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Schulich School of Business MBA Interview with Admissions Team

York University’s Schulich School of Business offers an international MBA course in Ontario (Canada) and Hyderabad (India).

If you check out the class profile, you’ll find the average work experience to be 5 years (average age of 29). The average GMAT score is 664, half the students are international (i.e. from outside Canada) and 36% are female candidates.

Manish Gupta, from the MBA Crystal Ball team interviewed Imran Kanga, from the Schulich School of Business to find out more about the admissions process, GMAT requirements, financial aid, placements, locational differences and more...Read More

Hi Sameer,

I just gave my GMAT yesterday and scored a decent 730.

IR-3 - 23rd Percentile.
Q-49 - 81st Percentile.
V-40 - 90th Percentile.
Overall-730 - 96th Percentile.

Yes, exactly, the pain point is 3 in IR. Graphs and DI have never been a problem. In fact the low score was very surprising and annoying. I cannot recollect to have scored as lower than 5 in any of the mocks that I gave.

Anyway, the main reason why I am posting this is because I want to know the impact of IR score on my application. I am planing to apply in 2016/2017 after a good 2-3 years of experience.
The schools that I am looking at are:
ISB, INSEAD, NUS, IE, IESE, Columbia, HAAS, Duke, NTU, Tepper, Booth, Darden, Tuck.

Just to fill you in with a brief description of my profile,
I have a decent profile with a good number of extra curricular activities and leadership accolades, including an international exchange program. Captained school and university in a number of football tournaments. I also headed the fest organising body of college. Scaled up the fest to a national level. I am also currently involved in a start up along with my work. However, I have a poor gpa of 6.3/10 from my undergrad college. I'm currently working in EMC as an Associate consultant, working primarily on Big Data Analytics.

Thanks in advance

Tuck MBA Admissions Success Story

Among the Ivy League MBA programs, the Tuck MBA from Dartmouth University figures prominently on the list of many MBA applicants from India. But there are several hurdles you’d need to cross first to get into the high ranking course.

The Tuck MBA application process is highly selective. And it has to be, because the class size is pretty small. The average GMAT score of 718 is just one of those indicators that provide an insight into the competition level. The average age, experience level, international student mix are all in the same range as the rest of the elite MBA programs.

Marketing consultant, Mithun Sundar Raj scored a 660 in his first attempt and he knew this could be a deterrent in his journey. And then there were other other challenges of writing essays, tackling the MBA interview. Mithun narrates more about his MBA admissions experience...Read More

nikhil.jones.s wrote:

Hi Sameer,

I just gave my GMAT yesterday and scored a decent 730.

IR-3 - 23rd Percentile.
Q-49 - 81st Percentile.
V-40 - 90th Percentile.
Overall-730 - 96th Percentile.

Yes, exactly, the pain point is 3 in IR. Graphs and DI have never been a problem. In fact the low score was very surprising and annoying. I cannot recollect to have scored as lower than 5 in any of the mocks that I gave.

Anyway, the main reason why I am posting this is because I want to know the impact of IR score on my application. I am planing to apply in 2016/2017 after a good 2-3 years of experience.
The schools that I am looking at are:
ISB, INSEAD, NUS, IE, IESE, Columbia, HAAS, Duke, NTU, Tepper, Booth, Darden, Tuck.

Just to fill you in with a brief description of my profile,
I have a decent profile with a good number of extra curricular activities and leadership accolades, including an international exchange program. Captained school and university in a number of football tournaments. I also headed the fest organising body of college. Scaled up the fest to a national level. I am also currently involved in a start up along with my work. However, I have a poor gpa of 6.3/10 from my undergrad college. I'm currently working in EMC as an Associate consultant, working primarily on Big Data Analytics.

Thanks in advance

Dear Nikhil,

Apologies for the late response here.

That's a nice score no doubt. Till this year, majority (almost all) schools did not consider IR scores. Since this is a new feature, most schools are yet to take a decision on how to interpret and use the results. We interviewed a few adcom members recently, check here and they backed up our understanding on this count. I personally believe it'll take a few years for the critical mass to build up before schools start considering that. By 2017, probably may start happening. So u'll have to decide closer to the actual application year.

On you school list, it does appear to be fairly aggressive. Given the low GPA, you would do well to get solid work-ex (potentially more than 3 years) in a related field as your post-MBA goals.

Cheers,

Can you please provide evaluation of my profile.

