with some International experience.
GMAT due in March.

Volunteering Work - I teach underprivileged students since last 2 years.
Hobbies: I play and teach Music (Guitar) and also run a Youtube Channel for my own compositions. Photography, of course. And I sing (used to sing at clubs)

Please let me know if I stand a chance with a 750 above GMAT score.

I have a somewhat untraditional background and would appreciate any opinions:

GMAT
750

Education
Bachelor of Science in biochemistry '17 (University of British Columbia); 3.75 GPA
Master of Science in biostatistics '19 (McGill University); 3.93 GPA, thesis-based program

Experience
I accepted a job at a strategy/PR consulting firm specializing in health (think major pharma companies + orgs like WHO as clients) right after my MSc., was promoted after 8 months, on track to be promoted again this spring. I'm in a client-facing management role, and primarily work with US-based clients but occasionally clients in Europe and West Africa as well. My volunteering experience since university is quite limited (long work hours), but I have both work and volunteer experience from university and a few hobbies, namely writing (creative + opinion).

Interests
I'm looking to move away from my communications-focused role toward something focused on innovation, innovative financing and strategy in the public health sector, ideally with a global focus. I know of international health organizations that recruit or hire MBAs, but am also open to something more business focused (e.g., health startups) - depending on how the MBA experience goes.

I realize my work experience is quite low - it will be 2.5 years at application. Am I better off waiting for the August 2023 intake to have 3+ years of work experience at application?

Thanks in advance!

Hi nola0302

Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations
My name is Shimri Winters, I head the strategy here at ARINGO (and a London Business School alumnus)

You have a very interesting profile! From what I can see:

Academics – Great undergraduate and master's. Very high GPA. Well done!

GMAT – 750! nice job!

Extracurricular activities – anything? Missing some hobbies. And missing some volunteering. If you have these activities they can help overcome a relatively short work experience

Work Experience – your work experience is super relevant, super interesting and I hope you receive the promotion. Two promotions in 2 years would be amazing. Yes, you are on the young end of applicants with only 2.5Y of experience, on the other hand, we have worked with younger applicants who got in! Do you wait till 2023 (when your profile will be stronger, no doubt!) or apply in 2022, when, with a strong application and broad list of schools, you can get into top MBA programs? That is your choice!

Your career goals – well, you have time to decide… but like you said, you could mention Healthcare or Consulting or other Business roles. All can work.

All in all, sounds like you have a solid profile! You just need to decide if you are going for 2022 or 2023.

My advice:
I suggest you concentrate on work now (and maybe some extracurricular activities if missing those) and forget R1 altogether. If you decide to go for 2022, apply in R2 (January 2022) which will add you 4 more months of experience!

we can chat around October if you are going for the 2022 programs. As always, I am Shimriw@ARINGO.com

GOOD LUCK!