Profile Evaluation for Yale Silver Scholars, Harvard 2+2: Ask GyanOne

Question

Talk about selectivity!  While tomes have already been written about how selective Stanford, Harvard, and Haas are (see this article from Businessweek and this one from Poets&Quants), few look at the Yale Silver Scholars program which has an acceptance rate that is as low as – if not lower – than Stanford’s 6.8%. Around 200 applicants from around the globe apply for the program every year, and only around 10 make it. If one considers that these applicants must vie for admission to the competitive Yale program without any work experience, the odds are even tougher.

Ashok’s path to Yale SS – a Yale Silver Scholar from India  
Yale Silver Scholars programOne of our clients, Ashok Pancily, demonstrates the abilities and the potential that Yale values. From outstanding grades and test scores to an exceptional record of community involvement and student leadership, Ashok has it all. He worked with GyanOne to perfect the expression of his career goals and translate his vision of the future into a realistic statement of aspirations. What Ashok lacked in work experience, he made up through his initiative and analytical acumen. He truly deserves to be, and is a great example of, a SS already. Ashok engaged with GyanOne for his SS application through our admissions consulting service and later through our interview preparation service. Both helped him significantly sharpen his story, gain strong clarity on his career goals, and gain deep insight into how Yale could help him accomplish them. This clarity showed through on his final Yale Silver Scholars application as well as on his subsequent interview, on which he excelled.

Siddharth Jain – another GyanOne client makes it to Yale SS  
Siddharth Yale Silver ScholarsFollowing closely after Ashok, another brilliant student to make it to the Yale Silver Scholars from India is Siddharth Jain. Siddharth, who has some excellent mathematical achievements to his credit, worked with GyanOne to understand how he could reach his career goals (connected to mathematics and analytics) through the Yale Silver Scholars program. Through multiple discussions, he sharpened his application, highlighting how he hoped to use his expertise to help small businesses in India. Siddharth’s hard work, and his achievements across spheres, helped him to show the Yale admissions committee that he had capabilities that extended from academics to sports and community events. No wonder, he is one of only three applicants ever from India (including Ashok) who have made it to the Yale Silver Scholars program. Kudos Siddharth!

Pretty much the only MBA program of its kind  
The one exception that differentiates the Yale program from all others is that while other schools offer direct admissions with certain pre-conditions to their regular MBA programs, Yale offers its Silver Scholars a different path. Successful applicants spend three years at the Yale MBA (against the normal two), the second of which is spent in a full-time internship. Not only does this provide valuable exposure to a professional environment in one’s area of choice, but also acts as a great way to explore the career path that one wishes to ultimately take on later.

There are other, arguably more minor, points too. Students in this program spend the first year at Yale SOM with one MBA Class, and their third year with another. This will lead to more networking opportunities.

Nor are Silver Scholars wanting in terms of professional opportunities. The Yale website lists top-notch firms that hire these students for internships. The big names include BCG, Motorola, Time Inc., and Coca-Cola

Career paths for Silver Scholars  
Yale started the program to groom exceptional individuals who would take up leadership positions in their careers later. While quite a few students do go on to full-time post-MBA positions with top corporate recruiters across industries, an increasing number are choosing entrepreneurship. Some have even managed to raise money while still at Yale for their fledgling ventures. This is what Yale SOM can do – one of the most connected schools out there and a powerful name to have on your resume.

For more success stories,  Yale Silver Scholars

This post was first published on the  GyanOne Blog

GyanOne has helped many college seniors to make it to Early Career MBA programs across the world, including the Harvard 2+2 and Yale SS. If you are planning to apply in R2 to Harvard 2+2 or Yale Silver Scholars, post your profile details and, admission and application queries below.

GyanOne · Answer

If you are aiming for top Early MBA Admits, feel free to post your queries on this thread. We would answer all questions related to admission processes, interview processes, profile evaluation and bschool selection here. This thread is only for applicants aiming to apply to Top MiM and Early MBA programs like HBS 2+2, Yale SS, Kellogg MiM, HEC MiM, ESSEC MiM, LBS MiM. For detailed Profile Evaluation, provide us with detailed information about your academics, extra-curriculars, internships, projects and leadership experiences.

pwnuts · Answer

Hi GyanOne,

Really appreciate the initiative. I'm a Management undergrad from New Delhi, India, currently in 1st year, will be moving to the penultimate year of undergrad in July'16. So clearly I have decent amount of time to work on my profile, your suggestions will be really valued.

