Hoping to apply to INSEAD MBA in next cycle.

Background
26 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 18 months.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (Had no knowledge when first arrived. I am confident with a few more months of intense study I can meet the INSEAD requirements for a second language. )
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Living in Australia, Germany, USA, and South Korea. Consider self a global citizen and have visited 50 countries in lifetime including many as a solo traveler.

Education & GMAT
Bachelors of Finance from Tier 1 (But admittedly unremarkable and non-target) school in US. 3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative. I almost failed out my first two years but had a watershed moment and from then on did not get below a 3.5 GPA for the remainder of my time in University, getting Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity Chapter
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 750
SAT (not sure it matters): 2000 / 2400

Experience

Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company
Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for translating client requirements into high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Aged 22-23 and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.

Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup

Job 2: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup
Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....

Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S

Job 3: Contractor @ Consulting
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). I ONLY work in the public sector. Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements in global markets, c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. I travel extensively to the United States for my clients and in 2021 spent ~90-120 days on business trips on their behalf conducting research, conferences, meeting potential partners etc. I generated over $200,000 in revenue in 2021 alone.

Key Concerns

Work Experience: In total I only have 3 years of post-undergrad working experience. None of this time was spent at any notable firms and with the exception of 3 months, all 3 years were in the capacity of a sole owner or part owner of a start-up.

Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.

Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States with extremely subpar rankings. The only nationally recognized programs in the school are for liberal arts, and medicine. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.

Outlook

A South Korean client has told me they are interested in partnering with me in creating a U.S subsidiary in the next few years. I wholeheartedly believe in the product and through the course of my work with them as a client over the past 14 months, I know just as much as their team does. They would like me to come in as an operator/manager for the entity but I have concerns regarding my qualifications. In South Korea especially, qualification is viewed as highly correlated with years of experience in combination with certifications/education. Given my relatively young age (Many Korean males don't enter the work force until 22-23 because of mandatory military service) I view it as essential to go to a top MBA program that aligns with my international background in order to add to my global network, add to my credentials, and give me key insight into how to be a more high level operator in a business setting. Despite my youth I have spent the vast majority of my adult life doing everything I can to develop a unique value proposition in terms of my knowledge and skills in accordance to what I believe is a blue ocean market. It has proven extremely successful from a consulting perspective but I feel I need an MBA to take the next step into working in industry directly with a client in attempting to build a new business with real products/money behind it. To me, INSEAD's MBA program is the personification of what I am looking for in terms of higher education and I am desperate to fine tune my profile to meet their standard.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

jko2795:

You have a really interesting profile with some strong statistics. A few things to note:

(1) I think your GPA should be fine, especially if you pulled off a 3.4-3.5 despite your early shortcomings. I do not think that will be an issue for INSEAD. In fact, it just might be an asset given your backended performance.

(2) What about any ECs while out of school? I see you have some involvement in college. That's important and if it's somewhat nonexistent I think you need to focus on that component prior to applying.

(3) I am not worried about your years of work experience as much as I am about the jumping around. Your three jobs in three years is also going to make things challenging for securing letters of recommendation and showing endurance. You can definitely make this work but it's going to require some "art" with respect to your CV/resume and essays. If you wait a year and are able to build on your current role, you might be in an even better position. That is, of course, a personal call.

Overall, you will definitely be a good candidate for INSEAD but there are elements of your profile you can clean up to improve your chances.

If you think we can help, please sign up for a free consultation using this link:

https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/

Hi, jko2795,

Thank you for your post!

First of all, you have a very interesting profile with a mix of a little of everything. Moreover, you have some strong academic statistics; you did score a 750 on your GMAT, which is quite extraordinary; furthermore, you do have a decent overall CGPA, and it’s quite impressive how you balanced both your studies and work during your time in college. Now, for your GPA, I think it’s OK; however, you could definitely back it up with some substantial examples of leadership, decision-making, and analytical skills in your work tenure.

About your work experience, you do have a relevant amount of work experience; however, you have been continuously changing your role in the past three years, and so you need to give very strong points in favor of it. You could start with answering questions like - Why do you think it was a good time for you to switch? What were your aims & aspirations regarding your career switch? Why did you choose specific industries, and why? And finally, how would you link your past experiences and skill-set with this new role? You may want to read an article on How to distinguish yourself in an MBA application. This would most certainly help provide insights and help you develop a unique application.

