Fuqua Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi guys!
I'm preparing to apply for a MBA in the US. With one month to go, I was wondering if it's advisable to hire a consultant. Also, would it be a good idea to apply to Duke, USC, UNC - Kenan Flagler and CMU?
FYI :
Nationality : Indian
College CGPA : 8.33
My GRE Score : 324
TOEFL : 112
Undergraduate degree : BE in CS from VTU
Internship experience : 2 months
Data scientist at TechieAid
Work experience : 2.5 years
iOS developer at HSBC Technology
Volunteer Work : Been a community volunteer for Youth For Seva for the past 6 months, currently a teaching volunteer at a Govt school
Extracurricular activities : I have acted in theatre productions and short films
Post MBA Goal : To work as a Project manager in a leading tech company or make a transition into consulting.
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Hi naidile05--

Good luck on this MBA application process and your dream of a US MBA! Yes having worked as an MBA admissions consultant for 17 years, I do see many successful applicants benefit from admissions consulting with ~ 1 month to go. If you have any questions about our services feel free to sign up for a complimentary 30 minute consultation https://mbamission.as.me/?calendarID=5208558 to discuss your profile in more depth, our services and how we can help, or both.

While the info we have here is still fairly limited, the following stand out as potential strengths for you:

-academics
-respectable GRE
-assumed solid analytical and quant skills
-your teaching volunteer experience sounds interesting, especially if you can speak to it passionately and explain your interest in it and what you've learned from it in your essays/apps
-goals sound reasonable

And the following potential challenges/weaknesses:

-you do have below-average years of work experience; that is not a deal breaker but can make it more difficult compared with the average successful candidate at 5-6 years of experience at Fuqua traditionally. Sometimes those with that much experience have simply had more time to achieve more great things, both in and outside the workplace!
-Indian applicants with tech backgrounds are quite over-represented in this process, making it more challenging

Finally these are unknowns at this point, that may impact your chances:

-leadership examples & impact made in your 2.5 years of experience
-quality of recommendations
-other relevant stories and overall potential essay quality
-interview ability

Given all of the above, your school list sounds acceptable IF you are ok with knowing that Fuqua & USC in particular will likely be reaches. If you know that and are ok with it, go for it; or if you want better chances you could focus more on the UNC level programs. In terms of timing, I would recommend 2-3 schools for Jan deadlines, in terms of what I see clients manage successfully from this point in time.

Good luck and feel free to loop back or contact me with further questions!

Hey guys, pretty informative thread! I'm planning for Fall 2023 intake; considering to apply at Duke Fuqua as one of two schools (besides, Notre Dame Mendoza) in the US. While I have evaluated nearly all the top 20 schools (thorough website scans, detailed excel rankings etc), I did not find myself being particularly enthused by any other school (suggestions are still welcome)

Concentration: MSTeM Track, Finance (Corporate) or mix of Finance (Corporate) and Finance (Investments)

Profile :
- Female, 25 years old, Indian.
- Chartered Accountant (equivalent to US CPA)
- 10th Standard : ~ 92%
- 12th Standard : ~ 90%
- Undergrad : Bachelor of Commerce, University of Pune - First class
- Post-grad : Master of Commerce, University of Pune - First class with distinction
- GMAT Score : 690 (Q48 V37 IR5 AWA5) (Not saying it lightly - this is it)

Work Experience :
1) Experienced Consultant - 3 years at a Boutique firm:
End-to-end MIS Reporting [including product vs segment profitability, cash forecasting, CXO presentations] for Indian subsidiaries of a US-based and a Netherland-based listed manufacturing firms [Indian Turnover: ~$8Mn each]
International tax strategies for HNIs and corporates [this is very broad, I can provide more insights]

2) Associate - 2 years (on enrollment) at Deals (Tax and Regulatory) at PwC India:
Various projects including SPAC structurings, 6-7 due diligences (direct reporting to Director), restructuring advisory (India entry-exit options, cash repat strategies, carve-out implications etc).

