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25 Jun 2019, 01:04
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
I would be grateful if you could give some feedback on my profile.
Demographic: Indian male aged 27
Education:
1. One-year PG Diploma in Liberal Arts (2016-17)- Ashoka University, CGPA (3.46/4)
2. Engineering (2009-2014) - IIT Madras, India (CGPA: 3.11/4)
3. CFA, Level 1
GMAT: 760 (V44, Q50), IR-8, AWA – 5
Brief Background:
I am an engineer turned development professional. I graduated out of IIT Madras (one of the Tier-1 colleges in India). I worked as an Associate in Analytics Division of an MNC for a year, and a Market Research Analyst at a startup.
I then pursued a one year PG Diploma in Liberal Arts (quite a turnaround, I know !!), and have been working in development sector. In my latest role, I worked as a consultant to the Principal Secretary of State, to revamp the educational ecosystem of more than 150,000+ underprivileged children in 350+ government schools.
I am very big on extra-curriculars and volunteering too, and held numerous positions of responsibility in college, as can be seen below.
Work Experience:
1. Government Consulting – 2 years
- Ideated various multi-million dollar projects that aim to revamp the sporting ecosystem of government schools in the state
2. Analyst at a start-up (1 yr)
-Worked at a start-up aimed at providing market research support for Private Equity/ Venture Capital firms
3. Associate at an MNC (1 yr)
-Worked in Data Analytics division of an MNC. Worked for a US-based pharma client and helped them restructure their sales division
Positions of Responsibility Held:
1. Institute Volleyball Captain - Ashoka University (2016-17) & IIT Madras (2013-14)
2. Sports Secretary of a Residence Hall, IIT Madras - 2012
Extra-curricular Activities:
- Won numerous medals as part of college volleyball and badminton player
- PADI certified scuba diver
Volunteering Experience:
1. Fundraiser at an NGO in educational sector - 1 yr
- Raised funds for the educational support for 100+ orphans
Post-MBA ambitions:
Getting into a Big-3 Management Consulting firm
Target Universities:
Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Wharton, Sloan, Booth, Kellogg, Yale
I am planning to apply this fall for 2020 admit. I chose these schools purely based on ranking. I am still in the initial stages of my research (I know, late to the party!!). Kindly let me know how realistic my target schools are, and if there is anything else I could do to make my profile more competitive.
Additional Questions:
1. Could you please help me categorize which ones of my target B-schools are in reach, in-range, safety? Should I be including any ‘safety’ schools?
2. Will my rather average score in AWA hinder my chances of getting into a good school?
Thank you for your time.
I would be grateful if you could give some feedback on my profile.
Demographic: Indian male aged 27
Education:
1. One-year PG Diploma in Liberal Arts (2016-17)- Ashoka University, CGPA (3.46/4)
2. Engineering (2009-2014) - IIT Madras, India (CGPA: 3.11/4)
3. CFA, Level 1
GMAT: 760 (V44, Q50), IR-8, AWA – 5
Brief Background:
I am an engineer turned development professional. I graduated out of IIT Madras (one of the Tier-1 colleges in India). I worked as an Associate in Analytics Division of an MNC for a year, and a Market Research Analyst at a startup.
I then pursued a one year PG Diploma in Liberal Arts (quite a turnaround, I know !!), and have been working in development sector. In my latest role, I worked as a consultant to the Principal Secretary of State, to revamp the educational ecosystem of more than 150,000+ underprivileged children in 350+ government schools.
I am very big on extra-curriculars and volunteering too, and held numerous positions of responsibility in college, as can be seen below.
Work Experience:
1. Government Consulting – 2 years
- Ideated various multi-million dollar projects that aim to revamp the sporting ecosystem of government schools in the state
2. Analyst at a start-up (1 yr)
-Worked at a start-up aimed at providing market research support for Private Equity/ Venture Capital firms
3. Associate at an MNC (1 yr)
-Worked in Data Analytics division of an MNC. Worked for a US-based pharma client and helped them restructure their sales division
Positions of Responsibility Held:
1. Institute Volleyball Captain - Ashoka University (2016-17) & IIT Madras (2013-14)
2. Sports Secretary of a Residence Hall, IIT Madras - 2012
Extra-curricular Activities:
- Won numerous medals as part of college volleyball and badminton player
- PADI certified scuba diver
Volunteering Experience:
1. Fundraiser at an NGO in educational sector - 1 yr
- Raised funds for the educational support for 100+ orphans
Post-MBA ambitions:
Getting into a Big-3 Management Consulting firm
Target Universities:
Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Wharton, Sloan, Booth, Kellogg, Yale
I am planning to apply this fall for 2020 admit. I chose these schools purely based on ranking. I am still in the initial stages of my research (I know, late to the party!!). Kindly let me know how realistic my target schools are, and if there is anything else I could do to make my profile more competitive.