I did my schooling from a premiere institute in New Delhi, 9.4 CGPA in 10th standard: A1 in Mathematics and Social Studies; 93.4% in 12th CBSE, Commerce: perfect 100 in Mathematics. (2014)
While in school:
Represented India in an international conference on Business Ethics and Governance in Malaysia
Won the International final of Asia's biggest school quiz, 3 national level quizzes, 40+ school level quizzes 
Organized multiple events in school -- Including inter-school quizzes, leadership summits
Used to run a tech review blog
President of the computer club
School Prefect

Post schooling, I joined B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons.) from a top Delhi University College (Read: Hansraj, LSR, Venky): (2014-15)
Secured close to 70% over 2 semesters
Featured on a national television quiz show
Part of an international social upliftment society, conceptualized a project which is still running
Part of quizzing society - won multiple college level business quizzes
Research project on game theory & e-commerce under mentor-ship of working professionals

I realized a course in Math wasn't aligned to my long term interests and  decided to leave it . I was fortunate enough to get into a premiere DU management undergrad college, the  selection rate of which is ~2% . (2015 - now)
7.2/10 SGPA (1st semester), aiming for an upward trajectory hereon.
Placement coordinator - inviting new recruiters, designing placement policies, liaising between students and companies
Quiz club - won many college level business quizzes, organized quizzes at different colleges and schools
Few case study achievements at national level competitions
Volunteer work - Teach for India, campaign associate and contributor at IIM-A literacy programme
Internships - College rep for Uber, Finance intern at Zeus Capital (PE firm), Management Trainee at a Bangalore based start-up (SEO, branding, partnerships)

Started GMAT prep a month back, aiming for a 710+, planning to take in September/October.

Following are my questions:
Does my profile have a potential of standing out for programs such as - ISB YLP, Yale SS, Harvard 2+2 (long shot, I know), Duke/Kellogg MMA/MSMS?
While I understand I lack considerably in international experience, and grades too fall somewhere on the average side, is there anything else I am missing out? 
How important is International experience, and what kind of experience should I be looking at hereon? 
Will the 1 year of Math major prove to be a negative aspect of my application? 
Does the profile seem one-sided with only quizzing achievements and should I invest in other activities as well? 
Will a good GMAT score (730+) fill up for average grades?
What other masters programs should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
pwnuts

GyanOne · Answer

Hi pwnuts

Thanks for posting.

You seem to have had some interesting (and impactful) life experienced already, and have clearly made multiple relevant efforts to strengthen your profile. For early career programs, work experience is missing as an admissions component, so what you do in college (and before) can certainly help to differentiate you. Congratulations on doing very well on that front already.

A quick word of advice before we dive into your questions - while a 710 or nearabouts too may work at many of the schools you are applying for, when you are aiming, aim higher - 730 and above. Given that you have the time to do this, you should.

Now onto your questions: 
1) Your profile certainly does have the potential of standing out at these programs. However, note that the Kellogg MSMS (Russell Fellows program) is not open for students currently enrolled in undergraduate business programs. Also, in addition to the schools you have listed, you might like to consider multiple European programs - HEC, LBS, and ESSEC, to name 3 excellent ones. 
2) In terms of international experience, you still have time to get some. You could opt for summer school at a top business school, for example. The story with grades is similar. Given that you are in the penultimate year, there is time for you to improve them further, though they are not bad now. Just so you know, neither of these elements is a must for any of the programs you are applying to, so you could very well get through without international experience too. 
3) As noted earlier, international experience is not a critical determinant, but it can add to your application if you have it. You could look for international internships or for a summer school stint.
4) No, not at all. You might need to explain it, but it wont be a negative. 
5) While quizzing is a big part of your profile, the profile does seem to have other activities too. We dont see your profile as one-sided at all. 
6) Yes it will, but you should be aiming for a good GMAT score just because it matters for its own sake too. Also, try to simultaneously improve grades too. 
7) Listed in answer to Q1.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with further questions as needed.

avichalchopra · Answer

Hi Gyanone,
Could you please evaluate my profile for Yale SS
I'm 19 from India, Male
I am in my second year pursuing BBA from NMIMS (one of the top colleges for BBA in India )

My academics are as follows:

10th - 9.2/10cgpa
12th - 90.2 percent 
1st year college - 3.54/4cgpa

Work ex/internships:

Interned at Pristile Products Pvt.Ltd. Where I worked on launching a new skincare brand, this involved content creation, digital marketing, making ad campaigns, engaging with target group, making a social media calendar and working on social media marketing 
(The brand will launch soon)

Freelancing as a PR Consultant at LCA Films, a short film start-up (started by college students)

Extra curriculars:

•Organised many school events and fests 
•Was a part of organising a cultural fest in college 
•Western Vocal Nationals 
•Theatre 
•Football

Positions of responsibility:

•Senior member of VAAYU (Performing Arts Committee) at NMIMS.

