Forum Home > GMAT > Quantitative > Problem Solving (PS)
Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Dec 1511:00 AM EST
-11:30 AM EST
Meet Tuck at an informal student or staff-hosted coffee chat in a city near you!
Dec 1408:00 AM PST
-11:30 AM PST
Join us for an exclusive Admit Weekend designed to help you navigate the exciting yet challenging process of choosing between multiple MBA offers and provide valuable guidance on financial aid, scholarship negotiation, visa processes, and more.- Dec 16
08:00 AM PST
-11:59 PM PST
GMAT Club 12 Days of Christmas is a 4th Annual GMAT Club Winter Competition based on solving questions. This is the Winter GMAT competition on GMAT Club with an amazing opportunity to win over $40,000 worth of prizes! - Dec 18
10:00 AM PST
-11:00 AM PST
Here is the essential guide to securing scholarships as an MBA student! In this video, we explore the various types of scholarships available, including need-based and merit-based options. 
Dec 2007:00 PM PST
-08:00 PM PST
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
Dec 2111:00 AM EST
-12:00 PM EST
Save 20% on your subscription to onTrack by mbaMission, a first-of-its-kind on-demand MBA application experience. Use code 20OFFDEC until Dec 31!
Dec 2109:00 PM IST
-10:00 PM IST
Dreaming of a successful post-MBA career? Explore the 2026 career pathways in consulting, tech, finance, and dive into the exciting opportunities and the potential ROI these industries offer, helping you make informed decisions and more.
TheGuyDangerous
Current Student
Joined: 10 Sep 2019
Last visit: 11 Dec 2022
Posts: 137
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 59
Location: India
Concentration: Social Entrepreneurship, Healthcare
Schools: Fuqua '24 (D) ISB '23 (A) Darden '24 (D) Johnson '24 (D) Kenan-Flagler '24 (I) McDonough '24 (S) Tepper '24 (S)
GMAT 1: 680 Q49 V33
GMAT 2: 720 Q50 V37
GRE 1: Q167 V159
GPA: 2.59
WE:Project Management (Non-Profit and Government)
Products:
Schools: Fuqua '24 (D) ISB '23 (A) Darden '24 (D) Johnson '24 (D) Kenan-Flagler '24 (I) McDonough '24 (S) Tepper '24 (S)
GMAT 2: 720 Q50 V37
GRE 1: Q167 V159
Posts: 137
Kudos:
35
20 Mar 2020, 00:47
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hey Experts,
I would love to have feedback about my profile!
Will be applying for R1 this September, 2020.
Background: Indian Male
Age: 24 (At the time of Matriculation)
Education: B. Pharmacy (Hons.) from BITS Pilani (Top 10 institutes in India)
CGPA: 6.49/10
GMAT: 680 (Q49, V33) in my first attempt. Will be giving it again in the next 30 days. Aiming for a 740+
WE: 3 years (At the time of Matriculation)
Current field of work: Public Health; Public Policy
First 19 months:
- Worked at Tata Trusts in the National Nutrition Mission in Rural Andhra Pradesh (a south state in India) converging the district Health, Women & Child, Education, Water & Sanitation Departments to help reduce Malnutrition in 0-6 yr old Children, Pregnant & Lactating women.
- My work required me to do field visits, build capacity of field functionaries and advocacy for the District Magistrate.
- Two of my initiatives was featured in the Tata Trusts quarterly magazine on National Nutrition Mission.
- My immediate boss was a Harvard Grad (Law) (- now into philanthropy) and is ready to write my LoR.
Second 17 months:
- My work in rural Andhra was recognised and I was offered a role (as a Program Officer) in an organisation that is working on micronutrient fortification of staple food in India under the same National Nutrition Mission.
- This organisation is a Canadian NGO and works closely with the other International Development partners for Fortification of Foods in India. That means I get to work with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Global Allianz for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP),World Bank, Tata Trusts, Nutrition International (NI), PATH etc
- The South East Asia office (the one I work at) has only ~4 employees - means I get more exposure in multiple projects.
- My boss is the South East Asia co-ordinator and was previously Head of Department, Department of Community Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He’s also the recipient of multiple awards including ‘Public Health Champion’ by WHO - and is ready to write my LoR.
Extra Curricular:
- Was the Head of Department, Department of Sponsorship & Marketing in BITS Pilani. Raised a sponsorship of 80L (~100,000 $) for the National Annual Cultural Festival - Pearl’17
- Was a cadet at National Cadet Corps
- Was a part of Multiple departments and clubs in BITS Pilani.
