ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi andy,

Thanks for sharing your profile.

I am an ISB alum and run an admission consulting firm, CrackAdmission.

To give you an accurate evaluation of your profile, I will need more information from your side including which IT company are you working with, which college did you graduate from, do you have international experience, industry knowledge, extra curricular initiatives, break up of your GMAT score among others.

I have worked with applicants who have got in to ISB with score as low as 660. However, you will need to showcase something in your candidature that stands your apart from the rest of the 'Indian Male IT pool' and generates interest in the admission committee.

Please feel free to get in touch with me at +919701215544 (calling ) / +919911716471 (https://gmatclub.com/chat) to discuss further.

Thanks
Arijit

Hi deepudiscover,

Lots of positives in your profile. International work experience definitely helps and so do the professional accomplishments. Extracurriculars are exemplary. The only down side is your GMAT. A score of 660 can ruin your chances. If you can push your score to 700+, armed with the right essays, you can definitely meet the finish line.

Hi there,
Without knowing much about the depth of your leadership and management experience and impact you've made etc, thus far I would just say yes with a 700 I'd try again given how competitive the Indian engineering applicant pool is at ISB and the others mentioned, and how high that applicant pool tends to score. Quant looks solid so see if you can maintain that or raise just slightly and focus on improving verbal. Good luck!

Hi, Thank you for your reply. I took my GMAT today, but my score was lower than in the mocks. I scored 630 only while in the mocks i was scoring 660-670. Given that the R1 deadlines are very close, can you please recommend what should i do? Do i stand any chance at ISB, Rotterdam, St. Gallen, Insead or NUS?

Is ISB out of picture with this score, despite having a NON IT profile with international experience?

Thanks,
Raunak

Yes, 630 definitely takes out of competition for Insead, ISB, Rotterdam, NUS. Please re-take and target R-2. For ISB 680+(though 680 may still keep you at sword edge). I would recommend 700+ to give yourself a shot at all schools you mentioned.

Hi Raunak_Bhatia,

630 will negatively impact your chances at the your target B-schools. We recommend that you identify your areas of weakness and try to push for a 680+ score. We have also seen that candidates who have hit the wall with GMAT are often able to crack GRE. Therefore, if you feel you're getting stuck with GMAT, you may try your hand at GRE instead. Almost all B-schools including ISB accept GRE scores.

Hi Everyone,
I am a first time applicant o ISB so just wanted to get a sense of the quality of my profile.

Background: Indian Male Candidate. 10th:86%; 12th:69%; Engineering :65%; GMAT:720(Q:49,V:40)

Completed my B.E in Mech. Engineering. Worked for 2.5 years after that as a Design Engineer in Mumbai, designing and analysing connections for structural buildings in the US for a Medium sized MNC. Started off as a Junior Engineer but progressed very quickly to become a Project Leader in the 2.5 years. Got a chance to train new recruits, evaluate employees as well as estimate bids for projects which was valuable in my opinion.
Post that, I completed a Supply Chain Mgmt Certification as I wasted to change the direction of my career.
Also in the break I have worked for 6 months as a voluntarily unpaid intern at an NGO, leading one of the biggest projects they had at the time.
I also have a certification in Astronomy. I have also been a member of a Toastmasters Club for the last 6 months.

Looking forward to any kind of suggestions/inputs or an evaluation.

Thanks in advance for your time.
Shane de Souza

It is not clear why you took the break. Also, it is unclear why did you do that certification and how did the certification help you to transform your career.
If certification has helped you, then why are you doing an MBA now?

I quit my previous job because firstly the job wasn't in the field I wanted to get into but since it was a college campus placement I took it at the time, second, It wasnt very challenging environment and without trying to sound too boastful, it was a bit too easy as you may have noticed in the progress from a trainee to a project leader in 2.5 years. I always wanted to get into the Supply Chain Management side after my Engineering in a Manufacturing company but the hiring companies always wanted some sort of Operations Experience or a Course. So the course I did was a basic one, just to get familiar with the terms of Supply Chain Management and build a foundation. The course is a beginning in redirecting my career to where I originally wanted to go. And the MBA will give it the required boost.

