Profile Evaluation: Above average academics but below average co-curri

Question

Hi,

Please can you evaluate my profile?

Things that I think can work in my favor:
1) Bachelors in Engineering, Distinction
2) Masters from UK, Distinction
3) Total workex 4 Years
4) Swift promotion in the last company. Managed couple of product lines independently . 
5) GMAT: 610, two months later, 730 
6) Lots of first ranks in academia

Things that I think may work against:
1) Worked in a startup, nowhere close to big brands like Deloitte and such.
2) Not many software or business analytics tools to boast of. I mostly worked in Excel and took up anything that a startup threw at me.
3) Involved with volunteering, but unfortunately due to location changes never got the chance to be fully engaged
4) Not a single National level stuff (dance, swimming, etc) where I won/ participated. I was a nerd.

I am looking at schools that focus on Consulting. My choices are:
Kellogg
Stern
Darden
Ross
Cornell

Thanks a bunch!

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Thanks for sharing your profile. You have some nice stats on paper with quality performance on the academic side at both the bachelors and masters level coupled with a GMAT score that will put you above the average score of the target schools on your list you should have no problem getting a look at all of the schools listed. Your issue here will be the quality and rigor of your professional experience. This area is tough to hide as many schools will push on you for strong anecdotes to validate your leadership and teamwork experience. Also, professional recommendations are required so make sure this is an area of strength for you.

I think Kellogg may be tough for you if you are unable to address given the personal nature of their application process. But if you can connect the dots particularly with your desire to pursue a career in consulting which is quite the departure from the start-up world you are in fact competitive on paper. So your story and program fit will be the deciding factor for you

Hope this helps!

Patronus · Answer

Thanks VeritasPrepDozie for your response!

Regarding schools, I have simply listed schools here based on my understanding of which ones are "known as" consulting schools. However, when I read more about schools on their websites, it looks as if they are not just limited to consulting and they probably might be better in other areas too. So, in this scenario how can we make sure that are choosing schools in the best way? If everyone is offering the best, then who is really the best. I am sorry to ask this basic question to you, but to be honest, I am quite lost and I feel the selection of schools is quite subjective. I don't want to take a decision of lifetime just on subjective reasons like "Oh look my friend went to that school, so I should go there too!". I hope you understand.

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

That's a fair question, but it all really starts with research on your end and an understanding of what you want out of a program.

Schools put applications through a true 360-degree review process once submitted and you should scrutinize schools the same way when you’re setting up your list. Here are a few criteria to help you put together a list of your target MBA programs.

Geography:
Where do you want to live? If you’re open, that’s great you have tons of schools at your disposal. If you have restrictions by city, region, or country this is a good place kick start your list. Also, note that many students work in the region of their school post-grad so make sure you are potentially comfortable with this reality as well. So decide whether your school is more of a regional, national or international powerhouse and how comfortable you are with what this means.

Career:
What do you want to do post-MBA? Certain schools are industry feeders, some are well known like Kellogg with CPGs and Wharton with Investment Banks, but others are more nuanced and can be uncovered via a quick peek into the yearly job report.

Focus/Programs:
What are you looking to learn in business school? Focus on the functional areas that you are looking to develop and use that to filter your list. If you want to study media-management then schools that do not offer such specialized coursework may not make sense for you.

Stats:
So you’ve narrowed down your list and now its time to get real. Are you academically qualified for the schools on your list? GMAT and GPA averages and ranges are a good place to start when making your case here. The farther you skew left or right of the mean will indicate your relative competitiveness for a program on paper. Qualifiers like age, work experience type (analytical vs. not), undergraduate rigor will all factor into the relative importance of these stats, so keep this in mind as you filter your choices.

Fit:
People, learning style, size of the class all should factor into what type of b-school experience you are looking to have. Determine what settings you thrive in and weigh the pros and cons. In person visits, outreach to alums, and conversations with current students are a great way to get a feel for your programs of interest.

Reputation:
Last but not least is reputation. I know most people start here but I really would caution against it. Focus on other more tangible areas of your target programs and use reputation as an additional filter or as a way to rank your final list. Also, if you still have a big list use reputation as a way to truncate things so you can focus on a realistic list of programs.

Do your due diligence upfront as you determine your target list and it will pay dividends come decision day.

Profile Evaluation: Above average academics but below average co-curri

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