Profile evaluation

Question

Hello,

Please evaluate my profile and provide me guidance on which B-schools should I select.

My MBA interest: FT, General Management or finance
GMAT (on July 30, 2011) - 770 (Q50, V44, AWA 6.0)

Have been selected for the first batch of Indian School of Business(ISB) Young Leaders Programme, class of 2015.

Total Work Experience at the time of matriculation: FT 2 years PT 2.5 years

I am currently working in a boutique family firm which specialises in the fields of Family Business Advisory, Entrepreneurial Venture Advisory and MIS systems. We also are involved in real estate deals and the lightweight brick manufacturing business.

Also, I am a core team member of an NGO Rural Health Care Foundation. Our mission is to eradicate the lack of health care facilities in rural India through the deliverance of affordable quality health care by opening primary health care units in those remote villages where health care delivery system of the state is sparse. As recognition of my social service work, I was awarded the National Youth Award, 2012 by the Government of India. My organisation has won several awards like AmeriCares India Certificate of Merit, Mahindra Spark The Rise Award, Social Enterprise Of The Year Award, etc. The United Nations has selected the success story of one of our founders for a publication of UN Volunteers. We were also invited by Mckinsey and Duke Medicine as a speaker to the International Partnership for Innovative Healthcare Delivery.

After graduating from college, I worked in Citrix Systems as a Software Developer for 3.5 months.

I worked part-time alongside college for 2.5 years in a software company. I started as an intern and then eventually moved on to taking commercial projects for the company on contract basis. I helped them start the mobile software department, hiring and training people. I also was the team leader for the department and was heavily involved in dealing with the clients.

Sex – Male
Age – 24 yrs
Nationality - Indian

Education:
B. E. (IT) from Jadavpur Univ, passing out in 2012. 
GPA 8.52 out of 10
XII – 78.8%, CBSE board
X – 83.6%, Maharashtra board

ECs: 
1. Am currently learning Mandarin. I scored 200/200 in the HSK Level 1 Chinese Proficiency Test
2. Photographs captured by me were published in a national magazine Campus Diaries
3. I am an active Toastmaster
4. Nominated for the National Youth Award, 2012 for social service by the Government of India for my work for an NGO working for rural healthcare
5. Selected by the Government of India as a delegate to China for the India China Youth Exchange Program, 2011
6. Came 3rd in inter-school debate in 10th standard in Mumbai City District level debate competition
7. Came 2nd in under-15 throwball competition in Mumbai District
8. Best all-rounder in school in 10th standard
9. Held the post of monitor all through school life. Was prefect and assistant prefect of my house as well.

Aim: I want to join a venture capital working in the area of technology. After working there for 4-5 years I want to start up my own technology firm which would provide free or subsidised services to NGOs. I want to use technology to make quality education more accessible to the underprivileged.

I would like to know:

1. How my profile looks for an MBA from the top B-schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, LBS, Columbia, MIT, Kellogg, etc?
2. What, in your opinion, are my strengths and weakness reflected in my profile?
3. Please mention what should I do to make my case stronger for final call.
4. Which schools do I most stand a chance of getting admitted to if I apply for the class entering 2014?

Thanks!
Rishabh Jain

Admissionado · Answer

Hello there Rishabh Jain,

Good to hear from you. First of all congratulations on your most fantastic GMAT score. You have what seems to me to be a great profile. Your numerous prestigious awards, and your real non-profit involvement are real strengths that set you apart from most candidates.

The BIG question for me as I was reading through your profile is the strengths, size, importance and potential of your family firm. Many schools like family businesses, but it can make a BIG difference if you come from a huge/famous/successful family business (which you will take over) than a mid-sized one.

But still, with your Young Leaders Program and many awards for the NGO work, like I wrote above, your experience is pretty exceptional, and I think Top 10 schools should be within range for you. (again flexing a bit up or down dependent on the strength of your family business). So, if you give me a bit more detail about what you do, and what the firm does, and so on, I can probably answer your main question about figuring out which schools might fit you best, otherwise my feeling is that things look pretty good.

I don't see any noticeable weaknesses in your application, so I don't think you need necessarily improve anything. The one thing is that your work experience is on the low side, and this might somewhat weaken your profile, but I feel that if it really is much better for you to apply this year you could.

So get back to me with more info about the family business, and I'll get right back at you!

Best,
JF

rish2jain · Answer

Hello Jon,
Thank you so much for your evaluation. 
I will try to explain to you the work of my family business. Its definitely a mid size firm. However, we are involved in significant land deals and around 10 months back we were instrumental in brokering a land deal whose net worth is more than INR 50 billion or just below $ 1 billion. Other than that we are on the verge of resolving a 25 year old family dispute for property which many of the biggest names couldnt help resolve. The worth of that property is INR 2.5 billion. Besides that we are advisors to some of the biggest industrialists of eastern India. My father is also one of the few specialist Family Business Consultants in India. He has written a couple of books which have won great critical acclaim. He is also a well known public speaker.

I am currently working on a coffee table book on best practices of businesses. And my recent work has involved developing MIS system formats for a few companies.

I hope this helps.

Admissionado · Answer

Off the bat, that sounds pretty impressive, and I think your chances should be good.

When you present your family business, a few tips:
1. Focus heavily on their prior achievements, and the contributions you have made to them.
2. If you have any CONCRETE facts (projections are good) which can show the promise of potential your firm has, this can be very helpful.
3. If you will for sure inherit that lead of the firm, mention this EXPLICITLY
4. Be very SPECIFIC about your goals, both personally and for the firm (how much you want to grow it, how and where... etc.)

Also, somewhere in your application, get out a bit of info about your father. It sounds good. (I think it can work very well for example in a personal essay that asks about your greatest influences in your life, or something like that).

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate.

rish2jain · Answer

Thank you so much for your insights. They were very helpful. I appreciate your help.

rish2jain · Answer

I am feeling so stupid while admitting this. I dont know how it skipped my mind. I was also one of the 50 people selected for the Reliance Stanford Fellowship Program this year. Will that have any bearing on my admit chances?

Admissionado · Answer

I think it should help a bit

Definitely write it in your application! Good luck!

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