Profile evaluation for ISB

Question

Hello there,

I am planning to apply for ISB this year for Co'26. Really appreciate experts' evaluation of my profile!

10th - 10/10 CGPA (CBSE) - 2015
12th - 92% (CBSE) - 2017
B.Tech - NIT Surat - 8.83/10 CGPA - 2017-2021
GMAT Focus - 675

Work Experience - 
16 months in Analytics/Pharma Consulting in ZS
15 months in Risk Management as a Risk Analyst in Amex - If relevant, got fast-track promoted

Past Internships -
Reliance Group - 2 internships in Pet-chem industry as well as in Jio

Achievements:
Multiple awards in both companies 
99+ percentile in JEE Mains (pretty old)
Governor Awardee in Bharat Scouts and Guides (pretty old)
Held positions of responsibility during college days and work

Extra-curriculars :
I like to read and learn what is relevant & beyond my work (technical or business knowledge upskilling)
I also like to read and learn about investing and finance.
I also love writing and watching movies and series.

admitStreet · Answer

@gmatnil - interesting profile. Some thoughts: 1. Your GPA/ acads and undergrad pedigree are good. GMAT looks fine, assuming the Q/ V/ DI split was balanced? 2. Analytics consulting firms (e.g. ZS) are typically feeders for ISB. Your switch to risk management (Amex) would make for a good narrative. Would like to understand your career goals post MBA (i.e. target sector/ function) and how the MBA (and particularly ISB) would help you get there. 3. ECs sound interesting. Would like to understand deeper your involvement in these activities, and how you grew as a result. Having a good mix of professional and personal angles is crucial for impactful essays. Check out here for some guidelines and best practices for ISB essays. Feel free to reach out if you'd like support on your application journey. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

Goalisb · Answer

Your profile is strong academically, GMAT wise and professionally. You can focus on engaging in opportunities to enhance leadership or impact through some current extracurriculars or volunteering work.

Focus on clearly communicating how ISB will help you achieve your career objectives. Ensure your essays are well thought out and communicate your potential contributions to the ISB community.

All the best!

MBAGuide · Answer

gmatnil without knowing what you want to achieve with an MBA, it is difficult to assess your chances of admission. You have a good academic record, but you already know that. The GMAT has room for improvement, because based on the experiences and transitions you mentioned, I cannot pinpoint what makes you a strong candidate. Maybe there is more to it. Why you switched from healthcare consulting to financial services is important to understand the big picture of your goals. How would you describe your career progression from year to year and how you have been given incremental responsibility based on your performance? I am inclined to believe that you probably need some more experience and a higher GMAT score for ISB. The way you present your application will have a big impact on how the adcom perceives you. Use anecdotes from your personal and professional life to illustrate your leadership skills. Show how you have motivated teams, driven projects, achieved desired results, resolved conflicts with persuasion, influenced management decisions through keen observations and insights, and created value for your team and the organization as a whole. Highlight your willingness to take action and your conscientious decision-making skills. Everything I recommend about ISB applications to my applicants Worried about your odds at the Top Business Schools? get personalized advice tailored to your unique circumstances. Reapplying? Get a free ding analysis Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

gmatnil · Answer

Thank you for your input!

1. Yes, the split is balanced.
2. I would like to pursue consulting, and I am only targeting MBBs of the world. From Analytics Consulting (ZS) to Amex (where I am in a Risk management team, we consult other internal teams on Risk Management and provide solutions to mitigate those risks; the work here is also consulting because it works on the same model of clients, problem-solving and funding involved to keep our team going!)
3. The ECs I have mentioned don't seem that impressive to me, to be honest. I would like your thoughts on whether joining an NGO over weekends can help strengthen the profile. I have been indirectly creating impact via donations, but I would like to be a part of a bigger impact and help drive my story.

Cheers,
gmatnil

gmatnil · Answer

Hello,
Thank you for your input!

