Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 15:31 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 15:31
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2   3 

Most important aspect of application

You may select 1 option
View results
User avatar
gurpreetsingh
User avatar
Joined: 12 Oct 2009
Last visit: 15 Jun 2019
Posts: 2,272
Own Kudos:
3,915
Given Kudos: 235
Status:<strong>Nothing comes easy: neither do I want.</strong>
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 1: 670 Q49 V31
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 2,272
Kudos: 3,915
Most important aspect of application 15 Feb 2013, 20:17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vips0000
gurpreetsingh

Lot of stuff..
Hey dude. That's a bit off the topic..

My question is, is there a component of application that is most important or that can't be compensated by other factors...not on how to improve chances...
Show more

The first half of my post did answer your question, but the later half was a bonus answer as it was essential to conclude.
User avatar
MacFauz
User avatar
Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Last visit: 19 Mar 2022
Posts: 996
Own Kudos:
3,360
Given Kudos: 116
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.8
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 996
Kudos: 3,360
Most important aspect of application 15 Feb 2013, 22:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vips0000
AbhiJ
Vips,

The closest thing to the profile you mentioned was a girl with 700 GMAT and 3 years of IT Consulting experience(requirements gathering etc) who was admitted to Darden. Some schools weigh GMAT heavily. Couple of Indians with 710 were told (by 2 Top 10 schools) that their profile was otherwise good but they need to improve their GMAT.

Another problem with Indians is that every profile looks same. Hence some guys lie through their teeth in essays/work experience. An example of an accepted candidate:

Saved 60 million $ for IT Services company (this guy had overall 4-5 years of experience). Partners at these firms hardly save that much money, whereas a developer can.
Totally agree.. One of my senior.. From same college.. From same company and even from same project got through tuck while I dint even get an invite for interview for ross and duke.. The fact is that he got the first promotion after 5 yrs when I got in 2.5 yrs.. But when I see his LinkedIn profile I know what kind of lies he had put in his application.. Sad that I don't have guts to lie through my teeth...
Show more

Haha.. I guess that was what got Raj Rajarathinam into Wharton but then again it was the same reason that got him rich as well.. :P
avatar
onion253
avatar
Joined: 02 Jan 2013
Last visit: 28 Sep 2017
Posts: 71
Own Kudos:
17
Given Kudos: 200
Posts: 71
Kudos: 17
Most important aspect of application 17 Feb 2013, 13:07
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
jumsumtak
I love to express when there are no correct answers!

I voted for work/ex and company brand for the following reasons:

1.) Most of the factors that you mentioned, directly or indirectly are 'based' on your work history. You are nothing without the work you have done. Your essays, recos, interviews etc. are, primarily, a derived factor of your resume.
2.) I will put my faith in a person from McK than in a person who says he is brilliant but does not have a brand backing. And I'm sure so will the adcom. The person from McK has already been selected out of a competitive pool, has worked with the best minds, has worked on the best projects and frankly, brings a LOT more to the table.
3.) Your GMAT essentially explains your ability to do well on a standardized test. It can keep you out, but does not guarantee admissions. And the fact that most of the qualified candidates do get a good score (the ethic made them a strong candidate in the first place), does not make the GMAT very important when we talk about the M7s. Having said that, obviously a 99% goes a long way in saying that you are very serious about your MBA.
4.) I sometimes feel the essays are over-rated. I haven't seen a lot of candidates without extra ordinary credits get into a big school. That only explains that essays are a medium to explain what you have already achieved in your past life. There are few qualified and sane candidates, who outright screw their essays.
They are obviously very useful when you are comparing similar qualified candidates - but, again, we are assuming that both have an exceptional work history, which makes the essays sort of a 'tie-breaker'.

5.) I look at the work history as a long process, drawn out over the 5-6 years of one's career. I think its a much better indicator of the pedigree than the GMAT - that's written in a day (and prepared over 3 months) and essays, which might have consultant's input - not saying it is wrong to use them :)

Anyone may rip apart the above points because they generalize a lot of things. But, in essence, this is what I've gathered till now!

This comes from someone who does have a 99% GMAT, but is still skeptical of his chances! :)
Show more

Your reply scares me a bit! :(

I'll share my profile so far.

I am from Bangladesh.
Male
Undergrad major - Finance
GPA is very good. (Top 8% of the class from the top local business school)
GMAT - no score yet.
WE - 1 year at a local commercial bank (planning to matriculate in 2014, so I'll have 2 years of experience)
ECA - Good. (Charity work and volunteering)

Problem is, the adcom members wont recognize my employer (although my employer is the 8th largest local company in terms of market cap). Also, I am concerned that I'll be placed in the "Indian-male-IT" bucket.

Do you think employer's brand name is as important for international students? Will that severely hamper my chances to get into a top 10 school?
User avatar
Vips0000
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 15 Sep 2012
Last visit: 02 Feb 2016
Posts: 521
Own Kudos:
1,291
Given Kudos: 23
Status:Done with formalities.. and back..
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
Posts: 521
Kudos: 1,291
Most important aspect of application 17 Feb 2013, 21:38
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
onion253

I'll share my profile so far.
Do you think employer's brand name is as important for international students? Will that severely hamper my chances to get into a top 10 school?
Show more
there is a forum dedicated to profile evaluation by admission consultants. Try that.
User avatar
Vips0000
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 15 Sep 2012
Last visit: 02 Feb 2016
Posts: 521
Own Kudos:
1,291
Given Kudos: 23
Status:Done with formalities.. and back..
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
Posts: 521
Kudos: 1,291
Most important aspect of application 17 Feb 2013, 21:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
MacFauz
Vips0000
AbhiJ
Vips,

The closest thing to the profile you mentioned was a girl with 700 GMAT and 3 years of IT Consulting experience(requirements gathering etc) who was admitted to Darden. Some schools weigh GMAT heavily. Couple of Indians with 710 were told (by 2 Top 10 schools) that their profile was otherwise good but they need to improve their GMAT.

Another problem with Indians is that every profile looks same. Hence some guys lie through their teeth in essays/work experience. An example of an accepted candidate:

Saved 60 million $ for IT Services company (this guy had overall 4-5 years of experience). Partners at these firms hardly save that much money, whereas a developer can.
Totally agree.. One of my senior.. From same college.. From same company and even from same project got through tuck while I dint even get an invite for interview for ross and duke.. The fact is that he got the first promotion after 5 yrs when I got in 2.5 yrs.. But when I see his LinkedIn profile I know what kind of lies he had put in his application.. Sad that I don't have guts to lie through my teeth...

Haha.. I guess that was what got Raj Rajarathinam into Wharton but then again it was the same reason that got him rich as well.. :P
Show more
Well.. Both of these (getting into Wharton and getting rich) are very tempting... But the end of raj rajarathnam's story is not :roll:
User avatar
Prudence
User avatar
Joined: 06 Mar 2012
Last visit: 27 Jun 2018
Posts: 155
Own Kudos:
53
Given Kudos: 27
Status:Poor but happy
Concentration: Marketing, Healthcare
Schools: Chicago Booth - Class of 2015
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
WE:Engineering (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
Schools: Chicago Booth - Class of 2015
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
Posts: 155
Kudos: 53
Most important aspect of application 18 Feb 2013, 19:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vips0000
AbhiJ
Vips,

The closest thing to the profile you mentioned was a girl with 700 GMAT and 3 years of IT Consulting experience(requirements gathering etc) who was admitted to Darden. Some schools weigh GMAT heavily. Couple of Indians with 710 were told (by 2 Top 10 schools) that their profile was otherwise good but they need to improve their GMAT.

