VP
Joined: 22 Apr 2004
Posts: 1117
Given Kudos: 59
Location: Southern California
Schools:Kellogg MBA 2004
Re: Profile Evaluation Request
[#permalink]
01 Aug 2010, 14:21
Hello,
Being an Indian/engineering applicant and being between jobs right now will hurt you, BUT it sounds like you have some really interesting experiences and achievements to talk about. If you get in, it will be because of the unique work you've done with the NGO and all the places you've traveled, not because of technical awards that you've won on the job... Be sure to put the emphasis on the former.
One challenge will be tying together what you've done to what you want to do. Definitely don't like and say you want to go back to NGO work after business school if that's not what you want to do, but you will need to make it easy for adcomms to see why you did engineering, then community service, and now want to get an MBA to go into general management. Not a deal breaker, but be aware that your career progression needs to "make sense" in the eyes of the admissions office.
Also, although you're out of work now, hopefully you can still get some *excellent* letters of recommendation from a previous supervisor. One reco related to your NGO work would also be appropriate, since it would show how devoted you have been to the cause.
I think H/S/W/Kellogg/Chicago will be hard for you, but they're hard for everyone, so don't despair. I would say apply to several of the top five schools, and also look at a few slightly lower-ranked ones to spread your bets... Such as Haas and MIT Sloan. Those are by no means "easy" to get into, but applying to 5 or 6 total will help boost your chances of getting into at least one excellent program.
Good luck!
Scott