Ask MBA Crystal Ball

Hi Sameer/Manish,

I've been following MBACrystalBall for quite a while and definitely am a big fan of your page. I'm planning to apply for 2018 R1 and have started my GMAT preparations too which I expect to give in March. Please review my profile, and provide few pointers on my areas of improvement

10th CBSE(2009) - 86.4%
Intermediate(2011) - 91.3%
UG (2015) - 8.5 (Major in Mechanical + Minor in Management Studies)

Expected GMAT - 700-720

Total Work Experience: 2.5 Years

[*]1.10 Years as a Business Analyst @TechMahindra - Client: A major Bank based out of US
[*]Youngest Business Analyst in the whole project
[*]Implemented automated business decision process which decreased the total processing time by 20%
[*]Wore multiple hats during the whole project phase and was awarded Pat on the Back for consistently providing excellent Client Service.

[*]0.8 months as a Business Technology Analyst @Deloitte - Tax (Global Taxation) - Currently Working
[*]Developed & released a new CalcEngine which increased our Client Base and thereby increasing our Market share among the Big4.
[*]Developing an analytical tool which would allow clients optimise their costs and manage their workforce around the globe.

Extra Curriculars:
[*]University General Secretary - Sports
[*]Setup the whole hierarchy for sports department which included representatives from both students and administrators, this setup is still being followed and has been widely successful.
[*]First ever elected General Secretary.
[*]Managed the whole planning & organizing of sports extravaganza.

[*]The Green Nest NGO - Volunteer & HR (2015-16)
[*]As a volunteer conducted various workshops for underprivileged children to understand their goals and helping them with providing a clearer path.
[*]As an HR, conducted various recruitment drives and followed it up with Orientation & training sessions.

[*]The Earthlings NGO - Founding Member & Core Team (2016-Current)
[*]Co-Organising various marathons & events to educate people about protecting the environment. (Airtel Hyderabad Marathon 2016, 2017) (HDFC Saveathon 2017) (Rainbow Homes Freedom March 2017)
[*]Taking up various clean-up drives to improve the surroundings.

[*]Sports
[*]Member of Corporate Basketball & Football Teams
[*]Member of University Basketball & Football Teams
[*]Played District and State Level Basketball tournament during school days

Target Schools:
[*]ISB
[*]Kellog
Any other Top B-Schools which provides 1-year MBA which you can suggest or recommend?

Reason for MBA: Move into Consulting roles primarily focusing on Strategy or Technology Transformation.

Hi, Please help.

Indian, Male, 29

Education: MBBS (medicine): 58% |MD (clinical pharmacology): 71 %, university topper

Work ex: Medical advisor (Medico marketing) in a pharma company: two and half years| recently awarded for exemplary contribution in H1. Might get a chance to move to product management role or if I continue in the same role I ll be given a team of 4-5 people. But not sure which one of these will give me an edge for MBA admission / post MBA placement

Extra-curricular: None| 8 publications of original research work (not sure if that qualifies as Extra-curricular as it was part of work / post-graduation curriculum)
Post MBA goals: Healthcare consulting OR strategy related role in big pharmas
Planning to take GMAT in May for 2019 intake

Questions:
Current role with team handling experience or product management?
Which are the colleges should I target if my score is around 700?

A few thoughts for you to ponder on Phaneendra:

1. The profile contours and the BA role sounds pretty good. However, the two profiles sound a bit disconnected. So make sure you connect the dots well.
2. Your ECs are looks pretty good and almost impressive. Continue on that trajectory and look for quantified impact that you can showcase.
3. Assuming you are not from a tier 1 college (?), push the envelope really hard on the GMAT bit. With your current range, something like Kellogg could be quite challenging.
4. Given the stage of your career, any reason to restrict the choice to 1 year programs? If that's a hard requirement, look for EU/Asia and not US as a geography generally speaking. For US, read here.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,

Consider the following points Samcha:

1. MBBS going for MBA is an increasing trend. It also helps to differentiate well. However, you will have to bring out the transferable skills well. That also should help answer your query about the career trajectory. Think about which profile will give you more transferable skills to be a better consultant - the answer can vary depending on the actual role contours so can't give a generic response to that.
2. The ECs matter; read here. While research work is great, that may not have much bearing for MBA applications. So if it is a blind spot, worth addressing it pronto.
3. I am afraid that for reasons mentioned here, we do not speculate on school selection. That said, if you are focused on healthcare, the list here might be useful.

