Ross Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi All,

Looking for a evaluation on my profile for Michigan Ross. Kind of too ambitious for me, but still want to know if there is even a realistic chance even for an interview if I apply in earlier rounds.

1. Indian | Male
2. GRE- 318/340 (Q-165 | V-153) and TOEFL- 111/120
3. B.Tech. in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. (74.7%)
4. 5 years as of Aug'19. Currently an Analytics & Strategy Consultant for a Big4 Firm. Got 3 promotions.
5. Post MBA- Product/Program Management

Extra Curriculars:
1. Bournvita Quiz Contest Zonal Finalist at School.
2. Head Boy
3. Leader, University Quizzing Society.
4. VP Finance, Rotaract International Club.
5. AIESEC Team Lead.
6. Founder, University E-Cell. Currently one of the top names in startup incubation circuit.
7. Invited speaker on my paper on Machine Learning at one of India's largest ML conference hosted by IISc Bangalore.

Awards:
1. Principal's Award, School. (<5% of class gets it)
2. District Champion, Annual India Today Quiz.
3. University Debate Champion (2 years back to back).
4. Student Achiever Award, University.
5. Back to Back 3 years at work.
3. Appreciation Citation from CTO.

Alternate Schools: McCombs, Kelley, Foster, HEC.

Kindly evaluate.
Thanks in Advance.

Hi, and thanks for writing. It would be ideal if you could bring your Verbal GRE score to 160+. Are you involved in any post-collegiate extracurriculars? That would strengthen your profile. For Indian applicants, I recommend applying to Round 1 whenever possible given the competitiveness of your demographic, so Round 2 might be challenging. I think that the alternative target schools that you've listed make sense given your profile.

24 year old, Male, Indian
XII - 95%
B.Tech. in Electronics engineering: 8.4/10 GPA
GMAT: 710, yet to take IELTS
WE: Will have 4 years by September 2020. IT consulting in one of the big fours with focus on business development
Volunteer: Volunteering at a non-profit organization which offers classroom services for special kids. Hobbies include team sports (football and basketball), debating and quizzing
Post-MBA goals - Make a career switch to one of the Investment Management firms

Kindly evaluate my profile for Ross and suggest areas of improvement.

Hi Everyone-
I'm a white male with an engineering background, and will finish a corporate finance graduate certificate from Harvard extension school this fall. I'll be applying R1 in 2020
Company: Manufacturing company in Ohio
GMAT: 710 (49Q/38V)
Undergrad GPA: 3.0 Mechanical Engineering, Mid-tier Public College
Graduate Classes: 3.4
Work Experience: I moved from a cost engineer role to an FP&A Role. While in cost, I led some systems integration efforts for 4 newly acquired plants, and leveraged that to a promotion into FP&A. I'm currently responsible for all day-to-day finance work for our $260 mil, 7 plant business unit. Involved with various sales and operations reporting, and oversee a couple of operations related projects that I started while in my previous role. Would have right under 4 years of experience upon matriculation (in 2021)
Extracurricular: Was extremely involved in college with alumni relations groups, a few multicultural and racial justice focused groups, and student-government type groups and a fraternity. Held leadership roles in many of the groups, and received an award from our University's Foundation. Currently on a couple of boards with my undergrad's alumni affiliate groups.
Post MBA: Would like to move into Management Consulting (MBB or Strategy consulting) or PE focused on small/mid cap manufacturing

Hi Based,
Thanks for reaching out. I think you have a solid shot at Ross but it will be a bit of a stretch given your GPA and the fact that your GMAT, while solid, is not a differentiator & is a bit below the Ross average of ~720. The grad certificate will demonstrate your interest in business but honestly the undergrad GPA matters more since that is a certificate program & not an actual masters (and 3.4 is still a bit on the low end for Ross, where the average is typically ~3.5). A lot is really going to depend on the strength of your accomplishments at work and how you talk about your goals. The adcom wants to see that you've driven quantifiable impact in your career, and given your cost focus it sounds like you likely have, which is awesome. That will show them you have something valuable to contribute in class discussion & will also demonstrate that you're up for the rigors of b-school. In terms of your goals, consulting is quite common so that's not going to be a differentiator. That's not to say you can't focus on it as your goal, but you may want to consider the PE route, especially since you have a manufacturing focus there, which is more unique. A lot will depend on how you talk about your goals. The adcom will want to not only know what job you're targeting but also want unique impact you plan to have in that role & WHY that is your passion. Goals are not only a way to differentiate yourself but are also the basis for your why MBA/why our school argument so they're a critical piece of the puzzle.