I want to pivot my career into Consulting (MBBs of the world) and, hence, an MBA. Noted that GMAT can be improved, might give a re-test. Thank you!
ZS was more of an analytics consulting than strategy consulting, as I would've wanted it to be. When I switched to Amex, my goal was to understand the business nuances of the Financial services domain. The team I am part of here in Amex is also based on a consulting model where we internally consult other teams on risk areas and help mitigate the same. Again, Noted that I might need more experience. I was hoping to give it a shot to ISB this year, and if I can convert it - I will request a deferment and get some MBB consulting experience before joining the institute.

Thank you for your input on applications.

gmatnil · Answer

Thank you for your input! Appreciate it.

IVYCRACKERS.COM · Answer

Hi! I believe you have a solid profile for ISB. Acads are certainly great, but what stands out is your diverse experience in a short period of 31 months. You have explored both Consulting and Risk Management, and they will certainly give you a competitive edge. I won't suggest you to use your extra-curriculars and achievements as in your case they won't give you an edge. However, you can consider JEE percentile but yeah it's quite dated now. I would suggest you to think about stories that you will use in your essays and how you will articulate them in your essays and interviews (this will be the deal-breaker for you). Along with this you will need to have a really solid "Why MBA", "Why ISB", and "Why now" answers. We have mentors from ISB and a few of them are on ISB admissions interview panel and essay reviewing committee. Feel free to book a 30mins complimentary call with them. Visit www.ivycrackers.com to check the profiles of our mentors .

Gaurav07 · Answer

Hi All, 
I am planning to apply to ISB for the Co'26. Would really appreciate the evaluation of my profile and recommendations if any.

10th - 87% 
12th - 75% (Commerce) 
Graduation (Media and Advertising, KC College Mumbai, 2022) - 9.12/10 CGPA

GRE - 318/340

Work Experience -

1. Dentsu International (10 months) - One of the big 4 advertising agency networks in the world. 
Clients - Tata Motors. Worked on marketing launch strategies for digital and mainline advertising campaigns. Executed high-octane campaigns for the SUV segment. Worked on crucial outdoor strategies.

2. Leo Burnett, Publicis Groupe (7 months, currently working) - World's biggest advertising agency network. #1 of the Big 4.
Clients - Bajaj Commercial Vehicle and Bajaj International Business. Worked on advertising campaigns for Bajaj 3-wheeler domestic and international business. Studied about various international markets (target audience, spending patterns, consumer behaviour etc) where Bajaj exports (Tanzania, Mexico, Nigeria etc) along with the domestic markets.

Will complete more than 2 years in the industry by 2025.

Past internships - 
Multiple advertising and PR agencies.

Achievements - 
Research paper published in the college journal. 
Elected organizational director for college fest. 
Won best contingent leader while representing college at various events.

Extra-curriculars - 
Learnt French till A2 (intermediate) from Alliance Francais de Bombay.
Took a course in filmmaking from FTII (Pune) (May 2019) 
Written articles in famous film journals
Volunteered for various college events 
A diploma in graphic design (2019)

Would really appreciate if someone can take a look at my profile.

IVYCRACKERS.COM · Answer

Hi Gaurav! You have a unique background which can give you an edge, but can create difficulties as well (you gotta be super careful and clear about your post MBA goals). Your undergrads is good but GRE is little low in comparison to the average. So, I would honestly say that you should try and improve GRE score (or take GMAT). A score of 325+ on GRE and 675+ on GMAT will be beneficial for you. Your extracurriculars are impressive, but 3 of them are dated and the French one might not be really relevant if you have not made use of it lately. The research publications and articles will certainly give you slight edge. To summarise: 1) Improve your GRE score to 325+ or GMAT score to 675+ 2) You will have to think about "Why MBA", "Why ISB", and "Why now" and articulate it well (you may get a question - IIMB is really good at marketing, then why not that?) We have a few mentors on our platform who are also on ISB admissions interview committee. You can book a 30-mins complimentary call for detailed profile evaluation. In this call, we can discuss in details about your goals, your overall ISB strategy, and what you should do about point no. 2. Visit www.ivycrackers.com to check out the profile of our mentors .

