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tausif0806
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Joined: 02 Aug 2018
Last visit: 18 Aug 2024
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Location: Bangladesh
Schools: Harvard '23 Stanford '23
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V46
GPA: 3.92
Schools: Harvard '23 Stanford '23
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V46
Posts: 2
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Nov 2020, 23:33
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Background: Bangladeshi Male (29 year old at time of Matriculation)

Personal Brand: 29 year old Bangladeshi Male with experience of Venture Capital Investing and Startup Operational Roles in an Emerging Country. I hope to combine my emerging market experience with the global perspective and best practices available through a US MBA to become a global VC investor, focusing on Emerging Markets.

Applying to: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Columbia

Education:

1. Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 3.92/4.00 (considered the top Engineering School in the country)
2. MBA from Institute of Business Administration – University of Dhaka, 4.0/4.0 (considered the top Business School in the country)
3. CFA Charterholder

GMAT: 770 (50Q, 46V)

Why I’m looking for a Second MBA:
I pursued an MBA to pivot to a career path in Finance. My choice of pursuing Engineering as an undergraduate student had been made at a very young age, and at that time, I did not have the career path related information in order to make an informed decision. I realized 3-4 years into my undergraduate degree that my interests would be more suited towards a career in the financial services sector. A local MBA was my entry point into that career path.
My existing MBA experience happened immediately after my undergraduate degree. This resulted in my classroom experience often being theoretical, as I did not have the work experience required to relate classroom lessons with real world examples. (It is common for universities in Bangladesh to accept MBA students with no work experience)
While my existing MBA has helped me make the switch to the career path I want, it is very much a local experience. My career aspirations are global, and the Bangladesh-based MBA does not provide me with access to global opportunities. A global MBA provides me with access to those global opportunities.

Work Experience:

Role 1 (4.5 years, current full-time role):

Working as an VC Associate/Analyst in the Asset Management Arm of a leading Financial Group in Bangladesh ($160M+ annual revenue, Included in Top 30 Public Market Index). I joined in their Leadership Development Program (10 chosen from 20,000 applicants). Promoted twice in four years (one early promotion)

Achievements:
1. Launched the first local venture capital fund of Bangladesh. I was the first employee in the business unit, and paired with a General Manager to help build up the business unit from scratch.
2. Led the Due Diligence for the Group’s first VC investment, including creation of a new transaction structure that solved a major pain point for local startups. The structure we created has been used by the company to raise $3 MM+ of capital from local investors afterwards, including the later round Lead Investor. (this accounts for ~40% of local investment into startups within that period). This was one of the first instances of Corporate Venture Capital in Bangladesh.

Role 2 (1 year, current part-time role, part of Portfolio Management of full-time role):

In addition to my full-time role, I work as a Marketing Strategy Consultant in one of our Portfolio Companies. It is a leading Online Grocery Delivery Company with $35M+ in Annual Revenue, and has raised $15M till date from global VCs. It is one of the best funded startups in the country. I manage 3 teams with 20 direct and indirect reports.

Achievements:
1. Helped the leadership team identify growth opportunities during Coronavirus induced lockdown that helped the company grow topline by ~60% from February 2020 to August 2020
2. Led the company’s initiatives on new acquisition channels – focusing on Offline Channels. Average order numbers have improved by ~30% over the last 2 months of implementation within target zones.
3. I led the creation of the Category Function within the company, and am leading a key Category at this moment (~2M in annual sales). I Devised and Executed strategies for that category that have helped reverse a growth slump, and improve sales and user acquisition by ~40% over the first two months of implementation.

Community and Others
1. Have acted as a Mentor for the largest Startup Accelerator in the country. Mentored 10 startups over the course of 6 months.
2. I also am a trainer through an Ed-tech startup, through which I provide guidance and training to Founders regarding Business Development and Fundraising in the Bangladesh Market. I’ve been able to reach 35-40 Startups through this platform.

Post MBA Goals

Short and Middle Term: Start as a Management Consultant in MBB Startup Practices. (i.e. McKinsey Fuel, BCG Corporate Ventures). These practices place a lot of people into operational roles in Startups, which is my medium term goal.
Long Term: Use my experience in MBB and Startup Operational Roles to become a Venture Investor in Emerging Markets (South Asia, Africa etc)

Narrative:
A decade ago, I lived in a city where we didn’t have internet access, and had to endure 8-10 hours of electricity outages every day. Over the last decade, my life, as well as the lives of millions of people around me, has been changed for the better due to the economic and technological development in my country. My work as a VC investor has helped me drive that change in Bangladesh, and I hope to take that experience and translate that into transforming lives across other emerging nations.


What I would appreciate from the experts here:
1. A sanity check regarding my competitiveness in my target programs.
2. I'm worried about how my chances will be affected by my existing MBA. I've given an explanation in the post, but would appreciate any comments on this.
3. I feel that my Extra-Curriculars are relatively weak, how much of an impact would this have on my chances?
4. General advice regarding my narrative. While it reflects reality, does it come off as cliche?
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andersfaustus
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 15 Nov 2020, 19:29
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Quote:
Background: Bangladeshi Male (29 year old at time of Matriculation)

Personal Brand: 29 year old Bangladeshi Male with experience of Venture Capital Investing and Startup Operational Roles in an Emerging Country. I hope to combine my emerging market experience with the global perspective and best practices available through a US MBA to become a global VC investor, focusing on Emerging Markets.

Applying to: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Columbia

Education:

1. Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 3.92/4.00 (considered the top Engineering School in the country)
2. MBA from Institute of Business Administration – University of Dhaka, 4.0/4.0 (considered the top Business School in the country)
3. CFA Charterholder

GMAT: 770 (50Q, 46V)

Why I’m looking for a Second MBA:
I pursued an MBA to pivot to a career path in Finance. My choice of pursuing Engineering as an undergraduate student had been made at a very young age, and at that time, I did not have the career path related information in order to make an informed decision. I realized 3-4 years into my undergraduate degree that my interests would be more suited towards a career in the financial services sector. A local MBA was my entry point into that career path.
My existing MBA experience happened immediately after my undergraduate degree. This resulted in my classroom experience often being theoretical, as I did not have the work experience required to relate classroom lessons with real world examples. (It is common for universities in Bangladesh to accept MBA students with no work experience)
While my existing MBA has helped me make the switch to the career path I want, it is very much a local experience. My career aspirations are global, and the Bangladesh-based MBA does not provide me with access to global opportunities. A global MBA provides me with access to those global opportunities.

Work Experience:

Role 1 (4.5 years, current full-time role):

Working as an VC Associate/Analyst in the Asset Management Arm of a leading Financial Group in Bangladesh ($160M+ annual revenue, Included in Top 30 Public Market Index). I joined in their Leadership Development Program (10 chosen from 20,000 applicants). Promoted twice in four years (one early promotion)

Achievements:
1. Launched the first local venture capital fund of Bangladesh. I was the first employee in the business unit, and paired with a General Manager to help build up the business unit from scratch.
2. Led the Due Diligence for the Group’s first VC investment, including creation of a new transaction structure that solved a major pain point for local startups. The structure we created has been used by the company to raise $3 MM+ of capital from local investors afterwards, including the later round Lead Investor. (this accounts for ~40% of local investment into startups within that period). This was one of the first instances of Corporate Venture Capital in Bangladesh.

