ISB Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi alia24

- Product management in the media industry is always interesting. If you have some digital experience as well, then that is a further plus. You certainly will tick off the diversity box for ISB.
- ECA seems pretty good as well too.
- Your acads (college) are average, and you have an MBA already (part-time, but an MBA nevertheless). You will need to explain the need for a second MBA and demonstrate strong analytical skills with a 680+ (and 700+ to put yourself in a safer zone) GMAT score. If you can get there, you have a good chance.

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

Hello peeps.

Requesting a kind soul to critically evaluate my profile too.

I am a 26 year old (male) Chartered Accountant.

On completion of my CA in Jan 2015 i continued my work in the Dead Advisory department of a Big 4 for 2 years approx before moving on to a boutique deal advisory firm where i worked for approx. 2 years. During my stint at Deal Advisory, I practiced tax and regulatory along while ensuring commercials are not disrupted. Few marquee projects I have handled/worked upon include:

a. Pre-deal IPO structuring of a USD 1.5 Billion dollar Indian company. (Had extensive meetings and discussions with the top management to understand the commercial complexities involved which were dealt later in a tax and regulatory efficient manner) (Note - we head on faced and solved each problem we were able to get our minds on)

b. Deal advisory and structuring of a INR 1100 crore investment (Included negotiations and discussions with two large PEs over a period of 6 months. Provided extensive learning on how to negotiate and effectively communicate on the deal table)

Present stint (since the past 3 months) - working at my family CA firm and also acting as an advisor to a CBSE school. Reason for shifting out of deal advisory - the department seems fixed on a province and I donot see myself working solely at M&A transactions after 5 years. Further, at my own firm, I am undertaking audits, GST, etc. which i believe every CA should have working knowledge of that was missing at M&A. To add more, acting as an advisor to a school is an eye opener for me as it involves streamlining the operation and strategizing. One key event I have advised and implemented include:

a. Helping stablise the transportation facility for students along with the principal and the bus contractor - student safety being paramount, evaluating assumptions and circumstances to check any flaws in the bus system. Further, presently, reviewing the system on an ongoing basis to detect and solve any flaws.

AIM OF DOING A MBA: Leadership quotient + all around development through a General MBA + Understanding the global context of education and the possible opportunities that may lie ahead in the field of education.

SOCIAL OBJECTIVE: Being able to provide world class education to students of all background.

GMAT score - As per current practice tests, hoping 700+

Class 10: 86%
Class 12: 85.4%
BCom: 83%
CA: Cleared in Jan 2015

Hi Riturajj

- Your work pre-2019 is pretty solid. Deal advisory, structuring, and M&A are all aspects which will stand you in good stead with ISB.
- Your academics are pretty good, and the fact that you are a CA helps further (ISB tremendously values that).
- The key challenge for you will be explaining the move to your family business, and that too at a point just before applying for an MBA. While we understand your need to broaden your skill set to audits and tax advisory, this is not a requirement from a career point of view. Plenty of CAs have solid career without getting into audits and tax advisory - in fact, many of them prefer it that way. Go through this article on CAs and the MBA as well, as it may provide some useful inputs.
- The CBSE school work is also nice, but it is more of an activity than a serious professional detour. Again, it is very recent, so will get you limited credit.
- At the moment, the goals, the way you have expressed them, are way too generic. You will need to define them much better and specifically. As noted earlier, for you, expressing not just the need for an MBA, but the need for an MBA now will be critical.

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

Hi Riturajj

We have seen over the past few years that the race for CAs has become quite competitive and you have to be mindful of this when you write your application. There are some good positives in your profile: Your experience with the Big 4 as well as with the boutique deal advisory firm is definitely relevant for a PGP applicant. Your achievements stand out too. A 700+ GMAT will also put you on the right track. The current stint with the school will make a great impactful extracurricular story.

Where you should focus: Look up a few alumni from a CA background and follow their career trajectory. You will see that Consulting and Corporate Finance are probably the most taken routes. See what fits well with your interests. Since you have already joined the family firm, you will also need to position your move in a way that it aligns with your short term and long term goals.

We can have a detailed discussion once your GMAT is done. Feel free to reach out.

Hi raul1706

The good news for you is that Merchant Navy profiles are an absolute hit at ISB and later on at recruitment as well. The not-so-good news is that it is extremely competitive as more and more candidates apply each year.

We have often seen that Merchant Navy candidates often struggle to communicate their experience and their goals in a manner that would differentiate them from other candidates with a similar background. This should be your focus area when you apply: How are you different from your peers?

Answer this well and your battle is won!

PS Please also ensure you apply to the IIM A/B/C Executive MBAs.

Hi Praharsh96

- You should go for R1. You have around ~11 months in your current role, and that is decent exposure. With your overall credentials, you would have a chance.
- Sports marketing may be tough going out of ISB. Media firms may be a possibility. Your goals will need a bit of further thought and expression.