Hope this helps some.

Hello,

Request you to evaluate my profile. (planning to apply next year)

Indian, Male
Age : 28
Work Ex : 7.5 years (8.5 yrs at the time of application)
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. who 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
- 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

-Worked with NGO that 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
7. IIM B
8. IIM C

Thanks in advance,
Amol

Hi team,

I am looking to apply specifically for 1 year programs that would start in 2019. So would be looking to apply in a few months time. Request your feedback on my profile.

GMAT: 750 (Q50, V40; IR 8; AWA 5.5); first attempt

Education
10th: 91.6%, ICSE board
12th: 93.75%, ISC board
Graduation (2007-11): Bachelor in Engineering from Jadavpur University. GPA 8.63/10 (First class hons.)
Post-graduation (2014-16): Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM Kozhikode. GPA 3.2/4.33 (top 30% of batch)

Work experience
1. 2011-2014: Technology consultant at a big4 firm. Based in India. Includes an 6-month on-site stint in the Middle East. Though there was no promotion, I was made the team lead after a year. Led a team of 8 in one project and a team of 2 in another.
2. 2016-current: Strategy consultant at a boutique international consulting firm. Based in Malaysia. Worked onsite on a few projects in Thailand too. Also worked for clients in Singapore, but no travel. Have been working as the lead consultant from my second project onwards, leading a team of 2-3 individuals.

International experience: Worked in India (28 months), Saudi Arabia (6 months), Malaysia (10 months) and Thailand (9 months).

Work Achievements:
1. 2011-14: Received highest performance rating for 2 consecutive years in the big4 firm. Also received certificates and awards for client appreciation and team work.
2. 2016-17: Helped the firm in developing proposals in bidding for consulting projects. Contributed to winning projects worth USD500k. Note that at my level, one is not expected to work on proposals. So this is something I have done beyond the expected responsibilities.

Extra-curricular activities/achievements
1. Elected member of sports committee during PGDM at IIM.
2. Campus champions and national finalists at several case study competitions during PGDM organised by corporate such as Deloitte, Panasonic, etc. and at b-school fests.
3. Member of the IIM sports team for three different sports. Represented the institute in inter-college competitions.
4. Worked as an online columnist at 2 leading sports websites in India. Authored 120+ articles. Still engaged with one of them, but not a frequent writer. Not full-time, part-time work during my under graduation and during my professional life.
5. Former columnist at one of India's leading satire and humour websites.

Community Service
1. Was part of the corporate social responsibility team of the big4 firm. Worked with several local NGOs. Awarded a certificate of appreciation by the firm
2. Have been involved as a volunteer with a few other NGOs. However, I have no documentary proof of my involvement. Hence, not sure if this would count.
3. Have worked for a UN agency as an online volunteer to help them build a database of wind farms in SE Asia.

Other
1. Did a consulting project with a startup called Giftxoxo during PGDM
2. Have been involved with a couple of early stage startups as an advisor to the founders on strategy

Reason for second MBA
Looking to startup on my own. The venture idea is suited for the developed market. I currently have no exposure to developed markets. Also, the PGDM course had no entrepreneurship course selections. I am looking for a 1 year course at an institute in US or Europe that offers a good support system for entrepreneurs.

I am looking at job options at some startup or VC firms which would help me to get some first hand insight into the startup world before I go out on my own. But again I'm not yet sure if anything would materialize.

Target Schools: INSEAD, Kellogg. Looking to apply in Round 1 to both.

Any thoughts on the overall profile suitability and school selections would be helpful. Also any gaps in the profile that need to be plugged?

askul2389 wrote:

Hello,

Request you to evaluate my profile. (planning to apply next year)

Indian, Male
Age : 28

<<snip>

7. IIM B
8. IIM C

Thanks in advance,
Amol

Consider the following points Amol:

1. The work profile looks pretty interesting and diverse - something that consulting firms love. The fact that you've moved away from core to services side will lend further credibility to your overall pitch. Going good here.
   
2. By next year I presume you are targeting the next year intake (2019)? Cause the sooner you do it, better it will be. The value of a full-time MBA goes down dramatically after a certain age/experience range; read here.
   