Role 2 (1 year, current part-time role, part of Portfolio Management of full-time role):

In addition to my full-time role, I work as a Marketing Strategy Consultant in one of our Portfolio Companies. It is a leading Online Grocery Delivery Company with $35M+ in Annual Revenue, and has raised $15M till date from global VCs. It is one of the best funded startups in the country. I manage 3 teams with 20 direct and indirect reports.

Achievements:
1. Helped the leadership team identify growth opportunities during Coronavirus induced lockdown that helped the company grow topline by ~60% from February 2020 to August 2020
2. Led the company’s initiatives on new acquisition channels – focusing on Offline Channels. Average order numbers have improved by ~30% over the last 2 months of implementation within target zones.
3. I led the creation of the Category Function within the company, and am leading a key Category at this moment (~2M in annual sales). I Devised and Executed strategies for that category that have helped reverse a growth slump, and improve sales and user acquisition by ~40% over the first two months of implementation.

Community and Others
1. Have acted as a Mentor for the largest Startup Accelerator in the country. Mentored 10 startups over the course of 6 months.
2. I also am a trainer through an Ed-tech startup, through which I provide guidance and training to Founders regarding Business Development and Fundraising in the Bangladesh Market. I’ve been able to reach 35-40 Startups through this platform.

Post MBA Goals

Short and Middle Term: Start as a Management Consultant in MBB Startup Practices. (i.e. McKinsey Fuel, BCG Corporate Ventures). These practices place a lot of people into operational roles in Startups, which is my medium term goal.
Long Term: Use my experience in MBB and Startup Operational Roles to become a Venture Investor in Emerging Markets (South Asia, Africa etc)

Narrative:
A decade ago, I lived in a city where we didn’t have internet access, and had to endure 8-10 hours of electricity outages every day. Over the last decade, my life, as well as the lives of millions of people around me, has been changed for the better due to the economic and technological development in my country. My work as a VC investor has helped me drive that change in Bangladesh, and I hope to take that experience and translate that into transforming lives across other emerging nations.


What I would appreciate from the experts here:
1. A sanity check regarding my competitiveness in my target programs.
2. I'm worried about how my chances will be affected by my existing MBA. I've given an explanation in the post, but would appreciate any comments on this.
3. I feel that my Extra-Curriculars are relatively weak, how much of an impact would this have on my chances?
4. General advice regarding my narrative. While it reflects reality, does it come off as cliche?
Show more

I absolutely think you are competitive! From your test scores to academic and work experience to taking some initiative in your spare time, this seems like a narrative Stanford definitely appreciates.
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MBAandBeyond
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 15 Nov 2020, 22:35
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Hi tausif0806,

Your profile does look highly competitive with all the achievements and your ambitious goals. Let's go step-by-step in evaluating your profile.

- Stats: Exceptional, you leave no doubt of your academic potential

- Work experience: You have a very rich experience in VC with many achievements which are not only yours but your country's as well. Your work-ex and goals are perfectly in line with Stanford's motto about changing lives, organization and the world. Also, your leadership in both the roles exhibit strategic thinking, initiatives, compassion and persistence.

- Coming to your ECs, I feel they are in line with your overall profile and do demonstrate your passion for impacting the startup ecosystem. Contrary to the popular opinion, ECs are not about the number of certificates, it's about what you do beyond work, what are your passions and schools want to see them to have greater insights about your overall personality. So, addressing your concern, your ECs are good and nowhere deters your overall chances.

Now, talking about the elephant in the room, your second MBA. I do understand the global perspective required for the global aspirations you have and it does make all the sense. But here is the thing, you need to be very specific about how a second MBA can be the only road to your life goals because it does involve a lot of costs. Is there any other way to gain global perspective without an MBA? And if there is, how is it less desirable than a second MBA? Also, you need to be specific about how GSB can help you with your goals? For one thing, Consulting is one of the favourites of GSB students and it has many initiatives for VC as well to help you in your long term goal. So, you may talk about them.

So, overall you have great chances to the school and all you need is to find gaps in your profile and set the narrative right for how GSB or any other school can help fill those gaps. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you to discuss your profile at length and help you address your concerns. Feel free to book our calendar as per your convenience. Also, here is an article over Stanford's essay tips. Do read it, it will really help you understand the school better.

Cheers!
Kashish Garg,
Community Manager, MBA and Beyond

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

tausif0806
Background: Bangladeshi Male (29 year old at time of Matriculation)

Personal Brand: 29 year old Bangladeshi Male with experience of Venture Capital Investing and Startup Operational Roles in an Emerging Country. I hope to combine my emerging market experience with the global perspective and best practices available through a US MBA to become a global VC investor, focusing on Emerging Markets.

Applying to: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Columbia

Education:

1. Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 3.92/4.00 (considered the top Engineering School in the country)
2. MBA from Institute of Business Administration – University of Dhaka, 4.0/4.0 (considered the top Business School in the country)
3. CFA Charterholder

GMAT: 770 (50Q, 46V)

Why I’m looking for a Second MBA:
I pursued an MBA to pivot to a career path in Finance. My choice of pursuing Engineering as an undergraduate student had been made at a very young age, and at that time, I did not have the career path related information in order to make an informed decision. I realized 3-4 years into my undergraduate degree that my interests would be more suited towards a career in the financial services sector. A local MBA was my entry point into that career path.
My existing MBA experience happened immediately after my undergraduate degree. This resulted in my classroom experience often being theoretical, as I did not have the work experience required to relate classroom lessons with real world examples. (It is common for universities in Bangladesh to accept MBA students with no work experience)
While my existing MBA has helped me make the switch to the career path I want, it is very much a local experience. My career aspirations are global, and the Bangladesh-based MBA does not provide me with access to global opportunities. A global MBA provides me with access to those global opportunities.

Work Experience:

Role 1 (4.5 years, current full-time role):

Working as an VC Associate/Analyst in the Asset Management Arm of a leading Financial Group in Bangladesh ($160M+ annual revenue, Included in Top 30 Public Market Index). I joined in their Leadership Development Program (10 chosen from 20,000 applicants). Promoted twice in four years (one early promotion)

Achievements:
1. Launched the first local venture capital fund of Bangladesh. I was the first employee in the business unit, and paired with a General Manager to help build up the business unit from scratch.
2. Led the Due Diligence for the Group’s first VC investment, including creation of a new transaction structure that solved a major pain point for local startups. The structure we created has been used by the company to raise $3 MM+ of capital from local investors afterwards, including the later round Lead Investor. (this accounts for ~40% of local investment into startups within that period). This was one of the first instances of Corporate Venture Capital in Bangladesh.

Role 2 (1 year, current part-time role, part of Portfolio Management of full-time role):

In addition to my full-time role, I work as a Marketing Strategy Consultant in one of our Portfolio Companies. It is a leading Online Grocery Delivery Company with $35M+ in Annual Revenue, and has raised $15M till date from global VCs. It is one of the best funded startups in the country. I manage 3 teams with 20 direct and indirect reports.

Achievements:
1. Helped the leadership team identify growth opportunities during Coronavirus induced lockdown that helped the company grow topline by ~60% from February 2020 to August 2020
2. Led the company’s initiatives on new acquisition channels – focusing on Offline Channels. Average order numbers have improved by ~30% over the last 2 months of implementation within target zones.
3. I led the creation of the Category Function within the company, and am leading a key Category at this moment (~2M in annual sales). I Devised and Executed strategies for that category that have helped reverse a growth slump, and improve sales and user acquisition by ~40% over the first two months of implementation.

Community and Others
1. Have acted as a Mentor for the largest Startup Accelerator in the country. Mentored 10 startups over the course of 6 months.
2. I also am a trainer through an Ed-tech startup, through which I provide guidance and training to Founders regarding Business Development and Fundraising in the Bangladesh Market. I’ve been able to reach 35-40 Startups through this platform.