Coming to ECAs, you haven’t mentioned any; however, it’s quite understandable regarding you were involved in other work activities during college. However, top B-schools like INSEAD would require you to have some ECAs at the very least. So I would say, if possible, add some relevant volunteering, community work, or some other ECAs and then try to mention all about your contribution, the challenges, leadership roles played, the impact generated, and the relevant skills developed through your ECAs to be able to bank upon them in your school essays! INSEAD evaluates your potential based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics
Make sure you aligned your profile with the above-mentioned aspects. Overall, you have a relevant profile for INSEAD; however, you should understand that INSEAD is a top B-school and is no short of stellar profiles. A heck lot of your selection will directly depend upon how well you are able to connect the dots between elements of your profile and present them in the form of mesmerizing essays in front of the adcom! If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Let's create a Roadmap for R1 Sept 23 intake

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com






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Pls evaluate my profile for INSEAD MBA

Nationality - Indian
Education - CA with All India Rank 23rd CA Final (68% score)
Work ex - 2.5 years with SEBI ( India's capital market regulatory authority in Audit role)
6months with Aavas Financiers Limited ( a listed Housing Financing Co) in Budgeting role
2.5 years +till date with Shopkirana E Trading Private Ltd ( a Series C funded B2B E com Startup ) ( portfolio co of Info Edge India Limited , Oman India Joint Investment Fund , Sixth Sense Ventures and Incubate Fund Japan ) -
Current role - Sr Manager - Strategy and Financial Management - Involved in exploring revenue growth and cost optimisation projects , Competitive Intelligence and Financial Planning and Forecasting
Previous Role - Finance and Accounts Lead whereinbuilt up the entire finance function from scratch for an org with an ARR of 120 mn $ . Mainly involved in Financial Reporting , Tax and Comp , Handling Due Diligence for investment rounds , Assisting founders with fundraise and Product Development for Finance Functions

EC - Have been teaching students of diverse backgrounds pro bono

GMAT Score - as per current mocks may land in 720-740 range

Let me know if any additional info is required

Thanks for the help

hi all
sorry if this has been already talked about, but I've read on couple of sources that the acceptance rate for INSEAD is fairly equal in any round. Can someone shed some reliable light on this?
thanks

I believe it is in the first three rounds but not so much on the fourth one, where fewer spots are left.

I believe the acceptance rate also changes regarding the number of applications, not sure how it is now but in 2020 the application numbers were way higher, so it was lower at that time than before.

Regards,
Pablo

Hello nurba92,

Thanks for writing in.

Generally, this is the case in the first couple of rounds. However, as mentioned above, one cannot objectively tell because it depends on the number of applications received in a particular round.

However, in general, one should apply in as early a round as possible.

All the best!
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Hello folks,

Request for your kind inputs on my profile for INSEAD FT MBA - Singapore (Preferably)

Background and nationality - Male Indian

Undergrad Information - UG in computer science. Been a student founder of clothing startup. Set up student committe for placements. Top 10% of class in grades.

GMAT: 710 (Q49 V38)

Work experience and leadership-

1. 5 years total work ex at big 5 consulting firm - feeder company. 1 year as engineer. 4 years as management consultant. Had a cross entity transfer from technology to consulting entity after recommendation from global CEO. 2 major promotions in 5 years now in a post MBA consulting role.

2. Founder and trustee of sports foundation focused on para atheletes and grassroota. We support 7 international atheletes including 4 international para swimmers. We also nurture 77 underprivileged kids in swimming for free. We are Funded by global VC firm and a NYSE listed MNC. Established partnerships with US based sports academy and a global nutrition brand.

3. Special iniatives lead for office of member of parliament
I have led several national level iniatives during covid including 400 doctors national telemedicine set up during covid wave 2, set up home delivery platform with a unicorn startup during covid lockdown 1 for groceries.
Led iniatives where we set up wheelchair Ramps across major parts of the city to make city more accessible and inclusive.
I led 5 member election manifesto committee and was also involved in formation of a private member bill in parliament to regulate social media.

Post MBA goal - short term to medium term - global impact consulting or impact investment. Gain perspectives and learnings on global impact firms.

Medium to long term - Use the learning and take up leadership position at impact consulting or investment firms back in india.

