INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi Experts,
Can you please evaluate my profile?I would like to apply for INSEAD Jan2018 intake.

Back ground:31 year old Indian female(and mother of a year old runner )
Education: B.Tech in Electronics from one of the reputed colleges in India
GPA:3.5
GMAT Score:700(Q49,V36,IR2,AWA waiting)
Domain:Satellite and Launch Vehicle technology
Experience:9 years

Job description:
Current role:
I work with Indian Space Research Organization. My designation is Scientist/Engineer and role is that of a production manager who manages the production line of few of the communication modules installed in India’s satellites .My team size varies between 6-12 as per the size and complexity of the satellite under production.I manage a cross functional team consisting of experts from fabrication,assembly and testing of satellite modules.

Previous role:
Worked as a design engineer in the launch vehicle telemetry line prior to getting promotion to the current role.

Professional Achievements:
1)A data acquisition system designed by me flies in all major launch vehicles of India 2)All communication modules came out of my production
line in last 3 years are serving the nation on live satellites.
Extracurricular:
Lead a crowd funding campaign to buy rifles for a paraplegic friend who is a national level shooter.He is practising for 2020 paralympics now.
I along with a bunch of friends could teach the girl students in a govt tribal school for more than a year.
Active member of a number of NGOs.
Some significant achievements during school and college days.

International Exposure:
Professional:Nil
Personal: An avid traveller.Have visited 6 countries and have spent more than a month in 2 countries.

(Some more background.I am not sure whether this will be of any use!)
I am kind of self made.Coming from a vernacular background,I studied in below average schools where medium of study was not English.Most of my schools don’t even exist now.I would be the first engineer coming out of my schools.

Thanks,
Aswathi

Hi Aswathi

Thanks for posting.

- While a 700 on the GMAT (for an Indian applicant) is around the edge, your work experience is highly differentiated and can help you craft a very unique story. Combined with strong post-MBA goals this can find favor with INSEAD.
- The lack of professional international experience is a bit of a negative, but you do have excellent leadership and community experience as well. In addition, the personal travel abroad helps too.
- Your background is relevant to who you are, and INSEAD is always interested in that information (they have an entire essay dedicated to it!). This will matter as well, not just in the context of how you grew, but also of how that shaped you.

In case you are looking for further perspectives, please feel free to get in touch or respond here.

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

Thanks for the inputs Gyanone.I am targeting to apply in round 3. I will try to write GMAT once again if I manage to squeeze in some free time in between.Will there be a negative impact in case I get a lower score in the second attempt?

Thanks,
Aswathi

My opinion is that admission in your case could go both ways, as your GMAT is a bit off for an Indian applicant (that is, however, something that can be overcome in my experience) and the lack of international experience is an issue at INSEAD specifically (and an issue that may be harder to overcome at that). Therefore, my first question to you would be if you are only applying to INSEAD? I am asking as the second issue is a non-issue or less of an issue in many other schools so your chances might be significantly better for them.

That said, I do like the rest of your profile A LOT so I do believe you would have a chance of admission with good essays and if you can present yourself and your previous experience in the right way. So if you are not confident in your own abilities when it comes to this, do not be afraid to get professional assistance with that part! It can make all the difference!

Thanks for the inputs Aringo.

I am already 31 and hence would like to get an admission latest by Jan2018. Well, I couldn't find many options to choose from as most of the colleges are in the 4th round of admissions now.
Insead is my first option and AGSM(Australia) is the backup.Do you think I can apply to any other colleges for Jan2018 admissions?

Thanks,
Aswathi

Hi experts,

It would be great if you could evaluate my profile for admission to INSEAD:

Nationality :Indian
Gender: Male
GMAT: 790 (V: 48 Q:51 AWA: 4 IR: 5)

Education:
Undergraduate: Computer Science Engineering from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (Delhi University), one of the top 10 engineering colleges in India
CGPA : 3.2/4 (equivalent calculated by WES)

Postgraduate: MBA in General Management from National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai, one of top 15 B-schools in India
GPA: 8.1/10

Certifications: FRM (Financial Risk Manager) both levels cleared.

Work Experience: Almost 6 years
Pre-MBA Job - Software developer in Aricent Technologies (a communication software company)
Worked for 2 years as a software developer on one of CISCO's proprietary products in the Voice over IP (VoIP) domain. This was basically a gateway used as an interface between legacy networks and VoIP. List of customers included major telecom service providers such as Comcast, AT&T and British Telecom. I was part of a 10+ member development team and built features for new releases of the product including one that led to significant bandwidth optimization and cost savings for the customers. Worked closely with testing and customer escalation teams, so had a good experience of working and coordinating in a large team setting. Did not have any people management responsibilities exactly, but I did contribute to training and development of new joiners in the latter part of my stint.

