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 1608:00 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.
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.
Dec 2201:00 PM EST
-02:00 PM EST
Targeting M7 schools this winter? Download Personal MBA Coach’s free M7 essays analysis e-book for expert tips on how to tackle each school's essays!
07 Jun 2017, 08:20
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hello,
I hope you are well.
Would you be able to spend some time evaluating my profile and recommending some top schools that I should focus on?
GPA: 3.5 (from a business school in Hong Kong; majored in Finance; graduated in 2012)
Citizenship: India but have been living in Hong Kong for ~9 years now
Work: 6 Years (by the time I enroll) of institutional business development for a top investment bank (MS/GS/JP)
GMAT: 710 (Q48/V38/IR3/AW5); this is my biggest worry.
Other points to note:
- Have shown a 'habit of leadership' throughout life (high school, university, and work); see below.
- School Captain
- Overall Student Life Award at university for leadership and community integration
- Officially recognized as one of the most promising juniors in Asia (elected to sit on multiple leadership committees)
- Became responsible to cover the largest institutional clients in Asia just after 2 years at work (based on performance); our coverage even got recognized with a "best client service" award by the client directly.
- Specially selected by our international CEO of our business to lead a project based out of Asia
- Have gone through exceptional circumstances back home to reach where I am (none of my parents are educated, extremely poor background but went to one of the best high schools in Delhi, Dad passed away at an early age)
- Worked part time during university to support myself
- Don't have exceptional community service but actively mentor students at my secondary school back home and juniors at university)
- Trained for and ran a marathon
- LGBTQ
Would appreciate your thoughts on (apologies, in advance, for the long list of questions):
1) I have taken the GMAT multiple times but I am unable to do better under time constraints (and historically, this has been the case too). Is there a way I could address this? I am confident that I have the intellectual horsepower (at least for business school) when time is not a constraint.
2) What would be the ideal short-term goal for me to highlight? I am afraid that my real goal is too...different from what my current background would permit. Should I stick to a goal in the investment management industry alone? I understand that AdComs think carefully about whether a candidate will be able to achieve their immediate goal.
3) Given the Indian citizenship (Hong Kong resident for 9 years) and a relatively low GMAT, should I even target the top 10 schools? Ideally, I would really like to make it to a top 10 school - don't want to spend USD 250k(!!) anywhere else, really - but I am conscious of the competition from Indian male candidates.
4) Should I have one recommender from London and one from Hong Kong? Or do you think it would be better to have both from Hong Kong (since AdComs prefer to have people working close to you)?
5) Any 10-20 school that you would recommend for someone who wants to return to Asia? I don't want to work in the US.
Thank you your thoughts, in advance!
I hope you are well.
Would you be able to spend some time evaluating my profile and recommending some top schools that I should focus on?
GPA: 3.5 (from a business school in Hong Kong; majored in Finance; graduated in 2012)
Citizenship: India but have been living in Hong Kong for ~9 years now
Work: 6 Years (by the time I enroll) of institutional business development for a top investment bank (MS/GS/JP)
GMAT: 710 (Q48/V38/IR3/AW5); this is my biggest worry.
Other points to note:
- Have shown a 'habit of leadership' throughout life (high school, university, and work); see below.
- School Captain
- Overall Student Life Award at university for leadership and community integration
- Officially recognized as one of the most promising juniors in Asia (elected to sit on multiple leadership committees)
- Became responsible to cover the largest institutional clients in Asia just after 2 years at work (based on performance); our coverage even got recognized with a "best client service" award by the client directly.
- Specially selected by our international CEO of our business to lead a project based out of Asia
- Have gone through exceptional circumstances back home to reach where I am (none of my parents are educated, extremely poor background but went to one of the best high schools in Delhi, Dad passed away at an early age)
- Worked part time during university to support myself
- Don't have exceptional community service but actively mentor students at my secondary school back home and juniors at university)
- Trained for and ran a marathon
- LGBTQ
Would appreciate your thoughts on (apologies, in advance, for the long list of questions):
1) I have taken the GMAT multiple times but I am unable to do better under time constraints (and historically, this has been the case too). Is there a way I could address this? I am confident that I have the intellectual horsepower (at least for business school) when time is not a constraint.
2) What would be the ideal short-term goal for me to highlight? I am afraid that my real goal is too...different from what my current background would permit. Should I stick to a goal in the investment management industry alone? I understand that AdComs think carefully about whether a candidate will be able to achieve their immediate goal.
3) Given the Indian citizenship (Hong Kong resident for 9 years) and a relatively low GMAT, should I even target the top 10 schools? Ideally, I would really like to make it to a top 10 school - don't want to spend USD 250k(!!) anywhere else, really - but I am conscious of the competition from Indian male candidates.
4) Should I have one recommender from London and one from Hong Kong? Or do you think it would be better to have both from Hong Kong (since AdComs prefer to have people working close to you)?
5) Any 10-20 school that you would recommend for someone who wants to return to Asia? I don't want to work in the US.
Thank you your thoughts, in advance!
