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naman89
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 31 Jul 2016, 07:23
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Hello Everyone! :)

I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative?
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education?
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 31 Jul 2016, 18:52
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Thanks for sharing.

MBA's are open to people without management degrees. Regarding your work experience and educational background even if you want to change careers, it would be good to communicate the skills/learnings you will be able to leverage from these. Your post-graduate degree will be counted as education.

For international exposure, education and personal travels can also add to this dimension. You may also seek volunteer opportunities outside work that would help you gain more experience collaborating/working with people across different cultures.

All the best!
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 01 Aug 2016, 02:13
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naman89
Hello Everyone! :)

I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative?
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education?
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D
Show more

Hey there!
Great to hear from you!
Let me try and answer your questions!!

1 - Not at all! B-schools LOVE students from other fields, medical, science, humanities! I should say that the pharma industry is a very hot one and B-schools particularly love pharma candidates.

2 - Your Pharma degree is great. First of all you have good knowledge and skills. Secondly, excellent grades! Both will contribute to a stronger profile.

3- Your degree is NOT part of your work experience. I would suggest working at least one more year before you apply (and one more year will be enough).

4- Essentially do EVERYTHING you can to gain international experience - this can be work in other languages, traveling abroad, working abroad, attending professional conferences, etc. Of course work experience abroad is best, but barring that, there are plenty of other great things you can do.

Right now the thing to do is to excel at your tests! Go kill that GMAT and TOEFL, and then you can figure out where you really stand.

Best of luck!
Jon
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naman89
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 01 Aug 2016, 09:17
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JonAdmissionado
naman89
Hello Everyone! :)

I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative?
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education?
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D

Hey there!
Great to hear from you!
Let me try and answer your questions!!

1 - Not at all! B-schools LOVE students from other fields, medical, science, humanities! I should say that the pharma industry is a very hot one and B-schools particularly love pharma candidates.

2 - Your Pharma degree is great. First of all you have good knowledge and skills. Secondly, excellent grades! Both will contribute to a stronger profile.

3- Your degree is NOT part of your work experience. I would suggest working at least one more year before you apply (and one more year will be enough).

4- Essentially do EVERYTHING you can to gain international experience - this can be work in other languages, traveling abroad, working abroad, attending professional conferences, etc. Of course work experience abroad is best, but barring that, there are plenty of other great things you can do.

Right now the thing to do is to excel at your tests! Go kill that GMAT and TOEFL, and then you can figure out where you really stand.

Best of luck!
Jon
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Hi Jon!

I really liked the way you shared your views on my queries. Thank you so much. I will work on my GMAT and TOEFL, hopefully, things will be better :-D

Thanks once again!
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naman89
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 01 Aug 2016, 09:23
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VeritasPrepEdison
Thanks for sharing.

MBA's are open to people without management degrees. Regarding your work experience and educational background even if you want to change careers, it would be good to communicate the skills/learnings you will be able to leverage from these. Your post-graduate degree will be counted as education.

For international exposure, education and personal travels can also add to this dimension. You may also seek volunteer opportunities outside work that would help you gain more experience collaborating/working with people across different cultures.

All the best!
Show more


Thank you for your comments. Your views will definitely help me in my admission process.
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 03 Aug 2016, 22:11
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naman89
Hello Everyone! :)

I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative?
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education?
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D
Show more

Hi Naman

Your academic credentials and performance are excellent, and definitely make for a strong profile (GMAT pending). The fact that one of your almae matres is a govt institution and the other is not will have no bearing. What is important is the reason you wish to earn an MBA, your test scores, and your fit with the schools you will apply to in terms of your goals.

To answer your questions:
1. No, business schools do not look at prior management education as a pre-requisite at all. In fact, in some cases that can even be a negative. So no worries for you there.
2. It will affect you positively as it will give you differentiation by way of your educational background (far fewer Pharma majors apply to business school than, say, IT professionals). However, that initial advantage is just that - an initial advantage. You need to also have clear post-MBA goals and be able to show your an MBA will help you achieve them.
3. PG is never counted as experience, but you do get some consideration in terms of the fact that you have a PG. How your experience so far will be seeen (in terms of quantity) will also depend on the schools you are applying to. Broadly, no major issues, but perhaps you might consider waiting another year before you apply.
4. International experience can be made up for through strong international motivation (experiences interacting with colleagues and teams abroad, travel etc). However, at this stage, would recommend that you first focus on your test scores before looking at specific schools and their requirements.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with further queries as needed.
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Schools: HEC Dec '17 (M) INSEAD Jan '17 (M) Cornell AMBA'17 (M)
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Schools: HEC Dec '17 (M) INSEAD Jan '17 (M) Cornell AMBA'17 (M)
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 04 Aug 2016, 09:09
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GyanOne
naman89
Hello Everyone! :)

I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative?
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education?
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D

Hi Naman

Your academic credentials and performance are excellent, and definitely make for a strong profile (GMAT pending). The fact that one of your almae matres is a govt institution and the other is not will have no bearing. What is important is the reason you wish to earn an MBA, your test scores, and your fit with the schools you will apply to in terms of your goals.

