Torn whether to highlight at all one of the high pressure situations

Hey there, GMATDr!

Sorry for the delay in replying; I usually am running in a zillion directions at once, but it's gotten even tougher these past few weeks since now I'm also "home-schooling" my kid!

Regarding your question about your team mate: It could in fact be a great leadership story (whether or not it should go in to your overall application package will depend upon just how strong it is COMPARED WITH your other leadership stories. That is, there may not end up being room for it, especially once you start talking about the leadership hurdles you've overcome in starting your business.

In terms of how to handle it SHOULD it come up -- I would NOT go into the specific detail of what happened with the co-worker; I think that would be "TMI" (Too Much Information).

How I'd handle it is simply to say that a co-worker behaved in something like "an highly inappropriate" or "deeply abusive" way -- or something like that. That way, you can still convey to them that it was something serious, and that you took action to rectify it, but you don't need to get into the potentially-uncomfortable details.

Regarding school selection, unlike the other person who replied above, I'm not sure that I have QUITE the same bullishness on how the story would work ONLY because MOST of the typical MBA programs (in the US at least) are focused on folks who have about 5 years of professional experience AND most of them are geared towards people who did NOT already get an MBA somewhere else. THAT having been said, there are several top programs that have alternatives to the typical "two year degree" that could really work out for you.

(note: a lot of it will depend upon what you want to do, post-MBA; that is, what is your goal in seeking the degree?)

(also, acing the GMAT is also an important piece of this):

Some US programs to consider:
- Columbia "J-Term"
- Kellogg or Cornell "1 year MBA"
- an Online program (if the knowledge is what you're after)

You may also want to consider European programs, as they tend to be more open to older candidates. In particular, if you speak German, that is a relatively uncommon skill to have, so I believe that will give you a big boost (vs. your fellow Indian applicants) for German MBA programs. As another added benefit, the German MBA programs often cost far less than the US ones. I usually do not advise people to apply to schools in Germany, but that is ONLY because lack of language skill will make it extremely difficult to secure a job after graduation.

IF your primary reason for getting the MBA is to enhance your skills as an entrepreneur, then I'd recommend doing an ONLINE MBA, so that way you can study and continue to grow your company at the same time. In fact, there are probably shorter online programs out there (e.g. something like a "Masters in Entrepreneurship") that is probably shorter and cheaper than an MBA, that will provide a more focused, vs. a general, curriculum.


Hope this helps!,
Maria

Hi Maria,

Thanks a lot for your response. Your suggestions are indeed thought provoking.
I have already started working towards some of the things that you have mentioned in your post.

Thanks once again.

Hi GMATDr

- As far as highlighting the incident goes, if you highlight it by focusing on the leadership, coordination, and sensitization that it involved, it would certainly be a positive. That said, weight it against the other options that you have. If you already have enough leadership and impact instances to talk about, mentioning this may seem a bit forced.
- 10 years of experience is a bit on the higher side for most full-time MBA programs. However there are still some options. We have seen IMD/LBS/Ross/Cornell take second-MBA candidates with higher work-ex in the past. Your school selection must be accurate from all aspects.
- The lack of international experience may not hurt, but will need to be seen in the context of the schools you apply to, which organization(s) you have worked with, and your career progression and impact.
- German A2 is great. If you are planning to use it for professional proficiency, continuing on to the B1 and then B2 level would be highly recommended.
- Given that you are yet to take the GMAT, don't worry about specific parts/incidents of your profile to highlight right now. Focus on getting a great score. GMAC might announce options to take the GMAT at home (this will be an interim option; expected to to be launched ~Apr 15) so do continue with your prep.

Hope that helps. Happy to have a short chat or evaluation on phone as needed. Do come back with queries here as required too.