Hello!

Thanks in advance for your time, would appreciate a profile review (applying for 2022 start class)

Demographics (nationality, gender): Asian-Australian, 25 years old, female

Education (undergraduate institution, GPA, major - high school/entrance exams not needed): Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and Law at a top Australian University (G8), we don't do GPA but rather a scale from Fail-Pass-Credit-Distinction-High Distinction. I have a distinction average.

GMAT or GRE (include section breakdown): GMAT 740 (Q47/V45/IR6)

Work experience (highlight amount of work experience, industries, roles, promotions, special accomplishments, international exposure): 3 years at a MBB consulting firm (includes 1 promotion). Previously worked part time (3+ days a week) for 3 years in law as a paralegal, and I have completed internships at several of the top Australian (Big 6) and UK (Magic Circle) law firms, and also one Big 4 consulting firm (e.g. PwC, Deloitte etc.)

Extracurricular activities (highlight notable undergraduate and post-undergraduate ones): President of a business faculty club/society, several other leadership positions with intervarsity model UN, and other undergraduate clubs. Founded university mentoring program with over 12 corporate sponsors, currently in its 5th year. Leads a diversity and inclusion working group at work. Mentored young female university students from both Australia and South America for 3 consecutive years.

Post-MBA goals: Build my entrepreneurial skillset and start my own business or social enterprise (will think more about this and flesh out details)

Target schools: HBS, Stanford, LBS, Booth, Kellogg

Any specific questions you would like answered by our team: Is my Q47 GMAT score (60th percentile) and IR6 going to jeopardise my chances with my target schools? Do I need to retake the exam?I would prefer not to if I can avoid it! (I have no idea what happened, I usually get Q49-50 and IR8 in the practice exam!). For context, I am a finance major, and work as a management consultant. I have significant real-world quant experience. I am hoping that my V45 and overall 740 is enough to offset the Q47 score...

Thank you! Would really appreciate your advice, especially regarding my Q47 and IR6 question.

Hello everyone,
Will be greatful for a profile evaluation.
Indian male, 24
Gre - 169/161 Q/V

Preferred bschools - kellogg, , Columbia,  emory, isb (india), rice (jones), darden
Mba or MsBA

Undergrad 6.5/7 CGPA from a top 10 college in India as a bachelor's degree in Commerce, graduated in 2017. University of mumbai ( HR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE)

Other  certifications- US CFA ( above 90 percentile at all levels) , US CMA , US CPA , US CAIA ( Part 1 completed).

Few other investment and derivative certifications and courses along with the FMVA financial modelling course.

Worked full time during all three years of my college,
2 years as an investment analyst in a mid size firm (full time though might be considered as an internship)
1 year of articleship as an accountant in a mid tier accountancy firm ( since i did two levels of Chartered accountancy as well)

Post graduation, 
Working in one of the top accountancy firms in my state , joined as an accountant but with pretty good performance, was promoted as the team leader within a year , managing a team of 8.
Well after working there for about 2 years, i had developed indepth knowledge of the biggest industry in that state ( mining and minerals) as they were our major clients and successfully started a new wing within my firm providing consulting and advisory service to MSME ( Micro small and medium enterprise).
Was a great success, bought in a chunk of clients bringing other business with them as well. Was promoted as the manager of the firm handling the entire msme consulting division along with the 20 employees that comes with it.

With respect to the social impact,  i am very happy and proud of the projects that i have successfully completed.
During my college days, was the head of the National service scheme, ( pretty big collaboration between colleges), though head of my own college.
Helped the workers and the domestic help to get themselves organised and worked with them forming a union registered with their local police stations bringing a regulation and oversight towards any wrongful treatment and exploitation against them.

For the past 4 years, I am a registered member of the heartfulness organization,  an education and spirituality organization, teaching the younger generation about the importance and understanding of spirituality. Have organized seminars all across the country  with an median attendance of about 2000-3000 people in every one of them.
Have been part of various initiatives such as the green kanha, wherein we strive and work towards environmental protection and preservation,  planting thousands of trees and having a means for water conservation for the use of agricultural.

On a side note- i created 2 firms in the mining and mineral line, using my skills and knowledge to grab a solid opportunity, (wanted to strategically use funds, selling one business at a good profit and utilizing that to run my other firm and making it a export oriented unit, this sale freed up my investment and helped my family come out of a tough financial condition). The important part of this venture was to make it a self sustaining source of incomen for my family and form a partnership with the right kind of people having excellent business management skills and good hold at a local level. Hopefully everything till now went as planned.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Lizzieyork95! I know you're not going to love my suggestion, but I think your exam could be worth a retake. Your IR isn't an issue, but a 47/60th percentile can make top schools hesitate. If it's at all a possibility, I would give it a try. Ask yourself this - if you don't get in, would it be a regret that you didn't retake it? Generally you want to put your best foot forward and at least by trying, you will know you have done so!

If you don't improve it, that's OK - you might use the optional essay to point out your past experience.

If you are really determined not to retake, then yes, do your best to highlight your quantitative acumen where possible, perhaps even having a recommender highlight your skills in this area.

Best of luck!
Warmly,
Julie-Anne Heafey
_________________

Hello jeetsethi09 - it's a little tricky to reply to a post on someone else's so I hope you find this. Normally, you want to start a new topic for yourself!

I think what's missing here for a profile review is an understanding of your direction and goals. You are posting some really different degrees (MBA, MSBA) and a wide range of schools, with no mention of direction and that actually is part of your story, of course. Also, I'm less familiar with Indian MBA programs so I can't speak to ISB. So, I'll do my best to speak to the US MBA programs you suggested - Kellogg, Columbia, Darden, Emory and Rice.

If I understand your GPA correctly - is this 65%? (let me know if I am misunderstanding) - Kellogg and Columbia are likely to be challenging reaches for you so I would love to shake up your list a bit more. You are coming from a highly competitive category and you have a few hurdles, including a lower than usual GPA for your cohort (I think) and GRE test scores that are rather imbalanced. Your quant GRE is great, but the schools will also check out your verbal, so it would be good to see that side improve if possible. Your certifications are impressive, though. You do seem young/with work experience on the light side for top programs. If I decipher your description correctly, you've been working somewhere for a bit over 2 years full time since your undergraduate graduation, is that right? 2-3 maybe? Normally I'd hope to see about 5 years at matriculation, and ideally in your case with some international experience. So, this also seems to be a challenge. It sounds however, like you've had wonderful leadership and initiative at work, so that is a point in your favor. You'll want your recommenders to help demonstrate the major impact you've had on the firm. I also like the sound of your entrepreneurial endeavors. It seems that your community leadership was mostly in college, but this "heartfulness" work could be a point of differentiation, I think I just would need to understand more what kind of initiative it is.

My advice is that you are likely to be better off waiting a bit longer and further growing your work experience, retaking the test (or switching to get a strong GMAT), exploring further community leadership, and clarifying your goals.
If you do decide to apply on the sooner side, I'd skip the M7 (CBS, Kellogg) to swap a school in the 8-15 range as a reach- perhaps Darden or even better, something lower ranked - and possibly keep Emory and Rice, but add some further schools a bit deeper in the list to improve your chances for success. Best of luck to you!

Warmly,
Julie-Anne Heafey
_________________