Profile Evaluation- Deferred MBA Programs 2021

Hi @Roiboi,

Thank you for starting out the conversation in this thread.

Before I evaluate your profile, let me help you understand what kind of candidates are the business schools looking at wrt. deferred programs:
1. Competitive Students Who Thrive on High Risk/High Reward Challenges
2. College Leaders With Amazing Accomplishments
3. Students Who Expect Challenging MBA Feeder Jobs Following Graduation
4. Students who have clarity of vision (the path you will carve for yourself starting now)

Your profile looks good on the surface.
I see hint of examples to cover for aforementioned points 1 and 2. And to connect the dots with your vision 'to start your own firm', you can elaborate on your business frat and e-commerce club stories. To top it up, try to bring out some entrepreneurial examples in your profile (or you can work on one, if you haven't worked on any yet), just to showcase the drive you got for your vision. This will help you justify point 4.

In order to understand what job you are taking up and how well it fits with your goals, I am happy to hop on a call sometime this week to discuss your chances in further detail. Feel free to book my calendar as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Thanks for doing this!

Background and nationality: Canadian-born citizen, Pakistani
Undergrad Information: Top business school in Canada, 3.7 GPA
GMAT: Going to take in March, on track for 710-730
Achievements:
- Internship at MBB - returning later this year after graduation
- Founder of YouTube channel with ~400K subscribers and over 50 million views which provides free software tutorials and digital marketing tip videos - this is a passion project that I have been running for the last 7 years and will continue to run
Extra Curricular:
- Co-chair for product management club
- Case competition team - traveled internationally and got podium placements for all 3 competitions attended
- Consultant and Project Manager on consulting club
- Competed in and placed in other case competitions
Post MBA goals - Why do you want to go for an MBA?
- Want to return to consulting and then eventually pivot into the edutech space. My passions lie in technology, marketing and education. I want to utilize technology to educate as many people as possible, it is what I find fulfilling. Consulting has provided me with great exposure to public sector clients and digital work, and I want to maximize learning in my first few years out of undergrad. I do not fully know how I want to have this impact in the long-term, but I know there's many avenues to pursue it that will make me fulfilled. One of which is consulting, the other is by either working for or creating my own edutech company to improve accessibility of education, and the final is through becoming a professor. An MBA will give me the opportunity to explore these options, and if I choose to pivot into edutech or create my own company, will provide me with a network and additional resources.
Anything else?
- Would love to know my chances / if I should be applying for M7. I understand that my academics/scores are below average and business grads have a lower chance at deferred but was hoping my goals, achievements, and ECs can offset that. Would love honest input.

Thank you so much once again!

Hi ShaniM,

I am impressed with your current profile and the fact that you have a sense of clarity at the beginning of your career is something very rare. Your GPA is quite decent and if you enhance your targeted GMAT score, it’ll enhance your overall chances. Having said that, your story and qualitative factors matter much more than your GMAT, so do not overthink this and do your best!

Your internship at MBB must have given you a lot of good consulting experience, and you need to speak about the projects you have undertaken during your internship in your apps and how it shaped your vision (I do get some idea, but need more clarity). It will demonstrate your overall potential and bring the much-needed impact in your profile. Your love for teaching people and making education accessible for all is what impressed me the most - it speaks loud & clear about your contributing personality and fits in well to Stanford’s and Booth’s culture. Also, your Youtube page gives an interesting stint to your overall profile. Highlight how you started the channel, how you're have risen up from ground zero to 400K subs. Also, put a spotlight on the techniques you used to expand your presence on the platform, adcoms will be interested to know that.

Your post-MBA goals seem to be very clear and bring you closer to your passion for educating people. But I am still not convinced over the relevance of MBA in your overall journey. You want an MBA to explore all these different paths to find a way for your long-term goal. But don’t you think you can explore them even without an MBA? You’re still young and have considerable time to explore. Maybe, after 4 years, you may not even feel the need for an MBA! Think harder over your reasons for an MBA!

To sum it up, your overall profile is good, and you've got a good shot at M7 schools. But you need to work on your why MBA because it will define the intentionality in your applications which is the most important aspect for the adcoms to gauge your fit to their programs.

