Profile Evaluation needed

Question

GMAT: 730 (97%) 
Btech Eng from V.J.T.I College, Mumbai India 

Work ex : 6 years as of fall 2007 
3 years as a Module leader 
3 years as a Software Engineer 
4.5 years in Infosys Technologies Ltd. 
1.5 years in Patni Computer Systems Ltd. 

Achievements: 
Accademics 
1) Won 4 national level tech competetions (including tech fest at IIT Bombay) 
2) Published my dissertation work at SAMPE (Society of materials and process Engineering) and was invited to michigan university anarbor for a presntation. 
3) We do not have GPA but a class sytem (first,second,pass and fail) 
I have recieved the highest class possible i.e. first class 
I not only won prizes but also motivated my peers and juniors to do the same. Have brought this out effectively in my essays 

Also brought out clearly in my essays are 

1) Work in first Company (Patni computer Systems) 
As a self initiative I volunteered to senior management that i will reduce the testing effort throught the organisation by being an abassador for automated testing techniques. I created training programmes, workshops and trained a nd motivated projects to implement my tehniques. i ahve a user rating of 4.2/5 

2) Work in second Company (Infosys technologies ltd.) 
1) Got MVP award for productivity enhancement initiatives in troubled projects which also lead to my promotion 
2) Worked in a variety of IT projects for clients in varoius industries and geographies 
3) Examples of motivating team members of different ethnicity and back grounds 
4) International Experience (Worked at client sites in Japan and UK) 
5) Examples of starting initiatives like Quizzes as a tool of effective knowledge dissemination and how it became a trend in my project 
6) One of my essays describe How i As a testing team lead used humor with tact to salvage a project in trouble

Strengths focussed on in all my essays are Public speaking and motivation and analytical abilities

What I really do not have and could not write about is my community service and social responsibilities. i really dont have any apart from monetary contributions 

I am applying to 
HBS,Stanford,MIT,columbia (Early decision), chicago,tuck,insead,queens, Haas berkeley, Wharton, Carniege Mellon (tepper)and LBS 

Please evaluate my profile and mention which collges I have a strong go at.

venky1979 · Answer

Also I have chosen recomenders who really know me and my achievements well
1) One who is my immediate line manager and was my annual perfomance review appraiser and my recomender for my promotion
2) The other one was my immediate line manager in both my previous and current company.

PaulBodine · Answer

Venky1979,

You have an impressive profile but also three major negatives: lack of community leadership, lack of direct managerial experience, and a profile (Indian, male, IT) that is extremely common and fiercely competitive (highly qualified). The very best schools can afford to cherry-pick from among stellar applicants like you to find the most "interesting" (unusual) ones; your profile will not help you stand out in this regard.

I think HBS, Stanford, and Wharton will be extreme longshots. CMU and Queen's might come through for you, but the others will be tough. You didn't mention post-MBA goals so I can't mention alternatives, but in general I think you should aim a bit lower in the rankings.

Good luck,

venky1979 · Answer

How do You suggest that I improve my profile
I have formal leadership of managing teams and effectiing change in organnisation my role requires me to manage team or play client facing roles

Within 2 more years i will become a Project manager by designation and will grab roles equivalent in that time period

So do you suggest that I wait for 2 years?

I want to study in ultra elite

Dont I have a good chance in columbia early decision now?

venky1979 · Answer

Should I retake GMAt
With 6 more months of dedicated study i can hope to get 770+

PaulBodine · Answer

Venky1979,

You don't need to retake the GMAT; 730 is high enough. You also don't need to wait for 2 years. You sound like you are in the 28-year-old range, which is the prime MBA age. If you have formal managerial responsibilities then you appear to have sufficient managerial experience (I didn't see that initially). You will still have two negatives: lack of extracurriculars and a profile that -- at least from what you've told me -- will not strike the top schools as terribly *unusual*. I don't think it makes sense to wait to get more community experience, given your age. You may just want to go ahead and make the best application you can with your current strengths. Perhaps give the schools a very powerful personal or family essay to show your human side and thus compensate for your lack of community/social impact. 

Applying to CBS early decision improves your odds, but you're still talking about one of the most selective programs on the planet, so your odds still look long to me. But if your heart is set on an "ultra elite," go ahead and apply but perhaps apply to all of them to increase your odds.

Good luck,

venky1979 · Answer

Thanks a lot for the advice

PaulBodine · Answer

You're welcome.

Profile Evaluation needed

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