Another problem with Indians is that every profile looks same. Hence some guys lie through their teeth in essays/work experience. An example of an accepted candidate:

Saved 60 million $ for IT Services company (this guy had overall 4-5 years of experience). Partners at these firms hardly save that much money, whereas a developer can.
Totally agree.. One of my senior.. From same college.. From same company and even from same project got through tuck while I dint even get an invite for interview for ross and duke.. The fact is that he got the first promotion after 5 yrs when I got in 2.5 yrs.. But when I see his LinkedIn profile I know what kind of lies he had put in his application.. Sad that I don't have guts to lie through my teeth...
Show more

Oh it's not sad at all. I'd rather get in through my own achievements than lie about my work ex or make up 'non-profits'. After all, the quality of your work ex is what you make of it. If you don't introspect, then even a $60M savings thing doesn't add value to the resume. Just sounds like you're 'keeping up with the Jones'. I'm sure the adcom would think the same way.
User avatar
Vips0000
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 15 Sep 2012
Last visit: 02 Feb 2016
Posts: 521
Own Kudos:
1,291
Given Kudos: 23
Status:Done with formalities.. and back..
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Olin - Wash U - Class of 2015
Posts: 521
Kudos: 1,291
Most important aspect of application 18 Feb 2013, 22:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Prudence
Vips0000
AbhiJ
Vips,

The closest thing to the profile you mentioned was a girl with 700 GMAT and 3 years of IT Consulting experience(requirements gathering etc) who was admitted to Darden. Some schools weigh GMAT heavily. Couple of Indians with 710 were told (by 2 Top 10 schools) that their profile was otherwise good but they need to improve their GMAT.

Another problem with Indians is that every profile looks same. Hence some guys lie through their teeth in essays/work experience. An example of an accepted candidate:

Saved 60 million $ for IT Services company (this guy had overall 4-5 years of experience). Partners at these firms hardly save that much money, whereas a developer can.
Totally agree.. One of my senior.. From same college.. From same company and even from same project got through tuck while I dint even get an invite for interview for ross and duke.. The fact is that he got the first promotion after 5 yrs when I got in 2.5 yrs.. But when I see his LinkedIn profile I know what kind of lies he had put in his application.. Sad that I don't have guts to lie through my teeth...

Oh it's not sad at all. I'd rather get in through my own achievements than lie about my work ex or make up 'non-profits'. After all, the quality of your work ex is what you make of it. If you don't introspect, then even a $60M savings thing doesn't add value to the resume. Just sounds like you're 'keeping up with the Jones'. I'm sure the adcom would think the same way.
Show more
Not sure if the adcoms can smell the fish (or rat or this guy or whatever)...but still banking on own achievements.. and writing...writing.. and writing..
and with the results so far- buckling up for the next season..
User avatar
MacFauz
User avatar
Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Last visit: 19 Mar 2022
Posts: 996
Own Kudos:
3,360
Given Kudos: 116
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.8
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 996
Kudos: 3,360
Most important aspect of application 19 Feb 2013, 02:09
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vips0000
MacFauz
Vips0000
Vips,

The closest thing to the profile you mentioned was a girl with 700 GMAT and 3 years of IT Consulting experience(requirements gathering etc) who was admitted to Darden. Some schools weigh GMAT heavily. Couple of Indians with 710 were told (by 2 Top 10 schools) that their profile was otherwise good but they need to improve their GMAT.

Another problem with Indians is that every profile looks same. Hence some guys lie through their teeth in essays/work experience. An example of an accepted candidate:

Saved 60 million $ for IT Services company (this guy had overall 4-5 years of experience). Partners at these firms hardly save that much money, whereas a developer can.
Totally agree.. One of my senior.. From same college.. From same company and even from same project got through tuck while I dint even get an invite for interview for ross and duke.. The fact is that he got the first promotion after 5 yrs when I got in 2.5 yrs.. But when I see his LinkedIn profile I know what kind of lies he had put in his application.. Sad that I don't have guts to lie through my teeth...

Haha.. I guess that was what got Raj Rajarathinam into Wharton but then again it was the same reason that got him rich as well.. :P
Well.. Both of these (getting into Wharton and getting rich) are very tempting... But the end of raj rajarathnam's story is not :roll:
Show more

And hence the reason I cited his name.. :)
User avatar
MBAbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 988
Own Kudos:
47
Posts: 988
Kudos: 47
Most important aspect of application 13 Sep 2018, 09:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club MBAbot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
   1   2   3