Career Profile

GPA : 78 %
Year of passing : 2004
Work Exp : 10 years
Industry : Semiconductors(Particularly mobile semiconductors)
Current Employer : Broadcom Communication Bangalore
Past Employers : LSI and Freescale (Motorola)
GMAT : 720 (Q49/V40/IR8)
Extra Curricular: Working on Startup ideas. Cycling enthusiast (Participated in Vodafone cycling marathon),Participated in DISC training in my company for managerial aspirants, Recipient of various awards during my professional career. Participated in company technical seminar and won best project award.

After 10 years of working in semiconductor industry I though of adding managerial skill to my existing set of technical skills. I plan to use my managerial skills in the field of technology consulting, product management,large scale project management,venture capital industry, and entrepreneurship.

I was wondering whether you can share your insights of some of the MBA schools that would be suitable for my profile and where I stand a fair chance of getting in.

shalin1483 wrote:

Can you please provide evaluation of my profile.

Career Profile

GPA : 78 %
Year of passing : 2004
Work Exp : 10 years

<<snip>>

I was wondering whether you can share your insights of some of the MBA schools that would be suitable for my profile and where I stand a fair chance of getting in.

Dear Shalin1483,

The question you pose is a broad one. For reasons mentioned here, I wont go into gut-based school specific recommendations. Suffice it to say that with the right elements in the application, you can have a fair shot at some good schools.
But before that, a few questions you have to answer for yourself are: What role(s) do you want to take up post-MBA? Do you want to do you MBA in India or outside? Is MBA really needed for what you have in mind? etc etc

At your experience, and depending on what you have in mind post MBA, an exec-MBA too could be a viable option.

So decide wisely

Cheers,

Hey all, I would like to get your insight on my profile and whether my school choices are within range. ?
What are my chances if I apply for R1 in Johnson ,Anderson, Tepper , McCombs, Rice ,Kenan Flageler with my current profile ?
GMAT -720
GPA- 8.4/10
Work Ex - 3+yrs Senior softwre Developer at Oracle
Graduate from one of the top 10 univ in india NITK.
pluss Good career progress , back to back promotions, client awards , domestic awards , excellent extra-curriculars during under-graduation college (sports, led a college association). Working on High-Tech and rare business technology.

ishancrazee wrote:

Hey all, I would like to get your insight on my profile and whether my school choices are within range. ?
What are my chances if I apply for R1 in Johnson ,Anderson, Tepper , McCombs, Rice ,Kenan Flageler with my current profile ?
GMAT -720
GPA- 8.4/10
Work Ex - 3+yrs Senior softwre Developer at Oracle
Graduate from one of the top 10 univ in india NITK.
pluss Good career progress , back to back promotions, client awards , domestic awards , excellent extra-curriculars during under-graduation college (sports, led a college association). Working on High-Tech and rare business technology.

Dear Ishancrazee,

Thanks for posting on this thread. The profile details provided by you are a bit sketchy to make a fair assessment. At the face of it, you appear to be part of a fairly competitive pool of Indian IT applicants. So the onus is on you to explain/elaborate things that differentiate you. Undergrad related ECs start having diminishing value after some years of experience.

Basis purely the profile I see, I would rate the school list as being on the fairly aggressive side. So you'd do well to mix it up a bit with a few safer schools.

Cheers,

You said fairly aggressive , is it bcoz of a low GMAT scre or the profile needs to be more unique and appealing . I have a query that weather this GMAT score is sufficient for me to not get a reject from these schools right away . I surely I have to work on my profile no doubt . Thanx for the previous quick response , much appreciated .

1) Brief description of full-time work experience. - Market Research Associate with 2 year of work ex (Background Engg.) Wanted to get a head start in the marketing profile so started with this industry..Its a 5 year old startup by an IIM A guy..so no brand points either
2) GMAT- 760
3) College info: State University (India) , CGPA of 7.52, Civil Engg -2012
4) ECCA: Gaming (Strategic Multiplayer Team games)..have won several inter college or state level tournaments and online tournaments
5) Important certifications- None besides Courses in Data analytics and a few others on course era
6) Target program- Plan to apply for ROSS Michigan
7) Plan to apply- Fall 15 or 16
8) Your post-MBA goal- MR & Gaming media consulting...Preferably a combination of both

Is Ross a stretch?(Whats my best shot given that fall 16 is my deadline)
Can I ever have a profile good enough to be accepted at Ross ? (btw have joined up NGO's)
Where do I lag?

