ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi Kryptographer

- Yes, it is true that with a technical profile it will be harder to differentiate, but you do have some nice points there (client management, project management, NGO work) that will help you.
- Your academics are decent but not outstanding. If retaking the GMAT, aim 720+ and above.


Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Hi,

ISB assesses each applicant holistically. Significant weightage is placed on the following:

- Profile: This includes your educational background, the quality and tenure of your work experience, and your participation in extracurricular activities.
Each year at ISB, there are a significant number of students with a professional profile like yours. An experience in the projects management and execution division certainly adds weight to your profile as there are a considerable number of companies that visit ISB each year to hire in similar domains and would prefer students who have a prior exposure to project management. Oil & Gas as a sector has always rewarded professionals with significant exposure, and the same is valued greatly by the school as well as the recruiters. Your extracurricular components also looks robust, and with some polishing, you can present the same in the most effective manner.

- Application: This includes your essays and Letter of recommendation (LoR). Your essays will compose of answers to two crucial questions that ISB asks as a part of their application. Along with the essays, an LoR will be sought from your supervisors at work
Essays are a crucial aspect of an ISB application. You are expected to be succinct while justifying the need for an MBA at this stage of your life. As long as you are able to create a compelling story that justifies an MBA from ISB as a means of transition from your short term goals to medium term and long term goals, you should not face any challenges in this regard. You should also be confident of your unique contributions to the class, and highlight the same in your application. Since you are a re-applicant, you will need to focus on the steps you have taken to augment your application and profile in the past one year. One suggestion would be to focus on any extracurricular activities that would add more color or diversity to your profile. Moreover, try and convince the panel that the last year has only strengthened your resolve to pursue and MBA.

- Test Score: Your GMAT/GRE score will be representative of your reasoning and aptitude-related abilities. It can be used to compensate for the lack of stellar academics
Being a male engineer, you will not fall in the “diversity” bucket. Therefore, it becomes crucial for you to present a strong GMAT score. In our opinion, you should target a score of 730 which is above the class average but with applicants with a similar profile, the average GMAT score tends to be anywhere between 710-730. Therefore, to bring yourself at par with the applicants relative to whom your application will be evaluated, you will need a score of 730 to strengthen your case.

Hope this helps!

Hi Vaibhav6215

Thanks for posting. You have a strong profile, with excellent analytics experience, and great ECA as well. ZS is well-known for analytics, and PwC is a great firm to be applying from as well, and both will give you good visibility. On the GMAT side, if you are getting ~720 in practice tests (assuming these are GMATPrep tests), moving up to a 750 on the real thing will not be easy. If your target is 750, practice a bit more till your mock scores rise.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Hi Chethan

You have quite an interesting profile. Although your work has been technology-related, it is different from that of the regular IT folks. The international experience helps significantly (across two countries), and ECA looks good too. Target 700+ (of course, the higher the better), and with a decent app, you should have a very good chance of getting an interview call next year.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Hi Talavya

Thanks for posting.
- Your acads seem quite good. If you can get 720+, you should be in strong contention with a good app
- The work experience part has a small hiccup in the sectoral switch. You have also got less than a year in your current role, and this is a startup that is family-owned as well. This part will need to be addressed well - why do you need an MBA (the PGP) so soon?
- The ECA part also needs more information. The real estate startup is part of your work, and cannot be part of ECA. Robotics medals will count, but only to an extent. Need to show more leadership in that section. Will need to dig deeper on this front.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.[/quote]

Firm that I currently work is not a startup (Real Estate, partially owned) . The one which I mentioned as a hobby is actually a startup .[/quote]

Ok, please provide more details on what it is around and what your role there is. Thanks.[/quote]
Check your PM , as I cannot describe my job details here

Dear Experts

This is going to be a little long so please bear with me.

Academics: 10th- 8/10 CGPA
12th- 78%

I knew I had messed up my boards and if I have to get into a good college I will have to crack the entrances. Secured AIR 5, St. Xavier's Mumbai BMS/BMM Entrance. AIR 86, DU JAT Exam.

Grad- Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies- 59.8% (Got a back in one of the subject in the final semester so had to clear the paper next year)

Work Experience- In the gap year, 2015-16 worked with Zostel/ZO Rooms as Operations Associate. Was among the first 20 employees to join and traveled to more than 15 states to help expand the product pan India. Added new vertical of sales for the startup and also led Gujarat state for few months before they got acquired by Oyo Rooms.

