Profile evaluation needed

Question

10th - 84%
12th - 95.5%
BTech - EEE - 83%

Work experience - SW engineer . 5 years (Fortune 100 company)
Indian

GMAT score - 680 (Q49 , V 33)

Target schools:
UCLA, NYU Stern, Cornell, University of Cambridge

Extra curricular activies:
- President of college association
- Community work at government schools

Can get strong recommendation letters from my managers.

Does my application does have any chance for the universities mentioned??

ColorMeOne · Answer

There is a lot more to the profile than hard numbers so there is always a chance. However, for a typical IT candidate profile the competition is severe and unless you have some super credentials, most of the listed schools might be difficult. Cambridge is in your reach.

A good strategy is to choose schools across a range. Also a lot depends on how your goals fit in with what the school can offer.

Good Luck!

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thinkadmit · Answer

Hi gmatblues,

Dissecting the elements of your profile:

Acads: Your 12th % is awesome. But average undergrad GPA and GMAT score kills it. 680, though a good score is low for Indian applicants, all the more for applicants from Indian IT.

Still, as the previous poster mentioned, a lot depends on subjective factors that go far beyond numbers. The quality of your experience while showing a balance of leadership and technical skills to show professional maturity and readiness for an MBA. In addition to leadership skills, it is highly desired that you show a focus on career goals and form a coherent story to clarify the need of an MBA that connects to your skills and experience.

All the best for your apps. Feel free to call us if you want to discuss in detail.

gmatblues · Answer

Thanks for evaluating the profile. The undergrad percentage is not as bad it looks. I was one of the college toppers. And the university topper has around 91%. I agree that my score is not competitive especially considering the IT background. Thanks for your inputs.

FutureWorks · Answer

Hi,

In general most of the Indian applicants are from engineering background with a good 4-5 years of work experience. So you would need to differentiate yourself from others. Start thinking what makes you unique and what’s that ‘hook’ that will be key to your application. Make sure you follow the ‘show rather than tell’ principle so that the admissions committee could really understand your strengths and differentiating factors Although it is not just the work experience that counts but also what you did there like-what were your achievements, what initiative you took, what changes you drove in your workplace etc. So you need to ensure that in 4 years of work experience you have demonstrated the skills business schools are looking for. This could still put in a strong set of essays for you. 
1. Also looking at some of your desired school class profile: Fall 2011 NYU: 680-760: average GMAT 719.
2. 2010-11 UCLA : Middle 80% range GMAT scores: From: 680 To: 750 with mean score 710
Hence you would need a stronger gmat score to make into the desired schools. All the best

Profile evaluation needed

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