HEC Paris Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi All,

Glad to come across such a thread. I too was looking for a profile review while I look to apply to HEC.


I am Aditya, a Chemical Engineer from a Tier 2 Indian engineering college. My undergrad GPA is 2.83(scale of 4). I have a GMAT of 750(Q50, VA41). I have 49 months of experience working with Agilent Technologies as a Key Account Manager in the Lifesciences industry. My primary responsibilities include Business Development and Client Management, majorly from the pharmaceutical industry.
On the extracurricular side, I have been a sports player since school being a part of the cricket team in school and college. I have been part of various student clubs in college involved in event management, photography, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Aditya

Hi, Aditya25Parmar

Thank you for sharing your profile.

First, I would like to congratulate you on backing a stellar 740 in your GMAT. That’s quite exceptional, so kudos on that! Coming to your GPA, it’s low for HEC; however, it’s manageable! Your GMAT score, along with a bit more about your overall statistics and information about any additional courses, certifications, and academic accolades, would be more than enough on the academic front. Alternatively, you can draft an additional letter justifying your reasons and providing other stellar examples of your academic brilliance.

49 months of work experience is good enough to apply for any B-school. Being in the business development and Client management program, you would need to highlight your key roles and responsibilities. The adcoms would also be interested in knowing the impact and revenue generated from your end. Any major promotions, if achieved, should also be highlighted during your work tenure.

HEC looks for diversity in a candidate; considering the extracurriculars, being involved in sports and college events seems a bit generic and is mostly at the college level. Therefore, I suggest adding some relevant community & NGO work and presenting these activities strategically; you should definitely do better for your portfolio on paper. Hence, it would help if you elaborated on your ECAs; that should help start an interesting conversation between you and AdComs. Furthermore, I suggest you go through our article on Significance of ECAs for MBA Application, to understand the importance of drafting exemplary ECAs essays! Moreover, you do need a relevant post-MBA and define both short-term and long-term goals and convince the admission committee that your future goals are appropriate, and bring about Collinearity in your post-MBA goals.

Overall, you have a competitive profile and a chance at HEC. However, it would help if you worked on your ECAs and GPA, and finally, be extremely clear on how an MBA can help you reach your goals and mention your motivation/driving force, your aspirations, and ultimately, why you think it’s a good choice for you to go for an MBA now. You have the relevant skills to be successful! Hence, If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to your target MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Webinar- R1 vs. R2: ideal-round to apply alongside gmat prep

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com”

Hi everyone,

I intend to apply for the second round of HEC PARIS/ ESSEC / ESCP mim 2023 and my profile is pretty low:
1. I graduated this year in economic and financial engineering with a grade of 12,87 in the French system which should look like 3.4 in the us system
2. I speak 3 languages : French , English and Spanish but my mother tongue is French
3. I had 6 months of tutoring in an academic structure in my university and I intend to make 2 months of internship in the accounting department in a local firm.
4. I traveled a bit in my country and after my graduation I created an economic review online as extracurricular activities.
5. I plan to ace GMAT test with a 730+ score.

I feel my profile very low for a mim in HEC PARIS 2023. Please what advices can you provide me to boost my profile?
Thank you all

Posted from my mobile device

Merging a profile request topic. Thank you.

Hi,

21yo / female
Glad to come across such a thread. I was also looking for a profile review while I look to apply to HEC-Yale.

I would like to apply to M2M HEC-Yale, what are the GPA and GMAT score required ?

The main issue is that there are only 25 people accepted per YEAR…

I got 740 on the GMAT and 3.2 GPA at McGill U. I haven’t finish my studies yet and can increase my GPA to 3.4 maximum. Do you think that is too low to get in ? Should I try to get like 760 GMAT to counterbalance my “low” GPA ? What do you think?

I am studying Information Systems (IT for business) and Strategic Management.

I had a 3-month internship in a famous asset management in Europe. I am really engaged in blood donation and is an outreach associate of the McGill Students Blood Donation Association, as well as an ambassador and a regular donor. I am part of 7 clubs, reflecting all of my interests.

I am an associate in a famous finance club too. I interned 6 months in an NGO as a marketing and communication intern in Montreal. I also accepted a job offer from a famous asset management firm in the US (BGC). Also, I am French (from Caribbean) and American. I live in Canada and visited 30+ countries. I speak basic Chinese, basic creole, Spanish, English and French.