3. The NGO involvement sounds ok however it is not clear how recent that it - recency and consistency is pretty important if you are to get any brownie points there.
   
4. The IR thing is still not a mover at most schools. Even so, track your target programs to assess if they have started considering it. I wouldn't redo the GMAT only for that. But if you think you can bump up that overall score by 20 or more points, then it's definitely worth the effort.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,

nishantd88 wrote:

Hi team,

I am looking to apply specifically for 1 year programs that would start in 2019. So would be looking to apply in a few months time. Request your feedback on my profile.

GMAT: 750 (Q50, V40; IR 8; AWA 5.5); first attempt

<<snip>>

I am looking at job options at some startup or VC firms which would help me to get some first hand insight into the startup world before I go out on my own. But again I'm not yet sure if anything would materialize.

Target Schools: INSEAD, Kellogg. Looking to apply in Round 1 to both.

Any thoughts on the overall profile suitability and school selections would be helpful. Also any gaps in the profile that need to be plugged?

A few reflections on your profile Nishant:

1. The progression from tech to strategy consulting is not a very common one and something that'll help you differentiate well. The work related achievements will mean you can thump this in. The fact that you've been involved with startups is something you need to bring out in all it's glory if your post-MBA plan pitch has to stand ground.
   
2. The GPA will be overcome partly with the GMAT.
   
3. While the ECs look decent but they seem a bit scattered after college/undergrad. See if you can consolidate and come up with something substantial in the limited time available at hand.
   
4. This may help on school selection in US here. In EU, you should also explore IMD/HEC to widen your net.

Hope this was useful.

Cheers,

Hi MBACrystalBall, can you please review my profile?

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

Thanks for reaching out A; have copied your post above for the benefit of the thread readers. Here are a few points to ponder for you:

1. Yes, the GMAT retake is indeed a no-brainer. The modest GPA apart, your current score is barely there on the average when the expectations would be much higher. So you need to aim for a good 20 or more point jump there really.
2. You have not mentioned anything on the ECs front. Read here why they matter; even more so at the top schools. Anything here?
3. While you have been associated with top brands but I presume all of these have been part of the middle/back office teams? 3 in 3 years could mean a bit of an issue with fractured work. Have you been in the same domain or changed that too? Given this perspective, it might be better to give some more time to show a bit more stability in the profile.
4. It's not clear how you would have supported the Impact Investing goal pitch either. You need to connect the dots well here and not just because you'd like to do something (which your profile so far shows nothing about). Also, this is not an area in general where many international grads are able to break into - so it might be worth rethinking/researching that better.
5. Finally, reapplication is always a tricky business and there is barely time between R2 and R1. So if MIT doesn't come through, it might be prudent to work on some of the aspects, maybe wait another year and then apply with a much stronger profile.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,

Hello,

Please evaluate my profile for 2019 class of ISB.

I am an Automobile Engineer, currently working with BEML Limited (A Ministry of Defense Undertaking) as Assistant Manager- After Sales Service and would have a total work experience of 7 years by March'2018 of which 4 years in Marketing (after sales services) and 3 years in design and development.

I took my GMAT in Jan' 2018 and got an overall score of 690 (48 Q, 37 V, 5.5 AWA, 4 IR ). I am going to attempt GMAT one more time in March 2018 and is aiming for 730 overall score.

10th - 64.67% (HBSE)
12th - 63.00% (CBSE)
B.E. - 72.89% (MDU, Rohtak)

I don't have many certificates to vouch for my extracurriculars except for participating in College fest as discipline committee member. Also, my final year project won best industrial project award.

Current Role: I am looking after after-sales service of BEML Limited. My job requires me to travel extensively in interior areas of J&K along with Army and Border Road Organisation. I am leading a team of 3 service engineers and solve and guide service related issues pertaining to our equipment (Earthmoving machinery). We attend customer calls, provide them warranty support/ guidance to resolve service issues. I manage warranty spare part inventory to cater to future warranty failures and optimise spare inventory for reduced material handling costs. I also maintain all records related to equipment failures and provide regular feedback to production and design teams to avoid future failures and suggest design improvements to optimise equipment efficiency. I monitor equipment performance continuously and boost spare parts sales by recommending a purchase of original spares to customers.

I was promoted once in my total stay of 6 years at BEML Limited.

I love to play Snooker and watch cricket. I am learning to play the flute but is currently a novice.