I wish to continue be in the capacity of the trustee in my NGO and contribute to its growth.

hanmanjeney:

Great profile - impressive work experience and extracurricular leadership.

I think you are a good candidate for INSEAD - Singapore. Your GMAT score is fine, though not outstanding for a male Indian candidate. I don't think though that it will be a dealbreaker either way.

The most important area for you to work on is your career goals. I like the structure you have laid out, but you are going to have to dig much deeper with solid specifics and a unique vision. Otherwise, I am fearful that it will sound too generic and work against you.

Good luck! Please reach out to us for a free consultation if you are in the market for admissions consulting services.

https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/

Hi hanmanjeney,

INSEAD is a great choice. Given the school's average GMAT of 710, you are right on the nose here. However, as an Indian male applicant, you may want to aim for 20-30 points above the average to maximize your chances of acceptance. Plus, consulting also puts you in a competitive applicant pool.

From a work standpoint, it looks like you have some strong leadership experience. Given that many consultants have worked on similar projects, it is crucial to focus on your unique professional accomplishments in your applications. Your sports foundation should help here.

Where else are you applying to along with INSEAD? Given that the MBA application process is something of a numbers game, we suggest you broaden your school list (think 5-8 schools).

Feel free to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com to find out how we can help you craft your unique story and set you up for success. Take a look at our comprehensive packages to learn more.

Best,
Personal MBA Coach



_________________

Hi hanmanjeney,

I have already evaluated your profile for yale and discussed all about your work experience, ECAs, and whole profile. Now for INSEAD, the most important things are the school values. INSEAD evaluates your potential based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics

Make sure you align your profile with the aspects mentioned above. I can see some values in your profile. You will need to speak about some international motivation. INSEAD greatly values entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial experience in an applicant, so do speak about that. Moreover, I would like you to understand that INSEAD is a top B-school and is not short of stellar profiles. A heck lot of your selection will directly depend upon how well you can connect the dots between elements of your profile and present them in the form of mesmerizing essays in front of the adcom!

Also, I would advise you to:
1. Clearly identify the gaps in your profile that INSEAD will help you fill
2. Think beyond academics and work to bring out your personality in your essays
because what’s going to matter most in your application is how you connect the experiential dots and build a great story to stand out from other applicants in the pool.

If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

How to craft an Admit winning M7 profile

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com



_________________

Hi jko2795

Albeit a little late, I hope my eval finds you in good spirit

Reading about your profile, your motivation to connect with your native culture and, your unconventional approach to capitalizing on a business need at the junction of two cultures has been like a ray of sunshine on this cloudy day (where I live )

Having experience in logistics operations and later marketing operations, you sure started on a strong foot at an age where most people can only boast of some involvement in on-campus clubs and activities. Your next stint in a tech-consulting start up shows your adept analytical capabilities (knowledge of data tools and data driven insights) which is an absolute plus from an MBA profile point of view. The supply demand gap you addressed to lay the foundation of your contracting business is the centerpiece of your story and can bring you the deserved admit if you show with specific examples the impact of your work and insights you developed as a contractor in the last 2 years (~18 months). Given you have had a fairly brief stint at your current contracting business, you should discuss with the admissions office if they would rather you apply this year than next.
Needless to say, I am highly impressed by what you have presented on the surface!

You need not worry about your Korean language skills. First, the INSEAD language requirement only requires you to ace the basic levels (A1-A2), that too at the time of graduation from the MBA program. Second, even if you are paired with a Korean alumni, you will not at all be evaluated on your language proficiency. INSEAD interview evaluation follows a certain format and interviewee's language skills are not a part of it (I can tell you that). You also have a basic knowledge of Spanish, so if anything, you are at an advantage on this aspect.

Although INSEAD has reduced the word limit on the post MBA goals question to only about 50 words, you might want to convey about your long term vision and goals through the other essays by giving some concrete examples of opportunities you would want to work on.

If you need professional guidance on your application feel free to reach out

Warm regards
_________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOyt4lqYDtc

If INSEAD is a school at the top of your list, you should not miss this webinar from INSEAD alums and MBA Admissions consultants about comprehensive strategies and tips to ace the INSEAD application!
_________________

Hi Team,

Thanks for taking out time to go through my profile.

1. Demographic: 25/M/Indian
2. Education Qualification
- Undergraduate: Bachelors in Computer Science and Engineering and Masters in Computer Science and Engineering from National Institute of Technology
-GPA- 8/10 on the scale of 10.