admitStreet · Answer

@Gaurav07 - Given your lower work-ex (~2.5 years) compared to ISB's average (~4-5 years), the GMAT/ GRE score will play a big factor in your application. Would suggest a retake (or switch to GMAT) to increase your odds. At this point, this should be your priority. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

Goalisb · Answer

Strengths of the Profile:

1. Grades: You have an impressive academic record, particularly your graduation CGPA of 9.12/10.
2. GRE Score: A score of 318 is good but a higher score would be helpful for you as at ISB the average GRE score ranges around 328​.
3. Work Experience: You have worked with leading market players and international markets. This experience is important because it demonstrates your practical skills.
4. Leadership and Achievements: Well demonstrated - as you have been an organizational director for college fest highlights leadership and in addition, published a research accentuates analytical skills and initiative taken by individuals.
5. Extracurricular Activities: Languages, filmmaking journalism graphic design reflect diverse interests but also round off personality making it well rounded.

Recommendations:

Boost Quantitative Profile: It may be helpful if you can show strong quantitative abilities therefore consider taking additional quant-focused courses or better still a retake on the GRE for the  ISB PGP  application.

Broaden Professional Experience: It would be advantageous by the time of application to have more than two years’ work experience continuing building upon current roles seeking new projects or responsibilities which demonstrate leadership impact cross-functional teamwork etc. However it is not mandatory. A deeper evaluation would be required here. Feel free to  get in touch  with us if you want to discuss.

Ensure clarity while stating career objectives and explaining how will help achieve them.Good luck!

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi there  Gaurav07

I hope you are doing well. Applying to ISB's Co'26 cohort is a great goal, so let's see how you can stand out.

Your academic background shows strong improvement. While the 10th and 12th percentages might be on the lower side, your stellar 9.12 CGPA in Media and Advertising from KC College Mumbai demonstrates a focus on your chosen field. The GRE score of 318 is decent, but aiming for a slightly higher score closer to the average could strengthen your application.

Your work experience at Dentsu International and Leo Burnett, two top advertising agencies, is impressive.  Having experience with clients like Tata Motors and Bajaj showcases your exposure to diverse brands and marketing challenges.  Highlighting specific campaigns you worked on and their results would be impactful in your application essays.

The internships in advertising and PR agencies provide a solid foundation in your chosen field. Consider if any specific projects from these internships can be woven into your application to demonstrate your early initiative and skills.

Your achievements showcase leadership and initiative. Publishing a research paper, being elected organizational director, and winning best contingent leader all demonstrate well-roundedness.

The extracurricular activities paint a picture of someone with diverse interests. Learning French and taking a filmmaking course demonstrate intellectual curiosity beyond your core field. Volunteering and a graphic design diploma showcase well-roundedness and a willingness to learn new skills.

Overall, your profile is strong, particularly your work experience at top agencies. To get a more in-depth analysis and personalized feedback on how to best present your experiences, I highly recommend scheduling a free profile evaluation call with ISB alums and current students. They can provide invaluable insights based on their own experiences and give you specific pointers to strengthen your application.

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A FREE PROFILE ANALYSIS SESSION WITH US.

Best of luck with your ISB journey!

MBAGuide · Answer

Gaurav07 hope this finds you well. I see immense potential in exploring the marketing and advertising experiences that will give you a positioning advantage in the ISB admissions process. Please note that sometimes marketing folks can fail to convey the real impact of their work especially if they come from more traditional sectors like automotive etc. They often only cite enhancing brand value through launching campaigns as their major accomplishments. From a b-school point of view, marketers should have a better sense of how your actions such as campaigns translated into sales and other tangible metrics, but most importantly how their messaging targeted respective marketing channels and impacted traffic. Write deep stories for the essays with human sentiment at the core but do not miss the big picture behind the objective of an MBA. You are a relatively young applicant for 1 year MBA, however, if you give yourself some more time to enhance your profile you could grab projects and professional opportunities that add a new dimension to your portfolio. If you missed having this realization earlier, the profile enhancement would need to show as a take-off point in your career graph depending on your goals. For example, in a strategic role in a startup or in consulting where you get hands-on experience in the building blocks of businesses, negotiate an international assignment, or get into beginner roles in an industry you want to break into post MBA. I feel there would be no dearth of opportunities for someone young and ambitious. Feel free to connect and discuss your case directly Get personalized advice tailored to your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process. Reapplying? Get a free ding analysis Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