Post MBA Goals

Short and Middle Term: Start as a Management Consultant in MBB Startup Practices. (i.e. McKinsey Fuel, BCG Corporate Ventures). These practices place a lot of people into operational roles in Startups, which is my medium term goal.
Long Term: Use my experience in MBB and Startup Operational Roles to become a Venture Investor in Emerging Markets (South Asia, Africa etc)

Narrative:
A decade ago, I lived in a city where we didn’t have internet access, and had to endure 8-10 hours of electricity outages every day. Over the last decade, my life, as well as the lives of millions of people around me, has been changed for the better due to the economic and technological development in my country. My work as a VC investor has helped me drive that change in Bangladesh, and I hope to take that experience and translate that into transforming lives across other emerging nations.


What I would appreciate from the experts here:
1. A sanity check regarding my competitiveness in my target programs.
2. I'm worried about how my chances will be affected by my existing MBA. I've given an explanation in the post, but would appreciate any comments on this.
3. I feel that my Extra-Curriculars are relatively weak, how much of an impact would this have on my chances?
4. General advice regarding my narrative. While it reflects reality, does it come off as cliche?
Show more
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akshaymalpani
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 16 Nov 2020, 00:07
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Hello,

I would be grateful if someone could help me understand my chances for Stanford and other programs. I will be applying in Round 1, 2021.

Personal Info
Indian Male, 25 years

GMAT Score
730 (Q48V41) [I did score a 710(Q50V35) in my previous attempt]

Undergraduate

Obtained CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) All India Rank of 128 out of 24,000 candidates.
BA/LLB. from National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata [one of the top law schools in the country]
CGPA - 5.4/7
Percentage - 68.85%

Extra-curriculars

I have published two articles on environment law, one of which was published by a leading legal publication house.
I have been part of a couple of committees in college - Sports Committee, Vigilance and Audit, Corporate Governance - but the work was largely organizational.
I am a part of the football committee at a local sports club since 2018 - we organize annual summer football tournaments in the club grounds.
Part of school football team, captain of house teams and led several initiatives at school (Consumer awareness drive and anti-corruption campaigns).


Work Experience (2 years)

After graduation in 2018, I worked for at a top commercial law firm in India for three months in their corporate practice. I had to leave prematurely due to health reasons.

I have been working in my family business, which is a 100 bed hospital. I was initially in charge for legal matters - Medico-legal cases, consumer cases, contracts and compliance. Over the past year, I have taken on a senior administrative role. I was in charge of operations during the initial months of the pandemic. I was responsible for creating standards of procedures for treatment, outlining organization of beds and implementing waste disposal standards. The hospital has been recognized by the district magistrate for service in the ongoing COVID pandemic and one of our doctors has been felicitated by the Chief Minister as a "COVID warrior".

Post MBA goals

While the family business has given me a platform to explore my interest in management, I want to be open to other opportunities that a MBA can provide. I would like a MBA program that could help me explore and equip myself for a career that is not necessarily intertwined with my family business. I'm interested in economics and corporate law. Therefore, I see myself having the flexibility to operate outside the my family business if I find an opportunity that aligns with my interests.

Questions for counselors -
1. I'm not sure whether my work experience in a mid-sized family business is rich enough for a program. Also, I wonder whether my experience in a family business might not be competitive.
2. Having spoken to some counselors, I have been told that, as an Indian, my score of 730 is not competitive for the top programs and therefore, I would appreciate another opinion on this.
3. I'd like to know if adcoms are receptive to the fact that despite coming from a family business background, my post-mba goals may not necessarily tie in within the family business sphere as in I might like to venture into interests aside from healthcare service.
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BusinessSurgeon
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Schools: Stanford '23 (I) Sloan Fellows '22 (A) Foster '23 (I)
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GPA: 4
Schools: Stanford '23 (I) Sloan Fellows '22 (A) Foster '23 (I)
GRE 1: Q161 V161
Posts: 14
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 16 Nov 2020, 00:45
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Hi Akshay.

It’s great to read your profile and the prolific work that you have done in last 2 years. Congratulations. Being an Indian Male, you will be in the most competitive bucket and you need to stand out to get the attention of the ad on.
Quick introduction, I am a Craniofacial surgeon from Mumbai and recently interviewed at Stanford GSB. Here is what I think:
1. Your score of 730 is good enough. I don’t think it makes a difference as many candidates with much lower score has been invited to interview and many with more than 770 have been rejected.
2. It’s great to know the work that you have done to streamline the SOPs at your hospital. It shows intent and should be favourable.
3. Having a family business is actually an advantage as the Adcom will know you have a foundation on which you want to make a bigger empire. So no harm in that
4. The only thing that is lacking now is the X factor. They look for people who have change lives, organisations and world. Your profile does tell about the good work the hospital has done but it may not be directly linked to you. If you would have got the award, it would have certainly counted!
My suggestion is to concentrate on strengthening your CV. Join some nonprofit and work toward a a cause. See if you can increase the capacity of the hospital. That way you can show that you have progressed the business. Or tell them how the SOPs that you formulated changed the profits or reach etc.
at the end of the day, it’s all about the fit. So a bit or luck is important too!
All the best!
( please pardon typos and solecisms if any)

Posted from my mobile device
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 16 Nov 2020, 03:02
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Hi akshaymalpani,

Your profile is good and does provide some diversity from your law background but still being an Indian male, you come from one of the most competitive pools. And so, your GMAT score of 730 may not be the WOW factor but it along with other stats do exhibit your academic potential and rather than GMAT, I believe you need to invest more of your time on the other aspects of your profile.

Now if I talk about your experience at the family business, you have undertaken various roles and had a good impact on the family business. But with the details you have provided, you miss something. I need to know more about you to really take some wow points from your profile and guide you accordingly.

Also, you are young right now. I believe you should explore more, gain more experience to get the idea of the industry you would want to get in, the long term career paths you would want to choose and then you can make a more rational decision of why you want to do an MBA and which schools you should shortlist that can help you for your life aspirations. If you'd like, we are happy to discuss your profile at length and guide you in the best manner. Feel free to book our calendar as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Kashish Garg,
Community Manager, MBA and Beyond

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

akshaymalpani
Hello,

I would be grateful if someone could help me understand my chances for Stanford and other programs. I will be applying in Round 1, 2021.

Personal Info
Indian Male, 25 years

GMAT Score
730 (Q48V41) [I did score a 710(Q50V35) in my previous attempt]

Undergraduate

Obtained CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) All India Rank of 128 out of 24,000 candidates.
BA/LLB. from National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata [one of the top law schools in the country]
CGPA - 5.4/7
Percentage - 68.85%

Extra-curriculars

I have published two articles on environment law, one of which was published by a leading legal publication house.
I have been part of a couple of committees in college - Sports Committee, Vigilance and Audit, Corporate Governance - but the work was largely organizational.
I am a part of the football committee at a local sports club since 2018 - we organize annual summer football tournaments in the club grounds.
Part of school football team, captain of house teams and led several initiatives at school (Consumer awareness drive and anti-corruption campaigns).


Work Experience (2 years)

After graduation in 2018, I worked for at a top commercial law firm in India for three months in their corporate practice. I had to leave prematurely due to health reasons.

