General questions regarding admission

Question

Hey there! I am here with a new set of doubts!

would love your invaluable feedback! My profile and my questions are- 1. Profile: Female, 32, PSU Bank ex- 2 years, self startup- 2 years, GoI work ex 5.5 years (startup and GoI work ex overlapped for a year) Gmat score- 710 (49Q, 37V) Objective- my start up was good. Wish to revive/refine it. See if it is commercially viable. Also aiming for transition to private sector (financial consulting) whether or not start up works. (I am passionate about both, hence want to be in an environment to be able to figure out the best way forward- aka ExeMBA) 3. QUESTIONS- How are my chances of getting into PGPX? which is more suitable for me - IIM A,B,C,L or ISB I already have a home loan. Are there scholarships available to get into above institutes? What are other ways to finance an MBA? Thankyou for reading! Posted from my mobile device

MBADecoder · Answer

yeah, i believe you have a good profile. PSU + Startup experience is noteworthy. More important would be what you learned/ achieved in these two different environments and how your career goals tie in with this experience. I would like to know more details about your startup to understand how it was "good" - as you will understand, its easier to make your experience understood in business terms by using words such as growth, revenues, profits etc. These tangible outcomes are easier for a new listener to comprehend, so when you put down your resume for b-schools, do mention your achievements in terms of quantitative values. Your goals sound a little muddled as you give both the options of entrepreneurship and consulting. The IIMs ask for a statement of purpose as part of the application, and they would want to see that you have some clarity on what you wish to do post MBA. So, now is the time to delve deeper and ask yourself what attracts you more. Stick to that one path in your goal. Also, I believe that if you have already run a decently successful startup for 2 years, you would have figured out whether it is commercially viable or not. Or, am i missing something? Is the startup still functioning, or do you want to revive it at a later period? Anyhow, the idea is that you give clear and concise goals. You should apply to ISB (strong in entrepreneurship and in consulting) as well as a few IIMs. Its always better to have a choice of b-schools to select from. Namita Garg, Founder, mbadecoder.com contact@mbadecoder.com

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  PN14 ,

Thanks for writing in.

In order to maximize your chances of getting into a business school of your choice, you must aggressively apply to all the schools in question. Your diverse experience including your start-up stint will make for a strong talking point and you must definitely put enough thought into how you wish to portray the same (to make your story a compelling one) in your essays.

Indian schools are not known to be scholarship friendly, per se. However, if you apply in an earlier round, you may have a very small chance.

All the best!

MBAGuide · Answer

PN14 Hi I would consider you a great fit for IIM A and B. ISB can also be a good option, but since you are transitioning from the Public sector to the private sector, a smaller cohort can provide better opportunities to form bonds with peers and get support in your objectives (this is solely my opinion). As mentioned already, Indian B Schools offer financial aid in very specific cases or for extraordinary profiles. Depending on your performance, you could expect some from schools as you go lower in your priority list- IIM B, C, L. Growth Progression With 8+ years of experience and a differentiated background in PSU, GOI (Finance throughout I think), things appear promising at first glance. However, the most crucial aspect to showcase in a B School application/interview is "career progression." How have you demonstrated an upward trajectory in the last 8 years? What new learnings and incremental responsibilities have you acquired due to your capabilities? What was your rational behind each career decision. Unpack your experiences and construct your stories in a way that demonstrates how working on your projects has provided you with more hands-on experience, experiential maturity, and the ability to contextualize business problems within your industry. When it comes to standing out in a competitive pool of applicants, nothing works better than showing a strong industry focus. For your extracurriculars, I suggest that you delve deeper and analyze whether you have overlooked any mundane, unobvious, or subtle initiatives you may have undertaken over the years. This could include activities such as travel, learning a new language, participating in diversity initiatives at work (such as speaking out against gender discrimination or advocating for diversity in the workforce), providing financial or moral support to those in need, teaching underprivileged children, organizing diversity talks or off-site activities to enhance collaboration among teams, and more. In my experience, I have observed that applicants often struggle to recall, in the early stages of the application, how they have contributed to the betterment of their community. It may require some introspection to uncover these experiences. Goals Strategy Considering your background in public sector banking/finance, here are some ideas to consider for your story as a PGP applicant. Present a compelling narrative about your motivation to work in the public sector. You may have interesting insights from working on projects that concern specific target groups (TGs, for example, such as the bottom of the pyramid in the Indian economy). What problems did you identify and attempt to solve? Showcase compassionate leadership through stories and a determined will to mobilize specific sectors post-MBA, leveraging your prior experience in public sector banking and the increased business acumen gained from the PGP program. Be mindful of your goals. This will require further discussion and research (before you write your essays), but I believe you can leverage your experience to pursue a wide range of roles in advisory, consulting, startups, impact initiatives, and more. Feel free to reach out should you need candid advice Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer) MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

TheIvyLeagueEdge · Answer

Hi  PN14 ,
Your profile is good for some top brand European schools, which will also give you the exposure and the networking that will help at this point of your startup. Your GMAT scores is also decent (though 20-30 points higher would make it stellar.

ISB also has specific MBA programs catered to start-up profiles like yours.

Happy to help you in school selection, and in your application journey

PositiveMind123 · Answer

Hello Experts, I have been admitted into the Rutgers Executive MBA Program. I am currently on H1B visa and I am looking to finance my studies by taking a loan. Can anyone please guide me on the options to get loans without any co-signer. My credit score is decent.

Businessconquerer · Answer

Juno I think is doing something for education loans, you'll need a US citizen to cosign though I think

The school you have been admitted to should be able to tell you financial aid options for you.

PositiveMind123 · Answer

Thank you for your suggestion. I have reached out to the school, unfortunately the school doesn't provide any financial aid to H1B visa holders. So, only option I could think of is personal loan. I a not sure if it's really worthy in the long run to take personal loan for EMBA. I have 14 years of consulting experience in IT industry. May I request for any suggestion in this regard ?

Businessconquerer · Answer

Sorry to hear about the school.

I can't say for certain whether you should save up and move up or move up and get in a significant amount of debt. It's a long discussion.

That said, I believe you'll benefit better if you instead asked for them to connect you to any business schools lending partners and take a loan from the options available there.

The business schools don't provide financial aid but usually have ties with lending partners

Posted from my mobile device

General questions regarding admission

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