ISBmantra · Answer

Hi Gaurav07 You have experience with two well-respected advertising agencies (Dentsu & Leo Burnett) and have worked on diverse projects. Highlighting quantifiable achievements (e.g., campaign results, increased brand awareness) would further strengthen your profile. Your GRE score of 318 is not competitive among your pool of applicants, we would strongly advise you to write the GRE again or attempt GMAT. Wishing you all the best! Regards Team ISBMantra http://www.isbmantra.com

FLY.reachout · Answer

Dear  Gaurav07 ,

I want to begin by highlighting the strengths evident in your profile that can give your application a distinctive edge in the admission process. Your diverse work experience, particularly your tenure in advertising with a leading automotive company in India, stands out prominently. Furthermore, your current role has provided you with invaluable exposure to international markets, adding a layer of depth to your professional background.

Academic Considerations

While your professional journey showcases commendable achievements, we must address some considerations regarding academics. Your academic performance, while not lacking, falls within the realm of average. Additionally, the GRE score you've provided appears to be lower than what we typically see among successful applicants in our experience.

Recommendations for Improvement

We strongly recommend considering a retake of the GRE exam. A score in the range of 325+ would be more aligned with the caliber of candidates who have succeeded in our programs. Alternatively, if you feel more comfortable with the GMAT, aiming for a score of 645+ in the focused edition could also significantly strengthen your application.

In summary, with a slightly improved test score and well-crafted admission essays, we firmly believe you can significantly enhance your chances of securing an interview invitation. We are genuinely eager to delve deeper into your profile and provide comprehensive assistance throughout your application journey—from refining your essays to guiding you on letters of recommendation and preparing for admission interviews.

Our Support

At Team FLY, we are a collective of ISB alumni dedicated to supporting prospective ISB candidates like yourself with profile positioning, essay critiques, and interview preparations.

Please feel free to book a 15-minute free session for a detailed discussion with us:  Calendly Link .

Warm regards,

Team Fly

LinkedIn:  Reachusfly

heisenberg1010 · Answer

Hi everyone!

Just want to know, what are my chances of getting into ISB?

Academics and tests 
1. 10th - 94.3%
2. 12th - 92.8% (gold medallist in school)
3. B.E. - 8.43 CGPA
4. GRE - 324 (Quant - 170, Verbal - 154)

Work experience (4 years until now) 
1. I was at an NASDAQ listed software company for 1.5 years as an engineer (6 months of internship during my final year of B.E., and 1 year as an FTE), where I worked with some big international customers (was the highest paying job in college and was the only one to get selected)

2. Currently, I work in the family business which is into technology products and services. I started off as a generalist, dabbling in all departments right from supply chain to tech to support. For the past year, I've been on the management team and overlook sales, marketing, and ops (for big projects). Some notable achievements -

I've led some of our company's biggest projects, ensuring on-time delivery and high customer satisfaction 
 Part of the core team that built two tech products  
 Responsible for bringing in most of our enterprise customers in areas like renewable energy, logistics, and new-age companies 
 Directly brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales

Extracurriculars 
1. I'm the co-founder of two foundations - one of them is community upliftment focused through which we do events/activities like blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, etc. The other one is cultural and we organize festivals on a large scale.
2. I'm also part of a startup community as well where I've contributed a lot.

Why I want to do MBA? 
I've been in the family business since pretty early in my career. I've learnt and done things mostly in the realms of the business, while bringing in some of my own ideas. I feel like I'm stagnating and want to kick things up a notch and break into uncharted waters. And, being part of different groups and working & interacting with people from different industries/backgrounds showed me how much I  don't know . I want to get exposed, unlearn, and learn again. I eventually want to come back to entrepreneurship and the business.

