pranavt wrote:
Hello!
I am planning to apply for Fall-16 intake, can you please share your opinions on my profile.
Any suggestions on school selection would be appreciated as well.
Demographics:
25 years old Indian Male
GMAT:
710 (Q49, V37) - intend to re-attempt and try for a higher score
Undergrad:
VNIT - B.Tech (Electronics Communication)
- GPA: 7.75/10
Work Experience:
- As of date, completed 3 years at Oracle India as a Developer. Have worked on projects involving team work (I wasn't a lead) as well as on projects where I was the solo resource. The solo projects weren't of small scale and I was the point of contact for multiple teams across the project.
- Community service - worked with several NGOs for teaching children. Was also a project lead for one such NGO event
Extracurricular:
- Play squash and badminton - but achievements for these activities pre-date the undergrad degree (badminton - played at a National level, squash - country level in Kuwait)
Certifications:
- Passed CFA L1
MBA major:
- Finance/Strategy
Post-MBA goal:
- Finance preferably, else Consulting
Target schools:
I'm really not sure of what colleges to consider here. Maybe McCombs because of my tech background, or Stern or Booth since I am interested in Finance (both Stretch). Would you share your thoughts on this too?
Hey dude,
Good to hear from you.
So in short, what I see here is that everything is pretty good, but I don't yet see something that will make you stand out. And it will be VITAL that you find a way to present yourself to the AdCom in a unique and exciting way.
As you probably know, Indian IT applicants are the biggest pool, and the most challenging. And that's why it's so important.
In your profile I don't see any major weaknesses, which is great.
I think though that your "Sweet spot" for schools will be in the 10-30 range US, and that schools like Stern and Booth will be out of range (too many Indian candidates from IIT with 740+ and stellar jobs in the competition). So I'd say concentrate on the more realistic range.
One final thought about your goals - don't go the finance route. I KNOW you want to do finance. But so does every other Indian IT guy. I mean, sure, who doesn't want huge salaries and fancy jobs? But it's not so realistic. There are enough Indian candidates coming from finance to fill all the spaces there are in banks.
Now, to be clear, I'm not saying that you should give up on your finance goals! But just it's not a good strategic choice for your MBA application, because it's not sooo probable. A better goal might be for example management in IT.
I hope this helps, and wish you luck!
Best,
JF