Also, I have taken 2 online courses from the Wharton business schools and got 93% at both. I have the Bloomberg market certificate and often participate in national case competitions across Canada.

Posted from my mobile device

The class average for the M2M is 714 while you have a 740 GMAT score- way above their class average. I would not recommend putting in any more effort on that beast, however, scoring a higher GPA sounds a better utilization of time. Even if in case you do not land up attending the M2M program, a higher GPA will help if you apply to b-schools a few years down the line. Ans in no way is your current score "low".

Your experiences so far sound like you have plenty of skills b-schools look for in applicants- leadership and volunteering experience, impactful projects, and most likely, a work exp at a great company by the time you matriculate. Your international experience/ orientation is also pretty outstanding for somebody your age.

Analyzing these aspects of your profile further, i would say you would have the potential to get into top global MBA programs even later, once you gain some work experience (not that HEC / Yale don't fall into that league already).

Anyhow, to cut things short, you have a lot going in your favor. All the best to you for the applications.

You have a GMAT score of 740, which is much higher than the M2M class average of 714. I wouldn't advise putting in any more work on that beast, but getting a higher GPA seems like a better use of your time. Even if you do not wind up enrolling in the M2M programme, a higher GPA will be beneficial if you later apply to business schools. Your present score is not, in any way, "low."
Your past experiences sound like you have a lot of the qualities that business schools want in applicants: leadership and volunteer experience, involvement in worthwhile projects, and most likely, experience working for a great company by the time you graduate. Additionally, you have a very strong world perspective and experience for someone your age.

Taking a closer look at these components of your application, I believe you have the potential to get accepted into top MBA programmes throughout the world later on, after gaining some work experience (not that HEC or Yale don't already qualify).

Anyway, to cut to the chase, you have a lot working for you. I wish you luck with your applications.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hi, gabster3456,

Thank you for your post!

First of all, commendations for backing a splendid GMAT score. Moreover, your GPA looks decent! However, as you are aware of the limited seats, I would suggest adding a tad more about your overall statistics and information about any other courses, certifications, and academic accolades to your profile, to gain an advantage academic front!

Furthermore, The M2M program is intended for students immediately out of college or with less than three years of work experience; hence, a major focus would be on internships, ECAs, and academic brilliance! Hence, it would be crucial for you to demonstrate significant learning, skill0set development, and leading opportunities and must specifically mention instances where you worked above and beyond your role! Additionally, highlight any global exposure as it’s essential to the overall application.

Your ECs could be an asset to you. However, the way you present them now seems quite generic! Therefore, you need to work on your ECs to help your profile get a unique blend. For instance, I suggest you go through our article on Significance of ECAs for MBA Application, to understand the importance of drafting exemplary ECAs essays!

Overall, you have a robust profile and a good chance of getting into M2M. I know it’s highly competitive, but then again, around 96% are international students, with more than 52% being women candidates. Moreover, being part of 7 clubs, visiting 30+ countries, and speaking several languages is not something we see quite often! Hence, if you’d like, we’d be happy to get on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your possibilities in more detail and properly address your worries. We’ll be pleased to help you and make your profile stand out more. Feel free to submit your profile here for a FREE profile evaluation & to get additional benefits.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Strategy Manager
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com
Visit our website www.mbaandbeyond.com for more MBA resources.

Hi,

Nationality / Age:
Armenian, 21, female

GMAT/GRE Score:
GMAT: I haven't taken it yet, but I'm aiming for 700+

Educational Background/ GPA:

Bachelor of Linguistics(French and English) in the top-20 universities in Russia (the university is well recognized in Russia, but unknown abroad). GPA-4.9 out of 5 (with honors). Top 5% of graduates.
Semester abroad at the best university in Eastern Europe, received a full scholarship.

Work experience:
Data Analyst at the largest agro-industrial holding in Russia.
Teaching assistant at the university course "Business Communication in French"
Private tutor (English/French)
Also worked in the family business.

Languages:
I am bilingual (Russian and Armenian). Fluent in English and French. Also basic level of Latin (fun fact). I also plan to take the DELF exam.

ECs/Volunteering:
Member of several university clubs (intellectual club, case club)
Volunteer at the Buddy Club (organized many intercultural events for international students, helped in the study of the Russian language).
Class president for a year.
Volunteer in organizing educational events for children from the orphanage.
Volunteer of the Armenian Society in my city.
Organized classes for writing resumes, motivation letters, cases for passing job interviews for my classmates.