Hi Experts ,

Please review my profile for ISB :
Class 10th : 85%

Class 12th : 67%

B-Tech : 76%

GMAT : 680(Q49,V34)
Work Ex: 5 years

Extra Curriculars: District Level Cricket, Represented my College University and now the company i am working for .
Representing my Company in Badminton.
Professional playback singer(Have sung one bollywood song)

Many awards in my current company to showcase my talents.

Best Regards,
Vaibhav

You need to demonstrate that you have utilized your time effectively after the break. An online certification and toastmasters cannot be counted as a full time engagement. By the time you enter a school, your gap in employment would be significant.
While preparing for MBA, people are either running towards something or running away something. You might say that your learning curve has flattened but never portray yourself as a candidate who is running away from something or someone who wants to use MBA to get a job.

Many parameters are missing. Please mention your age, details of work exp ( industry, function, geography, promotion, leadership evidence), community involvement and most importantly your post MBA goals.

Hi vivek6199,

Please find the details below:
age : 28
details of work exp ( industry, function, geography, promotion, leadership evidence): I belong to the IT Pool. I work for an MNC called Accenture. I have worked in TCS in my past. I have been involved in Software development and requirement gathering from client. I have been leading a team of 12 . I am based out of Hyderabad,India.
Post MBA Goals : I am looking to pursue an MBA as i want to excel in the product management field. I have the necessary technical knowledge but i lack the management skills. I would want to enhance my product management skills. Please let me know if a more accurate reflection of my profile or goal is needed for the evaluation.

Best Regards,
Vaibhav

Its not just the Certification and Toastmasters, but also the time I have put in with the NGO too. I have been working with the NGO as an Intern for the past 7 months(30+ hours per week on field and research work) and continue to do so. And the experience I have got is very valuable, designing Standard Operating Processes for the Organization, suggesting methods to increase efficiency and even designing the framework of a new software we are currently developing to manage activities among other things. I could have used it as work experience, however I chose to remain an unpaid Intern as I mentioned in the original post. It is really unfortunate that ISB will not consider this as Work Experience. I also have a couple of advanced level certifications currently ongoing for Supply Chain Management.

Pardon me for the extensive profile description

Please do evaluate my profile.

PROFILE
Male, 25
GMAT – 590
(So I woke up one morning in the middle of August 2017 and realized all I did throughout my under-grad and post-grad was management (marketing my designs/plans). Hence, after a nearly 10-year gap from mathematics, I decided to give my GMAT with less than a month for preparation (Sept 28th 2017). I can almost say I gave the GMAT with zero preparation. I know this is not an excuse, but I am relying on my unique background to get through. I am, however prepared to give the GMAT again and apply for the second round – if required.)

EDUCATION
12th - Maths, Physics & Chemistry (2007-2009) - 84.3%

UG – SRM University, Chennai - B.Tech Architectural Engineering (2009-2013) – 7.52/10

PG – CEPT University, Ahmedabad – Masters in Urban & Regional Planning (Majors in Environmental Planning) (2015-2017) – 2.9/4

WORK EXPERIENCE - Overall Work Experience - (2 yrs 7 Months - As on March 2018)

• Assistant Professor, Department of Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture & Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) (2017- Present), Hyderabad
Currently teach real estate management, physical planning, traffic studies and co-head a rural development studio for 2 terms having a combined strength of 80 students

Initiatives taken:
a. As future planners, I felt the students need to know what is happening around them daily. Hence, I start all my classes with a 5-10 minute news and updates talk thereby promoting healthy discussion among them.
b. In addition, I insist all my assignments to be submitted in a digital format in order to improve their basic computer and presentation skills.

• Senior Architect, Project IIT Hyderabad – Permanent Campus Construction, Larsen & Toubro (2013-2015), Hyderabad
Involved in various functions as a site architect including compliance with GRIHA as well as contractual terms & conditions, construction drawing analysis and coordination, client and vendor communication, preparation of micro schedules, daily progress reports (DPR) and contractual letters.

