Profile evaluation-Which schools to apply!(Indian,female,IT)

Hi up4gmat - thanks for the information on your background. Let's dig in and see what there is to see.

First off, that is actually a VERY nice improvement in your GMAT score. The quant went up significantly. We understand that you may feel disappointed by the 710 total, and it is below average at the schools on your list, but it's a very strong improvement and the quant is now in range of possibilities. We're not sure if it will be high enough at the schools you've named, particularly due to the fact that your profile is quite common and these are very competitive programs. But it could be enough - if you have strong enough stories in the entirety of your application to get the adcoms to notice you. That's really the hardest part, harder even than the GMAT for most people. You should be turning your attention to that full force now.

The bigger problem though is it sounds like your grades were quite low. Where did you get the GPA you're telling us of -3? We need to know what school you went to and what your marks were as reported by them. If you grades are really equivalent to a <3.0 on the 4.0 scale then that's going to be a much bigger obstacle for you than any GMAT score. However many people convert them incorrectly and the schools don't want you to convert them anyway, so we just need you to tell us what it actually is so we can do a better job of helping you.

Either way, strategy consulting is very very competitive and you're setting yourself up for a lot of challenges all the way around.

Because of all this, we would encourage you to look more widely at the schools you're interested in. You could try for these schools for Round 1 but you need to also be thinking about a full-season approach. If these ones don't work out then you may need to move your sights lower. You have an advantage being a woman - the schools always are on the lookout for strong female candidates - but it's also very difficult with such competitive admissions.

It sounds like we're trying to discourage you - we're not!! But we only have a tiny amount of information about your background and not all of it looks very positive right now. If you're set on these schools then there are actions you can take to improve your chances. This year you need to give it your all since you're starting to move older; it becomes harder to get in when you get to a certain age. The schools look at the entire profile and there's obviously lots we don't know about you, should you should absolutely keep going after your dreams! You might want to look into our very detailed and private assessment called the Comprehensive Profile Review - it's very helpful especially for those with a lot of challenges in the profile. (click through this link for a discount.)

Please stay in touch and let us know if we can help!
EssaySnark