2016-18: Always wanted to come back to my home state Bihar and do something here to bring a change. Picked up the broadband industry since broadband in Bihar was defined by 512 kbps and there was a massive outage on a daily basis with prices as expensive as 2 Mbps for Rs.1200. I could clearly see a demand for good broadband service and there was no major ISP providing broadband services in Bihar like- Airtel, TATA etc. It was very much possible for me to do this because my family business was already in Cable TV. So I had to leverage our existing customer base and existing infrastructure. So after doing all sorts of ground research and chalking out plans for price disruption, we secured a license from Department of Telecommunication and kick-started our operations. We have been able to make a significant progress, reduce the price by more than half and our work has been appreciated by the state government and recently we were able to bag all the tenders of broadband services in Smart City Project.

Extra Curricular-

Best Entrepreneur at Insignia 2015- National level Management fest of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.
Runners Up in Supply Chain Management at Insignia 2015- National level Management fest of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.
First Prize, B-Plan Competition at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies. (March 2105).
Third Prize, B-Plan Competition at Miranda House. (March 2015).
Second Prize, B-Plan Competition at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce. (March 2015).
Winner at Seeds of Hope- A social entrepreneurship competition organized by Bain and Company (2013)
Winner at Wal-Mart Women’s Empowerment Competition 2013.
Represented SSCBS at the Enactus India National Competition 2013 in Mumbai.
Semi-Finalist at The Dell Social Innovation Challenge.
National Level Player of Badminton in 2010 (Certified by Badminton Association of India)
Sportsman of the Year Award – For outstanding contribution in Sports and Leadership Skills (2012)
Played Exhibition Match against 5 times World Champion, Indian Grand Master Viswanathan Anand and received Special Mention.
2 times consecutive Winner of Inter College Cricket Championship held in the University of Delhi. (2013/14).
3rd Prize in CBSE All India East Zone Badminton Competition 2011

Why MBA?

I have started to feel that my learning here has become limited and there's a lot more that I wish to do in Bihar. Especially in the Edu-tech space. With my current skills and learnings, I can build things only at a certain level. I think MBA will provide the upgrade I am looking for to further achieve the goals I am looking for.

GMAT- Will write my GMAT next month and I am more than confident to score a 700+

I understand that my academics score are not really up to the mark but I want to focus on the work that I have been doing and the change it has brought in a Tier 3 city through my application.

Please evaluate my profile and do suggest if ISB would be a good fit and if there are any other MBA programs abroad that would suit someone with my type of profile and work experience.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks a lot for the evaluation!

The mock scores are on a couple of Kaplan tests.
To be very honest, I have almost no knowledge about the comparative difficulty levels of various tests (e.g Kaplan v/s GMATPrep) and just starting my GMAT preparation (fingers crossed).

One more query : Does a good undergrad college (e.g. one of the older IITs) also play any role in admission decisions for MBA programs

Hello Talayva

Your past scores + Extracurricular + target GMAT are the things that are going for you.
Career progression, achievements, lower end of work ex are the things that will need to be compensated.
ISB will evaluate your candidature on 6 admission factors mentioned here.
If you can showcase more maturity (due to lower years) and a cohesive story behind your career moves and an absolute necessity of an MBA at this stage (vs a year or 2 later) then you may stand a good chance. However, going by the facts presented (which are limited) I would recommend waiting for a year to gain more experience. That way ISB will be able to add more meaning.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
GMAT Score Predictor
info@mbakarma.com

Hi Talayva,

Thanks for posting here.

You certainly have a strong academic background and fine extra-curricular activities. This will prove advantageous for your overall case.

Having said the above, you will need to explain your reason for the major switch in your professional profile, as well as your need for an MBA. We would say that considering your experience is on the lower side for ISB, you should aim for a score above 730. The score coupled with a set of well-crafted essays will provide you with a strong chance of receiving an interview call. Of course, the higher your GMAT score, the better it will be

Hope this helped!

All the best!

hello Kryptographer

ISB will evaluate your candidature on the admission factors mentioned here.
You will need a spike in at least 3 of the following 4 factors to get an admission.
1. Acads- Decent but not stellar. Aims for a minimum of 730+.
2. Quality of work Ex- More than years or industry mention more around your career progress and achievements. Remember that promotion or an award is not an achievement in itself- it is a result of your positive contribution to the business of the organization. You will need to showcase this even more strongly due to the fact that your profile is very similar to the largest pool of applicants.
3. Diversity- IT. Male. Not the best news. Especially when the very first essay is talking about diversity. Do you have any strong extracurricular activities to balance this? A good extracurricular is one that has had a serious or long term involvement and a positive impact on your life or the life of others.
4. Career Goals- Most critical piece of the admissions puzzle. What are your future goals and why is an MBA an absolute necessity to achieve these goals? Unfortunately this info is missing. Virtually impossible to give a meaningful feedback in absence of this info. You could supplement your research by reading here.
Final result will depend on how well you tie the above 4 in your written application.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
GMAT Score Predictor
info@mbakarma.com

