Hi SOURH7WK,
I enjoyed reading your profile. One challenge you will face is convincing business schools that you actually need an MBA since you want to stay in the same industry. You need to prove that taking two years away from the workforce to complete your MBA will benefit you more than continuing to work your way up the corporate ladder. You might want to emphasize wanting to gain a more international perspective as well as your desire to learn to manage larger teams and to better understand operational innovations.
Your grades and GMAT score are strong. If you can increase your GMAT score by even 20 or 30 points, that could help you in the admissions process, especially at schools that weigh the GMAT heavily, such as Wharton (though your high quant score will particularly impress Wharton).
You mentioned an initiative you have been a part of to increase women's literacy in your village. Get more involved in this initiative and try to obtain a leadership position by heading up a new project or expanding the program to new villages. The key is to make a strategic contribution. Business schools like to see leadership in your community in addition to in your workplace.
Of the schools you listed, Harvard and INSEAD are the biggest stretches for you, though they are both attainable if you position yourself in the right way for each school in your applications. You might consider also adding MIT and Chicago. My
Stratus Prep colleagues and I specialize in the top schools, and we know exactly what types of applicants they are looking for, and what potential problems they will likely identify in your application, such as your extensive work experience (which makes it slightly tougher though not impossible to get in – the key is we have to work together to demonstrate why at this particular junction in your career and MBA is imperative). HBS is generally looking for students coming in with three to five years of work experience, but at
Stratus Prep we have successfully worked with Indian applicants with 7+ years of experience.
For more information on how we could work together on your applications, email me at
shawn.oconnor@stratusprep.com.
Good luck!
Shawn