Some notes:
Since I have a liberal arts background, I don't have any quantitative classes, I'm planning to go to LSE summer school or take some online courses from b-schools.
I’m graduating in July 2022, but I plan to apply to schools in September 2022, so I have enough time to work on my application.
Also I visited 20 countries:)

Master program(s) you are applying to?:
MiM programs.
Dream-HEC-Yale M2M.
Also LBS, LSE, Imperial, Warwick, Duke, UMich, Bocconi.

Post-MS Targets:
Consulting

I am graduating in July 2022, but I plan to apply to schools in September 2022, so I have enough time to work on my application. What are my chances of getting in and how can I maximize my application in 9-10 months? Thanks in advance!

Hi Arluiza,

A Yale SOM alum myself, I have 50+ recommendations from real LinkedIn profiles for my services from a diverse group of accomplished people, from HEC, LBS, INSEAD, Duke, LSE, Oxford, Cambridge etc to name a few.

Your profile looks great for your targeted programs. With a GMAT of 680+, you should also be in the comfortable zone, although given your liberal arts background a 720+ may even get you top scholarships.

Please ping on my LinkedIn, and schedule a 1:1 discussion to answer your questions and assess your profile. While the recommendations for my services on LinkedIn come from students across US, Europe, Asia and Canada, many other students wary of showing their association impacting their scholarships have also expressed their readiness to connect with potential aspirants looking for advice.

Hope that helps.

Hello!
I'd like to have my profile evaluated:
23/Female/Indian/Telecom
Schooling: CBSE 92% -overall/ 94.6%- PCM (Awarded Scholarship from school)
UG: B.Tech (Electronics and communication Engineering), G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (Pantnagar), 7.6 CGPA (76%- Absolute grading system)
Work Ex: 2yrs at Reliance Jio (Telecom sector giant in India) - I work in collaboration with Intel (from the US)
GMAT: 690 (V38/Q47)
IELTS: 8 (R-8.5, W-6.5, L-8.5, S-8.5)
International Exposure: completed 4-week internship from Singapore at a product-based startup company
Extra-curricular: Member of a dance crew in college (certificates of competitions we won).
Sponsorship and fundraising coordinator at college's Cultural Bureau.
Organized Fests and several co-curricular events at University
Volunteering ex: Volunteer at National Association for the Blind
Prior volunteering experience at National Service Scheme

Looking at MIM Programs from good business schools like NUS, Warwick, ESSEC, HEC Paris etc. Suggestions on other B-schools are most welcome.
Thanks in advance!

Hi vatsdevanshi

From the perspective of HEC Paris, I believe they have a hard cut-off at 2 years of work-ex for their MiM programs. Would encourage you to double check that.

Good luck!

Hey,
I confirmed the same from HEC's admissions team last month. They have a hard cut-off at 3 years of work experience.

Strange, that does not match what I was told by a member of the MBA admissions teams. But, since you've confirmed it with the admissions team members looking after the MiM program specifically, what they have told you is definitely more accurate. I am a little confused about the 3 years specification "at the time of application" or "at the time of matriculation" - maybe that's where my confusion is coming from. Thanks for letting me know either way, I can be cognizant of this update if I get any more questions.

Cheers!
VV

Your GMAT score looks satisfactory. You lack work experience, but it is not necessary to have work experience for MIM.

Since you seem very interested in pursuing MIM at HEC Paris, here let me give you an overview of the eligibility criteria for dating MIM at HEC Paris:
The HEC Master in Management/Grande Ecole Program (MiM) is open to high-level applicants of all nationalities with little or no professional experience who: hold a bachelor's degree of at least three years with 180 ECTS in any field of studies (engineering, social sciences, sciences, arts, etc.). Applicants may apply during the same year that they receive their degree.
French language proficiency is not a requirement for admission.
Here is the list of documents that you require during the application process:
Degree certificate(s) or current certificate of enrolment
A one-page résumé (CV)
All official up-to-date academic transcripts (exchange programs included) and official GPA
GMAT or GRE, or TAGE MAGE official test score report (only one test is authorized)
English language proficiency test score report (TOEFL or TOEIC or IELTS or Cambridge)
Copy of Passport or ID card
Two completed online reference forms (a professor should fill out at least one)
Passport-style photo in .jpg or .jpeg format only. Sized such that only the head and shoulders are visible and taken within the last six months to reflect your current appearance.
The plus point of your profile is that you already know French, so that you might get a pass.