To answer your questions:
1. No, business schools do not look at prior management education as a pre-requisite at all. In fact, in some cases that can even be a negative. So no worries for you there.
2. It will affect you positively as it will give you differentiation by way of your educational background (far fewer Pharma majors apply to business school than, say, IT professionals). However, that initial advantage is just that - an initial advantage. You need to also have clear post-MBA goals and be able to show your an MBA will help you achieve them.
3. PG is never counted as experience, but you do get some consideration in terms of the fact that you have a PG. How your experience so far will be seeen (in terms of quantity) will also depend on the schools you are applying to. Broadly, no major issues, but perhaps you might consider waiting another year before you apply.
4. International experience can be made up for through strong international motivation (experiences interacting with colleagues and teams abroad, travel etc). However, at this stage, would recommend that you first focus on your test scores before looking at specific schools and their requirements.

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


Hi there!

Thank you so much for your comments. I will apply to schools next year matriculating September, then my experience will 3.4 years :-D :lol:
Still, your replies did gave me some positive hopes, now I will prepare for GMAT.

Thanks once again :-D
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Need information on few of my Important Queries! 05 Aug 2016, 06:33
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naman89
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Hello Everyone! :)
hi @Naman89- agree with GyanOne that being in Pharmacy will set you apart from the more typical engineering background. You have good academics. My other comments below.
I have few queries to ask, if anyone can answer or share their views, it will be very helpful.

I am a Pharmacy Graduate from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science (MCOPS), Manipal University and Post-graduate in Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER. Both Institutes are in top ranks in Pharma Education sector in India, only difference is MCOPS is Private and NIPER is under Indian Central Government. I have CGPA of 8.26/10 and 9.21/10 in my Graduation and PG respectively :o

Now, I want to do MBA again to change my function. So, my queries now;

1) Do Business Schools prefer students already having management degree, though, in my case, I haven't done a core MBA?Business schools want a diverse class in every way- educational background included.
2) Will my Pharmaceutical Management degree will affect my application positively or negatively? Anything I can do to make it better, if negative? agree that it is different and that can help
3) Since, I have used two years in my PG, I have 2 years of experience as of now, which would have been 4 years without my PG. Maximum students applying for MBA generally work for 5-6 years and then do MBA. So, will my PG degree be counted in terms of experience or education? Work experience is only looked at from working.
4) INSEAD mainly ask for International experience, but I didn't get any chance to move out of India. Still, to gain some International outlook, I am learning two foreign languages and some regional languages apart from my native language; working with MNC's to gain International cultural experience; dealing with International clients in my work. Anything else I can do to add more to this requirement?You sound like you are on the right track trying to broaden your international perspective.

Thanks in Advance! :-D :-D
Don't overlook interacting with internationals in your community and practicing languages with them and also better understanding cultures from a personal view also. I find you can learn so much about other cultures from seeking out different people within the place you currently live. Best wishes on all of this to you!

Hi Naman

Your academic credentials and performance are excellent, and definitely make for a strong profile (GMAT pending). The fact that one of your almae matres is a govt institution and the other is not will have no bearing. What is important is the reason you wish to earn an MBA, your test scores, and your fit with the schools you will apply to in terms of your goals.

To answer your questions:
1. No, business schools do not look at prior management education as a pre-requisite at all. In fact, in some cases that can even be a negative. So no worries for you there.
2. It will affect you positively as it will give you differentiation by way of your educational background (far fewer Pharma majors apply to business school than, say, IT professionals). However, that initial advantage is just that - an initial advantage. You need to also have clear post-MBA goals and be able to show your an MBA will help you achieve them.
3. PG is never counted as experience, but you do get some consideration in terms of the fact that you have a PG. How your experience so far will be seeen (in terms of quantity) will also depend on the schools you are applying to. Broadly, no major issues, but perhaps you might consider waiting another year before you apply.
4. International experience can be made up for through strong international motivation (experiences interacting with colleagues and teams abroad, travel etc). However, at this stage, would recommend that you first focus on your test scores before looking at specific schools and their requirements.

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


Hi there!

Thank you so much for your comments. I will apply to schools next year matriculating September, then my experience will 3.4 years :-D :lol:
Still, your replies did gave me some positive hopes, now I will prepare for GMAT.

Thanks once again :-D
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