Post my MBA, I want to take on roles in operation management or strategy.

Target Schools: ISB, IIMA- PGPX, IIMB- EPGP, IIMC- PGPEX and XLRI- GMP (2019 Batch)

Please suggest me some additional courses or activities which I may indulge myself in to upgrade my profile and boost my chances of selection for 2019 batch.

I really appreciate the time you would take out to evaluate my profile. Thank you in advance.

Pradeeps0013 wrote:

Hello,

Please evaluate my profile for 2019 class of ISB.

I am an Automobile Engineer, currently working with BEML Limited (A Ministry of Defense Undertaking) as Assistant Manager- After Sales Service and would have a total work experience of 7 years by March'2018 of which 4 years in Marketing (after sales services) and 3 years in design and development.

<<snip>>

Please suggest me some additional courses or activities which I may indulge myself in to upgrade my profile and boost my chances of selection for 2019 batch.

I really appreciate the time you would take out to evaluate my profile. Thank you in advance.

Consider the following points Pradeep:

1. The overall work profile looks pretty solid and especially the transition from design to sales - if that is not a common one, you need to bring it out better since only one promotion may not look stellar.
2. The GMAT retake will definitely be good to ensure no potential pitfalls.
3. You don't need certificates if you've done more stuff - so do bring those out as well. Read here why ECs matter. So do something more recent on this aspect, something that connects with your interests/hobbies in the past too and not just a flash in the pan.
4. The target programs look about right; the 3 IIMs will be ideal. Do think about the post-MBA plan in a more granular manner and make sure you have a well connected story prepared.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,

I really appreciate the time you have put in to evaluate my profile and I thank you for the same.

I am working for a PSU company (A Government of India Undertaking) and here promotions are time bound and we get promoted only after four years of service/subsequent promotion. There is almost no way to get promoted earlier than this.

I am involving myself with various NGO activities to get more recent EC's and would be doing some online courses.

I will definitely put more time into thinking about post-MBA goals and would try to present them with more convincing and well connected story. Apart from 3 IIM's, what shall I do to enhance my prospects for ISB?

Thank You Very Much MG for taking time to give valuable inputs.

I will soon get in touch with your Team for further help in admission consulting.

Regards,
Amol

Pradeeps0013 wrote:

I really appreciate the time you have put in to evaluate my profile and I thank you for the same.

I am working for a PSU company (A Government of India Undertaking) and here promotions are time bound and we get promoted only after four years of service/subsequent promotion. There is almost no way to get promoted earlier than this.

I am involving myself with various NGO activities to get more recent EC's and would be doing some online courses.

I will definitely put more time into thinking about post-MBA goals and would try to present them with more convincing and well connected story. Apart from 3 IIM's, what shall I do to enhance my prospects for ISB?

Yes I understand the PSU scenario and that is why it is critical to bring out the differentiation in other ways including through your recommendations.

In terms of enhancing, I'd not say anything different for ISB frankly - the ECs/NGO stuff might be even more relevant there is all.

All the best buddy.

Studying in India vs Studying Abroad: Differences, Challenges and Opportunities

"Studying here empowers you to be independent and teaches you to stop at nothing. It also provides you the means and ways to achieve your dreams", says University of South Florida student Shrivardhan Rao.

In this article, he highlights the differences based on his experiences as a student in India and USA. Read more...

Dear Experts,

I request you to kindly evaluate my profile for MILR from Cornell University. However, I have listed a few more programs for backup though I’m interested only in MILR, Cornell University.

Programs Interested in: Full-time MBA / MS or Specialized Masters in HR
1. Tier-1 Schools
• MILR, Cornell University
• MS-HCM, Columbia University - School of Professional Studies (From 2019 Part-time program is being upgraded to Full time program)
2. Tier-2 Schools
• MBA (HR specialisation), Wisconsin School of Business, Madison
• Master of HRLR, Michigan State University

Class start year preference: Classes starting in Sept 2019

My Profile:
 General Info:
1. Indian + Male
2. Engineer + PGDM (HR)

 Academics:
1. Bachelor in Engineering (ECE) from Tier - 2 Institute, 2009, 63.87% (Top 25 percentile of the class)
2. Post Graduate Diploma in Management (HR) from Tier - 2 B-School, 2013, 5.15/7.0 CGPA (Top 25 percentile of the class)

 Work experience: 7 years, India
1. Boutique Consulting: (2009-2011, 22 m): Associate - Business Research | Role: Sector Research & Research report development for Textiles Industry

2. Government Skills Development Council: 2013-2014, 17 m): Manager - Affiliations (Partners & Industry) | Role: Sales Operations: 80%, Skill Research: 20% | Achievements: Largest number of partner empanelment by any Skill Council in India in a fiscal year; Selected to anchor the Skill Gap study with KPMG & Sector Skill Council (SSC) Optimization Study with McKinsey & Co.