Thank You

ishancrazee wrote:

You said fairly aggressive , is it bcoz of a low GMAT scre or the profile needs to be more unique and appealing . I have a query that weather this GMAT score is sufficient for me to not get a reject from these schools right away . I surely I have to work on my profile no doubt . Thanx for the previous quick response , much appreciated .

There are multiple factors we account for usually and that's why my earlier assessment was at a very high level. For reasons mentioned here, we avoid giving out school specific recommendations. My suggestion was based more on the competitive industry you come from; GMAT may not be a deal-breaker in your case.

Cheers,

JusTLucK04 wrote:

1) Brief description of full-time work experience. - Market Research Associate with 2 year of work ex (Background Engg.) Wanted to get a head start in the marketing profile so started with this industry..Its a 5 year old startup by an IIM A guy..so no brand points either
2) GMAT- 760
3) College info: State University (India) , CGPA of 7.52, Civil Engg -2012
4) ECCA: Gaming (Strategic Multiplayer Team games)..have won several inter college or state level tournaments and online tournaments
5) Important certifications- None besides Courses in Data analytics and a few others on course era
6) Target program- Plan to apply for ROSS Michigan
7) Plan to apply- Fall 15 or 16
8) Your post-MBA goal- MR & Gaming media consulting...Preferably a combination of both

Is Ross a stretch?(Whats my best shot given that fall 16 is my deadline)
Can I ever have a profile good enough to be accepted at Ross ? (btw have joined up NGO's)
Where do I lag?

Thank You

Dear JusTLucK04,

Since you have a specific query, I wont go into a detailed discourse on profile reflection. Market research is a great way to make a career in the larger marketing space. The biggest hurdle in your post-MBA goal is that you will be an international candidates. Media/Gaming tend to be fairly localized (though increasingly global) and a pretty niche domain. These tend to be rarely open for international candidates in most US bschools. Some bit of international work-ex can help, but you'd do well to re-think either your goals or the geography you have in mind (US schools).

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

I can't think of any another goals/career that would suit my profile and hobbies while making my application standout..If you could suggest any other domain where it might fit in...
btw any marketing/consulting profile would suit me...this is just to cross the first hurdle(entry into a good b-school)

JusTLucK04 wrote:

I can't think of any another goals/career that would suit my profile and hobbies while making my application standout..If you could suggest any other domain where it might fit in...
btw any marketing/consulting profile would suit me...this is just to cross the first hurdle(entry into a good b-school)

If you cant think of anything else, that could be a good thing because that means this is what you really want to do. While consulting in a generic sense (and not media consulting) accepts people (including international candidates) with open arms, same cannot be said about marketing. Market research experience can have a good dovetailing into consulting - so go for it.

Cheers,

Thank You Manish..A major point we missed out here is- What are my chances for ROSS..I have some specific reasons to be so inclined towards it..Can you please share your insight as to what are my chances to get an admit at a GMAT 760 and 3-4 years of MR experience.

Hi,
First thing first, Thanks for this wonderful thread!!!

I need help in understanding my chances at Top 10 B-Schools (Sept 2015 entry). Below are details of my profile:

Academics
B.Tech 2005 (Electrical Eng) : 71 % (Gold Medalist)
M.tech 2008 (IIT Delhi, India) : 8.44 (GATE exam All India Rank 46 out of ~30,000 candidates)
GMAT : Planned, July 2014; based on GMAT PREP +ve about 720

Work Ex
• Years: 7 years (As on Sept 2014), Research and Development, in one of the Top Ten company in Automotive world
• Designation: Manager (Development)
• Profile: Working on product development area, mainly on the new generation of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle development
• Achievement: Few publications in the conference/magazine which are very well acknowledged in the respective field (E.g. SAE, IEEE, ATZ etc). I am a Talent Pool employee in the present company (~15 out of 40,000 employee every year get into talent pool) and got to attend Executive Management Training program at one of the premium Indian B School (That’s where started realizing importance of doing MBA to complete my skill + knowledge set for future endeavor and in the career progress)

Extra Curricular
• I worked as a full time "SBI Youth For India” fellow (2011-2012) in the rural development space. It’s a 1 year fellowship, with a focus on rural development. I took a sabbatical from my present employer and worked on livelihood project. 28 fellows were selected from all across India. I could publish one paper on the work done under this fellowship in STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FORUM of IIM Kozhikode (Under Top 8 B school from India); titled “Rural Local Retail: An innovative, self sustainable Social Business Model in Vegetable Business”
• Completed Paragliding pre-pilot level
• Completed French Level 1 certification

Certification
No international level certification; however Level 2 patent specialist Under TATA GROUP IP Management Program.

