Profile evaluation: GMAT 720, ex-MBB, Indonesian

Question

Hi all, kindly need your help in assessing whether I should retake the GMAT. I’m planning to apply at R2 this year for intake of 2023

Target school: HBS, GSB, Wharton, MIT Sloan

profile: male, age 28 by time matriculation
Citizenship: Indonesia, born in small city, a double minority here (Christian and non-Javanese)
GMAT: 720 (Q49, V39), IR 8, AWA 5
GPA: graduated cum laude, 3.55 petroleum engineering in Indonesia top 1 engineering university
TOEFL: 109, all section in advance level

Work experience:
-5 mths Schlumberger Abu Dhabi
-0.5 yr in BCG jakarta as intern
-2 yrs in Strategy& Jakarta as Associate
-1.5 yrs in BCG Jakarta, joined as Asso and promoted to Senior Associate in 9 months, working across Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila. 
-currently planning to move to the first and only government tech entity in Indonesia that plans to digitalize and transform Indonesian Education

extracurricular (from recent to older)
- Recruiter for BCG Jakarta giving back program, a non-profit social driven activities
- Member of BCG SOCCOM committee, that helped to arrange all the social community activities for BCG Jakarta office
- Active member of AIDA Freediving, an extreme sport. Planning to join competition prior to applying for school
- President of Petroleum Engineering Student Batch in my university
- Head of External Division for StudentsxCEO summit Bandung
- President of student council during High School
- Senior Adviser of Flag Hoisting Troops High School

Achievement:
- Winner of PwC Innovation days 2019 during my time in Strategy&
- Winner of multiple National Oil Rig Competition in 2017
- Awardee of ITB student award

Considering that I will be moving to another company and might need some time to readjust, is it worth it to retake GMAT again? Or given that I come from Indonesia this should suffice?

Should i focus on building strong essay and gathering recommendation instead? Will my move to this government entity affect my application?

Posted from my mobile device

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

There is a lot to like about your profile it checks a lot of boxes. I did a bit of research, are you Sundanese?

If you can include something about your backround and how it has shaped you then I feel more confident than if you cant, as part of the application essays. Do you have a good story here for HBS? For GSB definitely...background essay...MIT, will be tough for the intial submissions with a 60 second video (cover letter should really be more on impact at work).

Are you willing to entertain SOM as a backup given where you are going to a govt entity? On that note going for MBA/MPA or MBA/MPP will offer some advantage if so inclined because those programs have a quota.

If you have a better score in you, like before you change jobs, it might help with scholarships....I am not really in the loop with the current level of representation of Indonesians in MBA applicant pool, I know you are better off than say Chinese but not sure if you are in the Papau New Guineau category either, so try to dig on that a bit to help answer the question...hopefully someone can chime in on that. Might post in Ask Admissions Consultants.

I don't know what kind of work hours you will have once moving but you have time to retake if applying R2; I like your planning orientation but if you have 3 months for applications there leaves enough time for a retake. Get a tutor if needed to accelerate things.

Admissionado · Answer

danielhtgl : Q: Considering that I will be moving to another company and might need some time to readjust, is it worth it to retake GMAT again? Or given that I come from Indonesia this should suffice? A: "Worth it" can be very subjective. Are you talking about the time or cost to retake the exam? You have nothing to lose by retaking the exam since you have a 720 as a floor score. I would take it again to try and get another 20+ points particularly since you're targeting the most selective schools. I wouldn't rely on being from Indonesia as a counterbalancing factor to your score. Q: Should i focus on building strong essay and gathering recommendation instead? Will my move to this government entity affect my application? A: The recommendation letters shouldn't be too much of a time-consuming effort on your part. The essays are an entirely different story. You need to think about how much time you want to spend retaking the GMAT and weigh that against how much time you will need for the essays. Assuming there's a tradeoff between essays and GMAT, ultimately you should pick essays. Like any move prior to your application, it will have an impact. You will have to incorporate it into your story/essays. It's neither negative nor positive on its basic merits. It just needs to be managed. If you would like to discuss this further, my team is happy to arrange a free consultation for you. https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/

MBAGuide · Answer

danielhtgl  hope this finds you in good health

Your profile checks a lot of boxes namely 
1. Feeder brands (several!) - Schlumberger, BCG , Strategy& (further, motivation to move into state sector to work on ed-tec and digitalization is lending an interesting touch to your trajectory)
2. Academic arc
3. Demographic (not a seemingly overrepresented group at these schools and ethnic minority in your country)
4. Non-Profit/CSR activities albeit with your employer
5. GMAT. 720 with a Q49, V39, and IR 8 is a balanced score. Sure there is room for improvement, especially on quant given that you are a consultant. But even if you do not re-take the GMAT you could try to put forth examples in your essays showcasing a highly analytical bent of mind through the kind of work you have done.

Your post-MBA goals would play an important role because I feel that at these schools, one's vision for the future is a major determinant when it comes to picking a handful from the vast number of MBB consultants who apply. Since you have a strong professional foundation already, you should deliberate on having both aspirational as well as inspirational goals for the mid to long term. Your move to the government entity could set the tone for your philanthropic intentions if that's how you wish to pitch your goals.

Best wishes

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi, danielhtgl , Thank you for your post! First, I would like to say you did a great job backing a 720 in your GMAT, and belonging to a diverse pool will definitely help your case. Your overall GPA is ok. However, it would help if you could add some other academic statistics to your profile. About your profile, you have very well described your roles and did well adding about awards and accolades. However, it's also important to add stellar leadership examples, critical projects, more on promotions, and add brief details about your international exposure. Moreover, since you switched your company multiple times, could you please give strong reasons why you think it was a good time for you to switch? What were your aims & aspirations regarding your new role, and how would you say it isn't something closely related to your endurance. Finally, you would need to link your past experiences and skill-set in your diverse tenure with your post-MBA goals. For your reference, I suggest you go through our article on How you can justify your career switch to pursue an MBA for a career change! , this would most certainly help provide insights and help you structure your profile accordingly. Regarding your ECAs, you have some good ones, but most are related to your company responsibility or during your school times. Moreover, I find it to be a bit brief; I would suggest elaborating on the challenges faced, the leadership roles played, the impact generated, and a little bit about the overall experience. A strong overall profile is a prerequisite for a top B-school, so I recommend adding other certified courses and certifications to your profile to gain additional points. All in all, you have a decent profile. If you increase your score by 20 points it will help you maximize your chances as you are targetinng top schools. I would also recommend focusing on profile building as a stellar profile is a must for your target schools. Also, ]adding a well-defined post-MBA goal. Furthermore, try to link your work experience, ECAs, and post-MBA goals by connecting the dots in your school essays to mesmerize the adcom! If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs;feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience. Interact with the current B school students and industry experts who’ll help you prepare a roadmap for your R1 applications for top B schools Cheers! Neha Hadke Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond Testimonials Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com

Profile evaluation: GMAT 720, ex-MBB, Indonesian

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards