ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi theconsulguy,

1. While your education and broad sector is from the competitive Indian IT male pool, your GMAT score and the kind of experience you have within the start-up ecosystem does stand-out. You have a lot going for you and you should continue to do the good work at your current firm. Your goals are aligned with your experience and these roles seem like a logical next step

2. The only weakness I see is around extra-curricular where not much is happening currently. Also, not enough time to address it. ISB adcom realizes that such efforts which spring-up just a few months prior to the application deadline are more for the sake of standing out than actual concerted efforts you would've done otherwise as well. However, you make it up with your experience and the score

3. Apart from ISB, you could look at IIM A and B for their exec MBA programs in India. Majority of the class is from the IT/ITES sector and we've seen a number of them get placed across product management / tech consulting roles.

Feel free to reach out for further queries.

All the best!

-
Manan

Hi, Kindly evaluate my profile:

10th std-83.4%
12th std.-83.2%
Btech in civil engineering from NIT Silchar (class of 2012). CPI-8/10
Work Ex-
1. Larsen and Toubro- 5 years as a civil and structural engineer (Thermal Power Plants) (including 1 year at an engineering firm in Chicago)
2. General Electric Company- 3 years as a plant engineer for EPC projects (Thermal Power Plants).
3. Larsen and Toubro- Assistant Manager (Energy Products) (Starts from Aug 2020)
Total Ex-8 years approx.

Currently carrying an official score of 620 but appearing again in the next 30-40 days with a target of 700+.


Interests- Stock market, event management (organizing half marathons/ conducting training sessions at work), community service (imparting education to underprivileged/ trained Hispanic kids for full marathons), sports.

Hi rishovnits91,

You have got a great profile there! ISB evaluates the candidates on these four measures:
Academics: 30% weightage to GMAT/GRE scores along with an emphasis on undergrad grades
Impact: Individuals who can contribute to the society in positive and meaningful ways.
Diversity: People who can bring different perspectives to the class and appreciate different point of views.
Clear Vision: a clear goal and purpose, say, where one sees oneself in the next 3 years


I can see, on the academic front, you are quite fine and yes I would advise you to push for a GMAT score of 710+ since ISB greatly stresses on quantifiables. Your extracurriculars seem very interesting and will add to the ‘diversity’ factor in your application.
Regrading your work ex, 8 years is pretty good for ISB and I believe you would have many stories highlighting ‘impact’ and 'leadership' from your work-ex. So, overall you are a great fit for this program but what’s going to matter most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story to stand out from other applicants in the pool.

However it'll be interesting to learn about your post-MBA goals and dig a little deeper into your experience in order to evaluate your profile better.
If you’d like, I am happy to hop on a call sometimes this week to discuss your chances in further detail.
Feel free to book my calendar as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma,
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Schedule a free session
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Call: +49-15212121641
Linkedin

Hi KaumudiT, while 680 is not that off-mark, I would definitely suggest that you retake it, especially since you believe that the current score does not reflect your potential (obviously, Quant needs focus in the re-attempt).

Yes, it's completely fine to retake the exam within the next 2-3 weeks. Think about it: you have nothing to loose in your retake. If you (God forbid) score any lesser than 680, you are obviously going to cancel your score and apply with a (not too bad score of) 680.

In other words, the only way you can go from here, is up!

Hi rishovnits91, curiously, there is no mention of GMAT, in your post. Without GMAT, any attempt to perform a holistic profile evaluation, is a bit of an exercise in futility.

Hi,

Need honest feedback on my chances at NUS, NTU and ISB.

Background:

Education:

GMAT 700 (Q45, V41, IR 7, AWA- 5)
10th: 90%
12th- 92%
College: B.Com Hons (Marketing Specialization) CGPA- 7.24/10/ Converted GPA- 3.0/4

Diplomas:
Six Sigma Green Belt
Diploma in Digital Marketing from Digital Vidya

Work Ex:

Overall 5 years work ex

- 2 years in sales/business development at VC backed startups like Grofers, Wedmegood, Runnr
- 3 years working as a program manager for a startup benefits program/community + managing influencer marketing for Directi

Extracurriculars:
- Captain of the school cricket team
- School team- Hockey, Football, Rowing and Dance
- Other activities: Debate, Athletics etc

Future plans:
In order of preference:
1. Transition into VC and continue working with startups
2. Work as a brand manager in the FMCG space
3. Strategy Consulting

Issues: Poor math score in school and GMAT (did make up for it in college though as it was more statistics-driven)
Would like to know my chances at NTU, NUS, IIMA A/B and ISB and where you think my priorities should lie.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi monodeep Dutta, #1 might be slightly risky to mention in the application, since there are not many VC companies that visit ISB for recruitment (very few do). Also, #3 does not seem to be aligned with your professional & academic experiences so far. That leaves us with..no prizes for guessing;).


This, I am pretty sure, will be a non-issue. One of our candidates got thru ISB with a score of V44 Q44 (overall GMAT score of 720). So, it is clear that ISB is more interested in looking at the overall score, rather than your score split.

Hi PranavMv

You have a good profile, keep up the good work in building it. Answers to your queries are inline:

1. I have given two mock GMAT's before starting my preparation and my average was around 650. Quant is my strong point with a score of around 43-48. Would a score of 710-730 be sufficient and possible? (given that I wish to take the exam by the last week of August) - 710/730 would be sufficient for sure. Would it be possible - yes, if you work dedicatedly at your weak aspects. Don't bank on quant only, try to get a decent verbal score too. Else it can pull your score down.

2. Would my work experience be sufficient? provided that they consider my CA internship as experience(Have worked and was treated as a full-time employee) - CA Internship is not counted by ISB as full time work experience. Therefore, you would not be eligible for the regular PGP, you have the option to wait till you complete two years or you can apply for the ISB EEO. It would be a good fit for your profile.
3. Schools that I should be looking for with my profile? other than ISB - Given your work experience is on the lower side, you would not be eligible for any of the other one year Indian MBAs. You can look at Singapore, Europe or Canada if you are interested in B-schools abroad. And of course, the two year MBAs by IIMs, but you would have to pursue the CAT road.

Hi monodeep Dutta

There are some good brands on your CV and your previous academics are good too. A 700 GMAT will work for the Indian B-schools, though it may be on the lower side for NUS and NTU. You need not worry about your previous lower score in school, though you might need a higher GMAT (not necessarily quant) score for B-schools abroad.

In terms of goals, given the background given by you, brand marketing seems the closest fit. Also, business development or account management would also be
good options. While Consulting is always a viable option for all applicants, we wouldn't recommend you writing it as a goal in your application.

Hi rishovnits91

You are correct in giving GMAT again. The closer you are to 700 the better and you would need at least a 680 to remain competitive. With 8+ years of work experience, we have seen that ISB becomes extremely competitive. Therefore along with a higher GMAT you would also need stellar essays that speak of your accomplishments and the value you bring to the class along with your goals.

You should also be looking at the IIMA/B/C executive MBAs, they will be a good fit for your profile.

Hi,

I am carrying a score of 620 and reappearing again in 30-40 days.

Thanks,
Rishov Sarkar

Hey, I wanted to know why do you think that a 700 GMAT score is low for bschools in Singapore, and good enough for Indian schools. The average for schools in Singapore seems to be around 660. Even after considering a 20-30 point handicap for Indian applicants, do you think 700 is a must?
In fact for Indian schools I believe it is the opposite. The average GMAT score has always been around 700 at Indian schools. So a 700+ score might be more relevant for Indian schools.

Hi Monodeep Dutta,

Acads- slightly above average; Work-ex: good and slightly diverse from majority of the class at all the schools you mention; Extra-curricular: good

Your GMAT score is good enough for all the schools you mention. In fact NUS's and NTU's average scores are sub-700.

Regarding your goals,
- Even though few VCs have started to recruit from ISB, your profile doesn't seem to be suited for such a role
- Brand management is a good option and consulting (not specifically strategy consulting) can be your plan B

In terms of your chances, ISB and NUS/NTU would be good bets followed by IIMs (majority of class and placements are in the IT/ITES sector). A lower quant score at GMAT isn't a challenge. However, if you have a tough time working with quant and statistics in general, brace yourself for more since a number of courses at ISB and other b-schools are quant heavy (for e.g. the dreaded DMOP at ISB ). Even for courses in marketing, there is a fair degree of stats and quant involved.

Feel free to reach out for further queries!

Cheers,
Manan
Co-founder, S4G | ISB Class of 2013

Dear all,

I'm Vindhya, a civil engineering undergraduate. I plan to write GMAT and apply for ISB, NUS, NTU. My target score is 720-740. Here's my profile:
BTech- (NIT Andhra) Civil Engineering (9.27, gold medal)
MTech- (IIT Madras) Construction Technology & Management (9.1)
Class 12- 97.6%
Class 10- 10/10
Work Ex- 5 years in L&T ECC
Extracurriculars- Initiated the Civil Engineering Association during undergrad
Served as the Executive Member of CEA for 3 years
Organized various events during college techno-cultural fest
Selected by Indian Govt. for Indian youth delegation to China during undergrad
Selected for IASc fellowship at IIT-H and interned at CSIR-SERC
Played state-level throwball during class 10
Participated in MUNs in class 10

I am not sure about the fact that I've worked in the same company for 5 years continuously. Will it affect my chances of selection? Also, coming from a construction management background, what kind of placements can I expect, if selected?

Hello Vindhya,
You have a solid academic record and a very good chance of getting in ISB, NUS, NTU on the basis of your target GMAT score. However, a lot will depend on your goals.
Working in a single company rather shows commitment, and hints at the fact that you showed potential and grew considerably within the firm to not have sought a change. What jumps out to me is you worked with a brand and what will really matter is if you are able to show growth, demonstrated leadership potential and impact within the firm you worked. You haven’t really talked about these here, so a little peak into this can help me comment better.
You have impressive extra-curricular too, but they are not current. I would want to understand the kind of activities you are engaged in currently. You need to talk about EC that is recent or any passion that you continued. AdCom want a rounded personality and love to see the social impact you have created beyond your personal development. Most times, applicants do not realize the extent of their extra-curricular initiatives, thinking most of it as mundane.
An MBA school is for you to realize your dreams and further your career goals. The right question then should not be the kind of placements you can expect, but rather what you want to do post-MBA. Think why you need an MBA, and the kind of companies you would want to work for or the roles in which you want to work. Do you want to switch your career? Do you want to switch industry? If yes, then why? Do you want to grow in your current profile? Then we can look at those sets of companies which come to hire on these campuses. With your current positioning, it shows a lack of clarity of goals. Think of how the MBA will help you professionally.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other questions.

Hi vindhyabh, it's incredible! What times have we come to! Doubts are being raised weather working for 5 years in a company continuously can be perceived as a negative point. Why? As long as the company has been professionally fulfilling to you, I would say it’s a big positive that you are not indulging in “company hopping”. In fact, I would make a case for the reverse: if someone has been hopping companies all too frequently, that could be perceived as a negative.

From your post, we do not get much sense in terms of your exact nature of work at ECC, but I am assuming it is related to construction management, because from what I know, executing turnkey construction projects is one of the key areas of work at ECC.

Also we do not get a sense from your post in terms of what your post-MBA goals are. Make sure they are relevant and aligned with your educational and professional experiences so far; and before I forget Vindhya, do stick to your promise of getting 720-740 in GMAT.