So long story short, I think you do have a shot at Ross assuming strong essays & strong accomplishments at work but you will need to work to overcome the slightly low GMAT & the lower undergrad GPA. If you need any help thinking through your strategy & your story definitely reach out to us. If you email Claudia at claudia@admissionado.com she can set you up with a free consultation with one of our MBA consultants who can take a look at your resume & give you some more detailed thoughts!

Hi, and thanks for writing! Ross is very competitive, especially for Indian applicants - if you can raise your GMAT to 730+ that would be ideal. Have you progressed in your IT consulting role and can you count on a glowing recommendation?
It's great that you'vre involved in volunteering - is there potential to elevate your involvement to a leadership capacity?
Also, in your application, you'll want to provide a strong rationale for the career switch to investment management and what has inspired it. Hope that helps a bit!

Hi,

I seek some advice regarding the suitability of my profile for Ross. Would be grateful if I could receive some feedback.

Background:

• Indian, male
• Engineering bachelors (electrical) - GPA 6.1/10 (equiv to 61%) at tier 1 university
• 6 years' worth of work experience - Renewable energy - Consulting and operations
• GMAT 710 (Q50 V36 IR5 AWA5.5)

Post MBA goals
Career acceleration in the same field - Energy

Work exp break down:-

3 years at a technical consulting firm (largest in India) - Energy industry. (2013-2016) - location India

• Worked on conventional power projects in Greece and Morocco - 1 year. Clients were foreign nationals. Limited travel during this time.
• Mostly focused on developing strong technical fundamentals
• Shifted to renewable energy industry (utility scale solar plants). Offered consultancy services to lenders, policy makers and developers.
• Travelled extensively all over India and witnessed the boom in the renewable energy space first hand.
• Promoted to the position of an Engineering Consultant – Design


2 years at the world's 2nd largest solar PV (photo voltaic) Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) company

• Employed as senior design engineer.
• Employed at double the pay.
• Shifted from consultancy to operations in the space of a couple of months
• Started the energy storage department in the firm
• Picked up financial modelling and programming even though these were not a part of my job description.
• Led a team of 8 at the home office and a team of 24 at site, to successfully commission the largest solar PV plant (at that time) inside an Airport (beside the runway) at the Kolkata International Airport.
• Obtained recommendation from Client (central government of India)
• Manager (team lead) for 3 large scale solar PV projects that were completed within a space of 2 years and were based out of India, Egypt and Argentina
• Employment included extensive travelling all over the country and to Egypt and Vietnam (for construction monitoring)


1 year at the world's largest energy consulting form (2018- present)

• Offered a role of a Consultant in Energy Storage and Renewable energy
• 4x the pay of previous firm
• Permanent employment offered at Dubai office. Currently hold a resident Visa.
• Train clients - external as well as internal on contracts, execution and technical stuff.
• Offer consultancy services to private equity firms and developers investing in energy storage space (primary role) and am the business lead for the Indian Market
• Travel to Jordan, Egypt, Kenya, West Africa and Saudi Arabia


Extra curricular

2011- present
• Started a cooperative for sustainable tourism and Tuberculosis prevention in the Himalayas. The geographic location is quite limited to few high - altitude locations in Jammu and Himachal Pradesh.

2013-2015
Volunteer at an NGO that works to offer education to the underprivileged - run by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi

2016-present
Active member of a vocational training institute where I disseminate my knowledge of operations to budding technicians


Does it make sense for me to try for Ross? Is my GPA and GMAT too low for a realistic chance?

Thanks
SNG

Hi,

Indian Male.
GMAT:710 (Q-50/V-35/IR-7/AWA-5)
IELTS: Awaiting results (Expecting 7.5+ in all sections)
Mechanical Engineering: 7.629/10 (NIT Srinagar-2011-2015)
12th: 85.33%
Hardly any community work.
A core member of Dubai Writers Group.
Work Experience: 3 months (Decision Science)
46 months (Construction Industry)- International
Promotions: 2 (Graduate Engineer Trainee to Mechanical Engineer- Everyone gets it
Mechanical Engineer to Commissioning Lead
Commissioning Lead to Senior Mechanical Engineer)- I am the youngest Senior Mechanical Engineer in my company's history. And my company was established in 1976 in the UAE.
Currently Based out of Dubai (UAE) for the last 46 months.