- Total experience while entering MBA : ~ 5 years

Extra-curricular/ Volunteering: (last 3 years)
1) At a top Education NGO (amongst the top-10 in India): Academic support volunteer (taught weekend classes to 5 pupils in 9th std who are classified at children-at-risk) + Fundraising (assisted in strategizing city-wide campaigns and tracking MoM corporate, event-driven, volunteer funding) + Camp Lead Team (took ~ 200 kids to camp, and as an 'Exposure Lead', I organized activities that took them out of their comfort zone e.g., mock-interview drills, MS office competitions etc)
2) Ed Support Mentor at a local NGO: Mentor peeps in the age-group of 24 to 35 for improving their English speaking/reading/listening/writing skills (one-on-one sessions spread over 3-4 months)
3) Pro-bono consultant at a mid-level NGO: Did 2 projects: a) analyzed digital-readiness of ~500 Indian NGOs b) was part of team that launched a one-stop online shop for digital upgradation of low-funded NGOs
4) Solo Projects:
- I was selected as a consulting case-writer (5 out of ~ 900) at a management consulting forum, got a great opportunity to work with a Indian Ministry of Finance officer and an ex-BCG consultant
- Was a part of drama club at my college (backstage lights + prop management)

Post MBA goal : Finance (capital Budgeting i.e. portfolio management) at a Tech firm (specifically, consumer tech, think Microsoft, Apple over Google).
As an international student, if this is hard, financial or sustainability (ESG) consulting at top (MBB) or Tier-2 (Kearney, Big 4 etc) firm. But eventually, I would move over to a position dealing in capital project management at a firm that has a B2C segment.

MBA Fellowship: Expecting a named fellowships e.g. Forte etc

Thanks in advance!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Indian applicants are just not competitive for US or even EU top schools without a 700+ GMAT no matter what your profile, which is very strong, but because they are always going to find another Indian female with a great profile who has a better test score.

You want to focus on schools where the average test score is 20 points lower than yours; maybe 10s because you are female but that is on the absolute outside. This really means you just have to pull up that score. I just started working with an Indian female who was shut out of all the M7 schools this past round; she works in PE advisory at EY and has a 750 GMAT. It's brutal out there. Her applications were poor but still.

If you open yourself up to EU schools things are a little less severe; I did help an Indian female get into IESE with a 710 GMAT and she received half tuition paid as a Forte Fellow but I would not say that this is at all typical; we did a few key things to get that result. Is there a reason you expect a Forte scholarship or are you saying you desire one? It's really not likely to be honest, for Duke.

If you apply to Duke I would strongly advise you to go the EA route and apply early action. I am a bit confused about your school choice; if you are going to do this it requires a certain fixed cost investment in terms of time (and money, if you hire a consultant, which I strongly recommend but make sure to get client references) so its best to apply to about 5 schools. You are going to achieve a decent outcome at most T25 schools so whatever reason you are ruling them out, probably not super important. pssk

Hi pssk,

Thanks for your post!

First, I would like to say being a CA at such a young age is an achievement; moreover, I find your ECAs very interesting and will be a great addition to your profile! Now coming to your work experience, you have undertaken various roles and responsibilities. You will need to exhibit the impact you brought to the organization. Also, international tax strategies seem interesting, I would like to know more about them. I am sure it will bring an impact on your overall profile.

You come from an overrepresented pool, so a score of 720+ in GMAT is a must for top B-schools, and a good GMAT score is essential for backing scholarships. We have helped an applicant to get into Fuqua with a 730 GMAT score and scholarship, she applied in the early action rounds. Since you have a very robust Profile, I would suggest retaking the GMAT as you are still young, and no matter how strong your profile is, the GMAT is an essential component of your profile.