I have been working in my family business, which is a 100 bed hospital. I was initially in charge for legal matters - Medico-legal cases, consumer cases, contracts and compliance. Over the past year, I have taken on a senior administrative role. I was in charge of operations during the initial months of the pandemic. I was responsible for creating standards of procedures for treatment, outlining organization of beds and implementing waste disposal standards. The hospital has been recognized by the district magistrate for service in the ongoing COVID pandemic and one of our doctors has been felicitated by the Chief Minister as a "COVID warrior".

Post MBA goals

While the family business has given me a platform to explore my interest in management, I want to be open to other opportunities that a MBA can provide. I would like a MBA program that could help me explore and equip myself for a career that is not necessarily intertwined with my family business. I'm interested in economics and corporate law. Therefore, I see myself having the flexibility to operate outside the my family business if I find an opportunity that aligns with my interests.

Questions for counselors -
1. I'm not sure whether my work experience in a mid-sized family business is rich enough for a program. Also, I wonder whether my experience in a family business might not be competitive.
2. Having spoken to some counselors, I have been told that, as an Indian, my score of 730 is not competitive for the top programs and therefore, I would appreciate another opinion on this.
3. I'd like to know if adcoms are receptive to the fact that despite coming from a family business background, my post-mba goals may not necessarily tie in within the family business sphere as in I might like to venture into interests aside from healthcare service.
Show more
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Advaintage
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Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Last visit: 20 Oct 2021
Posts: 32
Own Kudos:
97
Given Kudos: 65
Location: Singapore
Concentration: Technology, Marketing
Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (A) Kellogg '23 (WL) Ross '23 (WL) Sloan '23 (D) Stanford '23 (D) Booth '23 (D)
GMAT 1: 660 Q49 V31
GMAT 2: 610 Q44 V30
GMAT 3: 700 Q49 V35
GMAT 4: 680 Q49 V34
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 17 Nov 2020, 04:44
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Hi,
I would like my profile to be evaluated. Following are my details:

Background and nationality: Indian, Male, Engineer, 29 years

Undergrad Information: University of Mumbai, 68%

GMAT: 760 (Q50, V41)

Work experience and leadership:
Total 7 years, 5 years in a data analytics startup (3 promos - Data Scientist, Lead, Analytics Manager, Associate), 2 years Operations in leading Tech company (FAANG) (1 promo - Associate, Program Manager)- Over 3 years of international work experience, currently working in Singapore. Multiple business visits to Philippines, US, and Dublin

Data Analytics work experience:
[*]Among top 5% employees to be promoted for client leadership, working in a client liaison role in Singapore
[*]Optimized the trade-based money laundering process of Singapore’s leading bank’s operations team, reducing workload by 60%
[*]Led 10-member team to help category buyers of a leading US retailer make informed decisions based on product performance and customer preference; project led to annual savings of $500M
[*]Awarded two ‘Spot Awards’ (top 10% performers) showcasing self-drive, going the extra mile for tasks beyond deliverables, and being the team’s torch bearer
[*]Awarded ‘Impact award’ (awarded to top 5% performers) for enabling success of the engagement, developing good client relations, mentoring multiple folks over time, and contributing to both organization and account-level initiatives

FAANG work experience:
[*]Led business continuity planning, collaborating with 10 teams across Product, Engineering and Operations in US, Ireland and Singapore to enable work from home operations of 3,000 vendor workforce during COVID pandemic
[*]Led projects to change the existing operations processes, reducing operational spend by $500K
[*]Led effort to improve KPIs of operations team, improving quality as a KPI by 25%
[*]Redesigned workstream setup, improving the review accuracy by 10% and realizing $1M in savings

Community / EC:
[*]Led college’s student chapter of NSS, an organization of over 160 volunteers engaging in community service
[*]Conducted community service camps to villages, teaching basic math to kids and engaging in farming activities
[*]Volunteer of a non-profit group aimed at improving welfare of underprivileged children; conducted educational sessions for children of age groups 8-10 years, financially supporting their education till date
[*]Represented and won medals for department athletics team at intra college sports festivals
[*]Hobbies: Playing football: represented Facebook Singapore at corporate indoor football championship
[*]Travel: Visited 15 countries, enjoying landscape photography and adventure sports such as skydiving and scuba diving. Started Photography club at my company, conducting classes and doing photography trails with 20 other enthusiasts

Post MBA goals

Short Term
[*]To pivot from operations to Product management at a tech company

Long Term
[*]I intend to solve the problem of misinformation on technology platforms through creating my own venture (How is my current work ex relevant? - Currently a program manager, responsible for ensuring safe and trusted connections between people, businesses, and the company by maintaining its integrity through content moderation of its commercial listings / ads. )

My obvious concern is low GPA during undergrad from a non top 20 colleges in India. Will the GMAT, work ex, my goals, and (hopefully) strong essays offset this by any chance?

Thanks in Advance.
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 18 Nov 2020, 02:14
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Hi Advait08,

Your profile looks competitive. Let's first evaluate your profile and then address your hiccups.

- Stats: A score of 760 GMAT is quite competitive and does exhibit your academic potential.

- Work-Ex: I can clearly see the impact you have had in the two organizations and you have a great career trajectory with many achievements by your side. You received an award for being the team's "torch-bearer" which exhibits your collaborative leadership. Overall, a great experience.

- ECs: Your community experience is majorly in the field of education. You must find out why and express it in your essays (I bet you will find something that can bring a very compassionate personality in the apps). Your EC section is the most important, at least for Stanford, since it places great stress on the community involvement. Also, for hobbies, express them as to how these impact you and your personality.

For your post-MBA goals, I want to understand how PM in tech can help your long-term goals. Now, about your concern of low GPA, believe me, it's not the major hiccup of your profile. GPAs are to exhibit your academic potential and you already have exhibited it through GMAT. And Stanford, more than any school, believes much more in the qualitative factors. So, the major hiccup would be to distinguish you from the crowd especially when you belong to one of the most competitive pool. For one thing, do think in terms of what different you will bring to Stanford and how it is going to help you with your life goals. For the latter, you may talk about how it will help your career goals but ten years down the line, you'll understand you could have achieved it without an MBA. So, along with career goals, do talk about how Stanford's MBA can be a life-changing experience for you beyond professional aspirations.

If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you to discuss your profile at length and help you address your concerns. Feel free to book our calendar as per your convenience. Also, here is an article over Stanford's essay tips. Do read it, it will really help you understand the school better.

Cheers!
Kashish Garg,
Community Manager, MBA and Beyond

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

Advait08
Hi,
I would like my profile to be evaluated. Following are my details:

Background and nationality: Indian, Male, Engineer, 29 years

Undergrad Information: University of Mumbai, 68%

GMAT: 760 (Q50, V41)

Work experience and leadership:
Total 7 years, 5 years in a data analytics startup (3 promos - Data Scientist, Lead, Analytics Manager, Associate), 2 years Operations in leading Tech company (FAANG) (1 promo - Associate, Program Manager)- Over 3 years of international work experience, currently working in Singapore. Multiple business visits to Philippines, US, and Dublin

Data Analytics work experience:
[*]Among top 5% employees to be promoted for client leadership, working in a client liaison role in Singapore
[*]Optimized the trade-based money laundering process of Singapore’s leading bank’s operations team, reducing workload by 60%
[*]Led 10-member team to help category buyers of a leading US retailer make informed decisions based on product performance and customer preference; project led to annual savings of $500M
[*]Awarded two ‘Spot Awards’ (top 10% performers) showcasing self-drive, going the extra mile for tasks beyond deliverables, and being the team’s torch bearer
[*]Awarded ‘Impact award’ (awarded to top 5% performers) for enabling success of the engagement, developing good client relations, mentoring multiple folks over time, and contributing to both organization and account-level initiatives

