Profile Evaluation Request - Reapplicant

Hey all,

I had applied to top bschools a couple of years ago (R1 & R2 for Sep '20 intake) and had received only rejects and waitlists which did not convert to acceptances. The Covid situation also did not help and I had decided to defer the application process.

Now that the pandemic situation is a little better, and I had an opportunity to reevaluate my profile and build it in the past year and half, looking to reapply to universities for 2023 intake (Jan & Sep). I would love to get your feedback on my chances and what more I can do to build my profile before/while applying.

Here are the details:
Age/Sex/Nationality - Will be 28/29 when I matriculate/M/Indian
Secondary School - 86.2 %
Higher Secondary School - 92.4 %
Graduation - 5 Year Integrated M.Tech - Communication Systems from Tier 2 college (SASTRA University) - CGPA 8.49/10
GMAT - 720 (Q50/V37) - Planning to retake GMAT since I was able to score 770/780 in the mocks consistently
TOEFL - 116/120 (Expired, have to retake)
Full Time Work Experience:

• 2 Years in MNC (Software Engg)- International Exposure for 6 months with peers in Singapore
• 2 Years in Startup (Sr. Software Engg)- End to end visibility of process, customer interactions and engagement, technical mentorship and product ownership
• 1 Year entrepreneurship - Scaling product to 100 customers, engaging with VCs for funding, Real Time Delivery and Grievance Resolution, Quick pivoting based on market validations, leading a team of 10
  Realized that entrepreneurship is where I enjoy working the most, but also found that I need more experience in managing the project, rapid upscaling, understanding lead management and effective usage of sales & marketing channels, and rapid networking opportunities
• Currently working as a PM for a rapidly upscaling startup - Managing FinTech clients and leading a team of 12, managing internal stakeholders as well as banking clients - Will have at least 1.5 years experience when I matriculate

I will have a total of 6.5 - 7 years experience during matriculation

Why MBA - To fill in the gaps in my profile as mentioned above, and also gain exposure to financial processes and international markets to build my startup accordingly. My main aspect for picking BSchools is networking opportunities and imbibed entrepreneurship culture, but also having a strong foothold in sales/marketing network. I am looking to strengthen my understanding by having a short-term (3 year) goal of working and applying the concepts as a Sales & Delivery Manager, and then move to restarting my startup as a 5 year goal.

Languages -

• English - Fluent
• Hindi - Fluent
• Tamil - Fluent
• French - A1

Extracurriculars -

• Music - Head of the Music Team in college
• Philanthropy - Funded the education of an underprivileged child

Target Schools:

Europe:

• INSEAD
• LBS
• HEC Paris
• Oxford Said Business School
• Cambridge Judge School
• IMD Switzerland
  
  USA:
• Dartmouth Tuck
• CMU Tepper
  
  Asia:
• NUS

Since last applying, I have started my company to find out the chinks in my armor, and am working towards building my competency as an overall rounded and holistic leader.
Any and all feedback is appreciated. Please feel free to be as critical as you wish in evaluating my candidacy.

A couple of questions that I had that, I would be very grateful if they can be answered as well:
1. Should I look at M7?
2. I don't have any certifications, and while I understand financial concepts, I would like to get certified in the same as well. Is CFA L1 useful here?
3. If INSEAD is a viable option, I would prefer the Jan intake, since it has an internship as part of the course - is there any practical advantage of the Sep intake over the Jan intake?
4. Is there any merit to looking at Canada/Australia for my profile?

Thank you