- Volunteered for the Indian General Elections (2019) while working for the District Magistrate in Rural Andhra Pradesh.
[I believe I’ll get to organise a few workshops and events while at the current job - idk if such events count though]
MBA:
- I would like to do my MBA in/ related to healthcare.
- I believe the biggest issue in the public health in developing countries currently is the delivery, operations & logistical part. I would like to work in this healthcare delivery structure post-MBA.
- Would also like to have the consulting option open.
- Schools I’m specifically looking at: Duke & Ross and the rest of the top-20 schools in order of their healthcare curriculum (and their STEM MBA certifications)
I believe the biggest Cons in my profile would be low CGPA & the fact that I have only 3 years WE.
Questions:
What are my chances given that I WANT to apply for R1 Sept’20?
Can I do anything in the next 7 months to improve my chances?
I would love to have feedback about my profile!
Will be applying for R1 this September, 2020.
Background: Indian Male
Age: 24 (At the time of Matriculation)
Education: B. Pharmacy (Hons.) from BITS Pilani (Top 10 institutes in India)
CGPA: 6.49/10
GMAT: 680 (Q49, V33) in my first attempt. Will be giving it again in the next 30 days. Aiming for a 740+
WE: 3 years (At the time of Matriculation)
Current field of work: Public Health; Public Policy
First 19 months:
- Worked at Tata Trusts in the National Nutrition Mission in Rural Andhra Pradesh (a south state in India) converging the district Health, Women & Child, Education, Water & Sanitation Departments to help reduce Malnutrition in 0-6 yr old Children, Pregnant & Lactating women.
- My work required me to do field visits, build capacity of field functionaries and advocacy for the District Magistrate.
- Two of my initiatives was featured in the Tata Trusts quarterly magazine on National Nutrition Mission.
- My immediate boss was a Harvard Grad (Law) (- now into philanthropy) and is ready to write my LoR.
Second 17 months:
- My work in rural Andhra was recognised and I was offered a role (as a Program Officer) in an organisation that is working on micronutrient fortification of staple food in India under the same National Nutrition Mission.
- This organisation is a Canadian NGO and works closely with the other International Development partners for Fortification of Foods in India. That means I get to work with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Global Allianz for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP),World Bank, Tata Trusts, Nutrition International (NI), PATH etc
- The South East Asia office (the one I work at) has only ~4 employees - means I get more exposure in multiple projects.
- My boss is the South East Asia co-ordinator and was previously Head of Department, Department of Community Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He’s also the recipient of multiple awards including ‘Public Health Champion’ by WHO - and is ready to write my LoR.
Extra Curricular:
- Was the Head of Department, Department of Sponsorship & Marketing in BITS Pilani. Raised a sponsorship of 80L (~100,000 $) for the National Annual Cultural Festival - Pearl’17
- Was a cadet at National Cadet Corps
- Was a part of Multiple departments and clubs in BITS Pilani.
- Volunteered for the Indian General Elections (2019) while working for the District Magistrate in Rural Andhra Pradesh.
[I believe I’ll get to organise a few workshops and events while at the current job - idk if such events count though]
MBA:
- I would like to do my MBA in/ related to healthcare.
- I believe the biggest issue in the public health in developing countries currently is the delivery, operations & logistical part. I would like to work in this healthcare delivery structure post-MBA.
- Would also like to have the consulting option open.
- Schools I’m specifically looking at: Duke & Ross and the rest of the top-20 schools in order of their healthcare curriculum (and their STEM MBA certifications)
I believe the biggest Cons in my profile would be low CGPA & the fact that I have only 3 years WE.
Questions:
What are my chances given that I WANT to apply for R1 Sept’20?
Can I do anything in the next 7 months to improve my chances?
22 Mar 2020, 15:33
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello TheGuyDangerous,
Thank you for sharing your background info with us!
Your work experience to date is impressive, especially considering that you haven't been in the workforce for very long. I'm also impressed by the clarity of your goal to focus your MBA studies and post-MBA career on health care, specifically on the delivery side. Many applicants don't have such clearly developed rationales for pursuing an MBA, so you're already ahead of the curve there. You also have a strong extracurricular record and have obviously identified your recommenders already with careful thought, which is super.