FAANG work experience:
[*]Led business continuity planning, collaborating with 10 teams across Product, Engineering and Operations in US, Ireland and Singapore to enable work from home operations of 3,000 vendor workforce during COVID pandemic
[*]Led projects to change the existing operations processes, reducing operational spend by $500K
[*]Led effort to improve KPIs of operations team, improving quality as a KPI by 25%
[*]Redesigned workstream setup, improving the review accuracy by 10% and realizing $1M in savings

Community / EC:
[*]Led college’s student chapter of NSS, an organization of over 160 volunteers engaging in community service
[*]Conducted community service camps to villages, teaching basic math to kids and engaging in farming activities
[*]Volunteer of a non-profit group aimed at improving welfare of underprivileged children; conducted educational sessions for children of age groups 8-10 years, financially supporting their education till date
[*]Represented and won medals for department athletics team at intra college sports festivals
[*]Hobbies: Playing football: represented Facebook Singapore at corporate indoor football championship
[*]Travel: Visited 15 countries, enjoying landscape photography and adventure sports such as skydiving and scuba diving. Started Photography club at my company, conducting classes and doing photography trails with 20 other enthusiasts

Post MBA goals

Short Term
[*]To pivot from operations to Product management at a tech company

Long Term
[*]I intend to solve the problem of misinformation on technology platforms through creating my own venture (How is my current work ex relevant? - Currently a program manager, responsible for ensuring safe and trusted connections between people, businesses, and the company by maintaining its integrity through content moderation of its commercial listings / ads. )

My obvious concern is low GPA during undergrad from a non top 20 colleges in India. Will the GMAT, work ex, my goals, and (hopefully) strong essays offset this by any chance?

Thanks in Advance.
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 19 Nov 2020, 14:55
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Advait08
Hi,
I would like my profile to be evaluated. Following are my details:

Hi @Advait08 - as a Stanford GSB alum and now an MBA admissions counselor, I'm happy to provide my take as well. Overall I do think you have the potential to create a very competitive application for the GSB.

Background and nationality: Indian, Male, Engineer, 29 years

Undergrad Information: University of Mumbai, 68%

GMAT: 760 (Q50, V41)
This is a very good GMAT score, and I think together with your work experience will counteract your GPA and convince the GSB (and other schools) that you are certainly qualified.

Work experience and leadership:
Total 7 years, 5 years in a data analytics startup (3 promos - Data Scientist, Lead, Analytics Manager, Associate), 2 years Operations in leading Tech company (FAANG) (1 promo - Associate, Program Manager)- Over 3 years of international work experience, currently working in Singapore. Multiple business visits to Philippines, US, and Dublin

Data Analytics work experience:
[*]Among top 5% employees to be promoted for client leadership, working in a client liaison role in Singapore
[*]Optimized the trade-based money laundering process of Singapore’s leading bank’s operations team, reducing workload by 60%
[*]Led 10-member team to help category buyers of a leading US retailer make informed decisions based on product performance and customer preference; project led to annual savings of $500M
[*]Awarded two ‘Spot Awards’ (top 10% performers) showcasing self-drive, going the extra mile for tasks beyond deliverables, and being the team’s torch bearer
[*]Awarded ‘Impact award’ (awarded to top 5% performers) for enabling success of the engagement, developing good client relations, mentoring multiple folks over time, and contributing to both organization and account-level initiatives

FAANG work experience:
[*]Led business continuity planning, collaborating with 10 teams across Product, Engineering and Operations in US, Ireland and Singapore to enable work from home operations of 3,000 vendor workforce during COVID pandemic
[*]Led projects to change the existing operations processes, reducing operational spend by $500K
[*]Led effort to improve KPIs of operations team, improving quality as a KPI by 25%
[*]Redesigned workstream setup, improving the review accuracy by 10% and realizing $1M in savings

Great work experience - I like that you can show leadership, achievements, and quantified results across both jobs.

Community / EC:
[*]Led college’s student chapter of NSS, an organization of over 160 volunteers engaging in community service
[*]Conducted community service camps to villages, teaching basic math to kids and engaging in farming activities
[*]Volunteer of a non-profit group aimed at improving welfare of underprivileged children; conducted educational sessions for children of age groups 8-10 years, financially supporting their education till date
[*]Represented and won medals for department athletics team at intra college sports festivals
[*]Hobbies: Playing football: represented Facebook Singapore at corporate indoor football championship
[*]Travel: Visited 15 countries, enjoying landscape photography and adventure sports such as skydiving and scuba diving. Started Photography club at my company, conducting classes and doing photography trails with 20 other enthusiasts

Also very good extracurricular experience -- the GSB's application essays will give you an opportunity to dive deeper into those that are most meaningful to you.

Post MBA goals

Short Term
[*]To pivot from operations to Product management at a tech company

Long Term
[*]I intend to solve the problem of misinformation on technology platforms through creating my own venture (How is my current work ex relevant? - Currently a program manager, responsible for ensuring safe and trusted connections between people, businesses, and the company by maintaining its integrity through content moderation of its commercial listings / ads. )

I think this is the area that will make or break your application success. I would want to understand much more about your long term goal, whether it is based on a passion of yours, and if so, especially *why* that is important to you. I would also want to better understand how your short term goal helps get you there, how an MBA gets you there, and specifically how a Stanford MBA is the best way for you to get there. The GSB is looking for people who want to change the world - and it seems your long term goal may be very much in line with that, but it all will depend on how well you tell that story.

My obvious concern is low GPA during undergrad from a non top 20 colleges in India. Will the GMAT, work ex, my goals, and (hopefully) strong essays offset this by any chance?

Thanks in Advance.
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 29 Nov 2020, 14:34
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Hi,

I could really use a profile evaluation favor. I would like to know whether I am a good fit for this school and for which schools I may be a good fit. Thanks in advance!

Nationality:
Georgia (European country, not a state!), was born here and currently based here.

Age at the start of studies:
27 (if I apply in January for R2)
28 (if I apply for 2022 intake)

Undergrad information:
Bachelor of Arts in Economics from an average private university in Warsaw, Poland. GPA around 4.8/5.

GMAT:
730 (Q49, V40); IR 6; AWA 6.0
I’ve canceled the first test result.

Work experience and leadership:
Current: For the past 3.5 years I’ve been working at the LSE listed FTSE 250 constituent top bank in Georgia. For the last 1.5 years I’ve been the head of regional corporate investment banking team. Started out as a junior banker.
Current: Board member at the medical non-profit society, responsible for creating the biggest annual international conference of anesthesiology in Georgia.
Past: AML analyst for 1.5 years at Citibank in Warsaw, Poland.

Extra curriculars:
Passed CFA Level 2 Exam, targeting Level 3 exam in May 2021.
2011-12 Finalist of US Department State funded Future Leaders Exchange Program, via which I went to the USA and studied at a US high school for one full academic year, on full scholarship and a stipend.
2014 Participated in Startup Weekend by Google in Warsaw and won a symbolic prize.
2014 Participated in Erasmus Intensive Program when I was in Warsaw. I led the team in Portugal where we simulated the launch of a business for 10 days.
2019 Participated as a panel discussion speaker at Krynica Economic Forum with top finance executives, we spoke on FinTech and digital banking.

Post MBA goals:
Private equity shop or venture capital would be a dream come true. Otherwise, investment banking preferably with GS, MS or top tier boutiques.

Languages:
Fluent Georgia, English, Russian
Conversational Polish

Recommendation letters:
Will be able to get recommendation letters from the top management of the bank I work for. Some of the recommenders are top 20 bschool alums.

Target schools:
Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, MIT, Yale, Cornell.
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 01 Dec 2020, 12:50
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raindr0p
Hi,

I could really use a profile evaluation favor. I would like to know whether I am a good fit for this school and for which schools I may be a good fit. Thanks in advance!

Hi @raindr0p - I will be happy to provide my feedback.

Nationality:
Georgia (European country, not a state!), was born here and currently based here.

Age at the start of studies:
27 (if I apply in January for R2)
28 (if I apply for 2022 intake)

The January deadlines do not give you much time to create great essays, which are the heart of most schools' applications. We would be happy to provide a free consult and help you assess whether to wait until next year at this point.

Undergrad information:
Bachelor of Arts in Economics from an average private university in Warsaw, Poland. GPA around 4.8/5.

GMAT:
730 (Q49, V40); IR 6; AWA 6.0
I’ve canceled the first test result.

Strong score and grades that will make you competitive at any of your target schools. Your GMAT is around the average for those accepted at most of the schools you mention, and above average for Cornell.

Work experience and leadership:
Current: For the past 3.5 years I’ve been working at the LSE listed FTSE 250 constituent top bank in Georgia. For the last 1.5 years I’ve been the head of regional corporate investment banking team. Started out as a junior banker.
Current: Board member at the medical non-profit society, responsible for creating the biggest annual international conference of anesthesiology in Georgia.
Past: AML analyst for 1.5 years at Citibank in Warsaw, Poland.

This work experience is impressive, especially what sounds like management experience currently as well as your non-profit board experience!

Extra curriculars:
Passed CFA Level 2 Exam, targeting Level 3 exam in May 2021.
2011-12 Finalist of US Department State funded Future Leaders Exchange Program, via which I went to the USA and studied at a US high school for one full academic year, on full scholarship and a stipend.
2014 Participated in Startup Weekend by Google in Warsaw and won a symbolic prize.
2014 Participated in Erasmus Intensive Program when I was in Warsaw. I led the team in Portugal where we simulated the launch of a business for 10 days.
2019 Participated as a panel discussion speaker at Krynica Economic Forum with top finance executives, we spoke on FinTech and digital banking.

Post MBA goals:
Private equity shop or venture capital would be a dream come true. Otherwise, investment banking preferably with GS, MS or top tier boutiques.

It will be important for you to explain why you want to pursue your chosen career path, and how an MBA and each specific school will best help you achieve that. For Stanford in particular, you will need to explain What Matters Most to you, and especially *why* that matters most to you. The GSB is looking for people who want to "Change Lives. Change Organizations. Change the World," so ideally you should explain how you intend to do that.

Languages:
Fluent Georgia, English, Russian
Conversational Polish

Recommendation letters:
Will be able to get recommendation letters from the top management of the bank I work for. Some of the recommenders are top 20 bschool alums.

This is great - though most schools recommend that one letter comes from your immediate supervisor. It is more important that the letters come from people who really know you and have worked closely with you, rather than people who are most senior.

Target schools:
Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, MIT, Yale, Cornell.

I think you could be a competitive candidate at any of these schools - your essays (and for example at MIT, your video), will make all of the difference as to whether you get interviews. Let us know if you would like a free consult, and in any case, best of luck to you!
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Dec 2020, 06:35
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Hi,

Name - Bharat Sethia
Nationality and Age - Indian and 20

Class X - 10/10 CGPA

Class XII - Commerce with Mathematics - 95.6% (Aggregate of 5) and 84.17% (Aggregate of 6). I fell sick for one of the additional exams and therefore, I couldn't appear for the same. I intend to explain it in my application as well.

Undergraduate Education - Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Delhi University (3rd year student) - GPA 8.14/10 (aggregate of 4 semesters)

GMAT - 750 (Q50 V41 IR6 AWA5)

Work Experience - 1 Finance Internship with PwC India for 2 months, wherein I worked on automation of Finance function and on various projects to understand revenue models and collection cycles.

Extracurriculars and leadership - Head of Content Development for the Model UN society and Event Head for the Economics Society. Member of Poetry society and Intra-college sports tournament winner. Heavily involved in debating.

Community Experience - Volunteer Experience with CRY for 8 months, Research Intern with Privileged for Underprivileged, Volunteer Experience with Aastha Prayas

Post MBA goals - Work in the field of finance (investment bank preferably). I also intend to get a professional qualification (CFA).


Other information - I intend to apply to only the deferred MBA programs of the elite colleges, including Stanford GSB Deferred enrolment.
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Dec 2020, 15:01
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bharatsethia
Hi,

Name - Bharat Sethia
Nationality and Age - Indian and 20

Hi Bharat (@bharatsethia) - I will be happy to provide feedback. I think it's a great idea to apply to the deferred programs! What a fantastic way to lock in business school in your future. When do you plan to apply? As I'm sure you know, most deferred programs require you to apply in your final year of undergrad (or while enrolled in a different graduate program immediately following undergrad).

Class X - 10/10 CGPA

Class XII - Commerce with Mathematics - 95.6% (Aggregate of 5) and 84.17% (Aggregate of 6). I fell sick for one of the additional exams and therefore, I couldn't appear for the same. I intend to explain it in my application as well.

Undergraduate Education - Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Delhi University (3rd year student) - GPA 8.14/10 (aggregate of 4 semesters)

GMAT - 750 (Q50 V41 IR6 AWA5)

Your GMAT score is very good, but your other grades and scores are somewhat mixed when it comes to the top programs. I do think you have a chance, but you are in an overrepresented demographic, as you may know. Your success will completely depend on your essays and truly differentiating yourself among other candidates with your story.

Work Experience - 1 Finance Internship with PwC India for 2 months, wherein I worked on automation of Finance function and on various projects to understand revenue models and collection cycles.

Do you have a sense yet for what work you will do between college and business school? Schools will want to know if you do.

Extracurriculars and leadership - Head of Content Development for the Model UN society and Event Head for the Economics Society. Member of Poetry society and Intra-college sports tournament winner. Heavily involved in debating.

Community Experience - Volunteer Experience with CRY for 8 months, Research Intern with Privileged for Underprivileged, Volunteer Experience with Aastha Prayas

These are great extracurriculars, including some leadership experience, which is important.

Post MBA goals - Work in the field of finance (investment bank preferably). I also intend to get a professional qualification (CFA).


Other information - I intend to apply to only the deferred MBA programs of the elite colleges, including Stanford GSB Deferred enrolment.

Again, I think it is a great plan to apply to these deferred programs - there is really no downside, other than the effort and cost it takes. Even if you do not get in now, schools would not hold it against you if you are to apply in the future.

But you really will need to differentiate yourself in order to get into the top tier schools. Having a clear sense of purpose, and hopefully a rather unique story to tell, and being able to explain why an MBA specifically from Stanford GSB (and each school to which you apply) will best help you accomplish your purpose will be key to getting in. We at Stratus would be happy to provide a 30 minute free consultation if you'd like to discuss any of this further. In any case, best of luck to you!
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Dec 2020, 16:48
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bharatsethia
Hi,

Name - Bharat Sethia
Nationality and Age - Indian and 20

Class X - 10/10 CGPA

Class XII - Commerce with Mathematics - 95.6% (Aggregate of 5) and 84.17% (Aggregate of 6). I fell sick for one of the additional exams and therefore, I couldn't appear for the same. I intend to explain it in my application as well.