Now, if your dream school is Duke, I would strongly advise you to revamp your strategy, understand each aspect of why Duke and how an MBA from Duke specifically will help you grow, also if you feel flexible, I would suggest you target 4-5 schools according to your profile rather than completely ruling them out. What’s going to matter most in your profile is how you connect the dots and craft an amazing narrative. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss, your profile in length, and further chances to the schools. So feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Check out our upcoming events and sign up for the session that interests you.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

Some of the admitted profiles I see in the Fuqua chat room

* Keep trying and take the waitlist updates seriously!
Admitted from WL on 2022/02/22
GMAT: 760, Q49, V44
GPA: 3.46
WE: 36 months
Location: Philippines
Heard back via Portal_update

Hi
I would appreciate if someone can evaluate my profile for Duke Fuqua MBA.

Background - Indian, Male, 28
GMAT - 710 (Q47, V40, IR 8)
Educational Background - Chartered Accountant (Cleared all levels in first attempt)
Total Work experience - 6.5 Years

Job 1 - Risk consulting in one of big 4s (Associate consultant & Consultant) - 2.5 Years
Conducting consulting engagements for clients in Oil & Gas Industry in India & Malaysia to identify the revenue leakages, supply chain efficiency, Sales & Marketing spends effectiveness, Logistics cost control. Also operated Program Management Office for Largest Tree Plantation drive by forest department (~5 crore saplings were planted in 24 hours) of one of the states in India (Appointed as consultant by Guiness Book of Records)

Job 2 - Management Consulting in Boutique consulting firm based out of Mumbai – 3 Years
Reason for change - Wanted to work in space which would have greater impact on business and which would give me multiple opportunities to enhance my problem solving skills.
Key projects include -
Project 1 - Worked in Founder's office of a unicorn startup operating in cab business. Improved driver partner experience on the platform by 30 points. Solved various issues faced by partners by implementing new payment gateway options, revising business policies, etc.
Project 2 - Worked with a real estate company. Helped client to improve sales by 33% Month on month in the sustenance projects by strategizing and implementing various initiatives.
Project 3 – Worked for the Pharma company to help the client reduce the market expiry of the products. Optimized supply chain to reduce market expiry from 3% to 1%
Project 4 – Estimated Market size and growth for the diagnostics company.
Project 5 – Provided Go – No go decision to the Chemical company for launching novel chemical to treat waste water.

Job 3 – Management Consulting in Big 4 (Ongoing) – 8 months so far
Project 1 – Customer experience improvement by digital transformation of the complete customer journey for the Automotive OEM in India.


Extra-curricular activities
Sports & Passion projects
1. Co founded mountain biking club in suburbs of Mumbai.
2. Organized National level races with approximately 85 participants from across India (participants count was high even considering it’s a niche sport in India)
3. Onboarded various sponsors during racing events
4. Built various mountain biking trails to support the sport and the community

Volunteering
1. Volunteered for India’s largest stationery kit distribution drive

Post MBA Goals
1. Short term - Work in top consulting firms (MBB) globally to enhance my problem solving skills and help clients grown in their respective industries
2. Long term – Work in various leadership roles in consumer facing industry (Tech product, Automotive, FMCG)

Background and nationality : Indian Male IT (Innovation with ML/AI)
Undergrad Information :Tier 1 Top 10 Indian college, GPA - 3
GMAT: 750 (Q50,V41) AWA6 IR7
Work experience and leadership : Innovation department of a Big IT firm. 3 years, couple of promotions, mentored over 100 students with 40+ innovative projects. Delivered products for healthcare and retail clients. Lead teams of 10+ people. Worked directly with CTOs and Directors.
Community and others : Involved with a few NGOs which work towards eradication of Poverty and illiteracy. Cycling club. Cricket and volleyball teams in college.
Post MBA goals : Tech Management

Posted from my mobile device

xxxxxx

hiteshdusseja Hope this finds you well. Your profile looks quite good on the surface. Duke sees a lot of Indian pre-MBA consultants applying to the program and Boutique Strategy firms and Big4s are big feeders of this trend along with MBB and tier 2 consulting firms. Needless to say, your competition will be fierce from within this cohort, and you will have to execute your application seamlessly to stand out. Having said that, your Quant score of 47 is a superfluous (trouble) spot in an otherwise stellar profile. You may want to take note of that if you plan to apply to highly competitive schools in the States without a GMAT waiver.
Here's hoping you are applying in the EA at Duke since in the other rounds it may really come down to the stats of your profile.