I agree that your GPA is a concern. The best way to compensate for this is with a strong GMAT score. Ideally you want to score at or above the average for the programs that you're targeting (700 for Fuqua and 719 for Ross; for Top 20 US programs in general, a score in the 700-730 range would be considered strong, depending on how far up or down the Top 20 list you're looking). Your current GMAT score is decent, but combined with your lower GPA, I'd say that you should aim to score a 730 or higher on your next exam sitting. If you can also demonstrate via your personal essays and/or your recommendation letters how you've shored up your verbal and quantitative skills since leaving school (i.e. if you've performed quantitative data analysis or if you've written government reports as a part of your job responsibilities, for example), that could be another way to make up for your low GPA.
My advice for applicants like yourself who have less work experience includes: (1) Have a clear vision of your career arc - where you're coming from, why now is the right time for you to attend business school, and where you're headed after your MBA. Based on what you shared, I think you've done a good job of this already, but make sure this is super clear in your personal essays. (2) Arm yourself with strong examples of your leadership potential. Even if you don't have a formal job title like "manager" or "director" on your resume, can you provide stories (reinforced by your recommenders) of how you've taken charge of projects or teams? How have you stepped up and taken initiative? What results do you have to show this? While you can point to leadership examples from your undergraduate years, we caution against relying too heavily on that time period because it can emphasize your relative youth and inexperience in a negative way, and admissions committees also want to see how you're a leader in the workplace, not just in school.
So in the next 7 months, I would advise trying to raise your GMAT score and also focusing on leadership examples in your current job. I hope that's helpful -- please feel free to reach out to us at www.admissionado.com if you'd like to set up a free consultation to chat more! Best of luck!
Doris
Thank you for sharing your background info with us!
Your work experience to date is impressive, especially considering that you haven't been in the workforce for very long. I'm also impressed by the clarity of your goal to focus your MBA studies and post-MBA career on health care, specifically on the delivery side. Many applicants don't have such clearly developed rationales for pursuing an MBA, so you're already ahead of the curve there. You also have a strong extracurricular record and have obviously identified your recommenders already with careful thought, which is super.
I agree that your GPA is a concern. The best way to compensate for this is with a strong GMAT score. Ideally you want to score at or above the average for the programs that you're targeting (700 for Fuqua and 719 for Ross; for Top 20 US programs in general, a score in the 700-730 range would be considered strong, depending on how far up or down the Top 20 list you're looking). Your current GMAT score is decent, but combined with your lower GPA, I'd say that you should aim to score a 730 or higher on your next exam sitting. If you can also demonstrate via your personal essays and/or your recommendation letters how you've shored up your verbal and quantitative skills since leaving school (i.e. if you've performed quantitative data analysis or if you've written government reports as a part of your job responsibilities, for example), that could be another way to make up for your low GPA.
My advice for applicants like yourself who have less work experience includes: (1) Have a clear vision of your career arc - where you're coming from, why now is the right time for you to attend business school, and where you're headed after your MBA. Based on what you shared, I think you've done a good job of this already, but make sure this is super clear in your personal essays. (2) Arm yourself with strong examples of your leadership potential. Even if you don't have a formal job title like "manager" or "director" on your resume, can you provide stories (reinforced by your recommenders) of how you've taken charge of projects or teams? How have you stepped up and taken initiative? What results do you have to show this? While you can point to leadership examples from your undergraduate years, we caution against relying too heavily on that time period because it can emphasize your relative youth and inexperience in a negative way, and admissions committees also want to see how you're a leader in the workplace, not just in school.
So in the next 7 months, I would advise trying to raise your GMAT score and also focusing on leadership examples in your current job. I hope that's helpful -- please feel free to reach out to us at www.admissionado.com if you'd like to set up a free consultation to chat more! Best of luck!
Doris
27 Mar 2020, 06:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
Hoping to get any input on my profile (below). Thanks in advance!
------------------
Background and nationality
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Nationality: Filipino
Undergrad Information
University attended: Ateneo de Manila University (Jesuit University; considered a top 3 university in the country)
GPA: 2.58
Notes: Who I am is heavily anchored on the influence of my family, my Jesuit education and sport. I made it a point to balance these three while at University. Apart from academics, I also focused on leadership roles in clubs / organizations that cater to social causes, as well as training for my local club team (ice hockey) that competed in pocket tournaments in the region.
A little more information on the clubs / organizations i was apart of while at University:
- I was the Associate Vice President of the Ateneo Special Education (SPEED) society with a focus on managing projects / events that connected persons with special needs from partner schools with different groups within and outside of the Ateneo.