3. Big-4 Consulting (2014-2017, 32 m): Senior Consultant - Customer Consulting | Role: CRM process designing, System Testing, Customer Experience Design | Achievements: Received 1 client appreciation award & 1 firm award

4. Education & Skills Think-Tank (May 2017- Till Date): Manager - Research & Partnerships | Role: Research, Project Management & Knowledge Management; Additional responsibility of managing the entire Talent Acquisition lifecycle for Research Associate (RA) roles | Managing a team of 4 members

 Internships: (2012-2013, 11 m, During PGDM(HR)): 3 HR internships including an international summer internship in an MNC in Germany HQ.
1. Summer Associate - Global University Relations, with Europe’s largest Engineering Company
2. Intern - HR Strategy, Planning & Policy, with India’s largest multi-brand retail chain
3. Intern - Early Careers Resourcing, with India’s largest private Life Insurance Company

 Extra-curricular:

1. Leadership in student bodies:
a) Forum Representative, ECE Forum: During my B.E, I was ECE Forum Representative where I have conducted large student events, introduced new events such as Spell Bee (1st time in India), etc.
b) Alumni Secretary, B-School (2011-2013): I have managed a team of 50 volunteers to implement the largest alumni outreach program culminating in largest turnout at the Alumni meet in our B-Schools history.
c) Convenor, HR Club, B-School (2012-2013): I also started a HR Club in my B-School wherein we have called Industry professionals for guest lectures, conducting knowledge circles, etc.

2. Research articles/papers published: More than 10 articles in HRM published in B-School
magazines/journals

3. Competitions:
a) Winner of best summer project in HR in multiple forums such as Institute of Management Consultants of India (IMCI), Indian Society for Training & Development (ISTD), etc.
b) Selected as the top-15 Management Student in India by Dewang Mehta Foundation after a multi-level National competitive process
c) I also competitively got selected for Harvard Project for Asian & International Relations (HPAIR), Boston from among 600 students globally
d) Winner of other competitions such as Mahindra SSG - Breakfast with the CEO Series, Infosys Aspirations 2020, etc.

 Test Scores:
1. GMAT: 700 (Q49, V35) IR3 | Actual Test date: Apr 2018; Plan to take another attempt soon
2. IELTS: 8.0/9.0 with all sections above 7.5 but score expiring in May 2018; Have to re-take or request for waiver

 Post-Masters/MBA Goal:
I did my 1st Masters(PDGM) quite early in my profession journey having less than 2 years of experience. Hence could not take an informed decision & leverage on the academic & career opportunities which was available in HRM in better known programs in India. I wish to embrace this opportunity to acquire, apply & assimilate knowledge of HRM & IR through this 2nd Masters/MBA and fulfil my career aspirations & passion to work as HR Business Partner/ HR leadership role in an MNCs.

My Questions for the Experts:

Q1. Now, I'm keen to transition into HR Business Partner roles in MNCs in US and hence, I wish to pursue MILR, Cornell to achieve my goal. However, I already have my 1st Masters in HR (PGDM-HR) from India & no work experience in HR but in Consulting, Business Research & Sales operations (Except 11 months HR internship experience).
[Note: The acceptance rate for the MILR program is typically between 35% and 40%.]

Do I even have a chance considering my profile and test scores described in the previous paragraphs?

Q2. For MILR, Cornell most of the students take the GRE. While the mean GMAT score for Cornell MILR is 680 (Q47, V36) & I have 700 (Q49, V35).
• But my verbal score is 1 point below the Verbal mean score.
• Additionally, I have only IR3.
• Besides we have to account for the fact that I’m Indian + Male + Engineer being from an overrepresented demographic segment

Will I have to retake the GMAT or my present score is competitive enough?

Thanking in advance