If you'd like, I'm happy to hop on a call sometime this week to discuss your chances in detail and suggest you schools which truly fit your personality and goals. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hi, really appreciate the initiative

Background: Indian female, US citizen
Undergrad: Major in business/commerce (university ranked top 50 in India)
GPA: 9.0/10 (department topper)
GMAT: 720 (Q48 V41)
Target schools: Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, Haas
Achievements
- Interned as a vendor and product manager in a startup (coordinated with suppliers, proposed and implemented an overhaul of the company's management database, mentored other interns)
- Currently interning as a financial consultant with the above company.
- Placed among national finalists out of 300 teams in case consulting competition (*working on taking part in more such events this year)
- College representative in a national student council where we mentor entrepreneurial students, organize webinars and invite speakers
- Founded a finance club in college
- Invited to teach a French course at the age of 18 in a leading international organization, youngest person to do so

Extra Curricular
- Initiated a program 5 years ago to teach children at an orphanage, started off as a group of 3 and increased team size to 20 volunteers
- Managed college music band and participated in public performances as a singer and pianist
- Head of delegate affairs team in college model UN society, head of marketing team in another summit, active debater
- Selected out of 1300 students for student exchange program (cancelled due to covid)
- 5 self-taught languages including English, French (fluent), Spanish (conversational)

Post MBA goals
- Short term: consulting in finance
- Long term: use experience gained from working with clients from different backgrounds in consulting to pivot to foreign delegate/public service

Will I be compared with applicants from India or US, because of my citizenship? I'm a little worried my GMAT is a bit low considering most median scores are 730+

Hi hutley,

Thank you for sharing your profile. I am impressed to see your current profile and the fact that you have a sense of clarity at such an early stage of your career. Your academics are good with your GMAT score being 720. In the case of deferred programs, 730+ is a good GMAT score, but it also depends on your profile and yours is strong, so it can compensate for your GMAT score.

For the deferred programs, primarily, the adcoms are concerned with the diversity of experience and learning that the candidate has accumulated at the undergraduate level. Highlight the impact that you have had during your internship which leads to the growth and development of the organization. You should demonstrate the leadership roles you have played as a CR, as this will add the leadership attribute to your application and make it stronger.

Your ECs are interesting. They clearly demonstrate your generous personality with genuine concern to uplift others. I would recommend that you highlight your personal understanding and learning behind these social causes. You must talk about your involvement in the UN society, how it made you a better person or a better leader. Your interest in music will add colour to your profile and reflects your diverse personality.

It's good to see that you have clear post-MBA goals. Your post-MBA goals play an important role in highlighting the different aspects of your apps. You need to highlight your motivation for finance and how the MBA is the right choice for your goals. With respect to finance, NYU, Ivey and CBS are coveted b-schools because of their strong alumni base in the field of finance, investing centres and the leading faculty.

Overall, you have a competitive profile, the most important thing about your application is how you connect the dots and build a great narrative to stand out from the other applicants in the pool. Make sure you are connected to the values of the school throughout your application. You can have a look at other deferred MBA programs here with their deadlines and criteria. It will help you get better clarity of which schools should you apply to.

If you’d like we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and gauge your further chances to b-school. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

Hey everyone, If someone can evaluate my profile it would be nice and thanks in advance.
Applying for deferred mba - hbs, mit(sloan) , cbs
BACKGROUND
Age: 21
Nationality: Indian
Sex: Male

Background and nationality
GMAT(mock) - 690 ( trying to get above 720+)
Undergrad - mechanical engineering
CGPA - 7.3/10
College - Thapar university(top 30 in india)


WORK EXPERIENCE
- CEO(co-founder) - Had started a startup . it was a restaurant AI dish recommendation platform . We were also incubated by STEP incubator. Almost got funding , but covid hit and we had close it .Generated 1500+ regular users and 2500 Subscribers within 6 months of launch; delivered profits in the first year.( I ran this for 2 years)
- I also ran a social initivative to help old people learn basic tech to help them with their daily needs (1 year ago )
- Summer Intern, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL)(India's largest automaker), Manesar
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
• Represented college as Team Lead of 3-member team in Adobe’s Global Analytics Challenge
• Leader of a global team in MIT, Boston Hacking medicine challenge
• Selected& lead discussions in executive seminars of Harvard College Project for Asian & International Relations 2021
• Selected for the final round for Cognizance, IIT Roorkee in the Valuation Challenge Mar’20
• Represented as Goalkeeper in Arsenal Soccer School Under 16 team in Delhi NCR league matches 2014
• Internationally rated chess player (FIDE)
• Participated in International Rated chess tournament which consisted of more than 1000+ global players 2018
• Language known - English (Fluent), Hindi (Fluent)
• Software known - SQL, Tableau, Alteryx, Excel, Python, C++, Creo, Machine learning, and PowerPoint.