Please evaluate my profile.

Hi,

Your substantial international experience is a differentiator. But the combination of GPA + GMAT score will make applying to many MBA programs unviable, including Ross, which has expected 730+ scores from Indians.
Suggest you retake GMAT to increase your chances at several programs. Also consider doing an MBA relevant program such as MBA Math to show the adcom that you have the quant chops required by MBA curriculums.

I'd suggest a GMAT retake. From my experience of talking to several applicants, i know that Ross does have a higher GMAT ask from Indian applicants.

Hi all,
I’m thinking of applying in Round 2 for the fulltime program at Ross and was looking for some feedback on where I stand.

Nationality – USA
Gender – Male
GMAT – 720 (49Q/40V)

Education
B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering, GPA: 3.3/4.0 from a large state school, not very high in rankings.
M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering, GPA 3.3/4.0 for another large state school that also isn’t very high in rankings.

Work Experience
This is where I feel that I can distinguish myself. I spent my first 2 years out of school working for a non-profit environmental research center in a program focused on helping oil and gas companies meet and exceed environmental regulations. I led several research initiatives that have had direct impacts in North Dakota. I’ve published and presented a lot of my work at large industry conferences and publications.
I’ve spent the past 3 years with a start up in the midstream oil and gas sector where I built and currently run the organizations reporting and scheduling team. I currently manage a team of 5 and have had several promotions along the way.

Community, Leadership, and stuff
Toastmasters for the past few years, current event coordinator for my undergrad alumni organization, I was also president for a sports club for 2 years during my undergrad. Teaching Assistantship during graduate school.

Post MBA goals
I would like to stay in the energy sector but switch into a corporate finance role with a large international presence.

Thanks all,

Hi chru1988,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I really like your work experience and your professional goals. Your narrative could really speak to Ross, and they can help you reach your goals in corporate finance in the energy sector (I really like how specific you are).

While your GPA is slightly below Ross' average, school ranking is really important in the decision process. I would encourage you to think about your university time (both undergrad and grad) and prepare to address your scores in a supplementary document (to be done for all target schools).

I encourage you to take advantage of our 30-min free profile evaluation call to discuss further your background and next steps. If that is something you would find beneficial, please reach out.

Good luck with your applications.

Susan

Hi chru1988,
Thanks for reaching out! Your GMAT is solid but not a differentiator, especially given the lower GPA. If there's any chance at all that you can improve your score without taking time away from your essays I'd consider it. Your energy focus is somewhat unique - that's a background they'll see among applicants but not one of the more common ones. A lot is going to depend on the specifics of your accomplishments at work. Research can be a tough background -- the adcom wants applicants who have used business skills to drive business impact (e.g. increases in revenue, decreases in cost, etc) & just by the nature of the job that can be tough to show when you are coming from a research background. That said, it sounds like you have some solid leadership experience which is great.

Just based on what you shared here I'd say you have a shot at Ross but it may be a bit of a reach if you don't have a lot of quantifiable achievements at work. If you'd like some more detailed thoughts definitely reach out to us. If you email Claudia at claudia@admissionado.com she can set you up with a free consultation with one of our MBA consultants who can take a look at your resume & give you some more specific feedback & direction!

Hi all,
I am looking at applying to in Round 2 for the full time program at Ross and would appreciate some feedback on where I stand. I am also considering pushing my application back to Round 3 in order to study for a couple months and retake the GMAT if necessary.

White male, 28 years old from United States

GMAT: 700 (47Q, 39V)

Education: BS Mechanical Engineering, 3.63/4.0, Michigan State University

Work Experience:
3.5 years with international chemical company working as a Mechanical Design engineer (2yrs) and Project Engineer (1.5yrs). During my 1.5 years as a project engineer, I was also selected to work on the front end analysis of a potential expansion project ($6bn USD) in Argentina with the strategic leadership team working directly for the program director.
In 2017 I was recruited to be a part of an Executive Leadership Program for employees with C-suite potential at a Dutch holding company. My first assignment was as a Project Manager for a construction/transportation company for 1.5 years. There I was co-project manager on a $50mil chemical plant construction project and led a 10 person team on a $15mil project constructing the roof the new LA Rams stadium. I am now on my second assignment working in Argentina as a customer development manager with a retail company where my focus is improving the overall shopping experience of our customers. This job required me to learn Spanish and speak it fluently enough to work with my coworkers, many of whom do not speak any english.
Per my program, I will be returning to my original company in April in a promoted position (TBD).