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hey, Let me start by saying that you have a great profile with an ample amount of work experience and a perfect GMAT score for top-B schools abroad. Your experience is very relevant to the degree you wish to pursue, which is MBA, and I am impressed with the leadership you have demonstrated in different job profiles all over these years of your corporate career!
Talking about your chances, you need not worry if you haven’t gained much international exposure yet, Your CV is good enough even with domestic exposure, plus you have done a good amount of community work which is a cherry on the top for your CV.

Here I am listing some basic requirements you must fulfil to get into HEC Paris -
Applicant must have completed an undergraduate program at an accredited university
IELTS minimum score 7/ TOEFL minimum 85
Work Experience - Minimum: 24 Months
At least 2 years of work experience is required for an MBA
The ideal candidate has between 2 and 10 years of professional working experience.

I hope this helps!

If you need more help, we'd be happy to setup a call and give more pointers on how to improve your profile and the right schools you should target.
You can setup a call via this link:
https://bit.ly/3DSH5km

Hi All,

I am Arpit and planning to Apply for ‘23 intake for HEC Paris. I know I am very late in the process but working on multiple fronts to make my application count.

Here is my profile

27 year old Male, Indian

GMAT : Not given yet. Expected score 700 based on the mocks. Online GMAT exam scheduled on 20th Jan
Undergraduate degree : B. Tech in Metallurgical Engineering and Material Sciences from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay(premium engineering college in India)

10th: 9.4/10
12th: 86.4/100
UG: 6.9/10(I didn't focus much on studies but have got many internship experiences)

Work Ex : 5.5 years in 3 different jobs

1. Analyst at a UAE based micro VC firm - 1 Yr
I was interning here during college and then joined the firm full time right out of UG college. Worked there for almost an year(including college time) learning about startups and interacting with many founders. After an year, I realised that I'll need some real industry experience and hard skills, hence moved on to work in data science field

2. Data Scientist in Revenue Management Dept at a LCC airline based out of India- 3Yrs
RM is a field in Operations Research and involves both commercial and technical acumen. Here I worked with a lot of data, learnt python, did some good amount of coding and built a lot of automation tools for the airline. In the first year of my 3 year stint here, I built a dynamic pricing algorithm which manages the complete pricing of airline's tickets leading to 15% increase in the cash flows. The covid stuck during my second year here and all the projects got stalled and the airline went into cost-cutting mode. That's when I went on to work at my startup in stealth mode

3. Co-Founder and Technical Lead at a startup(an impact oriented IT and Data Science consultancy firm serving govt and private clients)- 1.5 Yr:
This experience has been the most challenging and I learnt a lot of things encountered by entrepreneurs. Developed 3 innovative products from scratch and managed the IT infra and tech team budget. Oversaw a team of 10 engineers and data analysts along with multiple IT and data science projects while maneuvering the company through the challenges posed by government clients(delayed payments, mismanaged client expectations, low understanding of tech). Managed the flagship product of the company. Went through all ups and downs of the startup where we had to do salary cuts and even let go some of the team members due to performance issues.

Co curriculars:
1. An avid player of table tennis having played and won state level tournaments
2. Travelled across lengths and breadths of India(thanks to my free airline tickets)


Spikes that can distinguish this profile from others:
1. Aviation operations research experience where I developed something affecting the top line of business directly
2. Humbling startup co-founder experience
3. Experience working in the impact sector with multiple govt and police officials
4. Premium institute UG degree(if that counts at all)
5. Varied experience of finance(VC and CFA L1 attempted), aviation and Govt IT consulting

Post MBA Goals -
A career that remains relevant to consumer psychology while staying in touch with technology world, work for a b2c company in leadership position in the short term and eventually start a company some day

Please share your analysis. Also, I am open to any questions you might have

Suggestions also required on:
1. Whether this is the best college suited for my profile. If there's any other college that would suit more(I'll be posting the same profile for analysis in some other univs thread too)
2. Given my current level of preparation(No GMAT, no essays, short Round 2 deadlines), can I still apply for a top college and get an admit OR should I opt for next year(2024 intake) with full preparation. Although I don't want to delay MBA by 1 year, this will remain my last resort in case I don't get a top college
3. Any suggestions for essays are most welcome

Thanks in advance