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07 Sep 2022, 06:20
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Hi,
Could you please evaluate my profile? Thanks!
Demographic:
29yo, female, Singapore
GMAT: 690(Q49 V34) I know my current GMAT score is way below the target school average and I'm planning to retake it next month (October). I'm scoring 720-750 in the official mock exams now and wish to take it sometime sooner. But unfortunately, it's peak GMAT season and there's no open spot in my city.
Undergrad : 1. 4-year institution in Singapore (attended for 3 years): gpa 3.8/4.0 International Business major
2. Top 20 public university in the U.S. (transferred from the college in Singapore): gpa: 3.6/4.0 Econ major
Work experience: 3.5 years working as technology consultant in a tier 2 global consluting firm. I got promoted twice within 3 years (fast promotion from consultant to senior consultant).
I work mainly in software engineering and AI integration fields for top finanical institutions.
Extracurricular: I've been working as a member of fundraising committe for underpriiviledged immigrant women. I plan and organize fundraisers with other members and develop social media strategies. It's one of the big NGOs in the country and I've been volunteering for about a year. I did many different ec activities in college as well but I'm not sure what I did in college still counts.
Career Goals : I'd like to continue my career in consulting but in a slightly different industy. For example, my current team is specialized in technology consuting for financial institutions. I want to switch to stratey consulting in the data analytics/digital transformation fields but for broader industry clients (not just financial institutions).
Target Schools:
Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Stern, LBS, INSEAD
Questions
1. If I can increase my GMAT score to 730-740 by October, is it better to apply in round 2 this year or wait until round 1 next year? I'm personally okay with waiting until round 1 next year but I'm worried about my age. You might have noticed but I'm 29 and have only 3.5 years of experience. I had some personal matters so I took gap years between high school and college. Plus, I originally attend a college in my home country for 3 years and then transferred to another school in the U.S. So it took some extra years for me to get my undergrad degree. If I apply this year, I will be applying at 30 (turning 30 in Dec) with about 3.7 years (4.5 by matriculation) of WE. If I apply next year, I will be applying at 31 with about 4.5 years (5.5 by marticulation) of WE. I will still try my best to improve my GMAT score by october and apply in round 2 this year but I wonder if I'd have too little time to work on my applications to meet the round 2 deadlines this year. Do you think there will be a disadvantage if I wait another year and apply in round 1 next year, considering my age? I'm not sure how adcoms will view my age and WE that is shorter than other applicants in my age range because most of applicants in my age range would have much longer years of WE. Will my chances be higher this year?
2. I have another concern, which is my GPA. I believe my GPAs from both schools align with the average gpa, but I'm afraid I have too many withdrawls on my transcripts. I have 3 from my first school and another 3 from my second school. I wasn't failing in those classes at all but back then I tended to feel a lot of pressures about not getting an A or A-. To be honest, I think I use the withdrawl system as a strategy to get a good final gpa. The 3 withdrawals from the first school were non-quantitative, elective courses such as western literature and I got either A or A- on all quant or business related subjects. However, I'm more concerned about the other 3 Ws on my second transcripts. I was an Econ major and the three courses were also elective but business courses such as supply chain, database systems, etc. I really regret it but unfortunately, there's nothing I can do now to fix it. Do you think having too many withdrawals will put me at a huge disadvantage? Should I not target M7 schools at all? I wonder if it's a show-stopper. Or is it something that could be compensated by high gmat score or strong work experience? For example, even though I withdrew from the database systmes class, the fact that I got fast promoted as a technology consultant who deals with database every day can help?
I'd really appreciate it if you could give me a realistic advice.
Thank you so much.
Could you please evaluate my profile? Thanks!
Demographic:
29yo, female, Singapore
GMAT: 690(Q49 V34) I know my current GMAT score is way below the target school average and I'm planning to retake it next month (October). I'm scoring 720-750 in the official mock exams now and wish to take it sometime sooner. But unfortunately, it's peak GMAT season and there's no open spot in my city.
Undergrad : 1. 4-year institution in Singapore (attended for 3 years): gpa 3.8/4.0 International Business major
2. Top 20 public university in the U.S. (transferred from the college in Singapore): gpa: 3.6/4.0 Econ major
Work experience: 3.5 years working as technology consultant in a tier 2 global consluting firm. I got promoted twice within 3 years (fast promotion from consultant to senior consultant).
I work mainly in software engineering and AI integration fields for top finanical institutions.
Extracurricular: I've been working as a member of fundraising committe for underpriiviledged immigrant women. I plan and organize fundraisers with other members and develop social media strategies. It's one of the big NGOs in the country and I've been volunteering for about a year. I did many different ec activities in college as well but I'm not sure what I did in college still counts.
Career Goals : I'd like to continue my career in consulting but in a slightly different industy. For example, my current team is specialized in technology consuting for financial institutions. I want to switch to stratey consulting in the data analytics/digital transformation fields but for broader industry clients (not just financial institutions).
