Profile Evaluation for ISB

Question

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to ISB PGP for the upcoming cycle (Class of 2027) and would be grateful for feedback on my profile. I’m aiming for Round 1 submission and would love thoughts on how I stack up against the applicant pool, and areas I should double down on in my application.

Basic Details

Age: 27 (Male)
Location: Bengaluru, India
Nationality: Indian
Total Work Ex at Matriculation (Apr 2025): ~5.5 years
GMAT/GRE: Targeting 710+ (Prep in progress; strong Quant background)

Post-MBA Goals

Short-Term: Transition into Product Leadership roles in tech-first companies (B2B SaaS, HRTech, EdTech)
Long-Term: Step into CPO roles or Founder's Office in a product-led org; eventually build my own product

Academic Background

Class 10 (CBSE): 10 CGPA
Class 12 (CBSE): 94.4% (Top 2 in school)
Undergrad:
- B.E. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological University
- GPA: 7.28/10 | Top 5 in class (Final Year)
- Final Year Project funded 50% by Karnataka Science & Technology Ministry
- Research paper published (JETIR, 2019)

Work Experience (~5.6 Years)
B2B HRTech Enterprise | Founding Product Manager (~2 years)

Spearheaded new product verticals from 0→1
Led revenue growth via assessment products (₹1 Cr+)
Built AI-proctoring & question engines, improved user funnel via A/B testing

EdTech Startup | Associate Program Manager – Founder's Office (~8 months)

Improved user engagement/NPS in flagship career accelerator program
Onboarded 30+ expert mentors in 3 weeks
Transitioned out due to role redundancy and scope change

Aon Consulting | HRTech Consulting & Talent Assessments (~3 years)

Designed high-stakes assessments for APAC enterprise clients
Delivered $3M+ revenue impact; led consultative delivery and framework optimization
Fast-tracked to Assistant Manager in <2 years
Created a 2000+ item cognitive item bank with 99% accuracy

Leadership & Extras

Rotaract Club (Founder & President): Led 10+ fundraisers; social impact initiatives
College Fest (Event Lead): Managed ₹10L+ sponsorship revenue
Awards:
- New Client Win Award | Fast-track Promotion
- Project Team of the Year | Client Delivery Excellence (2x)

Would Love Feedback On:

Where do I stand vs. the typical ISB PGP applicant pool?
How can I best showcase product thinking, impact, and pivot in my essays?
Given my goals, is it worth applying to IIM A PGPX / IIM B EPGP as well?

Thanks in advance for your time!

— Harshit

EducationAisle · Answer

710+ would be a  truly exceptional  score (99th percentile), significantly boosting your chances.

P.S. It would be Class of  2027 , by the way.

mithileshk · Answer

Your profile looks good!
You will get into ISB if you get a 645+ GMAT score!

admitStreet · Answer

harshitbadiger008 - your academics, work-ex and extracurriculars present strong angles. With a strong GMAT score (ideally 665+), your profile would be competitive for ISB. It would also be crucial to have a strong narrative covering your experiences, career goals, and how/ why an MBA fits in at this juncture. You could check out this article for some tips/ insights on how to approach ISB's essays for the last intake. Lastly, given your goals, it would be advisable to also consider applying to IIM A/ B/ C. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Request a free profile evaluation W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi harshitbadiger008 I have been speaking with a lot of product managers/ aspiring PMs which led me to write my thoughts on The Death of Generic Product Management Goals : ISB , please have a look and see if you resonate from the applications point of view About your profile: I hope that there are signs of career growth progression. That can be the single most important thing that can take you past the finish line in a competitive admissions cycle. Beyond your first job, you largely remained in the startup space, which shows your risk-taking ability and an entrepreneurial mindset. But at the same time, more than showcasing just product management skills and knowledge, you should focus on how you identified the needs of the business and then built solutions around them. Many aspiring PMs/PMs fail to express that they indeed have a role in evaluating the optimum direction that the business must take, and instead, they present a very execution-heavy MBA pitch, which then makes it difficult for them to stand out in a sea of tech-savvy applicants. You ask about how you fare in the ISB pool. I would say how you speak about yourself will largely determine that. The adcoms look to you to tell them what you have to say about the strengths of your profile. You need to unpack your experiences and reconstruct your stories to demonstrate that working on business-oriented projects in your current or previous startup has equipped you with direct engagement with leadership, hands-on experience, experiential maturity, and the ability to contextualize business problems specific to your area of work, better than many profiles applying with similar age and experience. Admissions officers have a weakness for applicants who are, in the well-traveled term, "passionate" about pursuing their dreams. It is only human to respond to enthusiasm. ISB will use the essays to make an indirect assessment of the quality of your mind and thought process. Do you think critically about the problems in your company or industry? Can you craft a compelling case that links your past, your goals, and your respective target schools? What is your unique story and motivation, what are you trying to solve? Q. Given my goals, is it worth applying to IIM A PGPX / IIM B EPGP as well? Yes, I would very much suggest applying to both these schools. The career outcomes are on PAR with ISB, and for certain demographics or age groups they may even be better. Wondering how your profile stacks up? Get a free profile evaluation and discuss a tailored MBA plan that aligns with your goals. Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  harshitbadiger008 ,

A 675 on the GMAT will give you a good chance. Further, it would be a good idea to apply to IIM A, IIM B, IIM C. It will only help you balance the risk.

All the best!

LilacBuds · Answer

Hey @Harshit,

Profile Evaluation: ISB PGP

Academics  
 
   10th/12th scores:  Stellar. These benchmark well above most applicants.  
   Undergrad (VTU, 7.28/10):  Slightly below the median for ISB but offset by top-5 rank in your class, government-funded project, and a research paper. Address the relative grading scheme if possible in the app.  
   GMAT/GRE:  If you hit 675+, which is important as an "overrepresented" Indian male applicant.

