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ameya0794
Joined: 06 Jun 2017
Last visit: 27 Mar 2018
Posts: 3
Schools: Darden '20 (A$)
GMAT 1: 650 Q42 V38
GMAT 2: 720 Q48 V41
Products:
Hello Friends,
The journey from GMAT to applications to B-Schools can be very intimidating for everyone, but if you were to add extenuating circumstances or some factors which don’t make you the ‘ideal fit’, it often feels an impossible task. I am sure anyone, who has ever applied to even a single B-School, agrees.
In my case, the weakest link was the 17 months of work experience I had at the time of application, that too in IT. The many well-wishers, friends and experts I had spoken to had ruled it off as an impossible feat to get into any of the top US B schools, which was my target category. However, I knew I was ready for the course and that this would be the perfect time to pursue it in my career.
Determined not to compromise on the category of institution I would pursue my MBA from, I decided to give it all in the application process, while being mentally ready to wait to invest another year for gaining experience and enhancing my profile- if the result didn’t come through this time around. However, things worked in my favor and I will be starting the MBA at Darden in the coming fall.
Here are a few things that, in my belief, worked for me:
1. STARTING EARLY
Getting done with GMAT soon, I got into the applications mind-frame much early- as early as May last year. Having time for the rigorous process played an important role in preparing everything (including myself) to extend my best chance.
2. FINDING THE RIGHT MENTOR
New to the entire process and with a profile far thinner than the class statistics (especially those carried by Indian IT applicants), I knew that I would need guidance from someone who understands the art of MBA applications. I inquired with virtually all the premiere admission consulting firms and I gained maximum confidence in my interaction with Experts’ Global- what stood out was that they spoke with me as I was a prospective ‘student’ and not a ‘client’ and that is what I needed- a firm that mentors me as a younger one! Secondly, they were very straightforward about everything- including my profile evaluation and at the same time, they encouraged me to pursue my dream.
3. PREPARING A STRONG STORY
One important aspect that I would like to highlight is that MBA applications are as much about past as they are about the future. With lower work experience than what the most applicants carry, I paid special emphasis on showcasing strong and meaningful future plans along with a feasible framework- plans which can leave a positive influence on my area of work. This aspect took much deliberation and building this story is where Expert’s Global had the best role to play. Being able to narrate the best version of my journey till date and describing the need for MBA education and my future goals together, not only helped in creating string applications, it also gave me a lot of confidence in approaching the applications and later, facing the interviews
4. APPLYING TO LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS
In attempt to enhance my chances, I was quite liberal in schools selection. I applied to as many as 12 schools that synced up with my career goals
5. PREPARING RICH ESSAYS
‘Rich’ is the term that comes closest to defining my essays. There were no words wasted in decorative beginnings and endings. Each word in the essays talked about experiences, accomplishments, challenges, or aspirations. One aspect that I would like to highlight is that certain qualities that I could not show through my work experiences, I tried to show through my involvements outside my professional work. This was crucial in establishing that despite my fewer years of experience, I was ready to study in a class of much more experienced candidates.
6. PREPARING INTENSELY FOR INTERVIEWS
Out of the 12 schools I applied to, I received interview invitations from three. I knew that I had three opportunities and I worked hard on the conversion.
The result was that I converted all the three interview calls. The next few months are exciting and I look forward to joining Darden. I am thankful to the family and friends who stood by me during these demanding months and to the mentors at Experts’ Global.
To any future aspirant reading this, I will strongly recommend giving your dream a shot. You never know…!
All the best!
Ameya
The journey from GMAT to applications to B-Schools can be very intimidating for everyone, but if you were to add extenuating circumstances or some factors which don’t make you the ‘ideal fit’, it often feels an impossible task. I am sure anyone, who has ever applied to even a single B-School, agrees.
In my case, the weakest link was the 17 months of work experience I had at the time of application, that too in IT. The many well-wishers, friends and experts I had spoken to had ruled it off as an impossible feat to get into any of the top US B schools, which was my target category. However, I knew I was ready for the course and that this would be the perfect time to pursue it in my career.
Determined not to compromise on the category of institution I would pursue my MBA from, I decided to give it all in the application process, while being mentally ready to wait to invest another year for gaining experience and enhancing my profile- if the result didn’t come through this time around. However, things worked in my favor and I will be starting the MBA at Darden in the coming fall.
Here are a few things that, in my belief, worked for me:
1. STARTING EARLY
Getting done with GMAT soon, I got into the applications mind-frame much early- as early as May last year. Having time for the rigorous process played an important role in preparing everything (including myself) to extend my best chance.
2. FINDING THE RIGHT MENTOR
New to the entire process and with a profile far thinner than the class statistics (especially those carried by Indian IT applicants), I knew that I would need guidance from someone who understands the art of MBA applications. I inquired with virtually all the premiere admission consulting firms and I gained maximum confidence in my interaction with Experts’ Global- what stood out was that they spoke with me as I was a prospective ‘student’ and not a ‘client’ and that is what I needed- a firm that mentors me as a younger one! Secondly, they were very straightforward about everything- including my profile evaluation and at the same time, they encouraged me to pursue my dream.
3. PREPARING A STRONG STORY
One important aspect that I would like to highlight is that MBA applications are as much about past as they are about the future. With lower work experience than what the most applicants carry, I paid special emphasis on showcasing strong and meaningful future plans along with a feasible framework- plans which can leave a positive influence on my area of work. This aspect took much deliberation and building this story is where Expert’s Global had the best role to play. Being able to narrate the best version of my journey till date and describing the need for MBA education and my future goals together, not only helped in creating string applications, it also gave me a lot of confidence in approaching the applications and later, facing the interviews
4. APPLYING TO LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS
In attempt to enhance my chances, I was quite liberal in schools selection. I applied to as many as 12 schools that synced up with my career goals
5. PREPARING RICH ESSAYS
‘Rich’ is the term that comes closest to defining my essays. There were no words wasted in decorative beginnings and endings. Each word in the essays talked about experiences, accomplishments, challenges, or aspirations. One aspect that I would like to highlight is that certain qualities that I could not show through my work experiences, I tried to show through my involvements outside my professional work. This was crucial in establishing that despite my fewer years of experience, I was ready to study in a class of much more experienced candidates.
6. PREPARING INTENSELY FOR INTERVIEWS
Out of the 12 schools I applied to, I received interview invitations from three. I knew that I had three opportunities and I worked hard on the conversion.
The result was that I converted all the three interview calls. The next few months are exciting and I look forward to joining Darden. I am thankful to the family and friends who stood by me during these demanding months and to the mentors at Experts’ Global.
To any future aspirant reading this, I will strongly recommend giving your dream a shot. You never know…!
All the best!
Ameya
03 Feb 2018, 23:25
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Can you expand on your application and essays a bit more
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Sent from my MI MAX 2 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
07 Feb 2018, 22:43
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Congrats Ameya! Getting in to a top MBA program with just 1.5 years of work experience is a great achievement. Would you mind expanding a bit more on your application process? [UPDATE: User has updated her post to add important details of her application process] Can you tell us more about yourself, professional career so far, when you decided to apply for an MBA, which schools you chose to apply? How you approached essays/interviews? which factors played crucial role in getting admit call from UVA? When people read application debrief they would like to know these things. I am sorry to say that your current post appears as if written only to highlight the role your admission consultant played in your success, which is better written in Admission Consultants Reviews section, not in My MBA Journey forum.