Initiatives taken:
a. Prior to my posting to the site, material quantities were being calculated manually from large physical drawings. Not only was it a time consuming process but also heavily inaccurate. I was instrumental in procuring digital copies from the client and showing my colleagues those quantities can be calculated much faster and more accurately using software. Work that would have taken 7 days to finish was finished in a matter of few hours.
b. As the only architect on site, I was not only responsible for the clarifying anomalies between the client and the engineers on site but also for introducing a creative angle in the representation of reports, parameters and any other complex details which needed to be projected in a simple manner (using 3D models etc.).

HOBBIES/INTERESTS
• An avid photographer.
• Electric vehicles –My childhood interest in automobiles has evolved into electric vehicles. Currently working on retrofitting an old Bajaj scooter with an electric drivetrain.
• Hydroponics – The art of growing greens without soil and only water. A very recent hobby. Still cultivating!

EXTRACURRICULAR
• Navratri is one of the major festivals celebrated at CEPT University. It draws in huge crowds on all 9 days of the festival. We, as students have the option to set up few food stalls. My friends and I, a group of 10, decided to put a stall - just for the heck of it. Purely for the experience. It turned out to be a mini practical management course by the time we wrapped up. We learnt, hands on, the nuances of supply, demand, restocking, procurement, marketing, customer service and retention, dealing with an unforeseen circumstances (there was a power cut overnight which casued all our ice cream to melt and turn soggy - we turned them into milkshakes managed to sell them at a greater profit than if sold as a ice cream!) We did end up making a profit of 2000 rupees per head, but the experience was priceless!

A little bit about my undergrad degree – B.Tech Architectural Engineering
It is an interesting combination of an architecture course and a civil engineering course. The course was introduced in order to remove the conflicts between an architects design and a structural engineers design - arising due to the lack of compatibility between structure and form.
Basically comprising of 70% architecture and 30% civil, the curriculum ensures that when an architectural engineer is designing a form, he/she very wells knows that it can be built (practically possible) without the hindrance of a structural issue. Thereby, designing and building a structurally feasible & functional, yet aesthetical building.

So overall, put together, I am the interesting combination of an architect, engineer and planner put together. Every profile requires a different mind-set to think and process. It is when I can use all three profiles together that it helps me see things from multiple perspectives. I can thereby bring about multiple scenarios and predictions to the table (to the fellow colleagues at ISB i.e). If the picture still is not clear, fret not, I happen to be an avid photographer as well. Let me show you how different the world looks through my lens!

*to give you an idea of how unique my profile is,
there are less than 75 ppl with the same undergrad degree. Only 2 people having a combination of the same undergrad and post grad degree and the only one to have had worked in a construction company and who is now into teaching!

Any advice on how i can improve my profile is welcome.

Thanks in advance for profile evaluation for ISB:

Work ex:
1. 2.4 years at Ericsson As a Customer Project Manager/planner
2. 11 months and still continuing at American Express Global Business Travel as a Dedicated Account Management Representative

Undergrad/School:
10th: 94.6 % school topper
12th: 88.4 %
UG: 73%
Btech in Computer Science from JP Noida

Gmat score:
1st attempt: 620
How much min should I score so as to be able to crack ISB.

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While we may like to think we are very unique that is not the case. Here is how I think adcoms will look into your profile-
Construction Eng background Male Engineer with decent acads(not great) who has worked in education and parallelly worked in few industry projects. The total work exp is low compared to class avg(4.5 yrs). Your work exp is typical of any civil engineering grad(Project Controls- Planning. Estimation and Cost Control). His gmat score is very low. And finally why he need MBA.

Thus in the present scenario, I do not see a case for you to make it to the interviews. (sorry for being straight but I think it is better than to play around with words)

You need to get atleast 700(the higher the better), have solid reason on why MBA and post MBA goals. Remeber you do not have full-time industry work exp so this factor might also weigh against you(they are also thinking from recruiters perspective).

I strongly recommend that you considerably increase your gmat score and also think through post MBA goals to realistically give you a chance in R-2. Good Luck!