Blitz15 wrote:
Hi,
Please help me figure out reasonable schools in that I can apply to and stand a chance to get an admit.
Profile Details:
Male, Indian, 23 yrs.
GMAT: 730 (Q51, V37, IR 8)
Education: B.Tech from IIT Madras (one of the top 5 undergrad colleges in India) in chemical engineering, 7.6/10 CGPA.
Experience : Currently 2 years of work experience (will be completing 3 by next july). I am working with a UK-based IT/financial services firm as a Software Test Engineer. Been promoted within 18 months of joining. Management skills mainly involve monitoring and providing functional training to new recruits and interns, coordinating with clients and developers, and taking ownership for product deliveries. Don't have international work experience, but I've been involved in interacting with many international clients.
Post-MBA goals: Main preference is to move into to management consulting or product management (preferably in tech. sector). Second preference is financial services.
Co-curricular/Extra-curriculars :
1.Been working as a volunteer for an international NGO
2.Was a part of the national cadet corps under Indian air force and received basic military training
3.Secured a gold medal in an international mathematics competition conducted by University of New South Wales across 14 countries
Can you please advise which B-schools I should target. INSEAD is my dream school. Do I have a chance with my profile?
If not, please suggest other schools. Any country is fine as long as it is easy to find a job there after graduation. Language isn't a problem for european schools as I have enough time to take classes.
If my work experience is at the lower end, should I go for a master in finance/MiM?
PS: I am only aiming for the top 100 ranked schools.
Thanks a lot.
Hey there,
Great to hear from you!
So overall you have a very good profile:
- IIT Grad
- Great GMAT
- Good industry
Your main weaknesses are:
- Tough applicant pool (Indian male tech)
- No leadership
- No international experience.
Additionally, you are a big young for European programs.
You have several options here:
- If you feel like you are ready to go NOW, you can take your shot at MBA programs, like INSEAD, Oxbridge, and US schools in the 5-15 ranking.
- Otherwise, if you ant to develop in your work, you can work on the next year or two improving your profile - better leadership, more international experience, and more volunteer work, and apply when you are 24 or 25 with a stronger profile.
A lot depends on your personal choice here and your goals, but either way could work. If you apply now, you would likely get into a slightly less well-ranked school, but you would be doing so earlier. So it's up to you to decide.
I hope this helps!
Best,
JF