Work Experience (Quality & Quantity)  
 
   Duration:  5.5 years at entry—sweet spot for ISB PGP (avg is 4.5-5 years).  
   Quality:

Founding PM experience in a startup is gold, especially with 0→1 product builds, AI involvement, notable revenue impact.  
  Aon experience has reputable brand, quantifiable business outcomes, and accelerated promotion.  
  Short EdTech role: Typical for startups; position it as a calculated risk/learning exp. Address proactively in essays/interview if asked.

Leadership:

Fast-tracked promotion, awards, delivery recognition, and managing large sponsorships point to potential.

Extracurriculars  
 
  Rotaract founder and president is above-average for tech/product applicants, who often lack sustained ECs.  
  Social impact and event management round you out.

Career Goals and Alignment  
 
  Product leadership for tech/B2B roles is a strong ISB outcome, especially given your PM experience, and decent alignment with ISB’s network.  
  Ambition for CPO/founder roles: Realistic and authentic with your trajectory.

Where You Stand vs. ISB Pool  
  Strengths:  
 
  Diverse HRTech + EdTech + Consulting + PM experience.  
  Solid academics, extracurriculars, career progression.  
  Quantifiable business impact (revenue, efficiency, client engagements).  
  Demonstrated leadership and initiative.   
  Potential Gaps:  
 
  Undergrad GPA slightly below ISB’s  average , but can be mitigated by context/top rank and national-level project/paper.  
  Standard GMAT (target 685+ if you feel you can with some effort—helps ISB's rankings & your odds as a “typical” Indian tech male).  
  No international exposure (many ISB candidates have global work exp), but, for a 27-year-old, not a blocker.   
  Standing:  
 
   Above Average  for most ISB PGP applicants.  
   Highly competitive  if essays/interview are strong and your GMAT is 675+ and GRE is 326+.

Should You Apply to IIM A PGPX / IIM B EPGP?

IIM-A PGPX / IIM-B EPGP Fit  
 
   IIM A PGPX : Median age/experience is 8+ yrs (most admitted are 30+, 9-12 years of work ex, often with global roles).  
   IIM B EPGP : Median is ~7-8 years, typical range is 5-12 years. Your experience fits the lower end.  
   You will be younger than peers and the median, especially for IIMA. However, 27-28 year old. with 5.5 years is not a total outlier for IIM B.    
  Odds & Considerations  
 
  Your profile is better suited for ISB PGP (you align with the target demographic).  
  At IIM-A PGPX, you would need to clearly demonstrate why you are mature enough for a "Senior Executive MBA" program—the admissions team wants candidates who can contribute with experience at scale/seniority.  
  IIM B EPGP may be a reasonable “reach” option if you love the school (but ISB is a stronger fit; larger class, more post-MBA product/tech focus).   
  To Summarize:  
 
  ISB PGP should be your main focus (highest match/alignment/odds for your profile and goals).  
  Apply to IIM B EPGP as a stretch; only apply to IIM A PGPX if you have a strong reason and compelling senior-leadership experience to articulate.  
  You may also consider  global 1-year MBAs  like Oxford, LBS, or INSEAD—your age, ECs, and work exp align well with their median.

In case you need any help, we can do 1:1 profile diagnostic call.

Best 
 Rajiv Ganjoo 
 Founder CEO 
 LilacBuds 
 www.lilacbuds.com

FLY.reachout · Answer

Dear  @ harshitbadiger008 ,

Let’s evaluate your profile from the different lenses of  academics, work experience, extracurriculars, and test score , based on what you’ve shared so far.

From an  academics perspective , you’ve performed decently—your  school scores are strong , and while your undergrad GPA is modest, the project funding and research publication add depth to your academic profile.

Your  work experience is certainly a highlight ,and showcases a  diverse set of responsibilities early on in your career , which is a big positive from an application perspective. You’ve had exposure across product development, user engagement, and consulting, which speaks to both breadth and depth in your career so far.

Extracurriculars-wise , you clearly have some  strong impact stories  to put forth in the application, which will help back your personal motivations and qualities as an individual.

From a  test score perspective , a  score of 655+ in the GMAT Focus Edition  would be the cherry on the cake for your profile and would place you well within the competitive range.

Comparing your profile against the typical applicant pool at ISB—your  academics are around the average , while your  work experience and extracurriculars are where your profile shines .

To  showcase your product thinking, impact, and pivot in your essays , we believe you already have the right ingredients within your work experience. You’ve seen products from both the perspective of  new product development  and  hands-on work with user engagement (which led to improved NPS and engagement) . This, when armed with a  business perspective through a B-school education , can realistically help you pivot into the roles you’re aiming for.

Given your expected years of work experience, you’ll be  close to the median work ex  of the ISB PGP cohort. Also,  considering your career stage , applying to  IIM A PGPX or IIM B EPGP  makes good sense—these programs attract candidates with similar experience levels and tend to offer  strong career outcomes for an already accomplished peer group .

We’d be happy to speak with you further to  brainstorm and explore how to present your profile most impactfully , and how an MBA can serve as a  launchpad for your aspirations .

At  Team FLY , we are a collective of ISB alumni dedicated to supporting prospective MBA applicants with  profile positioning, essay reviews, and interview preparation .

Please feel free to  book a 15-minute free session  for a detailed discussion with us:  https://calendly.com/reachusfly/15min 
With warm regards,
 Team FLY 
 www.teamfly.org

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