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ramabrahma
05 Dec 2015, 19:18
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Dear mbaMission,
Thank you for offering your time to help evaluate our profiles for us. It is very helpful to have an objective eye in this process. Here is a summary of my profile.
Academic History
My story
After graduating from High School in 2004 (I had a 78%-80% average I believe), I attended the UofA in pursuit of a Sciences degree. My goal was to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It was my blind agenda and I had no understanding of the work ethic required supplemented with the relentless passion that was needed.
I was living at home with my mom, grandmother and sister, my only family in Canada, and finances were very tight. My grandmother was retired, my sister was still in high school, and my mom was the only person financially supporting our family. She divorced my dad a few years prior and had difficulty securing permanent employment, which was a major financial issue for our family.
From 2004-2008, I worked both full-time and part-time through various jobs. They included being a call centre supervisor in internet support and a sales consultant with Bell Mobility and Future shop. Being an introverted and shy kid from junior high to high school, these jobs were the best experiences of my life. I learned to talk, sell, and compete. I was always in the top 10% for sales performance.
Unfortunately, I wasn't passionate about medicine and I was confused about a career path. After visiting a hospital and seeing a man on a heart and lung machine, I was deeply interested in the machine keeping the man alive. Engineering became my realized passion. So in 2006, after two academic probations in sciences, I changed programs into Engineering, although I kept my full-time job as a sales consultant for Bell. I failed and was on Dean's vacation for a year. I moved to Calgary for the "vacation" in order to work and gain independence. I quit Bell and came back to Edmonton ready to start University again. My mom was laid-off her temp job and I had to work again so I took a full-time job at a call center. I made the mistake to do Engineering full time as well. I failed again.
The Dean at UofA told me I would never be able to pursue engineering again and he suggested alternate programs more to my caliber such as a technical diploma. It was truly heart-breaking. After a month of reflection, I realized engineering was my calling and I would do whatever it took to get a degree.
I still worked full-time, but I took part time classes at Grant MacEwan and Athabasca. I did very well scoring all A's. My mom was also able to secure permanent employment.
I told my story to the director of admissions at UBC and luckily she sympathized with me. Based on extenuating circumstances and significant academic improvement I was admitted to UBC in Mechanical Engineering.
In short, it was very difficult to work and attend University. I realize now it takes a good combination of time management, prioritization, and focused motivation to pursue your passions. This was the best/worst experience of my life because I realized what I could and cannot do.
Experience at UBC
With my new found drive and passion in Engineering, UBC gave me the opportunity to do many interesting things. Being at the Okanagan campus, not only could I take in its absolute beauty, it allowed me to create and lead numerous initiatives. A summary of some experiences:
The last three are the major achievements I am the most proud of because they took a lot of hard work and time management to get up and running. I did work part-time at a restaurant as a server (best job ever!), though I was able to solve my problem of managing time and prioritizing properly to achieve results. The most important aspect though was choosing the right people to run those projects and knowing how their skills/passions can contribute to a vision. My teams actually did all the work
Athletic Achievements:
Technical Work Experience:
MBA Goals/Interests
At the moment, I work full-time running my own consulting practice focused on predictive data analytics. I have made no money yet though lol though I have a few projects underway in retail and insurance. I was laid-off from my company due to the drop in oil prices and my province is heavily oil&gas focused. I have no interest in O&G.
My interests are in leading a "big data" analytics company or pursuing management consulting at a top firm.
My reason to pursue an MBA is for the transformative learning experience in business and technology and to leverage a very strong alumni network. Case-method learning in a cohort setting is the most compatible with my learning style. A strong alumni network is important for me because it's not only would I gain valuable contacts for building a strong global, business team, I also want to pursue global philanthropic initiatives in providing STEM education to third world countries and supporting initiatives in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes research.
I went to Ivey's case-method class and really enjoyed the engagement and interaction (its fun challenging people's ideas and being challenged!). I also like having a cohort of students to work with where everyone has been selected based on solid credentials and experiences. To collaboratively compete with other cohorts is a challenge I look forward to. Having a program tailored to your goals, aspirations and initiatives is also important (career management, personal development, and business/technical skills)
I like:
Projected Timeline
My apologies for all the details although writing all this out will help me with my essays. Further apologies if I am "tooting-my-horn" excessively though after a lot of struggle it feels good to have these few accomplishments in life.
Considering my past and experiences, where is my best fit and where can I improve to gain admission to the top schools I have listed. Are there any bottlenecks? Am I thinking too high in the stars lol? Is there a school I have not listed that is better suited for me?
Thank you for your time and assistance!