•HOD of PR and Marketing for my college's official magazine

• Head of Stage Play event at VAAYU fest’19 (NMIMS)

• Senior member of the Performing Arts Society at Delhi Public School R.K. Puram.

•Senior member of Expressions Theatre Club at Delhi Public School R.K. Puram.

• Overall in-charge of Theatron’18- Inter School Theatre Competition.

•Overall in-charge of Echoes’18- Inter School Performing Arts Competition.

Awards and achievements
•Academic: 
°Blue tie for for 6 consecutive years of academic excellence(award given by school) (2013-2018)

° Certificate for completing Google's digital marketing course and passing the exam

•Extra curricular
°Awarded gold medal for excellence in western Vocal(an award given by school in the final year) (2018)
°Awarded red tie for excellence in theatre ( an award given by school-2018)
°Awarded the second podium in DPS-Nationals western Vocal choir competition 
°Awarded red tie for excellence in western Vocal (award by school-2016)

Projects undertaken

•Social and Cause Related Marketing and Marketing Mix of Nestle (Marketing)

- >Studied about Social and Cause Related Marketing and researched on Marketing Mix strategies used by Nestle and how it promotes its products.
• Economics of Pollution (Macro Economics)
-> Researched on relevance of pollution in macroeconomics as well as the review and literature of the same.

• Interview and analysis on body language (Effective Communication)
->Took interviews of two participants, Assistant Brand Manager (Digital Marketing) of P&G and the Marketing Head (western region of Mumbai) of Indraprastha Fibers and Trade.
->Developed case studies on the basis of the interviews and analysis was made on their personality types as well as non-verbal cues observed during the interview.

• Visit to Unify Facility Management Pvt.Ltd. (Principles of Marketing)
-> Interviewed the Managing Director at Unify Facility Management Pvt.Ltd.
-> Developed a report on the way functions of management are followed at Unify.

Other

Basic knowledge of MS Excel

Underwent training for Marketing on Facebook and Instagram

Haven't given GMAT yet, planning on giving it in a month or so, expecting 730 (getting around that in mocks)

I am currently in my second year, so I will be doing one more internship before applying to Yale SS

Q) How does my profile look?
Q) How good a chance do I have for Yale SS

Thank you

GyanOne · Answer

Hi  avichalchopra

Thank you for posting. Here is our assessment: 
- Your leadership, ECA, and internships look good. The projects undertaken, that you mention, are more for your knowledge - they do not have direct impact on your application. 
- The GPA is pretty good as well. Ensure that you keep it as strong as possible. 
- Going forward, the GMAT will be critical to your chances. Try and keep the GMAT score definitely over 720, and if possible, take it higher, as you have the time to prepare for and take the exam now. Your chances can really be ascertained once you have a score. 
- Try and also work towards defining a focal area for your future. The BBA is a general program. Within that, what is the central area you wish to focus on? At the moment, it seems to be marketing, so focus on that and built that up further.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

amarga · Answer

Hi,

I am currently a college senior looking to apply in this coming winter/spring term.

Demographics
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Citizen: Afghan-Canadian
Diversity: First Gen college student, lower socio economic background, refugee family

Education
BASc in Engineering at Top 2 Canadian Engineering School
GPA: 3.4+ (Hoping to graduate with 3.7, only 2.4% off!)
Graduating: April 2021

GMAT
GMAT: Haven’t taken it yet but aiming for 720. Currently have V36 with absolutely 0 preparation and just need to improve my basic quant skills, not too concerned.

Looking for Intake: HBS 2+2 Class of 2024

Work Experience:
4 Engineering Internships in Canada and the U.S.

- Engineering leadership role at Apple (2 internships in a row - have a great relationship with my team and will likely return full time after graduating)
- Project Engineering at top 3 aerospace company
- Technical Account Manager at top 10 consumer electronics firm

Highlights:

- Have a patent pending at Apple for a feature I invented and live pitched to Apple VPs. My feature is part of iOS 14

Extracurricular Activities

- Co-founder and Director and Board VP at a 501C3 non profit based out of the U.S. that empowers marginalized communities in war torn countries through social entrepreneurship and innovation (currently piloting in Afghanistan)

- Youth mentor for marginalized youth in my local refugee community

- Entrepreneur and Social Innovator at my own E-Commerce business where I employ marginalized Afghan women to produce goods that are sold to a global audience. In the program they receive skill development training, fair compensation, and humanitarian support by way of food packages and education financing for their children

Post-MBA goals

Short term: continue working in a FAANG technology firm to build up my leadership skills and industry knowledge

Long term: start my own firm focused on real estate development and VC investing into promising tech social innovations/ventures based in war torn or failed countries.