Volunteer work, hobbies:
I have not had many opportunities to volunteer in Argentina, but at my first job I was the United Way Campaign Chair for 2 years, the New Professional Network community service chair working with Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, MS150 and SIRE. I was also on the Employee Engagement steering team. Would it be a concern that is volunteer experience is from 2+ years ago?

MBA Goals:
I am planning on going back for my MBA full time next fall in order to change to the sports industry, but would like to continue working in operations or a client focused role.

Thank you!

Hi, and thanks for writing! You have intriguing and progressive professional experience (love the heavy international component) and it's understandable that your placement in Argentina didn't allow for much volunteer work - your involvement from 2 years ago will certainly be considered, and try to highlight an impact from there in one of your 100-word essays.

Regarding your career goal, since it's tough to enter sports right after MBA, I'd suggest consulting in the short-term (management or operations), and strategy for a sports management/analytics firm in the longer term.

Ideally, your GMAT score would be 720+, but it's best to apply in R2 vs. R3 given that there aren't many spots left by R3. If you apply in R2 and get waitlisted, you can retake GMAT.

Hope that helps a bit! If you'd like to discuss further, you can sign up for a free consultation with me here: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/

Hi,

Please, if you can, evaluate my profile as an international applicant for the MBA program

Nationality: Indian
Age: 29
Undergraduate Qualification: Bachelor in technology with specialisation in computer science engineering.
GMAT: not taken yet
Work experience: 6+ years
About me - An engineer turned entrepreneur, started a textiles manufacturing and trading business, while studying, with my father (as his prior experience and willingness to work in the same industry he's ever been). Completed my engineering side-by-side. Then left for job, but kept involved in business somehow of the location benefits as my manufacturing process used to take place in the same city I got a job in. Then moved back for business, leaving my job. Since then, been in business and have turned quite a lot of things around for us, and for the market in a good way.
key achievements --
Turned everything from credit to cash.
Took things online,
and added a customer-centric approach.

All these things and ideas were new for the market and my customers, but now productivity has increased for both.
I think entrepreneurship is a good idea for my MBA, but not sure if it’s a good idea in case I want to experience something different like a job maybe for some time. Also, I am so much involved into everything I do, I don't want myself to not make use of my 2 years at an MBA program, so I am a little cautious of schools where I may not find the right mindset of people whom I can be with.

Why MBA?
I have some ideas related to my field which I think can really help and change the way things are done. I want to incorporate tech into small scale manufacturing, and I don't mean just computers. I am looking for a school where I can get some tech exposure along with my MBA, as I may need to take 1-2 tech courses along with an MBA.

Extracurriculars: I am an active sports guy. I play tennis, have coaching experience of swimming (summers only :P) have formed 2 groups in my city -- running and cycling, started with 2 people now each group has around 500+ participants, 60% of them are moderately active, 80% are somewhat active.
I trek a lot and have taken most treks closer to my place, as I work 7 days so it's hard to take an off as treks need a lot of days, but I manage that somehow by minimizing risk.
I am a cyclist, too. you'll find me cycling in the hills, if not trekking.
I have taken part in brevet, 200 km one.
I am a part of the national cycling group and I represent my city for the group.
Also, I am a participant of a blood donation group, we provide blood to blood banks and the ones in need, in person, too. we don't charge for it, it's a free community service for anyone in need. we are presently handling 3 states and the group has around 5000 members, most of them are active. It's run by the people for the people, but then there are too many things to do.

References: From clients to these groups, I can ask anyone to recommend me, but I think it makes more sense if I ask my clients or business people.

shall I apply?

Hi, and thanks for writing! Without GMAT, it is challenging for me to evaluate your profile, but for Ross, a 740+ is what to aim for as an Indian applicant.

You'll want to have a clear idea of your post-MBA goals - entrepreneurship certainly can be a longer-term ambition, but what type of role do you want to enter post-MBA? For Ross, you'll need to explain in the second essay the rationale behind this goal - why is it a fit with your skills and interests? They'll want the assurance that you've thought concretely about your path after graduation.

You've got great extracurricular involvment, which you'll want to highlight in the mini-essays. As for recommendations, you'll want to get one from Ross from someone who knows your work extremely well and can speak directly to your performance and potential, so it sounds like a top client would be best.

Hope that helps!