Ask ARINGO MBA Admissions Consulting

Lots and lots of potential here (love the extra curriculars especially!), but I am missing some detail in order to give you a fair and thorough evaluation, such as why you have chosen the schools mentioned (I am interested in seeing how well you can “demonstrate fit” with them) and how good your essays and recommendations are.
At the moment your profile is a bit below borderline for your dream/reach schools, but amazing essays, reasoning and recommendations can make a huge difference and therefore make your dream/reach schools a real possibility. However, I am not able to judge that part for now, but if your essays, recommendations and reasoning are anything below very impressive, I would not rate your chances as very good at your dream/reach schools so you really should be focusing on how you can make yourself stand out from a crowd and on how to convince those reach schools that they are the best option for you, for a number of reasons that will appeal to them. (Don’t forget that you can always get professional help with this part too, should you feel like writing essays for example is not right up your alley)

I do think your profile is competitive for the non-reach schools, though, so I would not worry about those too much if I were you. But the dream/reach schools are a another story...

Good luck!

Hello Team Aringo,

Kindly review my profile and share your valuable inputs.

Profile: I completed my graduation in Fashion designing from one of the top 3 colleges in Asia in 2014 with a CGPA of 7.43. I have been working with the biggest apparel organization in India for past 4 years. Have a healthy work experience across 2 different roles.

Extra-curricular: I am a national level athlete and I am regularly involved in different sports.
Have also won national level quiz competitions. Have been involved with couple of NGOs during my college days.

GMAT (Oct’2017) : 700 (Q-50, V-34, IR-8, AWA-5).

Areas of interest : 1) General Management, 2) Marketing

I need your help in deciding which colleges I should apply.

Should I target US B schools for either R2 this year or R1 next year ? Employment after completing MBA is an important criterion to decide which schools to apply. From few current students I have heard really negative reviews regarding job scenario for international MBA students in US. The situation is not bright in even top 15 colleges. Under the current geo-political situation, will it be a viable option to try for any US school?

With my profile, should I apply in NUS and INSEAD? What are the job scenarios post MBA in Singapore?

Also, I will be looking for a scholarship. Earlier I was targeting top 15 US B schools. Though my profile is extremely unique, my GMAT score is on a lower side. Being from India would go against me. Are there any colleges in top 15 where I can expect admission with scholarship?

I am okay to give GMAT again and if required then wait for one year before applying.

My first shortlist of colleges is below. Should I apply to any of these colleges in R2?
1. Kellogg,
2. Ross,
3. Fuqua,
4. NUS, and
5. ISB

Kindly review my case. Also please let me know if you need any other input to review my candidature. Thanks!

First of all, the whole issue of US schools currently is one that is debated and one that people have very different opinions on, so I don’t really feel comfortable making a recommendation on that part. We do know that the US schools are seeing less applications from Asian applicants at the moment (see: https://aringo.com/a-decrease-in-asian-mba-applicants-to-top-us-business-schools-due-to-trumps-expected-immigration-policies/), so if you should decide not to apply to US schools you certainly would not be the only one making that decision!

Have you considered European schools at all? (The reason that I am asking is that the job market in Singapore has its issues as well, so therefore my recommendation would be to consider European schools as an alternative)

As for your profile, a GMAT score of 700 is pretty low for an Indian applicant for the top schools, especially considering your GPA, so if you want to do something that could seriously improve your profile, I would recommend considering a GMAT retake. If you can get a 740 or better, your chances of admission would be significantly better.

The rest of your profile has a lot of potential though, but of course I am missing a lot of detail here, as I know nothing about your roles at work, for example, any work related accomplishments etc. You also did not mention anything about a post-MBA goal, and that is an important factor at many of the top schools as well.
But assuming that those parts are okay, I do think that great essays and recommendations could make some of the schools you mentioned a possibility. (not the top ones, however, I do believe those are out of reach for now)
However, scholarships can go either way, so I am talking merely about admission here.

Good luck!

Dear Team Aringo,

Thanks a lot for your analysis of my profile. It will definitely help me a lot. Will answer to some of the points raised.


In my first role I was working as a product manager. My key responsibility was to work on the brand's offering from concept till the final product reaches store. More like a brand management function. In my second role I am working as a planner and need to manage front end sales.
Though my background has been into fashion industry till now, i want to do my masters in General Management. I believe this will make me eligible for job across different industries. This is one of the primary reasons I am considering a two year course as of now.

I can't take GMAT before Spring, so should I apply in NUS in this round? It is definitely not as fancy an option as Kellogg/Fuqua but has lot of potential in current time. I have heard even more negative opinion about European job prospects. So not sure about them either. Also, can you suggest how much time will it take to work on application for NUS, individually and with a consultant.
Will be great if you can shed some light on what are the criteria one should consider while deciding a consultant for a specific college.

Can I have a call with anyone from your team to further decide the course of action?