RB
Thank you for offering your time to help evaluate our profiles for us. It is very helpful to have an objective eye in this process. Here is a summary of my profile.
Academic History
- 28 Canadian East Indian Male
- Attended UofA from 2004-2008. Pursued sciences and engineering. Academic probation multiple times and was forced to withdraw due to poor academic grades.
- Attended Grant MacEwan and Athabasca University from 2009-2010 to improve academic record
- Graduated in 2014 with a BASc. Mechanical Engineering (3.34 GPA) - UBC - Okanagan campus
- 750 GMAT Q49 Q42
My story
After graduating from High School in 2004 (I had a 78%-80% average I believe), I attended the UofA in pursuit of a Sciences degree. My goal was to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It was my blind agenda and I had no understanding of the work ethic required supplemented with the relentless passion that was needed.
I was living at home with my mom, grandmother and sister, my only family in Canada, and finances were very tight. My grandmother was retired, my sister was still in high school, and my mom was the only person financially supporting our family. She divorced my dad a few years prior and had difficulty securing permanent employment, which was a major financial issue for our family.
From 2004-2008, I worked both full-time and part-time through various jobs. They included being a call centre supervisor in internet support and a sales consultant with Bell Mobility and Future shop. Being an introverted and shy kid from junior high to high school, these jobs were the best experiences of my life. I learned to talk, sell, and compete. I was always in the top 10% for sales performance.
Unfortunately, I wasn't passionate about medicine and I was confused about a career path. After visiting a hospital and seeing a man on a heart and lung machine, I was deeply interested in the machine keeping the man alive. Engineering became my realized passion. So in 2006, after two academic probations in sciences, I changed programs into Engineering, although I kept my full-time job as a sales consultant for Bell. I failed and was on Dean's vacation for a year. I moved to Calgary for the "vacation" in order to work and gain independence. I quit Bell and came back to Edmonton ready to start University again. My mom was laid-off her temp job and I had to work again so I took a full-time job at a call center. I made the mistake to do Engineering full time as well. I failed again.
The Dean at UofA told me I would never be able to pursue engineering again and he suggested alternate programs more to my caliber such as a technical diploma. It was truly heart-breaking. After a month of reflection, I realized engineering was my calling and I would do whatever it took to get a degree.
I still worked full-time, but I took part time classes at Grant MacEwan and Athabasca. I did very well scoring all A's. My mom was also able to secure permanent employment.
I told my story to the director of admissions at UBC and luckily she sympathized with me. Based on extenuating circumstances and significant academic improvement I was admitted to UBC in Mechanical Engineering.
In short, it was very difficult to work and attend University. I realize now it takes a good combination of time management, prioritization, and focused motivation to pursue your passions. This was the best/worst experience of my life because I realized what I could and cannot do.
Experience at UBC
With my new found drive and passion in Engineering, UBC gave me the opportunity to do many interesting things. Being at the Okanagan campus, not only could I take in its absolute beauty, it allowed me to create and lead numerous initiatives. A summary of some experiences:
- Deans Honor Roll
- Competed in nine engineering competitions. In the top 10% of 80% of those competition and lead 8 out of 9 teams.
- Elected by student body to be Senator for Applied Sciences. Successfully advocated for earlier exam postings.
- Elected to Dean Selection Committee - Applied Sciences. Made friends with the Provost and the new Dean (awesome connections!).
- Acquired over $10,000 in funding for extra-curricular initiatives from UBC Okanagan
- Founded, directed and led the first Trebuchet building competition at UBC Okanagan
- Founded, directed and led the UBC Mechatronics club with over 70 active members that had multiple projects and project managers. The club now hosts a yearly UBC Autonomous Race Car Competition, is developing an autonomous quadcopter, built a 3D printer, built a mobile robotic arm platform, built a 3D LED Cube, ran robot-builting outreach programs for primary school students and it is a significant campus resource for teaching students how to program microcontrollers
- Organized and led my final year Capstone design project team. We designed and built a machine to receive 1st place!
The last three are the major achievements I am the most proud of because they took a lot of hard work and time management to get up and running. I did work part-time at a restaurant as a server (best job ever!), though I was able to solve my problem of managing time and prioritizing properly to achieve results. The most important aspect though was choosing the right people to run those projects and knowing how their skills/passions can contribute to a vision. My teams actually did all the work
Athletic Achievements:
- Trained in Tae Kwon Do, Hap Kido, Boxing and Muay Thai over past 10 years
- Trained in Thailand at two Muay Thai camps for 1 month during my undergraduate studies.
- Competed in five Muay Thai kickboxing competitions this past year. Won 2, and top 3 in the rest. Mix of local, provincial and regional.