Additional Questions:
1. Could you please help me categorize which ones of my target B-schools are in reach, in-range, safety? Should I be including any ‘safety’ schools?
2. Will my rather average score in AWA hinder my chances of getting into a good school?
Thank you for your time.
30 Jun 2019, 09:08
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! You've got some good material as well as some challenges. Your biggest challenge is just your demographic. It's the most overrepresented one when it comes to b-school apps (as I'm sure you know!) & it's also one that tends to have very high GMATs as well as high GPAs from the IITs. Your GMAT is solid - if you were not from this demographic it would be a score that would differentiate you. Given the demographic, it's a strong score that puts you in the game, but unfortunately it's not a differentiator. The fact that you aren't coming from the typical engineering/IT work background is also a good thing & you can use that to differentiate you. That said, it will be critical to be able to show quantifiable results/impact from your work. Since you are coming from a slightly non-traditional background you'll need to be able to show that business skills you've used as well as the business impact you've driven.
It will also be important to give a strong reason for your post-MBA goals.Consulting is a fairly common goal for your demographic (#2 after product manager in a tech firm) so again it's not a differentiator. They'll be comparing you against all the other Indian males from IIT who want to be consultants. You'll need to think through your story so you can show why you are unique, both in terms of your motivations (why is consulting your passion) as well as what you plan to accomplish in your career & any niche you'll ultimately focus on if you plan to continue on & eventually become a partner.
In terms of schools, it's a bit tough to say without having the above mentioned points all nailed down. That said, I think schools like HBS & Stanford will be quite a reach. Schools like Wharton, Booth & Kellogg will also be a stretch but more within reach than HBS & Stanford. I think CBS & Yale will be in the target category. I'd consider broadening your list to include schools like UVA, Duke, NYU, & Cornell -- those are all good targets in my opinion. Schools like Tepper, UNC & Emory would be in the safety category & you might have a shot at funding. Again this all assumes strong accomplishments at work, strong essays & strong LORs.
In terms of the AWA, I wouldn't worry too much about it. A 5 is solid & although higher is always better it's not a part of the test that they place much weight on. At this point it makes sense to focus on your essays so you can apply R1 to as many schools as possible.
If you need any help thinking through your strategy & your story definitely reach out to us. We work with a ton of Indian male candidates & know what's unique vs. what's cliche as well as the tricks for making sure your application stands out. If you email Claudia at claudia@admissionado.com she can set you up with a free consultation with one of our MBA consultants!
It will also be important to give a strong reason for your post-MBA goals.Consulting is a fairly common goal for your demographic (#2 after product manager in a tech firm) so again it's not a differentiator. They'll be comparing you against all the other Indian males from IIT who want to be consultants. You'll need to think through your story so you can show why you are unique, both in terms of your motivations (why is consulting your passion) as well as what you plan to accomplish in your career & any niche you'll ultimately focus on if you plan to continue on & eventually become a partner.
In terms of schools, it's a bit tough to say without having the above mentioned points all nailed down. That said, I think schools like HBS & Stanford will be quite a reach. Schools like Wharton, Booth & Kellogg will also be a stretch but more within reach than HBS & Stanford. I think CBS & Yale will be in the target category. I'd consider broadening your list to include schools like UVA, Duke, NYU, & Cornell -- those are all good targets in my opinion. Schools like Tepper, UNC & Emory would be in the safety category & you might have a shot at funding. Again this all assumes strong accomplishments at work, strong essays & strong LORs.
In terms of the AWA, I wouldn't worry too much about it. A 5 is solid & although higher is always better it's not a part of the test that they place much weight on. At this point it makes sense to focus on your essays so you can apply R1 to as many schools as possible.
If you need any help thinking through your strategy & your story definitely reach out to us. We work with a ton of Indian male candidates & know what's unique vs. what's cliche as well as the tricks for making sure your application stands out. If you email Claudia at claudia@admissionado.com she can set you up with a free consultation with one of our MBA consultants!