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hey,  heisenberg1010

Your profile is really impressive! You’ve got a great mix of strong academics, diverse work experiences, and meaningful extracurriculars. The leadership roles you’ve taken on in both corporate and entrepreneurial settings, along with your commitment to community service, show the qualities that ISB values in its students.  It’s great that you’ve provided solid reasons and explained why you want to pursue an MBA, which is truly impressive.  Just make sure you craft an impactful application that will impress the AdComs.

By clearly defining your goals, you can create a solid link between your current background, the skills you’ll gain at ISB, and how they will help you reach your short-term and long-term aspirations. This clarity will really enhance your application, showing that you have a thoughtful plan for your future career path.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions regarding your profile.

Sudher_Srinivas · Answer

EDUCATION

GMAT FE 655
Mechanical engineering - 7.6 gpa

EXPERIENCE
May 2023 to May 2024
Artificial Futsal Turf Business
Co-founder
• Managed daily operations of a futsal turf business in xx; increased customer footfall by 50% and revenue by 35% month on month in the first 3 months.
• Implemented an online booking and payment system, reducing manual booking errors by 90%.
• Established partnerships with 2 local football clubs for training 25 children, increasing revenue by INR 2 lakhs per year.
• Achieved a 4.6/5 average customer satisfaction rating on online review platforms such as Google, based on 150+ reviews.

Oracle, Bengaluru, India
Staff Consultant Oct 2022 to Mar 2023
Core member of Technical Team managing few of the largest Oracle deployments across the globe.
• Led technical expertise on various end-to-end implementations of cutting-edge Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technologies including requirement gathering, designing, coding, testing, and support.
• Single-handedly developed comprehensive training modules and imparted online training to 40+ Oracle consultants who joined as freshers, enabling a faster learning curve and increasing their project-readiness.
Associate Consultant Aug 2019 to Sept 2022
Part of Technical Team managing reporting and data integration
• Led a 4-member team to design, develop, and implement Taleo - Oracle Recruiting Cloud System, enabling client to onboard onto cloud systems from legacy software; reduced client onboarding cycle time by 40%.
• Contributed in a 4-member team to an Innovation Portal (IP), helping consultants, globally, re-use pre-implemented solutions to reduce turnaround time by 80%; increased client satisfaction and aided revenue increase by 30%.
• Contributed to various Robotic Automation projects internally leading to increasing data migration speeds by 40%.

ACHIEVEMENTS
• Received Ace Consultant Award in Q1 of 2021 for overall delivery excellence for an Australian pension fund company project, which helped in new software implementation at a rate which saved the client a month’s worth of billables.
• Received Ace Consultant Award in Q4 of 2021 for resolving a longstanding pain point for an Ethiopian Shipping client, enabling them to perform employee onboarding 50% faster.
• Led a 3-person team to secure strategic and monetary partnerships worth INR 2 Lakhs+ for college race-car team.

PRO BONO EXPERIENCE
• Taught school children; volunteered for food and blanket distribution drives organized by xx. 2019 to 2023
• Led 3 beach cleanup drives in 2 beaches in xx drawing 60+ participants; collected 180+ kgs of trash. 2021
• Fostered 25 stray dogs. 2023 to 2024

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
• Competed in SAE SUPRA race car building competition, and helped in setting up the 1st racing team at college. Aug 2019
• Published Aqua Silencer, a patent pending project in IEEE journal; reduces air and noise pollution by upwards of 20% through cost-effective filtration systems using lime water and charcoal.

Mainly targeting ISB, SPJIMR and top schools from UK, Canada and Australia.

Could i plz have a profile evaluation, for my chances at ISB, and what other top schools can be considered.

ISBeacon · Answer

Few questions  Sudher_Srinivas

1) Which college did you graduate from and when (2019??)
2) What are you doing now?
3) Motivation for MBA?
4) How much were you scoring in official mocks in GMAT and how long did you prepare? 
--
Ashish.

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