3. GMAT
- 640 (Q47, V31)
- Planning to retake in July (Goal 730 and above)

4. Work Experience
- Overall: 29 months
- Organization:Newgen Software Technologies Limited
- Industry: IT
- Role: Software Design Engineer-2. Developed Software suite for Banking and Financial Organisations. Coordinating with clients for post release feature updates. Provided training for newly recruits and 3 persons were reporting to me. Also organized task distribution and track tasks for the team.

I left my job in December 2022 as I was not able to prepare for GMAT and work pressure. Also, the company Iwas working in was continuously recalling to the office and then cancelling the plans which was hampering my preparation.

Meanwhile I am looking after my father's business with him as I wanted to have hands on experience in dealing with clients and also managing the workforce. We have Tyre Retreading Plant and deal with sales of new tyres for vehicles.

5. Extra-curricular activites and volunteer work:
- I was coordinator of Finance Club (Cultural and Technical fest) in college.
-Participated in Intra-college snooker competition.
- Member of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) in college.
- I am also volunteering for an NGO named Almighty Blessings which provides free ambulance service for patients here in my hometown. It also provides free food(lunch and dinner) for all the patients and their attendants at Medical College here in my hometown and also organises blood donation camps.

6. Post MBA goals
-Strategy and Consulting
-Finance

7. Target Colleges
-Stanford
- Kelly
-Foster
-USC Marshall
-NUS

8. Questions

- What are my chances of conversion for target colleges with scholarship if I score 730+.
- What are the colleges that I can add to this list.
-Will there be negative impact given the gap in work experience.
- How can I improve my profile.

Regards,
Shikhin Gupta

Shikhin, please continue your discussion here.
Thank you.


_________________

Hello Shikhin hope this finds you in good health

- What are my chances of conversion for target colleges with scholarship if I score 730+.
Except for Stanford, the rest seem within reach provided you do a stellar job at writing your essays and addressing all the gaps in your profile

- What are the colleges that I can add to this list.
Finance goals post MBA could be a bit of stretch given you have no prior link to this field to reckon this seemingly new-found interest.
I recommend that you add US schools in the 20-30 range to your list. Connect with the schools and their alumni to find which ones interest you. Some options are- McCombs, Kenan-Flagler , USC Marshall, Mc Donough, Scheller, Kelley, Foster, Owen
RSM, ESADE, IE are some schools to consider in Europe

-Will there be negative impact given the gap in work experience.
Yes it could if you do not address the reasons behind this gap preemptively in your essays. The employment gap is a dreaded subject of conversation for job seekers and MBA applicants alike. But optimistically speaking, the employment gap can also be seen as an opportunity to pursue passion projects or activities that add meaning to our lives. In your case, you could talk about the contributions you made to your family business. I recently helped an HEC Paris admit with a long career gap get into the program in R3 and another to ISB.

- How can I improve my profile.
You have much ground to cover on your GMAT since that would help to determine the target schools to a large extent. I suggest you focus on raising your score to a 720+ and once the GMAT is out of your way, you devote ample time to carving your application strategy.

Feel free to reach out should you need professional guidance

Best wishes
_________________

Hello Everyone,

Request your kind inputs on my profile for INSEAD FT MBA

Background and nationality - Male Indian

Education and GMAT: - Bachelor and Masters from IIT Roorkee, GPA 3.3, Also completed Harvard Business School Online CORE (Credential for Readiness) Course

GMAT: 710 (Q50 V35)

Work experience and leadership-

1. Total 5+ years total work - 2.5 Year at a big 4 consulting firm in Consulting vertical and 2+ Year of experience at a Strategy & Consulting firm (current employer). 1 Promotion from Senior Strategy Analyst to Consultant. Current role require to work with people across geo ( North America, UK, France, Australia and Middle East)

2. Mentoring current team mates on development of people skills, consulting mindset etc. Run a local residential area fund to feed the stray dogs and cats.

3. Worked with the Head of Department of MBA, IIT Roorkee to developed a course on Rural Governance. Currently being Thought as an elective at IIT Roorkee.

4. Worked as a consultant for State Government Finance Office to develop State Finance commission report

Post MBA goal - short term - work with strategy consulting firms and gain expertise in a Innovation/Tech area.

