Fuqua Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Intake Year: 2019

Pre-MBA Career: Public Relations and Communications
Post-MBA Career: Consumer Goods (Marketing and Brand Management)
GMAT: 710
GPA: 3.3
Years of Work Experience: 2

Notes: My GMAT score breakdown is: (710- Q: 49 and V: 38).

A brief on my background: I have worked for two years in a top-notch international PR and Communications agency (post my under-grad) in Mumbai and served a plethora of MNCs and large scale conglomerates across corporate and consumer verticals in those two years. I was among the youngest people at the agency and was promoted within a year of working there. I have also actively helped in crisis and reputation management for one of the largest corporate crisis in India during my stint at the agency, and truly believe that my quality of work experience has been great over the past two years.

I specialised in PR during my undergrad and carried out five internships successfully during the same time. Three at non-profit organizations and two at industry-specific agencies. Through school, college and work, I have always taken up roles of responsibility and leadership, actively looked out for and asked for opportunities and always showcased the urge to learn.

Additionally, I have always actively participated in extra-curriculars at school and college and performed extremely well academically. I would like to do an MBA with a major in marketing, from a top B-school in the US specifically, so as to add to my experience of PR and communications and achieve concentric growth around my core competencies. Furthermore, coming from a advertising and PR background, I have a fair understanding of the changing communication landscape and would like to deep dive into understanding brand management, disruptive marketing and ways to break through the current clutter to create an impact or spearhead behavioural change.

That aside, in the long run I would like to join the C-suite of an MNC, lead from the forefront and create a lasting impact on the society using my position. However, to get there, I do believe that it is important for me to venture out into relatively new territories for me, i.e. finance, accounting, sustainability, micro-economics and macroeconomics among the others. Hence the MBA.

Furthermore, why the MBA now? Well, because I want to make the switch from the agency side to the corporate side now, and no better way to bridge the gap than do an MBA that would provide me with a holistic understanding of the other side, before I step into it.

Starting today, I have about 50 days till the round 2 deadline to get my essays in place. Does Fuqua seem like a good option and what are my chances basis my profile?

Indian Female Lawyer , 25 years
UG : BA LLB (Hons.) from one of the top 5 National Law Universities in India
GMAT : 670 (Q47, V35)
GPA : 66.8% (I’m worried if this is low. I donot understand the conversion)

Work Experience (currently) : 2 years 4 months
Venture Capital practice for the first two years with a leading law firm in India. Currently involved in Family business.

Extra-curricular Activities:
- Singer
- Dancer
- Trekker

Community Service:
- State Commission for Child Rights Protection

Goal: Transition into venture capital consultancy.

You are asking for your profile to be evaluated for Fuqua and yet I do not see it in your prospective schools in your profile.

Indian Female Lawyer , 25 years
UG : BA LLB (Hons.) from one of the top 5 National Law Universities in India
GMAT : 670 (Q47, V35)
GPA : 66.8% (I’m worried if this is low. I donot understand the conversion)

Work Experience (currently) : 2 years 4 months
Venture Capital practice for the first two years with a leading law firm in India. Currently involved in Family business.

Extra-curricular Activities:
- Singer
- Dancer
- Trekker

Community Service:
- State Commission for Child Rights Protection

Goal: Transition into venture capital consultancy.

Haha, while that is true it is not a deterring factor for profile evaluation now, is it?

Hi!
I am a Peruvian male business administrator (concentrated in finance) currently working in real estate private equity funds at local firm.
Academics: GPA around 4.0, 4th in class out of 140, on a top local college.
Total work experience: 4 years
International exposure: No
GMAT: 650
Lots of volunteers during and after college
Post MBA goals: private equity / consulting and entrepreneurship

Is it safe to apply to Fuqua with this profile?

Here's what a top MBA program's Admissions Committee expects from a male Indian engineer: top GMAT scores, good GPA, strong tech experience, has some extracurricular experience either playing cricket (maybe even a team captain) or volunteering at a local non-profit. Typical career goal: get a position at a top tech company / start a tech company of your own. Personality: structured, analytical, driven, hard working. Perceived risks: numbers-oriented, not very creative, perhaps not the strongest personal skills.

To be successful in your MBA application process you should focus on the aspects of your profile that are NOT what the AdCom expect. What have you done that other male Indian engineers haven't? How are you different? How do your hobbies, personality, career goals, experience, etc. stand out? How can you convince them that you are not "guilty" of the aforementioned perceived weaknesses?

Also, I personally heard a top Fuqua admissions officer advise an Indian engineer to try to position himself as an international candidate as opposed to an Indian candidate (play up your international experience, if you think that makes sense).

Source of info: lots of MBA research, got admitted to Fuqua, plus, many discussions with male Indian engineer friends.

Hi!
I am a Peruvian male business administrator (concentrated in finance) currently working in real estate private equity funds at local firm.
Academics: GPA around 4.0, 4th in class out of 140, on a top local college.
Total work experience: 4 years
International exposure: No
GMAT: 650
Lots of volunteers during and after college
Post MBA goals: private equity / consulting and entrepreneurship

Is it safe to apply to Fuqua with this profile?