Hello vaibhav6215

While your acads, target GMAT, extracurricular show potential, it would help further if you can mention more around key achievements in your career.
ISB will look at your story rather than a laundry list and will evaluate your profile on all the factors mentioned here.
Career goals look realistic and organic and if you achieve your target GMAT score you definitely stand a fighting chance.
Needless to say success will depend on how well you put together your written application.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
GMAT Score Predictor
info@mbakarma.com

hello GoonerForever

Your past acads are decent and if you can get a 730+ you have a strong chance at getting an interview call.
ISB will look at your profile holistically on factors mentioned here.
I say this because Your international work ex will help (however do mention your progress and achievements), extracurricular look interesting (provided you have stories behind them).
That takes care of Academics, Work Ex and Diversity. But the most important element- Career Goals is missing. What are your career goals and why is an MBA an absolute necessity to reach these goals? Without this your profile/application is incomplete (the second essay very clearly asks for an answer). You could add to your career goals research by reading this.
If you can get the said GMAT score and tie your career goals well you stand a fighting chance.
Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
GMAT Score Predictor
info@mbakarma.com

Hello Kryptographer,

Considering you belong to an over-represented pool of IT applicants, you must aim for a score of about 730. Of course, the higher the better.

Having said the above, the GMAT is only a component of the application and while it is very significant, your chances would also depend on the kind of essays you craft, as well as the career goals you put forth. Further, please do ensure that your career goals are in line with your experience and seamlessly fit in. Particularly, focus on your leadership potential as well as the diversity you will bring to the ISB class.

Should you feel the need for a detailed discussion, please do reach out.

All the best!

Hello nick1481

Kudos to the detailed post.
First of all let me assure you that your academic scores are not as bad as you think they are.
Simply put, I feel with a 720+ in GMAT (something you are seeming confident of) you could stand a chance of getting an interview call.
Remember that acads are just one part of the overall profile which is judged on 6 admission factors mentioned here.
That said, I believe your years of work ex is slightly on the lower side. Not a deal breaker but you will have to show more maturity and achievements in your essays- something I feel your are looking strong at.
Your extracurricular activities look impressive to say the least, but you should identify just one or two stories to tell in the diversity essay. So pick the right one carefully.
All said and done, your worry is not academic scores at all but getting a good GMAT and putting together a strong application.
Shortlisting and speculating over other schools is a completely different discussion, which requires a deeper 'qualitative' understanding of your profile.
Should you feel the need to discuss your profile further, feel free to reach out.

Best
Varun Sharma
+919137133507
Free Profile Review
MBAkarma.com
GMAT Score Predictor
info@mbakarma.com

Hi GoonerForever,

Thanks for your query.

First things first...your international exposure, academic background, leadership experience, as well as your diverse extra-curricular interests will certainly help your case immensely.
Thus, if you score upwards of 730, you should have a very strong chance of bagging an interview call.

However, the GMAT is only a piece of the puzzle and a lot will also depend on the career goals you portray in your essays and how you showcase the MBA to fit into the entire scheme of things. Hence, a set of logical goals, wherein the short-term and long-term goals sync in with your existing experience will be tremendously important in building a strong case for you.

Should you feel the need for a detailed discussion, please do reach out to us.

Good luck!

Hi Vaibhav

- Generally, you should only be calibrating yourself for the real thing through GMATPrep tests, as they mimic the real exam most closely. Kaplan is slightly harder than the real thing, though, so a score of 720 there would mean you are on track for higher. Still, verify through taking GMATPrep tests, if not done already.
- To your other query, the prestige of the undergrad college does help. If you are from one of the older IITs (D,B,K,K,M,G,R,BHU) you will get credit for that as ISB does note that in admissions evaluations.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Hi nick1481

ISB will be a good fit for you. Beyond that, would need to understand your preferences to tell you options. Feel free to contact directly. Here is our assessment on your profile and candidature for ISB:
- As you realize well, the academics part (less than 60%, one back) can be an issue, and you should try to make up not merely by touching the 700 mark, but by going well beyond. Target 720+.
- Your work experience at ZO as well as in the broadband venture in Bihar look good. A lot will depend on how you can leverage these in your essays, as they are a bit unconventional. Your plans to get into Edu-Tech will need more thought, as your background so far, through entrepreneurial, is not really aligned to education, and convincing ISB of an ambitious goal such as this will not be easy. Your MBA needs to be more than an upgrade, and so the goals part needs more thought.
- Your ECA part is excellent. SSCBS as your undergrad institution will help when mentioned on the app. Your 10th marks are great (matter less) and the 12th ones aren't messed up, but not outstanding either.
- Overall, focus on your GMAT right now, and then ensure you have enough time to build and put in a strong application because there are some unusual elements in your profile that will need thinking to be leveraged well (can be done, though!).

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.