SCrimson wrote:
Hi
I am an Indian female with an engineering background. I will be applying to B schools in US this year for a two year MBA program. I am looking for a profile evaluation so that I can find the best fit and shortlist schools that I have a chance of getting into. I hope to specialize in Operations/Supply Chain/Consulting. Please evaluate my profile for UCLA.
GMAT: 720 (49Q/40V)
GPA: ~3.63 (9.08/10)
Degree: B.Tech(Information Technology) from VIT University,Vellore
Experience: 2 years in an IT firm as a software developer ( 3 years till I join the program)
Extracurricular: I have some experience working as a volunteer for various events in college , serving as an NSS volunteer, etc. But I don't have any experience in professional leadership/managerial roles. Some experience in managing office events and display of good leadership qualities within the team.
Please evaluate my profile so I know if I should try for UCLA or there is no chance of getting an admit at all ?
I would give you a general tip rather than delving into the profile evaluation (which lacks lot of data and I guess is not even my area of expertise).
A b-school experience is 2 years away from work with you spending most(
read all) of your earnings (assuming you worked mostly in India over your 3 year stint). I would say you have to clearly analyse your strengths/weaknesses in your application.
Strength: If one worked in SW development for say a supply chain client then it is a strength when you want to specialize in that domain.
Weakness/Mismatch: All I have done in my life is around clothing boutique, fashion design but now I want to move into Oil & Gas post MBA with no prior experience.
You have understand
your fit and then zero in upon your b-school list. You are the best judge.
Having said that you can consider the following factors (Alphabetical order) to rate each b-school you're looking at and then find the final weighted list. This is a very quantitative way of getting things done.
Culture of the cohort (Though many don't consider this).
Focus area of b-school.
Location/Proximity to your target job/internship locations.
Ranking
Recruiting industries.
Start following the b-school blogs, interact with student representatives, attend the events in your city and/or virtual sessions.
Regarding scores, work-experience: Most of the adcoms look at your profile in a holistic way.
You can find the last 2-3 year cohort stats (from school page) and find where you fall in the bell curve. This gives you an understanding of what you need to work on to improve your chances.
Extra-curricular: Difficult to grade, closer and quantifiable impact you've created the better it is.
All the best for your journey...