Tip- Duke is big on its culture of networking and collaboration so make sure you do your homework before you write your essays and apply.

Best wishes to you

IndianMLMentor750 Hope this finds you well

Strong profile and a good fit with Duke. However, do focus on your USPs as you belong to a highly competitive demographic. In the essays you may reflect on your formative years, adverse situations, academic arc, college pedigree, professional accolades, social work etc. to set a solid base for your candidacy evaluation.
Though you did not expand on your goals make sure your vision is practical yet motivational at the same time in order to bring an edge to your candidacy.

Best wishes

Hi parthdahuja01 hope this finds you well

A promising profile indeed, but for someone with 7+ years of work experience make sure the growth progression over 7 years comes through clearly in your CV and the essays. Great job on the GMAT. Hope you would be able to show you have done serious due diligence on prospective opportunities in the US out of the Duke MBA. You haven't written about your long-term goal in PE but hoping it has a softer nuance as well with a solid vision. Think what kind of would you like to do when you have the network, the influence and a strong professional positioning in the long term.

Best wishes

Looking for some advice.

I come from non-traditional background (education) I'm a US Licensed Teacher, 6 years experience working in international schools abroad.
I'm looking to move into the EdTech sector, get my MBA from T2 / T3 school.

Unfortunately my undergrad gpa is low 2.77/4
I had to work a full time job during my undergrad to pay my living expenses, my parents didn't help me and my grades suffered as a result.


Additionally my GRE score is on the low side as well, I'm diagnosed ADHD and Epileptic, so my cognitive abilities are same as everyone else, but slower than most. I'm scoring around 148/150 Quant/Verbal

I'm wondering how much of a holistic approach do T2 schools take on non-traditional candidates with my kind of background.


I do have a 3.0/4 on my US Teaching License course, which is about 8 Graduate level courses through a university.


** I should mention I'm not a"normal" teacher per se, I've opened a successful e-commerce business during covid, knowledgeable in B2B, B2C - Wrote an entire curriculum on phonics for my primary school and working to publish it shortly **



I don't feel that my scores are reflective of my actual capabilities.

Any advice is welcome!

Thanks x


Schools I'm interested in:
- Darden
- Tuck
- LBS
- HEC Paris
- Duke
- UCLA
- IESE
- Kellogg
- Haas
- Cambridge

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Hi parthdahuja01,

Thank you for sharing your profile. We have already evaluated your profile for Kellogg, and would love to evaluate for Fuqua as well. In terms of statistics, your GMAT score is excellent. Being Level 2 CFA, will also help your profile stand out. Let me first outline the important points of Duke Fuqua's analysis of the candidate selection.

1. Leadership: Fuqua wants a candidate with leadership potential, therefore you should be able to thoroughly discuss the leadership roles you've held in your past employment and personal life and how they contributed to your development as a "collaborative leader."

2. Diverse Personality: In addition to a candidate's professional and academic credentials, Fuqua places a lot of weight on their personality.

3. Impact on the Community: Fuqua's application includes a separate essay question on this topic, so you must be able to illustrate it in your applications fully. To demonstrate how you have impacted your community and how those events have shaped your personality, go into the stories from your professional career, artistic path, and personal life.

4. Clear Vision: Clearly state your post-MBA objectives, but when Fuqua mentions "clarity," emphasize how you plan to make a difference with your vision in the short-, mid-, and long-term as well as how Fuqua is supporting this vision of yours.