Hi prernak19
- Very interesting profile overall. You have pretty much everything that ISB looks for. It will be more a matter of translating it into a solid app.
- If you do achieve the 750, it will open you up for multiple other top schools as well, around the world. For ISB, for a profile like yours, even a 700 would be competitive (though of course, you should go higher and not stop at 700).

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

Hi sugamsindhi
- Your work experience is quite interesting. Service operations management, some aspects of category management etc. are all significant positives. The concern in this regard, though, is that you have resigned. Please try to get back to a role soon. Unemployment at the time of application/interview (if selected) can be a negative.
- Your academics are quite good but try to pair with at least a 700+ GMAT here.
- The ECA part seems a bit weak. While you have some activities in college, these might not differentiate you too much in the ISB applications process.
- CAT and GMAT together can be quite a handful. Make sure you segment them well - get one (GMAT, as the deadlines are earlier) done first.

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

Hi! I'm planning to apply for the YLP program and any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Female, 23 years
Zero work experience

My major subject in undergrad was Botany but I've studied 4 papers of Economics as a minor. Plus, I've taken up two courses of Economics - Global Political Economy and Poverty and Inequality, in my postgraduate studies.

Class 10- 10 CGPA
Class 12- 92% (PCMB)
Graduation (Botany Hons)- 8.811/10 CGPA (Delhi University North Campus college)
Post Graduation (Biotechnology) - 9/9 GPA (till first year) [I'm trying really hard to maintain it]

ECA-

(Undergraduate)
Best Student Award
Academic Excellence Award
Highest Scorer Award
RCB National Science Day Debate Topper
Member of Literary Society
Winner in many inter college sports events such as carrom, volleyball.
Participated and won many MUNs

(Post graduate)
Academic Excellence Award for Highest Grade in First Year
Member of Designing Committee for Abstracts Book for South Asian Biotechnology Conference 2019
Designed the logo of the college department
Curated art exhibition in college
Winner in many intra-college sports events such as table tennis, cricket and volleyball.

(School)
City Topper and State Topper (Rank 3) in National Science Olympiad
Winner of MP State National Children's Science Congress
Winner
Achievements in essay writing, debate, painting and sports.

Hobbies: Painting, Reading books, Singing, Playing ukulele

I'd like to do an MBA because I'm looking forward for a major career switch. I want to work in the corporate sector instead of the academic field. That being said, I'd like to use my knowledge of the subject till date to try and seek newer solutions to whatever problem is served to me.

I'm planning to take the GMAT in August 2019 and I'm aiming at a score of 720+.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi ak21

Your profile looks pretty good for the YLP, but YLP admissions for this year's intake are already underway. You can apply next year (2020 March) for Round 1.

Hi

Can you please share your thoughts on my profile -

Age - 24
Work experience - 3 years (as at date)

Profile - Actuarial domain. Currently pursuing actuarial science with 11 of 15 papers cleared from IFoA.

International exposure - spent around 8 months on secondment in UK

Educational background -

Mathematics honors (batch 2015) with aggregate of 91% from DU

12th - 90.4% (non medical - 2012)
10th - CGPA 9.6/10 ( batch 2010)

Extracurricular activities -

Office - Organising Team events in office
College - taught at an NGO, member of organising committee during department festivals and named student of the year

Accomplishments at office - Gem award, Managers award, annual award and an award received from the UK team during secondments.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Anshlla
- Your acads are very strong, and your actuarial work will give you an excellent background in mathematical analysis and modeling.
- On ECA, except the NGO work, the other things may not count for much. The foreign experience, though, helps (as professional exposure).
- Actuaries are niche professionals in their own right, so you will need to clearly explain the need for an MBA at this stage, especially as some actuary exams are still pending for you.
- As of now, though, focus on the GMAT as that is first.

Yep! That should be your numero uno priority right now ak21. Everything else fill follow thru.

Good luck with your GMAT!

Well, this aim needs to be thought thru, discussed, and IMHO, significantly revised:).


Where did this come from? Applicants need to slightly step down from idealism to realism.

See if you can reappear in GMAT raul1706, though your current score is also not a no-go. However, since we still have time before the deadline, this would be best utilized in the re-attempt. Any score upwards of your current score will add to strengthening of your already decent profile.

You have an exceptional Verbal score, but a not so sterling Quant. Any chance/motivation of re-attempting GMAT? You have your task cut out.

You UG college and your academics vouch for a great profile. GMAT score is the only average component in your profile (YLP is quite competitive).

Would suggest you take a shot at GMAT again. How hard can GMAT Quant be, with your profile?

Decent profile Akshat! Make sure your goals strongly align with your 3 years of work experience in the field of core operations. ISB offers a specialization in Operations; make sure you highlight this in your essays and also articulate how you would benefit from the various courses in Operations concentration.