Profile Evaluation (High GMAT Score) - US and Canada

Question

Hi Team,

I would like you to evaluate my profile and provide a brief feedback in terms of chances for an MBA program.

My Profile:

GMAT Score: 690, 770

Education: B.tech in Biotechnology from one of the leading engineering institutes in India. A GPA of 8.7 on a scale of 10

Work Experience: As of now, I have about 3 years of work experience. I have worked for 2 years with a business research firm in its Life Sciences vertical. I even got a promotion during my stint with the firm. Then I moved to a mobile value added services provider in its product division. There were three reasons for this shift: a) To gain cross-industry exposure b) To get a better leadership role (i was appointed as an assistant product manager) c) To get a hands-on experience of implementation

Extra-Curricular Activities: a) I started a dance club during my graduation and also participated in a lot of Inter-university dance competitions and won prizes b) I was member of the University dramatics and cultural society 3) I was member of an event organization team and took various initiatives during my stint with previous organization d) I have volunteered with an NGO

Achievements: a) Awarded meritorious scholarship during my graduation b) Awarded several recognition awards during my employment

Post-MBA goals: Leveraging my pre-MBA experiences (business research and product management) across healthcare and technology, and business knowledge gained from MBA, I want to work in product strategy/marketing for a healthcare technology firm or with the healthcare technology arm of a management consulting firm.

My Questions:
a) Looking at my profile, please let me know the kind of b-schools (US and Canada) that I should target (that are accessible and that help me achieve my post-MBA goal)
b) I will arrange my fees either through a loan or scholarships. So please let me know some good b-schools in the US and Canada, where I stand a good chance, if any, of getting a scholarship or funding

Please let me know in case of any details or clarifications.

Regards,
rasharma

mbaMissionMili · Answer

Hi Rasharma,

Thanks for sharing your profile. I think it's quite interesting - very strong academics (770 GMAT! Congrats!), great (though varied) professional experience, and strong extracurriculars during undergrad. Seems like you've been less active since finishing college - that is probably your biggest weakness (not sure how active you are or were with the NGO).

Given your interest in healthcare/technology and consulting, I'd suggest you look at programs like Wharton, UC Berkeley, Kellogg and Duke. You could also look at Vanderbilt (as a safety). I'd think you'd be quite competitive at Duke - the others are definitely reasonable shots, but can never be guaranteed. As for scholarships, it's difficult to say, but it's more likely at the less competitive programs (e.g., Vanderbilt).

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks,
Mili

Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
 https://www.mbamission.com 
 
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rasharma · Answer

Hi Mili, Thanks for such an insightful evaluation. The crisp and to-the-point analysis has provided more value than I had expected :-)

However, as you may have noticed, I have worked across industries, i.e., healthcare and telecom. I want to ask whether consulting companies prefer an individual with cross-industry experience (comes from the thought that consultants usually work across industries before specializing in a particular industry) Regards, Raghav Sharma

mbaMissionMili · Answer

Hi Raghav,

I wouldn't say that cross-industry experience is a prerequisite or even a preferred quality for consultants post-MBA. You are correct that consultants often work across industries; however, consulting companies are more interested in your approach to problem-solving, your teamwork skills, and your leadership/client-facing capacity. It's really about mastering a way of thinking or a way of approaching a problem, and being able to apply that methodology (perhaps tweaking slightly as necessary) to any industry or function you come across. They aren't hiring people because they are experts in any particular area -- in fact, it's usually because they are experts in thinking and problem-solving, and can adapt their approach to situations/environments they've never seen before.

An MBA equips you with this framework for approaching business problems. Case studies and case interview practice, consulting clubs, etc. will all prepare you further.

I hope this answers your question.

Best,
Mili

Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
 https://www.mbamission.com 
 
Read the  mbaMission Insider's Guides  (16 individual school titles)
 
Download  mbaMission’s Free Personal Statement Guide 
 
Visit the  mbaMission Blog 
 
Follow mbaMission on  Twitter

rasharma · Answer

Hi Mili,

Again an insightful and a crisp response. Thanks a lot:-)

Actually I have a confusion related to this point. I shifted my job from business research to product management (in telecom industry) about 8 months back. I really liked my profile in business research, but I wanted to work in a product-based company for exposure and devising go-to-market strategies.

However, in the first 2-3 months, I realized that I didn't like the work profile. Though I took initiatives to changes the processes, the senior management was immune to changes. Also, this profile is not adding any value to my short-term goal of consulting.
Now I am getting an opportunity to shift my job and get back to business research in my previous firm. But my concern is that in the next few months I will start writing applications, and how will I show this shift of mine. 
On the other hand I feel that I should go for a profile I like. Also, this profile will provide me with a learning experience to strengthen my profile for management consulting.
Please let me know whether changing a job at this time will hamper my chances of getting into a good b-school.

Thanks in advance.
Regards,
rasharma

mbaMissionMili · Answer

This is a tough choice. I really can't answer one way or the other as it's a personal decision. As far as the MBA applications, it will be tough to explain a shift back to what you were doing before. However, as for your personal journey, I'd only say, making decisions that don't make you happy in order to obtain an MBA will likely not be a successful strategy. It will probably show in your application that you aren't excited about your choices and could be a disadvantage.

Good luck!
Mili

Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
 https://www.mbamission.com 
 
Read the  mbaMission Insider's Guides  (16 individual school titles)
 
Download  mbaMission’s Free Personal Statement Guide 
 
Visit the  mbaMission Blog 
 
Follow mbaMission on  Twitter

Profile Evaluation (High GMAT Score) - US and Canada

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