MBA goal -
Short term - learn more about how robotics industry works and get structured knowledge on how to handle various situations in business
Long term - Start a robotics startup(I already have the technical knowledge) on various ideas I have
To get structured knowledge about entrepreneurship


If any improvements please suggest .

Kavya2024:

Thanks for posting. You are going to have a tough go at these very competitive deferred MBA programs. You do have some good ECs and recognition, and your career goal is intriguing. However, your academic performance and GMAT - key components for deferred MBA programs - are sub-par. You really need at least a 730 to be considered, particularly coming from a competitive cohort. If you are intent on applying now, I would up that score and really nail your essays and shore up solid letters of recommendation.

There's little downside to applying for these programs, but if I were you I would strongly consider getting a couple of years of work experience and applying through the full-time MBA process. These deferred MBA programs take few very people and are even more selective than going through the regular MBA admissions process. Given your ambition and focus, I think you will stand a better chance with a full-time job under your belt, where you can really shine. Doing so will also take pressure off of your undergraduate and test scores.

Good luck,
Admissionado

Hello Kavya2024,

Thank you for your post. Deferral MBA programs can be very competitive. Given your 690 GMAT and aspirations of getting into a top program, I would suggest gaining a few years of work experience and then pursuing an MBA by applying via the regular full-time process.

That is not to say you do not have some interesting work experience and extracurriculars. I would love to know more about your role at your startup. I think the best thing for you to do is pursue the early MBA planning route. This way you can continue to build upon the skills you already have to create truly standout applications.

Personal MBA Coach can help you plan ahead to make all of the right decisions in the time leading up to your applications – this involves building a strategic plan between now and your application year, and includes job / extracurricular advice. Our early planning clients have stellar success rates ultimately getting accepted and getting scholarships. Take a look at our early planning services to learn more.

Feel free to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com so we can further discuss ways to enhance your candidacy.

Best,
Personal MBA Coach

Hi Kavya2024,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile looks interesting on the surface, with work experience and ECs being the most highlighted part. Your stats are decent. I would recommend targeting a GMAT score of 730+, as deferred programs are very competitive, and you come from the competitive pool of applicants.

You have worked in a startup on the work front and shown progress, which is excellent. You can share how you generated users from 0 to 1500+, and I am sure you will have some great stories to share about it. Your ECs are very strong in themselves, bringing forward competitiveness and intellectual prowess in you. Business schools appreciate diversity in the candidates, and your profile conveys the same. You have led the team, highlighting that you have leadership abilities. You will need to connect all these dots and explain how these experiences helped shape your personality.

Your post-MBA goals are apparent. There are very few people who have the clear, unique motivations behind pursuing an MBA, and you seem one among them. Ensure you specify how the business school can help fill gaps in your profile and lead you to your life goals. Your application’s most important thing is how you connect the dots and build a great narrative to stand out from the other applicants in the pool. Make sure you connect to the values of the school throughout your application.

If you’re looking for European b-schools such as INSEAD feel free to look into this session. It's on 20th March and it's a personalised session, to help you assess your chances.

If you are sure about pursuing an MBA and have absolute clarity where this program can lead you, you can try. Overall your profile is great and has a decent shot at HBS, MIT, and CBS. I think HBS would be the best pick for you as it values the high potential individual who is going into a technically demanding role.

If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and gauge your further chances to b-schools. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

What it takes you to get into INSEAD


Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525

I know this is kind of late. Hoping for a reply though

Background and nationality: Indian Male

Undergrad Information: Indian Institute of Technology (Madras/Delhi/Mumbai), CGPA 9.27, top 5 %ile of my class.

GMAT: 750

Target Schools: M7. Personal priority order is as follows, GSB > HBS > MIT > CBS > Others.

Extra-Curriculars and Achievements:
- Represented India internationally twice. Once as part of an olympiad during school, and once as a youth delegate to a former USSR nation during college.
- Have participated and won in business case study competitions that see participation in the thousands.
- Had my essay featured in a book published by UNESCO. Have published articles in many blogs.
- Interned with one of India's largest companies (6 BN USD+ turnover) in their Agri-Business Division. Worked on implementing Industry 4.0 solutions to improve factory productivity. Have also accepted a Pre-Placement Offer from this firm, which I received due to my excellent work during the internship.
- Have worked in student organizations throughout the 4 years I have spent in college. From Coordinator, to Head, to Core, I have risen through the ranks in handling my college's tech festival every year through a competitive selection process.

MBA Story:
- I intend to pursue an MBA after two to three years. In the meantime, I want to get a closer understanding of how factories function and the role data analytics will play in changing the industry. After graduating from B-school, I hope to work for an international consulting firm with a focus on supply chain management. My long term goal is to return to India and set up a manufacturing firm of my own - in line with India's manufacturing boom.