Hello Team ARINGO! Below is my profile:

Background and nationality: Caucasian male
Undergrad: Graduated with a Finance Degree from Dallas Baptist University (small private university); 3.8 GPA, very involved on campus and started a business oriented student organization.
GMAT: I am taking it in 2 weeks, but based on practice tests I anticipate 650-680.
Work experience and leadership: 1 year as Pricing & Contract Analyst at a mid-size software company then moved to a smaller software company as a Financial Analyst for a little under a year then promoted to Senior Financial Analyst (current role). Current work experience is 2.5 years and would be 3 years near the start of the program.
Community and others: An area I need to work on. I was very involved during college, but now I just occasionally attend start-up/entrepreneurial events in the DFW area.
Post MBA goals: Strategy Consulting

My shortlist:
1. UT McCombs
2. BYU Marriott
3. Texas A&M
4. Emory

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi, yes I think a one on one consultation is probably the way to go here as the questions are very specific. (talking to one of our consultants is free and non binding in every way of course) so I would suggest you fill in this form to make that happen: https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration/
(You can add a link to this thread in the form as well when you fill it out so we know it's you)

If you do, a team member specializing in several of the schools mentioned will be able to contact you. But in general, what you are saying about European job markets is true for some of them, however not all.

Hi and thanks for reaching out!

The bad news is that your profile is a bit borderline at the moment, but the good news is that there are things you can do in order to improve it. Community and extra curriculars, for starters, as you mentioned yourself, and maybe you can even get a better GMAT score than anticipated?

You didn’t mention anything about your post MBA goal or why you have chosen the schools listed but if you can come up with great answers to that and make sure your profile is really presented in the best possible way I do see all the schools listed as possibilities. But as I said, in order for you to feel fairly confident about that you still have some work to do.

Good luck!

Hi

I have a GMAT score of 770. I speak Hindi, English, Marathi fluently; I have practical skills in Japanese and Tamil; and I have basic knowledge of French, German and Korean.
I worked at Ernst & Young for 6 years (including 3 years of articleship) in the Financial Services Audit department and have received quarterly and monthly awards at work.
I have co-ordinated with global teams for completion of most assignments and have audited MNCs.
I want to pursue an MBA to be part of the management of a financial services Company.

Could you please let me know what my chances are for application to Insead?

I would love to give you a thorough evaluation but based on the information here alone, I am unable to do that I am afraid. I need a lot more detail about almost everything listed, so I would suggest you contact us with a full CV here instead: https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration/

Please be as detailed as possible as even small details can make a big difference so the more you tell us, the better we can evaluate your chances. (Free of charge and during a non-binding consultation of course)

Are you only applying to INSEAD, by the way? And if so, why?

Hello,

Can you please evaluate my profile? Here’s a brief description about me-

Indian, Male, 30
GMAT- 720
Undergrad in Mechanical Engineering- 2.75/4
Masters in Supply Chain from Ross- 3.7/4

Founded a manufacturing start-up where I worked for 5 years. Grew the company revenue by more than 600% in five years before I decided to sell it. Reason being wanted to switch in a Operations role in Hi-Tech

Working in Amazon as Operations Manager for the past 2 years. Leading a team of 200 people

Co-curricular- Was the Vice President of a non-profit for 3.5 years, raised more than $60K for the same. Peer Coach at Ross, leadership positions in some clubs but nothing major.

I applied in B-Schools before my masters but got dinged by most. I’m only targeting the following schools-

1. HBS
2. Stanford
3. MIT
4. Haas
5. Kellogg (not sure)

I don’t think I can improve my GMAT any further. My goal is to transition into Product Management after MBA.

Thank You very much!!


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

So the good news is that your profile is decent. The bad news is that it is not very unique and as I see it, it lacks something that makes you stand out, at least the way you presented it here. And since you are going up against some of the most competitive applicants in the world with these schools, you need to stand out from a crowd somehow in order to have a chance of admission.

What you should focus on is your measurable achievements (that 600 % increase is great! And if you have anything else along those lines that you can add, even better!) and you also really need to work on the “Why MBA?” and “Why now?” part. If you can think of something unique there, your chances will improve significantly. Of course you can always get some professional help with that part if you struggle with that part on your own.

That said, you are in for a challenge with this profile, I think. That doesn’t mean that an admission is impossible of course, just that you will need to work quite hard on your application and get it just right in order to make it happen. Feel free to be in touch with the ARINGO team if you think we can help!

Hello,

Request you to evaluate my profile.

Indian, Male
Age : 28
Work Ex : 7.5 years
Undergrad in Mechanical Engg : 70 / 100 % (GPA roughly 3.49)
GMAT 1 : 520 (Q44 V 17 AWA 4 IR 6) (Mar 2013)
GMAT 2 : 530 (Q44 V 22 AWA 4.5 IR 6) (Oct 2013)
GMAT 3 : 710 (Q48 V 40 AWA 5 IR 2) (Jul 2017)

Work Experience :
I worked with L&T Hydrocarbon engineering, which is a EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) contractor for Onshore, Offshore and Subsea Oil and Gas Projects.
Now working with a Greek Software development firm : BETA CAE SYSTEMS S.A. that wants to enter into O&G field.