Target Program
Harvard……………………………… Stanford, MIT, LBS, INSEAD; As my school research is not extensive I would also like to know which are other schools where my profile and career goal would match

When you plan to apply
R1 Oct 2014

Your post-MBA goal
My long term goal is to start up a company in the area of Product Development ( To give a perspective, product development company like 3M)
With my work experience and Technical Education background I have developed the knowledge set required for such a venture however I am looking at following aspect to be covered by attending B-School:
1. Present and past student Network and prospective business partner
2. School name and the creditability with that to start new venture
3. Skill set to manage the business and required exposure
4. Peer Learning and divers thinking

If this doesn’t happen in immediate future (Post MBA) then I would like to join a Management Consultancy firm or a corporate position in Strategy and Planning vertical; which in long term would help me in setting up my firm.

I would like to understand how fair are my chances in Ivy-8 or above mentioned schools?
And which other schools you find would suitable for my profile?

I guess that’s all !!!

I sincerely thanks for all your time and efforts and waiting for your reply. (Moderator + Consultant)

HarryIITD

Background
• Rich experience in Design, Innovation and Competitive Product Development.
• Due to keen interest in Design in general and Transportation Design in particular, pursued Engineering education to earn Masters in Design (Product Design &Engg.) from I.I.Sc. Bangalore (Indian Institute of Science) and also pursued professional career in Vehicle Design with two Top Automotive Companies in the World and India respectively.
• Experience evolved working through corporate design gates/processes & interaction with various stakeholders and vendors; close participation through cross functional teams in business processes like product definition, product planning, market positioning & innovation activities.
• In-depth understanding of design tools & methodologies; System/Process Design & IPR landscaping.
• Undertook initiatives in multidisciplinary/multicultural environments & in navigating uncertainty/handling ambiguity, championing customer focus & multidimensional problem solving with full confidence.
• Worked as a design lead and design jury member on various professional assignments.
• Wish to integrate formal knowledge in design with a penchant for enterprise creation to start an organization devoted to creating next generation mobility solutions. An MBA education in this regard would go a long way in helping me realize this objective.

Academics
• BE (Mechanical Engineering) 2003: 70%
• Masters in Design (IISc, Bangalore) 2008: 6.9/8.0 (10 students accepted into the prestigious design program every year from a pool of 10,000+ applicants)
• GMAT: 730

Professional Experience
• Years: 6 years (as on August 2014) in the Design Studio and R&D Centre and prior 2 years (2004-2006) at General Motors.
• Designation: Manager (ADVANCED DESIGN)
• Profile: Responsible for Exterior Design of Next-Generation Passenger Vehicles. Several projects are in production and have been displayed in International Auto Shows.

Achievements
• Responsible for exterior design of next gen vehicles (3); responsible for design of concept vehicles (2) showcasing the future vision of the company.
• Lead the future vision activities of the department through the design function.
• Exposed to vision/pre-concept research/positioning/branding/conceptual development/production design/systems development/integration and marketing aspects of full scale product (vehicle) development.
• I have completed one full ‘level 6’ (new platform) production vehicle program with exterior and interior design.
• Lead team in simulated enterprise creation & management workshops with spectacular results.
• I also mentor junior members of the team.

Extra-Curricular
• One of the top 50 innovators selected in India Innovation Growth Program in 2014 (Partners: Department of Science and Technology Govt of India; Lockheed Martin Corporation USA; Stanford Business School; University of Austin Texas)
• I am also an active member of the design team working on CSR activities of my organization in rural school development and modernization.
• Design Jury for one of the most prestigious design competitions in India for the year 2013.

Certification:
Several relevant to Product Development and Business Development through Design, several in core competencies and allied fields.
For example:
Interpretation by Design (BMW Germany); Customer Centric Workshop by RoadsAhead Consulting India; Trend & Design by Style-Vision Asia (France); Design Thinking Action Lab (Stanfordx); Innovation & Commercialization (MITx); several core design domain courses from MITx including the X-Series Certification in Air Vehicle Design; Courses from Harvardx; etc..

Target Program:
Harvard or any one of the top 5 B Schools in the world

Planned Entry
R1 October 2014

Post MBA Goal
Vision is to start a mobility solutions company.


I wish to understand my chances to be accepted in an HBS type of program (Ivy League) and look forward to your most realistic assessment of my profile.
Sincere thanks in advance for your time and effort! And many thanks for offering such a platform for aspirants like us!
Warm Regards
JSW