Thank you in advance

Hi guhan9999,

Thanks for sharing your profile. Your profile looks interesting on the surface. You have a strong GMAT score which shows your academic potential.

Your ECs and accomplishments are outstanding. I'm sure you must have lots of stories to tell about your experiences. You must illustrate the roles and responsibilities you have undertaken during your internship and how you perform better than your peers to grab a pre-placement offer. Your ECs are very strong in themselves, bringing forward competitiveness and intellectual prowess in you. Business schools appreciate diversity in the candidates, and your profile conveys the same. You have leadership skills as well! You will need to connect all these dots and explain how these experiences helped shape your personality. You may want to read the article on How to get into M7 business school. This article will help you understand M7 b-schools and instil the right confidence in you.

Overall you have a good profile and stands a chance at M7 schools. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and your further chances to b-school. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Let’s maximize your chances for US Schools.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Ask MBA & Beyond- if you're concerned about any of your gaps in your profile & need direction

Hey everyone!

This post may be useful for those who are applying to US Schools in the last rounds or preparing for fall deadlines.

In this session, we will be walking you through snippets of a few good profiles we have converted to top US business schools. We will read out some essays of successful applicants too.

We will be sharing what US Schools want to see in an application and will be sharing tips on how you can stand out even if you belong to an overrepresented pool.

Agenda:

Explain your plan: Rather than how flashy a plan is, we need to prove it is feasible and achievable

Leadership/Achievements: How to showcase your leadership & achievements to align them with the values of your target school

Contribution to the community: Communicate your contribution and impact on the lives of people around you even when you don't have NGO/community experiences

Why a specific School

You may know more about the session here.

Hello guhan9999,

Thank you for your post. You have a strong GMAT and some noteworthy extracurriculars and achievements. Successful deferred MBA applicants will have already demonstrated considerable leadership through internships and extracurricular activities, either on or off-campus. Think about the experiences you listed and which ones best provide examples of leadership. This will be important to leverage in your applications.

What are the other schools on your list along with GSB, HBS, MIT, and CBS? You may want to add one or two more to maximize your chances of acceptance. Though you have a strong profile and a solid chance at these schools, deferred MBA programs are quite competitive. All business schools look to fill their classes with diverse candidates, and you cannot always predict which school might need someone who fits your profile. Adding a broad range of 5 to 7 schools helps to balance this.

Feel free to reach out to scott@personalmbacoach.com or take a look at our comprehensive services to learn how we can help you put together strong applications for these programs with last-minute rush-priced packages.

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach

Hey! Thanks for starting this discussion. I am applying to GSB, Booth, HBS, Sloan, and CBS. I now it is a little late but I hope you can give me a profile evaluation!

Background: I am a Jewish Mexican male (22 yrs old), have lived here my whole life except for 10th grade at US boarding school and 6 months at Harvard as a Visiting Undergrad Student (Fall 2019), and 4 months in Israel
Undergrad: Target School in Mexico City - Chemical Engineering, One semester at Harvard (took 3 courses at Harvard and 1 at MIT)
GMAT: 690 (Q45, V40) (First try - I applied with this one to GSB and Booth, I plan to take it again before applying to HBS, hoping for a 720+), TOEFL iBT (116/120)
Gpa: 9.34/100 (Top GPA in graduating class) - Chemical Engineering

Experience:
- One year at P&G as Marketing Purchases Intern and one year at P&G as Engineering Intern (basically project manager).
- Going to join a startup as fifth employee in May (the startup raised the largest seed funding round in LATAM history) - will do this for 1 year.
- Received full time offers from McKinsey, Bain, Oliver Wyman, PE firms, and P&G. Ultimately accepted Bain's offer and will join feb 2022.

Extracurriculars and Achievements
- 2 months in the Israeli Defense Forces (basic training)
- Volunteered at an organization that provides environmental friendly aid to poor families living in rural areas in Mexico (Engineering advisor - 6 months)
- Enrolled in a program that studies the holocaust for 1 year, at the end of the program we visited extermination and concentration camps in Europe
- Capitan of High School football team (some years ago)
- Self-taught pianist, play chess and outdoor sports in free time
- On track to graduate with top GPA in graduating class
- Received 2 awards at P&G because of working beyond my responsibilities
- Troop leader during my time at the IDF
- Awarded high honor roll when studying in an American boarding school (top 5 % of student body)

Post MBA goals: Return to MBB for a couple of years and then join family business as CEO (plastic factory) and transform it into world-class organization with focus on environmental and social impact.

