ISB applicants - Ask GyanOne!!

Hi GyanOne , I need a profile evaluation, I'd certainly appreciate a quick response since the EEO and PGP R1 deadlines are coming up, also I had taken the GMAT 2 years ago while applying for the YLP, my score of 680, fetched me an interview call, however I couldn't convert.

So after you have gone through my profile, I'd like you to help me answer the burning question of whether to reapply with the same GMAT score in the first round(which is arguably easier to convert) of EEO or to wait till the second round, prepare well and get a better GMAT score to maximize my chances of acceptance ?

Following details the important aspects of my profile :

Class 10th : 91.6 % CBSE

Class 12th : 88.6 % CBSE

Bachelor of Technology from VIT, University, Vellore

CGPA : 8.34

GMAT 1: 680 (Q48, V36) , AUG 2013

Work Ex: Cisco Systems, Network Consultant Engineer

Duration : 1 Year and 8 Months as of 31st March 2016 ( The work ex deadline stipulated by ISB)

Job Responsiblities : Front ending with customers on a daily basis, conducting workshops in order to understand their environment and needs finally coming up with a Planning, Design and Implementation Stage wise solution, further helping optimize and support the networking infrastructure.

Clients Handled: Major MNC firms such as AT&T, Verizon, Capital Bank, Microsoft, Facebook, Reliance, Goldman Sachs, NASDAQ, WALMART etc.

Certifications : CCNA Routing n Switching, CCNA Data Center, CCNP Routing and Switching, CCNP Data Center within an year of joining.

Achievements : 3 Connected recognition awards for intense focus on customers, inspire and enabling talent as well as contributing to Intellectual Practices and Capitals in a single quarter.

2 Performance Bonuses to the tune of 130 %, in a single FY.

First New Hire in my batch to be sent on site, just within 4 months of joining, to handle a high stake data center deployment (single handedly) with the STC, Saudi Arabia, considered one of our biggest accounts.

Since then having acquired a lot of international experience with various customers, almost 1/3rd of the duration of my total work ex.

Leadership initiative undertaken at workplace in establishing Cisco Techtalks, the biggest collaborative event in our organisation.

Extra - Curricular : Winner of more than 40 Zonal to International Level Quiz competitions, throughout early schooling ( Bournvita Quiz Contest Runner up '07 ) to Discovery Quiz, Tata Quiz , various college fests multiple awards.

VP Toastmasters International in College, Board member for 2-3 more technical(IET) and fine arts societies.

Performed professionally as a musician at various pubs as well as college fests throughout the last few years.

School Headboy.

Thus demonstrated leadership qualities.

Lastly, interview call for YLP '13, was a really bad hair day for me, messed it up by puking in the admissions office ( shouldn't have had those ghee ke parathe), was sick all day long, so can't exactly pin point the blame on my GMAT score of 680 alone.

Hence the question, to retake or not ? To apply in R1 with 680 or wait for R2 and try to get a better score (which is not necessarily a certainty).

Please help me out here, thanks in advance.

Hi niksguitar,

Apologies for the slight delay in responding. R1 deadlines being round the corner (not just for ISB, but for multiple global schools as well), we were just swamped with evaluations, applications, and requests. Hope this take still helps. Here is what we feel:

Your profile overall seems fine, from the academics, ECA, as well as the work quality point of view. Not sure if you have already applied with a 680 in R1 now, but if you haven't, you have done the right thing. Try and raise your score a little bit and then apply in R2. Competition in the technology category is intense, and you should do the best that you can here, especially given that the possibility of differentiating yourself through your work ex alone is not very high for you (judging just based on your profile).

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

We are getting a lot of queries on the expected dates for interview calls for R1 applicants to ISB.

Please note that as specified by ISB (check out the link to the relevant page on the ISB website: https://pgpapp.isb.edu/user/KeyDates.html), the period for interviews is Nov 1 - Dec 10, 2015.

nk

Hi,

Your level of experience and work profile seems fine, though you are at the lower end of the work spectrum in terms of quantity (though still eligible to apply). As a lawyer working for a Maharatna PSU, you do bring diversity in your work profile, which is a positive for you.

Your ECA are not very strong, but should be enough. In terms of a GMAT score, a 700 or above will put you in the zone of consideration, though you should try for 720+. You should start your GMAT preparation immediately, as achieving this score will take a decent amount of preparation and practice.

Another key thing to focus on in your application will be your career goals. An MBA is not always an obvious fit with a background in law, so you should clearly explain why you are seeking an MBA, what you plan to do post-MBA, and how your background is related. Making that bridge is going to be important for you.

Feel free to come back with further queries.

Hi,

My am applying to ISB in R2. I had given my first GMAT this Sunday and got a disappointing score of 680 (Q 49, V 33). I was easily expecting a score above 730 but was having flu on the day of exam so with a body wrecking cold and cough coupled with extreme body pain, I got a low score of 680. My question is whether I should go for a retake by first fortnight of December and then prepare for my application or start preparing for my application now with these scores itself.

A little background:

25, Indian female with bachelors in Business Economics from a Tier 1 Delhi University college.
Scored 96.6% in class X, 86% in class XII and 74.8% in bachelors (amongst the top 10 in university).