Technical Work Experience:
- Research assistant - Web Developer for Construction Management site (1.5 years - during degree)
- Mechanical Systems Engineer - Co-op - (4 months - during degree)
- Cost Engineering Coordinator - Construction Company (8 months - after degree)
MBA Goals/Interests
At the moment, I work full-time running my own consulting practice focused on predictive data analytics. I have made no money yet though lol though I have a few projects underway in retail and insurance. I was laid-off from my company due to the drop in oil prices and my province is heavily oil&gas focused. I have no interest in O&G.
My interests are in leading a "big data" analytics company or pursuing management consulting at a top firm.
My reason to pursue an MBA is for the transformative learning experience in business and technology and to leverage a very strong alumni network. Case-method learning in a cohort setting is the most compatible with my learning style. A strong alumni network is important for me because it's not only would I gain valuable contacts for building a strong global, business team, I also want to pursue global philanthropic initiatives in providing STEM education to third world countries and supporting initiatives in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes research.
I went to Ivey's case-method class and really enjoyed the engagement and interaction (its fun challenging people's ideas and being challenged!). I also like having a cohort of students to work with where everyone has been selected based on solid credentials and experiences. To collaboratively compete with other cohorts is a challenge I look forward to. Having a program tailored to your goals, aspirations and initiatives is also important (career management, personal development, and business/technical skills)
I like:
- Stanford due to the cohort and experiential learning. The alumni network and close connection to the high-tech industry is a huge plus for me. It seems the best for high tech entrepreneurs.
- HBS due to the case-method learning experience and its focus on leadership development. Their strong and respected alumni network is also a plus.
- Ivey/Darden due to their case-method learning experience, it's a 1 year degree and it's in Canada.
- Rotman due to its prestige and academic rigor. They also have some great psychometric based personal development workshops
- Queen's due to its cohort experience and various coaching initiatives (career coaching, throughout the year.
- Desautels due to small class sizes, selective admission, and experiential learning. Their CEO speaker series seems very interesting. It seems McGill is well known outside of Canada too.
Projected Timeline
- 2016 - Start a data analytics company. Have ACL Reconstruction surgery and start rehab (I tore my ACL training for a competition in December
) - 2017 - Train Muay Thai Thailand 4-6 months from January to June. Compete in late summer. Apply to business schools in early fall.
- 2018 - Attend business school in late fall.
My apologies for all the details although writing all this out will help me with my essays. Further apologies if I am "tooting-my-horn" excessively though after a lot of struggle it feels good to have these few accomplishments in life.
Considering my past and experiences, where is my best fit and where can I improve to gain admission to the top schools I have listed. Are there any bottlenecks? Am I thinking too high in the stars lol? Is there a school I have not listed that is better suited for me?
Thank you for your time and assistance!
RB
08 Dec 2015, 20:50
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi there!
Wow, thanks for sharing your whole story with us! That is quite an impressive story of being focused to achieve your engineering degree and overcoming those odds. That focus and drive will definitely be appealing to MBA programs. I also like that you took the initiative to start your own consulting practice and made the best of that opportunity - and hopefully you will start having some successes (and earnings) very soon!
Plus you have an excellent GMAT!
It sounds like you are thinking smartly about the different characteristics of schools too, and which ones fit with your priorities and values, so that is great. I think the schools you list all sound like great fits for you personally. My only caveat would be Harvard / Stanford -- even though you have many impressive qualities, they are just really tough for nearly every applicant. So give them a shot but have some good backup schools too.
As far as areas to work on / improve -- I think primarily it is gaining more consulting experience and exposure to different industries aside from Oil & Gas. Also, if you haven't taken any core business courses, or have low grades in any quantitative courses from UBC, then you could take a supplemental course now to demonstrate you are preparing for the MBA curriculum. Other than that, I think just keep up what you're doing, and research and engage with target schools.
Good luck, and keep us posted if we can help with anything down the road!
Wow, thanks for sharing your whole story with us! That is quite an impressive story of being focused to achieve your engineering degree and overcoming those odds. That focus and drive will definitely be appealing to MBA programs. I also like that you took the initiative to start your own consulting practice and made the best of that opportunity - and hopefully you will start having some successes (and earnings) very soon!
Plus you have an excellent GMAT! It sounds like you are thinking smartly about the different characteristics of schools too, and which ones fit with your priorities and values, so that is great. I think the schools you list all sound like great fits for you personally. My only caveat would be Harvard / Stanford -- even though you have many impressive qualities, they are just really tough for nearly every applicant. So give them a shot but have some good backup schools too.