My personal mission: Rehabilitation of war torn countries such as Afghanistan through technology and social innovation

Specific questions:
- What round should I apply to Yale SOM SS in? I am concerned because I still haven't done my GMAT and don't want to rush myself if I don't have to.
- I only have 5 months to study for the GMAT. So in the worst case scenario that I don’t improve my 3.4 GPA and only get a 690-700 GMAT score, what would my chances be?

Target Schools:

HBS 2+2, Yale SOM Silver Scholars, Stanford GSB Advanced Admission

Thank you so much for taking the time, I really appreciate it!!!

GyanOne · Answer

Hi  amarga

Wow, didn't realize while using iOS that there's a bit of your work in it! Kudos and way to go.

- Your profile overall is quite solid. We wouldn't worry excessively about the GPA. Of course, if you can move it north of 3.5, that helps. 
- On the GMAT, you already have a 36 verbal, which is the hard part out of the way. Now, what you need to do is maintain that, and pair it with a Q50. You can certainly do it, given your background in engineering. 
- Your professional background certainly aligns well with your goals, but we would be more specific about what you're looking at long-term. Focus on one - real estate or tech/VC investment, not both. Also, you will need to dig deeper into what you want long-term. The part about social innovation for war-torn countries sounds interesting, but what are we looking at here specifically? Is that an area in which must investment is being done? What does the future in that segment look like? These need a somewhat deeper response. 
- In terms of the deadlines, Round 2 for Yale SS and even Round 3 should be ok. The important part is to first get the target GMAT (a 720+) and then build solid apps. The background seems to be there, but needs to be enhanced with a solid GMAT and strong apps with coherent stories.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back with more queries as needed.

Vandana8695 · Answer

Hi,

Hope you're doing very well.
I wanted to get a profile evaluation done for deferred programs, if someone has some time,

Demographic - Female Indian, International student in the UK at The University of Manchester.

Academics:
* On track for First class (4.0 GPA)
* Received outstanding Academic achievement award twice in a row
* GMAT: Haven't taken yet but aiming for 750

Work Experience:
* Business Intern at Google
* Year-long internship (part of the degree) at one of the Virgin Group companies (with a 1.6% rate overall in the UK for international students getting a job)
* Upcoming Teaching placement at a local school (part of a leadership unit)
* Project Consultant for a startup in the US
* Analyst spring intern at a startup in Manchester, UK

Leadership:
* Founder and chair for a pro-bono marketing agency
* Manchester leadership Program achiever
* Mentor at my University for students
* Student representative for a school within our university (UCIL)
* Marketing head at a social organization on campus

Community:
* Won the prestigious Stellify award in my University for community engagement (+leadership)
* Volunteer @ Oxfam
* NHS responder for COVID -19
* Student consultant @ University to help better the student experience
* Volunteer at Open street, helping by researching and building maps in Uganda

I realize my experience is varied but my personal ambition is to learn and gain knowledge as much as possible and to use that knowledge as a way to help improve not just businesses but also the society.

Post MBA goal: I do want to stay in the business side of the tech industry but I also want to run a social enterprise on the side (which I'm currently doing as well). In the long-term I hope to start a for profit social enterprise that employs members of the marginalized communities.

I also understand that they would want to see a reflection of my goals in my current work, so I'm open to suggestions for things I can undertake before applying since I do have more than a year left still.

Thank you so much for the review.

mayo101 · Answer

Hi, I would really appreciate if you could evaluate my profile and give some pointers.

Pls, note I am in the process of doing certain things mentioned like giving the GMAT etc. But I have mentioned the expected scores.

Demographic : Indian Female, 22 Years old

Tentative GMAT : 720-760

Undergrad : Will graduate in 2023. Major- Marketing. A top business school in the country. Tentative CGPA- 3.3-3.7 (mostly3,4-3.7)

Work-ex/ Internships : Working as a VP- Content for a small startup started by a high schooler about building a community for startups. Also working on a newsletter converted to a social media platform in a specific vertical startup as a co-founder and CEO. Alongside, working in a marketing role in a social startup by college students as a co-founder
Internship at Reliance. Will do at least 2 more.

Freelancer providing services for social media marketing and Data Visualisations.

Published 2 research papers and worked on multiple Data Analytics Projects.

Clubs experience:
Content Member at Girl Up and Senior Member Data Analytics Tech Society
Also, published 4 poems in 2 anthologies.

Also, was a second runner up in startup summer program.

Short Term Goals - Want to work in a FAANG company or a good startup for personal development and enhancing leadership skills
Long Term Goals - Innovate and work on more startups as an entrepreneur
Do I have a shot at Yale Silver Scholars ?

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