You already have 7 years of work experience, including working abroad, which is crucial for proving to adcoms that you have a global viewpoint. You must exhibit impact and leadership in your application. Closing big deals at a young age displays your dedication toward work and should be used strategically. Being a part of Khadi India's CSR committee and leading a team of 15 to promote financial literacy for handicraft artisans will help you exhibit social responsibility.

Being clear with your post MBA goals will help you bring clarity to your application and align them with the schools you are applying to. Overall, your profile looks decent, and you have a shot at Duke. What’s going to matter most in your profile is how you connect the dots and create an amazing narrative. We have helped an applicant get into Fuqua with a 50% scholarship. If you’d like, we are happy to get on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length, and further chances to the schools. So feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Sign up for the Webinar on- Set yourself up for R2 MBA applications

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

Hi,

Looking for an honest evaluation, profile as follows

Background and nationality:
Indian female but lived in Singapore for 14yrs


Undergrad Information:
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Nanyang Technological University Singapore
GPA 3.48/5 (roughly 2.8/4 US standards)

GMAT: 720

Work experience and leadership:
Safety Analyst (Chemical and Environmental engineering safety in Singapore) but have also been developing experience in the field of pollution control (only one other person trained in the field in our office)
Experience - 1.5yr (2 yrs at time of application) - I understand super low experience than average, but want to give it a shot
OCIP Deputy leader in University: Led a team of 22 to a remote village in Laos on a service project trip to build a solar panel system while also conducting enrichment sessions for the students there while tackling challenges including team conflicts, language barrier, no phone signal and scarce electricity.

Community and others:
Volunteering at community center, mainly mentoring students weekly

Post MBA goals:
To switch to the field of sustainability solutions

Anything else?
If it amounts to anything, have always tried many different activities as ECAs and classes such as magic and stop motion. Hobbies are playing chess and portrait drawing and painting (usually oil)

Thanks a lot in advance!

Your profile looks terrific; with a 770 GMAT score, I believe you can easily make it to any top B-School. Plus, your work experience makes your profile even more convincing; though your bachelor’s marks are a bit low, that can be ignored because of your other achievements.

Well, let me provide you with the overall eligibility criteria for Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA:
To graduate, students must complete at least 79-course credits (or 65-course credits if in a dual degree program) and have a GPA of at least 3.0. Students may be dismissed from the program if they fail to make satisfactory progress toward this goal. The following two criteria define good progress:
Students must complete a minimum of 45-course credits in the first academic year of the program and 79-course credits by the end of the second academic year. Courses designated as required must be taken at the designated times unless the student has earned an exemption from the course, either by receiving an administrative exemption based on prior coursework or passing an exemption exam.
Students’ grades must exceed a minimum threshold defined by the following “strike system.” Students receive one strike for each F they earn and 0.5 strikes for each LP; these strikes accumulate through the program.

Your leadership qualities are your most important feat, which will make your admission even smoother; you need to make sure you mention these points in your essay.

If you want to know which school is a better fit for you or get a detailed analysis of your profile, get in touch with our study abroad experts.

We have helped over 5000 students get admit into their dream schools.
If you would like we can set up a free consulting session with you at your convenience

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Hi,
I am an Indian male IT Engineer working with a Fortune 500 company
Academics:
Bachelors - 70% BTech in Electrical and Electronics for an average college
Masters - 3.23/4.0 in Data Science from a reputed college
Total work experience: 7.1 years
International exposure: No
GRE: 318/340
Has experience working various Non-profit organizations as voluteer. Took decent amount of promotions. Founded certain clubs at College and Organization level. Had a startup experience
Is it safe to apply with this profile? Else should improve my GRE score?

Schools I'm interested in:
- Haas
- Duke
- Darden
- Tepper
- Johnson
- Kelley
- McCombs
- Said
- Schulich
- Desautels
- Kellogg