Would love to hear your thoughts!. Would appreciate any feedback.

Thank you!!

Hi ifasja,

Thanks for sharing your profile. Your profile is very impressive, and it is backed by high-quality principles. In terms of academics, your undergrad GPA is excellent. For deferred MBA, a GMAT score of 730 or higher is considered competitive; aim to get close to this mark to improve your chances. You have an excellent career record, with courses from prestigious institutions contributing significantly to the academic profile.

On the work front, you have a really good experience at P&G as an intern with different roles and responsibilities. Highlight the impact you have had during your internship, leading to the organisation’s growth and development. You grab a full-time offer as well, that’s great. Many Congratulations!!

Your ECs and accomplishments are noteworthy and deserve to be highlighted in your applications. You have done so many amazing things. Especially your military training and voluntary work for low-income families. The adcoms place a high emphasis on this because it reflects candidates' ideals in giving back to society. Your extracurricular activities contribute to the 'impact' element of your profile, making you much more competitive. They add a broader perspective to the profile and values, which help in determining b-schools whether a candidate is a right fit for b-school or not. You should be able to present it really well.

Your post-MBA goals are clear, you will need to explain your vision behind it. Make sure you specify how a particular b-school can help you fill gaps in your profile and help you achieve your goals. You may want to read the article on what business schools look in the candidate for deferred MBA programs. This article will help you understand your chances to top deferred programs.

Overall you have a good profile. What's going to matter most about your application is how you link experiential dots and make a great narrative. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and your further chances to the b-school. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Let’s maximize your chances for US Schools.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com
What s app: +65-97158525
Ask MBA & Beyond- if you're concerned about any of your gaps in your profile & need direction

Background and nationality: White, American: beginning career in Investment Banking
Undergrad Information: Top 50 US school, business background (Quantitative Finance Major and International Business Minor) with strong performance in quantitative classes (Statistics; Financial Modelling; Calculus; Linear Algebra)
GPA: 3.90
GMAT: 720 (Q45, V44, IR7)
Targets: (1) Booth, (2) Kellogg, (3) Wharton, (4) CBS, (5) MIT Sloan, (6) Georgetown McDonough

Experience:
- Asset Management Intern, Chicago
- Investment Banking Intern (Boutique), Chicago
- Investment Banking Intern (Boutique), San Francisco
- Finance Intern (Global Bank), London, UK
- Pro Bono Finance Intern for Water Infrastructure Charity
- Impact Investing Intern for Social Enterprise Accelerator Program
- Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Global Investment Bank), Chicago
- Incoming Investment Banking Analyst (Global Investment Bank), Chicago

Extracurriculars and Achievements:
- Selective leadership development program for Top-25 students in university
- Only member of class (500 students) to be selected for 3-year immersive study and exchange program exploring microfinancing and development in Nepal
- Various university honors/awards for academic performance and community involvement
- Study abroad experience in London at Imperial College (international finance and management focus)
- National Jesuit honor society for academics and community service (top 4% of students at all 28 global Jesuit Catholic Colleges)
- President of two prominent on-campus academic clubs
- Volunteered for two charities
- Scholarship Chair of Fraternity
- Member of Student School Advisory Council
- Active in on-campus athletics
- Involved as member with various other clubs

Certifications:
SIE FINRA Certification (FINRA Series 63 and 79 by July)
Acumen Fund Social Impact Modeling and Impact Measurement certification (10-week course)

Post MBA goals
Valued team member at a leading impact investment fund, like Goldman Sachs’ UIG or Impact Engine, where I would evaluate investment opportunities. Driven by a series of experiences and strong mentorship, I aim to use my career to be a leader in social impact bond investment (a niche area of impact investing to which I have a lot of direct exposure).

Why do you want to go for an MBA?
My career goals are informed by formative international experiences in Nepal, London, and with a non-profit that illustrated to me how targeted investment and bold financing solutions can drive life-changing outcomes for marginalized individuals. The area that I want to pivot into is niche and competitive, requiring a specific technical skill set and understanding of the social sector ecosystem.

Anything else?
I am applying to the following deferred enrollment programs: Booth, Kellogg, Wharton, MIT Sloan, CBS, and Georgetown McDonough. I would love some feedback as well as an assessment of what my chances are (based on the limited information I've provided ) Thanks!!

Hi OCSC1290,

I have already given you a brief evaluation over mail. For an extensive discussion, hope to chat with you soon

Cheers! Shantanu