Been an active parliamentary debator at the national and international level, Vice-President of the college’s placement cell for 2 years, campus radio-jockey at a leading FM station of New Delhi for 6 months and a radio jockey for the university radio frequency for more than a year, editor of the National Social Service (NSS) magazine, part of the Teach India campaign, college’s admission counselor for two years, won multiple awards at various university conferences and competitions, etcetera.

During school, was the Discipline Council Head for a year, class prefect for 5 years, a topper throughout from class III to XII, won multiple National Youth Day awards, was the Deputy Leader of Opposition at the Youth Parliament of India, had top scores in various subjects in class X and XII and was given a special merit certificate by CBSE stating this feat.

I have been actively involved in sports since school and played at inter-school women hockey championships and currently I am an amateur rock climber and trekker. Got an admit from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, a leading mountaineering institute in Asia, for the year 2016 which I have got postponed to 2017 as I intend to pursue MBA in 2016.

I also an amateur novelist with two completed drafts of novels.

Work Experience:

I have been working at Standard's and Poor's Capital IQ for the last 5 years. At work, I have had 3 promotions in 5 years. As I started working comparatively early, by the age of 25, I already have an experience of more than 5 years in data analytics. Proficient in client tasks and process review.

Right now I am a Senior Research Associate and have been involved in many critical projects beyond the scope of my current designation, involving automation of processes, designing and development of workflow tools, training of new employees, guideline formulation, auto-extraction of data, primary and secondary research, etc. with an expertise in global M&A spectrum.

Was handpicked by my Director (out of 120 employees) to be a part of an exclusive team to drive innovation and remodel the tools and work flows being currently used. Worked on league tables of various investment banks and other advisors. Pioneered many language processes and trained people in other international locations on the process. In fact it was in recognition of my good work that my manager himself suggested to write a recommendation for me.

Volunteering

Been a part of NSS, Teach India Campaign, part of various CSR activities at work and was the lead of the community initiative at National Blind Association. Been teaching the kids of maids and gardeners near my house for the last three years each weekend.

Please evaluate my profile.

nk

nk

Quick heads up for ISB R1 applicants - ISB has now started rolling out interview invites. Bangalore applicants getting calls first. Most interviews slotted for 7th/8th Nov in Bangalore.

Thanks so much for the heads-up. Do you have any information as to when would the Delhi interviews be conducted?

Any inputs please?

Apologies for the slight delay. We are inundated with interview prep requests from applicants who got interview calls today. As a result, could not process this profile eval query today. Will be done tomorrow.

As a very quick assessment though, retaking the GMAT seems to make sense for you. More on that tomorrow.

Hi longfellow,

You have an impressive profile there. Certainly well set as an applicant.

Lets begin with the GMAT score. While a 680 may well be enough to get you an interview call, you should ideally aim for a retake and a higher score. Not only will a higher score help with admission as well as scholarship, but it will also be much more reflective of your true potential. You deserve more, and you should get it. Should you want to apply to other schools apart from ISB as well, this will help there too.

Your ECA and leadership + student involvement activities are very strong. The novel part would have counted more if you would have had a publisher, but will get you some credit still. On the mountaineering, focus on what you have done already, rather than what you were potentially planning to do. In general, follow the 'show, not tell' principle. Also, while school achievements and accomplishments generally count less (it's been a while since they happened), in your case even the school activities are noteworthy and indicative of leadership. On the academics front, all seems good, at the college as well as the school level. Top 10 in the university can sometimes be a hazy thing to state, especially for DU, as for some courses university-wide student ranks are not available, but then if you state that you must know it to be definitely true, and that's great, and will help.

On the work front too, you seem well placed. Analytics is a great area to be in as an ISB applicant, and you have some process-focused and training accomplishments in addition. Clear career goals and why you need an MBA will of course be critical to expound on, but that is certainly doable given your profile.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with further questions.

Hi Harshit,

Thanks for posting further details. Going through your resume, we certainly feel you are suitable as an ISB applicant.

On your career goals, consultancy is ok, but you will still need to create a case for it. Given that you chose a career in law, you will still need to explain why you now want to go into a consulting firm. You business exposure at ONGC will help, but this bridge between your current experience and your future goals is something that you will have t o work on. Also, please note that consulting is among the most commonly stated goals on ISB applications. While that by itself does not matter, make sure that consulting is seen as a well-thought out decision on your part, rather than just something chosen because it is visible and popular.

On an R2 application, you can proceed now and apply for the 2016 intake itself.

Feel free to come back with further queries.

We don't expect the Delhi calls to go out before the 6th, and even that is a tentative date as of now. Please note that even all the Bangalore calls are not out yet. It is just some calls that have been sent out so far. Very broadly, Mumbai interviews are expected to happen around the end of November (again, tentative as of now).

Thanks for the input! I am now planning to retake my gmat in the first week of December 2015, so a slight concern has cropped up now: Is a month's time enough for writing the applications?

Great. If by 'applications' you mean only ISB, then yes, a month should be fine. If you mean applications for other schools as well, then depending on what those schools are and the total number you are planning to apply to, one month may or may not be sufficient.