Undergraduate Education - Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Delhi University (3rd year student) - GPA 8.14/10 (aggregate of 4 semesters)

GMAT - 750 (Q50 V41 IR6 AWA5)

Work Experience - 1 Finance Internship with PwC India for 2 months, wherein I worked on automation of Finance function and on various projects to understand revenue models and collection cycles.

Extracurriculars and leadership - Head of Content Development for the Model UN society and Event Head for the Economics Society. Member of Poetry society and Intra-college sports tournament winner. Heavily involved in debating.

Community Experience - Volunteer Experience with CRY for 8 months, Research Intern with Privileged for Underprivileged, Volunteer Experience with Aastha Prayas

Post MBA goals - Work in the field of finance (investment bank preferably). I also intend to get a professional qualification (CFA).


Other information - I intend to apply to only the deferred MBA programs of the elite colleges, including Stanford GSB Deferred enrolment.
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Hi again, Bharat (@bharatsethia). Coincidentally, my company, Stratus Admissions Consulting, is doing a free webinar on December 15, "How to Nail Your Deferred MBA Applications." Register here if you are interested. And again, best of luck to you!!

All my best,
Soterios
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 10 Dec 2020, 16:51
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StratusSoterios
bharatsethia
Hi,

Name - Bharat Sethia
Nationality and Age - Indian and 20

Hi Bharat (@bharatsethia) - I will be happy to provide feedback. I think it's a great idea to apply to the deferred programs! What a fantastic way to lock in business school in your future. When do you plan to apply? As I'm sure you know, most deferred programs require you to apply in your final year of undergrad (or while enrolled in a different graduate program immediately following undergrad).

Class X - 10/10 CGPA

Class XII - Commerce with Mathematics - 95.6% (Aggregate of 5) and 84.17% (Aggregate of 6). I fell sick for one of the additional exams and therefore, I couldn't appear for the same. I intend to explain it in my application as well.

Undergraduate Education - Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Delhi University (3rd year student) - GPA 8.14/10 (aggregate of 4 semesters)

GMAT - 750 (Q50 V41 IR6 AWA5)

Your GMAT score is very good, but your other grades and scores are somewhat mixed when it comes to the top programs. I do think you have a chance, but you are in an overrepresented demographic, as you may know. Your success will completely depend on your essays and truly differentiating yourself among other candidates with your story.

Work Experience - 1 Finance Internship with PwC India for 2 months, wherein I worked on automation of Finance function and on various projects to understand revenue models and collection cycles.

Do you have a sense yet for what work you will do between college and business school? Schools will want to know if you do.

Extracurriculars and leadership - Head of Content Development for the Model UN society and Event Head for the Economics Society. Member of Poetry society and Intra-college sports tournament winner. Heavily involved in debating.

Community Experience - Volunteer Experience with CRY for 8 months, Research Intern with Privileged for Underprivileged, Volunteer Experience with Aastha Prayas

These are great extracurriculars, including some leadership experience, which is important.

Post MBA goals - Work in the field of finance (investment bank preferably). I also intend to get a professional qualification (CFA).


Other information - I intend to apply to only the deferred MBA programs of the elite colleges, including Stanford GSB Deferred enrolment.

Again, I think it is a great plan to apply to these deferred programs - there is really no downside, other than the effort and cost it takes. Even if you do not get in now, schools would not hold it against you if you are to apply in the future.

But you really will need to differentiate yourself in order to get into the top tier schools. Having a clear sense of purpose, and hopefully a rather unique story to tell, and being able to explain why an MBA specifically from Stanford GSB (and each school to which you apply) will best help you accomplish your purpose will be key to getting in. We at Stratus would be happy to provide a 30 minute free consultation if you'd like to discuss any of this further. In any case, best of luck to you!
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Hi again, Bharat (@bharatsethia). Coincidentally my company, Stratus Admissions, is doing a FREE webinar on December 15: How to Nail Your Deferred MBA Applications. Seems like it might be very useful to you -- you can register here. Again, best of luck to you!
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shreyasalekar
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 31 Dec 2020, 01:54
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Hello All - need your help to evaluate my profile.

Background and nationality:
Indian

Undergrad Information:
BE, Electronics & Communication, MIT Manipal
CGPA - 8.1

Grad Information:
MS, Computer Science, BITS Pilani
CGPA - 7.1

GMAT:
720

Work experience and leadership:
6 years of work ex in Cisco across Account Management, Customer Success & Technical Center.
Have been managing Biggest IT Customer & Biggest Indian Conglomerate for Cisco.

Community and others:
Have been associated with Becoming I foundation for a short period and now with Animal Angels for a while now.

Post MBA goals
Getting into Digital Transformation Consulting

Additional Information:
4 Promotions in 6 years.
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StratusSoterios
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 07 Jan 2021, 14:35
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shreyasalekar
Hello All - need your help to evaluate my profile.

Background and nationality:
Indian

Undergrad Information:
BE, Electronics & Communication, MIT Manipal
CGPA - 8.1

Grad Information:
MS, Computer Science, BITS Pilani
CGPA - 7.1

GMAT:
720

Work experience and leadership:
6 years of work ex in Cisco across Account Management, Customer Success & Technical Center.
Have been managing Biggest IT Customer & Biggest Indian Conglomerate for Cisco.

Community and others:
Have been associated with Becoming I foundation for a short period and now with Animal Angels for a while now.

Post MBA goals
Getting into Digital Transformation Consulting

Additional Information:
4 Promotions in 6 years.
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Hi shreyasalekar - I am happy to provide feedback. At first blush, your grades and GMAT are on the low side for Stanford GSB, as I'm guessing you may already know. To fully assess your profile, I would want to know a lot more about your work experience, including any specific achievements and more information about leadership. I also would want to understand how deeply you have been involved in the two community organizations you mention. And anything else that might differentiate you. Stanford will want to better understand the impact you hope to make with your longer terms goals, why you want to head in that direction, and why the GSB in particular will help you get there. Stanford GSB is a stretch school for even the best candidates, and I would definitely urge you to consider also applying to other schools. Best of luck to you!
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pjs3599
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Schools: Kellogg '22 (WL) CBS (A)
GRE 1: Q170 V163
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 08 Feb 2021, 21:43
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Hello everyone,

Here is my profile, please could someone help with my profile evaluation?

Ethnicity: Asian / Korean
Age : 30
Gender : Male

Scores :
Finance Major - GPA 3.3 out of 4.0
GRE - V163/ Q170/ AWA 5.0 -> if covert it to GMAT score, then the range would be 740 - 770 (by ETS or GMAC)

Work Experience :
- Military Service, Special Forces in Korean Army (2Y)
- Private Equity Firm (1Y)
- Financial Advisory focusing on Venture Capital, Ernst & Young (3Y)
- Venture Capital Firm (~1Y) > Provided time-sponsorship for MBA, so I will return to my team after graduating MBA program
- Expected total W/E: about 60 months (excluding military service)

Leadership Experience :
- Squad Commander in Korean Army : led parachute training for private soldiers and unconventional warfare
- Team Leader Professional Experience (over 3 years)


Story: Some great stories linking my poverty childhood experiences with life mission (better world) thru venture capital investments

According to me, the challenges with my profile are -
1. Low GPA
2. Undergrad

Post MBA goals: Return to VC as team leader with time-sponsorship from current employer
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MBAandBeyond
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation 09 Feb 2021, 06:50
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Hi pjs3599,

I recall evaluating your profile before and would love to evaluate for Stanford. A big chunk of GSB graduates choose financial services post-MBA and PE comes as a major choice among them. If you know, GSB students are more likely to find jobs on their own which implies the school's ability to help you create a vast network in PE. Also, I am not sure which intake you are eyeing but if it's the current cycle, R3 can be a tough bet and you should also consider European schools like INSEAD to have a safe ground.