As far as areas to work on / improve -- I think primarily it is gaining more consulting experience and exposure to different industries aside from Oil & Gas. Also, if you haven't taken any core business courses, or have low grades in any quantitative courses from UBC, then you could take a supplemental course now to demonstrate you are preparing for the MBA curriculum. Other than that, I think just keep up what you're doing, and research and engage with target schools.
Good luck, and keep us posted if we can help with anything down the road!
ramabrahma
17 Dec 2015, 04:06
Kudos
Bookmarks
Kate,
OH MY GOD!
My sincerest apologies for a late reply. I read your response a day within your posting, though it is clear that I failed that whole "respond within 24 hours" rule of professionalism.
I also lied.
I haven't written my GMAT.
Why did I lie? Because I wanted to be sure my GMAT wasn't a factor in your impression of my profile.
Yes, yes I will receive coal this Christmas and probably 6 months of less than expected earnings. Even though I secured a few contracts this month, I will make a total of $325 by Christmas. Enough to pay 15% of my expenses this month. Luckily, I still have SOME savings, credit and an understanding sister to support me.
Gaining diverse industry experience in consulting, researching target schools and engaging them is what I shall do. Those are the directions I was looking for. You suggested to take some business classes. Does economics count (Level 1 and 2, micro/micro)? Mmmm, I was also thinking about writing the CFA Level I... but it may pose the question: Why, when it doesn't fit in your career path?
I did fail one quantitative class at UBC: Control systems. Would you like to "hear" the story? See dash section at the end or otherwise skip (I talk a lot).
Thank you for the reply and I am sorry again for a late response!!
Cheers,
Robbie
------
With club activities and school, it was my one week I hit rock bottom in my entire UBC career (well 2nd week.. another one was earlier). That week I had 3 exams to write. Considering I quit my job a month prior, my finances were low. I paid my rent and had no credit or money left. I survived on a bag of brown rice and chili flakes. Control systems was my last exam. I wrote my other 2 exams, and spent an entire "all-nighter" (literally) studying for Controls. Worst mistake. I didn't get any productive studying done and walking into the exam, I could only do half the problems. Five minutes into the exam I began thinking, "I do kind of like this course and my professor is cool so it's better if I just fail it and take it again". I wrote my name on my exam with nothing else written and handed it in. The professor was impressed I finished so fast...
Failing that course dropped my GPA 0.1 points. I hate myself for doing that. When I re-took it, I only received a B+ mostly because I lost interest.
I learned never make a decision to quit when you already put effort in something, even under lack of sleep or fatigue, just keep going till the finish.
------
OH MY GOD!
My sincerest apologies for a late reply. I read your response a day within your posting, though it is clear that I failed that whole "respond within 24 hours" rule of professionalism.
I also lied.
I haven't written my GMAT.
Why did I lie? Because I wanted to be sure my GMAT wasn't a factor in your impression of my profile.
Yes, yes I will receive coal this Christmas and probably 6 months of less than expected earnings. Even though I secured a few contracts this month, I will make a total of $325 by Christmas. Enough to pay 15% of my expenses this month. Luckily, I still have SOME savings, credit and an understanding sister to support me.
Gaining diverse industry experience in consulting, researching target schools and engaging them is what I shall do. Those are the directions I was looking for. You suggested to take some business classes. Does economics count (Level 1 and 2, micro/micro)? Mmmm, I was also thinking about writing the CFA Level I... but it may pose the question: Why, when it doesn't fit in your career path?
I did fail one quantitative class at UBC: Control systems. Would you like to "hear" the story? See dash section at the end or otherwise skip (I talk a lot).
Thank you for the reply and I am sorry again for a late response!!
Cheers,
Robbie
------
With club activities and school, it was my one week I hit rock bottom in my entire UBC career (well 2nd week.. another one was earlier). That week I had 3 exams to write. Considering I quit my job a month prior, my finances were low. I paid my rent and had no credit or money left. I survived on a bag of brown rice and chili flakes. Control systems was my last exam. I wrote my other 2 exams, and spent an entire "all-nighter" (literally) studying for Controls. Worst mistake. I didn't get any productive studying done and walking into the exam, I could only do half the problems. Five minutes into the exam I began thinking, "I do kind of like this course and my professor is cool so it's better if I just fail it and take it again". I wrote my name on my exam with nothing else written and handed it in. The professor was impressed I finished so fast...
Failing that course dropped my GPA 0.1 points. I hate myself for doing that. When I re-took it, I only received a B+ mostly because I lost interest.
I learned never make a decision to quit when you already put effort in something, even under lack of sleep or fatigue, just keep going till the finish.
------