- I was also an active member of the (i) Ateneo Catechetical Instruction League (ACIL) which is a club /organization that focuses on bringing children from under-resourced communities closer to their faith, and (ii) TUGON which is a club / organization that focuses on helping abandoned and abused children.
GMAT
Overall score: 650
Quant: 44
Verbal: 36
Work experience and leadership
My plan coming out of university was to work for 5/6 years in finance, take my MBA, and then eventually transition into my father's business post-MBA.
Work experience: A little shy of 6 years in one of the leading local investment banks in the country
Roles assumed:
2 years - Syndicate Team
2.5 years - Execution Team (Corporate Finance Division)
1.5 years - Project Finance Team (Corporate Finance Division)
Community and others
Extracurricular Activities:
Active skater and assistant captain of the Philippine Men's National Ice Hockey Team
Coach of the Philippine Women's National Ice Hockey Team
Coach in the Learn to Play "LTP" program of Hockey Philppines
Notes: The Philippine Ice Hockey Federation was incorporated in 2016. I have been an active member since its incorporation and was part of the inaugural team that participated in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo (Div II - Bronze) and 2017 South East Asian Games (Gold). In 2018 I joined the coaching staff of the Women's team and helped guide them to their first gold medal in an official International Ice Hockey Federation tournament. In 2018 I also joined the coaching staff of the LTP program which was the marriage of my passions for service and sport - the LTP program is a cost-light program for all beginners (children and adults) who want to learn the sport.
Post MBA goals
Post-MBA I look to transition into my father's mortgage business and take on a leading role in the firm.
Note: I resigned last year in order to: (i) familiarize myself with my father’s business, (ii) study for the GMAT and prepare my MBA applications, (iii) prepare with the Philippine Men’s National Ice Hockey Team for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and 2020 IIHF Division IV World Championships, and (iv) prepare the Philippine Women’s National Ice Hockey Team for the 2020 IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia – Top Division.
Hoping to get any input on my profile (below). Thanks in advance!
------------------
Background and nationality
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Nationality: Filipino
Undergrad Information
University attended: Ateneo de Manila University (Jesuit University; considered a top 3 university in the country)
GPA: 2.58
Notes: Who I am is heavily anchored on the influence of my family, my Jesuit education and sport. I made it a point to balance these three while at University. Apart from academics, I also focused on leadership roles in clubs / organizations that cater to social causes, as well as training for my local club team (ice hockey) that competed in pocket tournaments in the region.
A little more information on the clubs / organizations i was apart of while at University:
- I was the Associate Vice President of the Ateneo Special Education (SPEED) society with a focus on managing projects / events that connected persons with special needs from partner schools with different groups within and outside of the Ateneo.
- I was also an active member of the (i) Ateneo Catechetical Instruction League (ACIL) which is a club /organization that focuses on bringing children from under-resourced communities closer to their faith, and (ii) TUGON which is a club / organization that focuses on helping abandoned and abused children.
GMAT
Overall score: 650
Quant: 44
Verbal: 36
Work experience and leadership
My plan coming out of university was to work for 5/6 years in finance, take my MBA, and then eventually transition into my father's business post-MBA.
Work experience: A little shy of 6 years in one of the leading local investment banks in the country
Roles assumed:
2 years - Syndicate Team
2.5 years - Execution Team (Corporate Finance Division)
1.5 years - Project Finance Team (Corporate Finance Division)
Community and others
Extracurricular Activities:
Active skater and assistant captain of the Philippine Men's National Ice Hockey Team
Coach of the Philippine Women's National Ice Hockey Team
Coach in the Learn to Play "LTP" program of Hockey Philppines
Notes: The Philippine Ice Hockey Federation was incorporated in 2016. I have been an active member since its incorporation and was part of the inaugural team that participated in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo (Div II - Bronze) and 2017 South East Asian Games (Gold). In 2018 I joined the coaching staff of the Women's team and helped guide them to their first gold medal in an official International Ice Hockey Federation tournament. In 2018 I also joined the coaching staff of the LTP program which was the marriage of my passions for service and sport - the LTP program is a cost-light program for all beginners (children and adults) who want to learn the sport.
Post MBA goals
Post-MBA I look to transition into my father's mortgage business and take on a leading role in the firm.
Note: I resigned last year in order to: (i) familiarize myself with my father’s business, (ii) study for the GMAT and prepare my MBA applications, (iii) prepare with the Philippine Men’s National Ice Hockey Team for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and 2020 IIHF Division IV World Championships, and (iv) prepare the Philippine Women’s National Ice Hockey Team for the 2020 IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia – Top Division.