Evaluating your profile, you have a great GRE and in no way, your undergrad GPA is a problem! Your military stint and related leadership experiences will add diversity to your profile. I can see a brand name as well in your experience while will help amplify the impact in your profile.

I am quite impressed by your post-MBA goals which fit in well to Stanford's motto. Would like to know more :). But I do miss ECs and community involvement which are very crucial to highlight in US schools' application. Also, I can not see 'impact' in your profile.

Overall, you have a good profile but there are many unknowns in your profile to truly gauge your chances to GSB and the other US schools you're targeting. If you'd like, I'm happy to hop on a call some time this week to discuss your chances in detail for GSB and suggest you schools which rightly 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
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What s app: +65-97158525

pjs3599
Hello everyone,

Here is my profile, please could someone help with my profile evaluation?

Ethnicity: Asian / Korean
Age : 30
Gender : Male

Scores :
Finance Major - GPA 3.3 out of 4.0
GRE - V163/ Q170/ AWA 5.0 -> if covert it to GMAT score, then the range would be 740 - 770 (by ETS or GMAC)

Work Experience :
- Military Service, Special Forces in Korean Army (2Y)
- Private Equity Firm (1Y)
- Financial Advisory focusing on Venture Capital, Ernst & Young (3Y)
- Venture Capital Firm (~1Y) > Provided time-sponsorship for MBA, so I will return to my team after graduating MBA program
- Expected total W/E: about 60 months (excluding military service)

Leadership Experience :
- Squad Commander in Korean Army : led parachute training for private soldiers and unconventional warfare
- Team Leader Professional Experience (over 3 years)


Story: Some great stories linking my poverty childhood experiences with life mission (better world) thru venture capital investments

According to me, the challenges with my profile are -
1. Low GPA
2. Undergrad

Post MBA goals: Return to VC as team leader with time-sponsorship from current employer
Show more
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smmc29
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Concentration: General Management, Nonprofit
Schools: Stanford '23 (S)
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
GPA: 3.4
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Schools: Stanford '23 (S)
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V35 (Online)
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Stanford Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation Updated on: 01 Mar 2021, 11:28
Originally posted by smmc29 on 28 Feb 2021, 12:45.
Last edited by smmc29 on 01 Mar 2021, 11:28, edited 2 times in total.
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Hi there! I would like to ask for advice, and for evaluation of my profile.

I am a Filipino with about 2 years work experience as a Project Engineer at one of the top industrial gas companies in the world (A branch of the global company here in the PH).

Company: Air Liquide
GMAT: (Pending)
Graduate GPA: 1.45 (Scale of 1-5 with 1.00 as the highest)
Undergraduate GPA: 1.3473 (Scale of 1-5 with 1.00 as the highest)

Education:
Both degrees from the top university in the Philippines.
Master of Science in Energy Engineering - University of the Philippines Diliman (specialization on energy storage and decision science)
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering - University of the Philippines Diliman (Top 5% graduating class, specialization on biofuels)

Work Experience and Leadership:
Project Engineer - 2 years experience as the project engineer of one of the largest projects of Air Liquide here in the Philippines. I am mainly responsible for the mechanical design, cost estimate, project scheduling, project bidding, project monitoring (costs, procurement, and schedule), project administrative task, industrial regulations compliance (which by the way led to a 50% decrease in processing time), project documentation and control, safety monitoring, and construction monitoring.
CEO and Founder of a non-profit organization - Currently handling a core team of 16 people. We have had 2 spontaneous projects just 1 month after our initial formation resulting to helping at least 3000 families, and 10 different communities here in the Philippines.
Concert Head Organizer - Led a team of 30 members resulting to a 300% increase in the attendees of our concert, and 400% increase in revenue. Leadership exemplified through showing how things should be done, and devoting around 8 hours daily to mentor my teammates within and beyond the scope of the event.
Organization President - Led a group of 40 members, and organized a total of 15 events in one year. One of the events was the first charity event of our organization after a very long time and the charity event is still done annually by the organization.
Organization Vice President - Managed the internal relationships among our members, and the internal activities of our organization.

Other awards and achievements:
1. Top 8 among 942 Chemical Engineers who took the Chemical Engineering Licensure Examination on November 2017.
2. Magna cum laude
3. Published (3) academic papers on Energy Sustainability. One paper focuses on the production of biocrude from Napier grass. Two of these papers focus on the decision science behind the selection of energy storage technologies for microgrid applications. I also have (2) additional academic journals for waiting for publication
4. Participated and won (2) championships on undergraduate chemical engineering quiz bowls (1 international and 2 national level)
5. Participated and won (2) first runner up awards on undergraduate national chemical engineering quiz bowls
6. Top 5 out of around 100 chemical engineering students who graduated in UP Diliman last 2017.

Community and others:
1. CEO and founder of a non-profit organization - Aside from the previously mentioned spontaneous events, I currently have a line up of at least 10 events to help not just the marginalized sectors here in the Philippines but also to raise awareness and collaboration among people who have the means to help.
2. Began the Kalinga Project, the first community project of my college organization after a very long time.
3. I incorporated SDG 30 awareness and taking action on the concert I organized which led to more than 50% reduction in wastes during the concert day itself.
4. I attended 2 international conferences one for sustainable development, and one for renewable energy.
5. I attended 1 youth leaders training camp in Singapore.
6. I was sent by our company to Japan in order to participate in the planning and development of one of our biggest projects here in the Philippines.
7. Aside from these activities, I also engage in calisthenics and dancing. I also won one dance championship event when I was in college.

Personal Story
1. I served as the president of my organization while reviewing for the board exam, handling organization events, and studying for my master's degree.
2. I decided to immediately pursue a masters degree to really improve the performance of my college organization as well as to learn greater knowledge on energy sustainability, a topic I really love.
3. I established a non-profit organization because I lost my precious twins last August 2020. As would have wanted to take care of my twins, but because of what happened I decided I would invest more of my time mentoring other people, serving the community, and helping people who are limited by the circumstances of their life.

Post MBA Goals:
1. To work as a program manager at one of the best energy companies or energy sustainability companies such as Tesla, Shell, and more.
2. To integrate startup foundations, project management, entrepreneurship, and business knowledge on my non-profit organization while working as a program manager at a top renewable energy company.
3. In 5-10 years time I envision creating my own sustainable development company which will focus on the design, procurement, and execution of sustainable projects worldwide.

Why MBA:
1. To gain deeper knowledge on finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, business development, character development, and network building.
2. As an introvert, I really want to push myself beyond my comfort zone by exposing myself to a diversified network and that because of this network I will be motivated to really work hard to maximize this opportunity.
3. I chose Stanford because the University will hone my skills and knowledge especially on entrepreneurship; a very important topic I need to master to push through with my long-term goals to establish my own sustainability firm and to establish a startup culture in my non-profit organization. I also chose Stanford to expand my network globally, special mention that Stanford has among the best network you can have in order to push through with big post-MBA goals.
4. To learn more about the culture and situations on other countries. I also want to share my experience here in the Philippines. Lastly, I want to discuss with other nationalities how I can find a solution to the problems here in the Philippines.

Thank you very much for your future responses! :)
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