Medium to long term - Leverage the learning to set up global innovation hubs for lead consulting firms across multiple locations.

Key Concerns - My GMAT score my make my overall application looks weak and might become the reason for rejection.

nikwinner:

My guess is INSEAD will be a toss-up/leaning rejection. Since you are coming from a competitive demographic, you really need to find ways to stand out. While you have solid work experience and good extracurricular involvement, it does not seem to be anything unusual or differentiating. That's not to say it isn't, it's just how I read it through your post. Perhaps you can find ways to draw distinctions and show your unique impact in your essays? That's going to be the key for you.

Since you have time, why not retake the GMAT? Yes, your GPA is good (not great, not terrible), so bumping up 20+ points would really go a long way in helping your chances at INSEAD. It would most certainly help for other schools as well, which I encourage you to apply to hedge against your chances at one of the most competitive schools in Europe.

Please reach out to us for a free consultation if you think we can be helpful to you as you sharpen your profile and prepare for your essays/applications:

https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/

Hi Shikhin,

Thank you for your post!

First, I would like to say you have a decent GMAT score for a first attempt and do have a good overall GPA. Since you are targetting top B-Schools like Stanford, Kelly, Foster, and USC Marshall and belong to an overrepresented pool of candidates, you must try to back a score of 740+ in your GMAT. It will maximzie your chances.

Coming to your profile, I would like to say you did well defining your roles and responsibilities. However, it's also important to add stellar leadership examples. What more I would like is for you to elaborate on critical projects and add any professional accolades/ promotions. Moreover, since you are currently employed in a family business background, getting into an MBA school with a family business background poses a few challenges but no need to worry! Here is an article you could refer to, How to stand out in your MBA application with a family business background, this would most certainly help provide insights about how to approach your MBA application with a family business background.

Regarding your ECAs, I find your ECAs interesting. Still, you must understand that the adcom focuses on what impact you created rather than how many you participated in. Hence I would suggest you focus on working on adding a little more on the challenges faced, leadership role executed, and the impact generated, and a bit more about the overall experience. Additionally, I recommend adding any certifications and additional certified courses to your hobbies to gain additional points on your profile.

Coming to your questions

1) For a merit-based scholarship, you should have an overall very strong academic profile along with both a stellar GPA and a GMAT above 740 for top B-schools.

2) You could also add schools like Tepper, Kellogg, and Columbia to your target list.

3) Switching career is a common phenomenon among MBA aspirants; however, it totally depends upon you how you present the gap in experience as a positive impact on your career projectile. Ideally, you shouldn't be taking a break from work to write the GMAT. Having said that, some students do take breaks, and it doesn't affect their applications negatively. As you are working in your family business it will not affect you much. However, I would like to know more about your work experience. If the overall experience you have mentioned includes a job and a family business, then I recommend gaining more work experience before applying.

All in all, you do have a decent profile. I find you are a bit confused about your post-MBA goal, as finance and consulting are two different industries, so you need to work on that. Moreover, try to link your experiences ECAs, community services & volunteering experiences, and post-MBA goals with the school values. As of now, I would require more information, as I feel your profile is still brief at some points. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs, Feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com



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Hello nikwinner hope this finds you in good health

4+ years in a strategy role is a top-tier kind of pre-MBA work experience. IIT pedigree is the cherry on the cake. GMAT is not that great but a Q50 can keep you hopeful.

I could not infer much about the kind of consulting projects you work on but with the right stories that demonstrate your leadership potential or with super-strong recommendations that bolster confidence in your capabilities, you might be able to get through. Remember that international motivation needs to be communicated clearly in the INSEAD application. Apply as early as you can to maximize your chances. I see a slight lack in ECs but maybe we can unravel some other initiatives you may have taken to add more weight there. You need to deliberate more on your goals to present a plausible case. Consulting goals have become monotonous.

INSEAD puts high emphasis on finding the right fit in the applicants. Make an effort to connect with alums (or potential recruiters) from these schools to understand the culture, opportunities and how would you be able to thrive in the program. Gather insights on how you would be able to contribute meaningfully to the cohort given your prior experience and present your takeaways in the essays. If you wish to stand out as an exceptional applicant, think about your long-term vision and what aspirational and inspirational goals would you set for yourself such that your short-term goals seem conscientious for your professional journey.

Feel free to reach out should you need professional guidance.

Best wishes
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