Post-MBA Jobs: Risk Analytics Consultant in Capgemini (1 year) and Accenture (close to 3 years and counting)
I have worked as a consultant in the area of credit risk for banks and financial institutions. Built advanced statistical models in SAS for application in acquisition, customer management and loss forecasting. Focus has been on the US risk regulatory landscape including Basel and CCAR (capital adequacy) regulations. Clients have included some of the biggest US banks with more than $50 bn in consolidated assets. Have worked on both retail and wholesale portfolios; currently working on loss forecasting of more than $60 bn credit card portfolio of one of the biggest US banks. I have interacted with and presented to the senior stakeholders of the client, who in turn report directly to the CRO. My experience has been a good mix of technical aspects of analytics and modeling as well as the strategic aspects of risk management. I have also worked on multiple business development opportunities and proof of concept initiatives. I have also managed analysts in the team on a day to day basis - project team size has varied from less than 5 to 10+ depending on the project.

International Exposure: I have not traveled a lot for work, however, I have worked remotely with multicultural teams as is the case with most projects in a global company like Accenture. At a personal level, I have traveled to US, Europe and multiple countries in SE Asia. My travels have always had an adventurous touch to them, so have plenty of interesting experiences to share

Extra- Curricular: As mentioned, travel and adventure are my passions. I am a PADI certified diver, and have gone for dives in multiple locations in SE Asia. I have been part of multiple student organizations at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including the alumni committee at NITIE. I have also won awards in maths/quant/finance related quizzes and competitions.

Post MBA Goal - I want to leverage my analytics and consulting experience to work in a strategy consulting role in the area of digital transformation. In terms of sector, I have my eye on financial services given my background and the advent of the 'fintech' revolution. A lot of consulting firms have dedicated 'digital strategy' teams and I would love to be part of one of them.

Reasons for second MBA: My first MBA exposed me to various facets of management and introduced me to the field of risk which I have grown to love. Having said that, it was at a relatively early stage in my career - I have grown a lot personally and professionally since then. I feel at this stage that an MBA from a b-school such as INSEAD will add tremendous value and will also give me the international exposure essential to succeed at a global level.

Hi ,

Your GMAT score is ....wow! wow!! wow!!!

I'd like you to check your undergrad score once again - I think the WES's free services is not as comprehensive as compared to the paid one. In any case as b-schools accept your original scores without requiring a conversion, its better to use the original ones when you report them.

You are a strong candidate for INSEAD as well as other b-schools you may want to add to your target list. Do remember that INSEAD highly values leadership and international experience and demonstrate these amply in your application. Use your extra curricular experiences as well as work/ personal foreign travels and multicultural team experiences to highlight your international exposure.

Talking about Fintech, I'll point you to the fintech concentration that NYU Stern has launched just this year- you may want to look at its details if a two year MBA is exciting to you.

Do reach out if you'd like to discuss in more details. My email address is in the signature below

Hi Aswasthi,




There are certain things I love about your profile:
1. Work exp. in ISRO (differentiated)
2. Manage a few production lines (leadership capability- we can get into more details here, to understand how difficult your job is. This role also points to a cross functional work environment, which would help you build a flexible mindset about working with diverse people).
3. You are a self made woman- rising from nowhere to the position where you are today requires solid resolve and grit - qualities loved by b-schools. INSEAD specifically asks for a personal story essay and you should have some great stories to come up with.
4. Empowering an athlete through fundraising.

I'd not be too concerned with your GMAT score on the assumption that you will submit a otherwise very strong application. I know people from your background are quite valued. This year I worked with an ISRO/ DRDO applicant with a 600 GMAT score who has been admitted into IIMA PGPX, with the same years of work experience as yours. Another of my applicant with differentiated work experience got an admit into INSEAD with a better but still subpar score. And your GMAT are way above that of these guys.

My suggestion is to focus on your strengths and create an outstanding application.

Feel free to reach out if you wish to discuss in more detail

Hello,

If anyone will be kind enough to evaluate my profile for INSEAD
Background: 27 year old automotive designer
GMAT : 730
GPA : 6.2/10
Experience 5 Years.

Job description:

working for Studio of one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Job entails making concept designs, prototyping, design management. I sketch, make computer models, manage their feasibility by negotiation with other vehicle engineering departments. Product ownership for one of the most Iconic vehicles of automotive industry in domestic and international market. Have 5 patents on behalf of my employer for signature designs. My job also requires a lot negotiation with subject matter experts, designers and business managers to manage costs, design intent and market perception of the same.