09 Jun 2017, 09:38
Kudos
Bookmarks
See answers below:
1) I have taken the GMAT multiple times but I am unable to do better under time constraints (and historically, this has been the case too). Is there a way I could address this? I am confident that I have the intellectual horsepower (at least for business school) when time is not a constraint.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TAKEN THE GMAT. ONE THING I ALWAYS RECOMMEND TEST TAKERS DO IS TIME EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR PREP EVEN WHEN DOING A SINGLE QUESTION, THIS HELPS YOU GET USED TO THE TIME PRESSURES OF TEST DAY. THE GMAT IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY A TEST IF INTELLECT BUT MORESO A TEST OF YOUR ABILITY TO ADRESS COMPLEX PROBLEMS QUICKLY
2) What would be the ideal short-term goal for me to highlight? I am afraid that my real goal is too...different from what my current background would permit. Should I stick to a goal in the investment management industry alone? I understand that AdComs think carefully about whether a candidate will be able to achieve their immediate goal.
I ALWAYS THINK ITS BETTER TO BE AUTHENTIC IF POSSIBLE, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR GOALS TO ASPECTS FO YOUR BACKGROUND OR INTEREST. PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING AUDACIOUS ENOUGH IS THE SCHOOL MAY ASK WHY DO YOU NEED AN MBA, SO YOU WILL WANT TO BALANCE THESE THINGS OUT. ULTIMATELY YOU SHOULD BE MORE SAFE HERE AND MAKE SURE YOUR GOALS WILL BE CLEAR AND LOGICAL TO THE AD COMM
3) Given the Indian citizenship (Hong Kong resident for 9 years) and a relatively low GMAT, should I even target the top 10 schools? Ideally, I would really like to make it to a top 10 school - don't want to spend USD 250k(!!) anywhere else, really - but I am conscious of the competition from Indian male candidates.
YOU ARE NOT ULTIMATELY OUT OF THE RACE FOR TOP 10, THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP 10 IS PROBABLY MORE REALISTIC BUT THE POINTS YOU NOTED ABOVE JUST MAKE IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT YOUR ESSAYS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR APPLICATION ARE ON POINT
4) Should I have one recommender from London and one from Hong Kong? Or do you think it would be better to have both from Hong Kong (since AdComs prefer to have people working close to you)?
PICK THE BEST PEOPLE WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE STRONGEST RECOMMENDERS
5) Any 10-20 school that you would recommend for someone who wants to return to Asia? I don't want to work in the US.
SOME OF THE WEST COAST SCHOOLS IN THE US HAVE GOOD TIES TO THE ASIAN BUSINESS MARKET, SO CONSIDER THOSE (USC/UCLA/HAAS)
1) I have taken the GMAT multiple times but I am unable to do better under time constraints (and historically, this has been the case too). Is there a way I could address this? I am confident that I have the intellectual horsepower (at least for business school) when time is not a constraint.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TAKEN THE GMAT. ONE THING I ALWAYS RECOMMEND TEST TAKERS DO IS TIME EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR PREP EVEN WHEN DOING A SINGLE QUESTION, THIS HELPS YOU GET USED TO THE TIME PRESSURES OF TEST DAY. THE GMAT IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY A TEST IF INTELLECT BUT MORESO A TEST OF YOUR ABILITY TO ADRESS COMPLEX PROBLEMS QUICKLY
2) What would be the ideal short-term goal for me to highlight? I am afraid that my real goal is too...different from what my current background would permit. Should I stick to a goal in the investment management industry alone? I understand that AdComs think carefully about whether a candidate will be able to achieve their immediate goal.
I ALWAYS THINK ITS BETTER TO BE AUTHENTIC IF POSSIBLE, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR GOALS TO ASPECTS FO YOUR BACKGROUND OR INTEREST. PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING AUDACIOUS ENOUGH IS THE SCHOOL MAY ASK WHY DO YOU NEED AN MBA, SO YOU WILL WANT TO BALANCE THESE THINGS OUT. ULTIMATELY YOU SHOULD BE MORE SAFE HERE AND MAKE SURE YOUR GOALS WILL BE CLEAR AND LOGICAL TO THE AD COMM
3) Given the Indian citizenship (Hong Kong resident for 9 years) and a relatively low GMAT, should I even target the top 10 schools? Ideally, I would really like to make it to a top 10 school - don't want to spend USD 250k(!!) anywhere else, really - but I am conscious of the competition from Indian male candidates.
YOU ARE NOT ULTIMATELY OUT OF THE RACE FOR TOP 10, THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP 10 IS PROBABLY MORE REALISTIC BUT THE POINTS YOU NOTED ABOVE JUST MAKE IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT YOUR ESSAYS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR APPLICATION ARE ON POINT
4) Should I have one recommender from London and one from Hong Kong? Or do you think it would be better to have both from Hong Kong (since AdComs prefer to have people working close to you)?
PICK THE BEST PEOPLE WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE STRONGEST RECOMMENDERS
5) Any 10-20 school that you would recommend for someone who wants to return to Asia? I don't want to work in the US.
SOME OF THE WEST COAST SCHOOLS IN THE US HAVE GOOD TIES TO THE ASIAN BUSINESS MARKET, SO CONSIDER THOSE (USC/UCLA/HAAS)