Target Schools:
Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Stern, LBS, INSEAD
Questions
1. If I can increase my GMAT score to 730-740 by October, is it better to apply in round 2 this year or wait until round 1 next year? I'm personally okay with waiting until round 1 next year but I'm worried about my age. You might have noticed but I'm 29 and have only 3.5 years of experience. I had some personal matters so I took gap years between high school and college. Plus, I originally attend a college in my home country for 3 years and then transferred to another school in the U.S. So it took some extra years for me to get my undergrad degree. If I apply this year, I will be applying at 30 (turning 30 in Dec) with about 3.7 years (4.5 by matriculation) of WE. If I apply next year, I will be applying at 31 with about 4.5 years (5.5 by marticulation) of WE. I will still try my best to improve my GMAT score by october and apply in round 2 this year but I wonder if I'd have too little time to work on my applications to meet the round 2 deadlines this year. Do you think there will be a disadvantage if I wait another year and apply in round 1 next year, considering my age? I'm not sure how adcoms will view my age and WE that is shorter than other applicants in my age range because most of applicants in my age range would have much longer years of WE. Will my chances be higher this year?
2. I have another concern, which is my GPA. I believe my GPAs from both schools align with the average gpa, but I'm afraid I have too many withdrawls on my transcripts. I have 3 from my first school and another 3 from my second school. I wasn't failing in those classes at all but back then I tended to feel a lot of pressures about not getting an A or A-. To be honest, I think I use the withdrawl system as a strategy to get a good final gpa. The 3 withdrawals from the first school were non-quantitative, elective courses such as western literature and I got either A or A- on all quant or business related subjects. However, I'm more concerned about the other 3 Ws on my second transcripts. I was an Econ major and the three courses were also elective but business courses such as supply chain, database systems, etc. I really regret it but unfortunately, there's nothing I can do now to fix it. Do you think having too many withdrawals will put me at a huge disadvantage? Should I not target M7 schools at all? I wonder if it's a show-stopper. Or is it something that could be compensated by high gmat score or strong work experience? For example, even though I withdrew from the database systmes class, the fact that I got fast promoted as a technology consultant who deals with database every day can help?
I'd really appreciate it if you could give me a realistic advice.
Thank you so much.
07 Sep 2022, 22:11
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi SarahG1117,
Thanks for posting your profile. Being from Singapore myself, I'm thrilled to see your interest in the US MBA programs! Firstly, let me congratulate you on your fast promotions at work - it seems like you are making a strong impact, which is certainly something that top b-schools are looking for.
To address your questions -
1. If you can hit your target GMAT score by October, for the schools on your list, you would still be in the sweet spot of work experience whether you apply in R2 this year or R1 next year. This means your chances should be similar. Do consider what you expect to gain by staying at your current job another year. For example, if you anticipate learning new skills or taking on more responsibilities in the next year, it would strengthen your profile to apply next year. The Admissions Committee does not simply look at a number for work experience or age; they look more at your role and impact. Separately, even if you start working on your R2 application in October after your GMAT, you should still have enough time to put together solid R2 applications.
2. As for your concern about the number of withdrawals during college, most schools allow for a certain number of withdrawals within a time period. As long as you are following your college's policies and it doesn't show up as a flag on your transcripts, I don't think the Admissions Committee will question why you withdrew from the classes.
I hope this is helpful to you. If you would like to discuss your profile in more detail, feel free to schedule a 1:1 consultation with us. Wishing you the best in your MBA journey!
Sincerely,
Debbie
Thanks for posting your profile. Being from Singapore myself, I'm thrilled to see your interest in the US MBA programs! Firstly, let me congratulate you on your fast promotions at work - it seems like you are making a strong impact, which is certainly something that top b-schools are looking for.
To address your questions -
1. If you can hit your target GMAT score by October, for the schools on your list, you would still be in the sweet spot of work experience whether you apply in R2 this year or R1 next year. This means your chances should be similar. Do consider what you expect to gain by staying at your current job another year. For example, if you anticipate learning new skills or taking on more responsibilities in the next year, it would strengthen your profile to apply next year. The Admissions Committee does not simply look at a number for work experience or age; they look more at your role and impact. Separately, even if you start working on your R2 application in October after your GMAT, you should still have enough time to put together solid R2 applications.
2. As for your concern about the number of withdrawals during college, most schools allow for a certain number of withdrawals within a time period. As long as you are following your college's policies and it doesn't show up as a flag on your transcripts, I don't think the Admissions Committee will question why you withdrew from the classes.
I hope this is helpful to you. If you would like to discuss your profile in more detail, feel free to schedule a 1:1 consultation with us. Wishing you the best in your MBA journey!
Sincerely,
Debbie
09 Sep 2022, 06:57
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Debbie,
Thank you so much for the prompt response! I'll continue to work on GMAT and try to get my target score by October. Even if I end up not applying this year, I'd still have a good score. Then, I don't have to worry about it next year!
Thank you so much for the prompt response! I'll continue to work on GMAT and try to get my target score by October. Even if I end up not applying this year, I'd still have a good score. Then, I don't have to worry about it next year!