Extracurricular

Worked with and NGO for almost 2 years. Managing their centre for day to day operations with help of amazing staff. Taught english and mathematics to a class of high school girls for two years jumping their grades in top 10% of the class. As a part of my organization's initiative helped enroll 700 children of migrant labors in public school system. very proud of my work there.

International Work experience,

Professional: In terms of traveling for work NIl. But my work is very niche (one of the main reasons for my MBA) in India and most of my teammates are expats from Europe.

Personal: Father worked for UN. Have travelled a lot of places, especially in Africa. Took some trips to Europe with friends (I don't know how this will help)

My concern: My poor academic record makes me wonder if i should take the GMAT again. I am only apply for INSEAD for the time being and i am just wondering if the effort in taking GMAT out weighs other aspects of application and will be of any help in offsetting my poor GPA. I have no excuses for my poor academic performance, except my priorities were not in the right place.

I really appreciate your time and your help for doing this.

Thank you

DingKingPin - sorry in advance, this will be short and to the point. You have very interesting, differentiated work experience and a lot of other pluses. I recommend you apply! yes, grades are a bit low but just articulate why you would be willing and able to apply yourself now in the optional essay. You just focus on all the other aspects of your candidacy. With your GMAT score, there will be no concern about your ability to do the work. And I think other aspects of your profile will help you avoid a head to head competition with most other Indian applicants. Are you thinking about applying to Round 3 or September batch?

DingKingPin you might consider doing MBAMath.com to develop an alternative transcript - just as a showing of goodwill here - it would be a fast way to rack up some good grades.

Thanks for your response. Regarding the WES services, I actually took their paid services (for another application earlier), so this is the official GPA from their end. But yes, I agree that it might not reflect the true score. I just posted it here as it would be easier to interpret.

Also, thanks for pointing out the NYU Stern program. I am currently researching other potential programs I might be interested in and this was really helpful.

HI

aside from improving the GMAT score, I have a score of 690, what do you recommend i should do in a year or two to improve my profile before reapplying ??!
Any suggestions?

The first ten blogs I wrote are on this very topic (Preparing for Round 1)

Hi Ramsh

That would be a tough one to answer unless all details of your profile are available. Please post more information.

Hi,

I have done my Bachelor's and Masters in Pharmacy. Post completion of my M Pharm, I had worked in Biocon, a leading biopharmaceutical major in Asia, as In Process Quality Assurance Personnel for 2 years (Feb 2014 - Jan 2016). My work was totally related to Quality aspects in Insulin Formulation Plant (Fill Finish Site). Currently, i am working in Mylan, a leading Generic major in the US, as R&D QA Quality Personnel since January 2016. My work here is related to Quality aspects in the development of Formulation. As on today, i hold 3+ years of Career experience.

I can also converse in 6 languages including Spanish. I have been recognised for my outstanding work during the span of 2 years. I have come across a very common fact that B Schools look for diversity also. So I know that I don't have a great score during my 10th & 12th. Will it be a black mark for me during my MBA selection? Will my Pharma Background play a role in differentiating me from the IT guys who are generally in the large crowd of applicants to B-School? Please guide me. Let me know how else I can build up my profile? I aspire to work in management roles in a Pharma Company. But am totally unaware of what kind of roles do people in management handle. The only thing i know is the work is pretty challenging and of-course is exciting too. I believe MBA will give me a threshold to start with this role. So am preparing for GMAT to pursue MBA (General Management/Operations) from a reputed institute like ISB/IIM's. My aspiration is to work in Project Management/Portfolio Management/Business Development/General Management Roles in reputed companies like Dr. Reddy's/GSK/Novartis. Hope my Idea is clear.

Please Evaluate my profile.
Thanks in advance.

Hi nkashyap23,

You do have a differentiated profile. You are correct in thinking that your Pharma work ex does distinguish you from the typical Indian candidate pool. I wouldn't worry too much about your 10th and 12th grades especially if you are looking to apply to international schools. But you can eliminate these doubts by scoring north of 700 in your GMAT.
You have the sort of clarity that is treasured by adcoms. I would recommend going a step further to identify the exact role in management you'd like to work in. Look for profiles of executives on Linkedin and/or on other job posting websites. You can calculate backwards to identify the skill gap and understand what you need to do to get your dream job. This exercise will also help you to target schools that will help to get your dream job.

You have international work ex and you are multilingual. These are big big plus. Do you have any achievements in CSR, community service, extra curricular or sports activities ? If not you can improve here. You may look for MBA in health sector too. A lot of schools are now offering such concentration. I would be happy to discuss your questions further over a call. Hope this helps.
Good Luck !