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering : Engineering and Design (5 years) :
- only graduate engineer in R&D department. Was selected based on my interest towards technical stuff (rest all are Masters and Phds from IITs )
- worked on problem solving, troubleshooting, root cause analysis and capability development for Oil and Gas domain (for eg : a 20000 Ton Jacket tilted in Indian ocean. Had to provide solutions to lift the jacket safely in 2 weeks. Performed such 6-7 assignments during the tenure) (Used mechanical design related software such assignements)
- awarded 3 awards ( intra company level )for exceptional work in some of the critical assignments, which otherwise would have lead to huge liquidity damage for company.
- lead team of 3-4 engineers

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering : Proposal Management (2 years) :
- worked on international proposals (bid values : 200 million to 1 billion). I was looking after mechanical domain (5 to 15 million)

BETA CAE SYSTEMS S.A. : 6+ months (Company turn over : 100 M USD)
- Greece based company has varied product portfolio of softwares, specially build for Automobile and Aerospace companies. (similar softwares I used while I was with L&T)
- The company wants to enter into Oil and Gas, Nuclear domain
- Working as Presales Manager and Technical Specialist (dual role) to expand business in mentioned domains
- Handling accounts of major automobile giants for technical support ( Tata Motors, mercedes India, Nissan India etc)
- Cracked deal with major O&G client (this will ensure revenue of value INR 1 Crore (150000 USD) per year)

Extra Curricular Activities :
Taught maths to underprivileged kids for 2 years ( all of my kids cleared 10th exam recently) and trained more than 20 volunteers
working with NGO who arranges sky gazing shows and spreads knowledge about astronomy in India

POST MBA Goal : would like to work in Technology Consulting industry.

My biggest worry is low IR score. Kindly suggest if I should go ahead with current GMAT score or should give another try to improve IR.

Target Schools :
1. Indian School of Business
2. IIM A
3. Foster
4. McCombs
5. Mays
6. Kelley school of business

Thanks in advance,
Amol

Hi Gil, can you please review my profile?

https://gmatclub.com/forum/profile-eval ... l#p2013642

I am afraid it’s really difficult to say for sure why you were dinged, without having seen those LoRs and essays (it is possible they are not nearly as good as you thought they were, after all), but as I see it, you come from a very competitive applicant pool (Indian AND finance!) and nothing really stands out or makes you unique, so to speak, so you really would have needed to have some kind of “angle” along those lines in order to increase your chances of admission, and I don’t understand from what you wrote if you had that.

Also, what is your post-MBA goal and why did you choose the schools in question? Your reasoning regarding that could also have played a part, if done right.
I think you would probably have benefited a lot from working with a consultant, so please consider that for next time. I also like the idea of going to London, as international experience (even if that is all you get out of your London move, which it might not be of course) is always a huge plus at business schools.
A higher GMAT score never hurts but that alone will not get you in, as I see it.

Hope that helps and feel free to get in touch with the ARINGO team if you’d like to chat with someone about what one of our consultants could have done for you:
https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration/

It’s not a bad profile at all, but there are a few things you could do in order to make it more competitive (I am sure you don’t need me telling you how competitive your applicant pool is!).

First of all, a higher GMAT score never hurts obviously (over 740 would be amazing and make a huge difference!) but the question is: do you think you have 20 points or more in you to make it better? Do you have a strategy for making that happen? If not, I would just focus on how you present all this in your essays, as you have a lot of interesting bits to work with, but you need to stand out and present yourself in the best possible way of course, for your applications to be really attractive for these schools.

But I would not say a retake is a must for you, unless you know for sure you can do better. Working with a professional on your essays, for example, could be enough in your case.

Hope that helps!

Thank you very much for your valuable inputs. I am not sure if I will be able to improve the score 20+ points.
I think I will work with professional consultant for essays.
Thanks again for reply!

Hi!! Can you please evaluate my profile?

Indian Male
Class 10 : 95.6%
Class 12 : 95.2%
UnderGrad(2015) : 8.25/10
GMAT : 660(Q-43;V-38)
Planning to apply for 2019 intake.

Work Experience:
1. 24 months - a leading IT service provider; currently part of a 3 member team.
2. A couple of months in a state owned enterprise.

Have organized a number of events in college; involved in the complete build-up of events right from brainstorming names for the event to distribution of awards. Also have designed posters, banners and certificates as part of the events.
Community service : Few and far between; but planning on improving on this in the days to come.

I am planning on making a switch to a marketing career, specifically in the consumer goods sector and I feel that an MBA would help my cause. I plan on taking up the GMAT one more time. What are my chances of being admitted into some of the top(top 20 -30) programs.
Also would it be beneficial if I get some part time(say internship) experience in the marketing domain before I start my MBA? Or would an internship after a few years of full-time work be considered a negative?